Certificate in Safeguarding for School Governors

Course Duration: 1h 50m (approx) online training + self-directed learning and activities + final assessment.

Governing bodies have a strategic leadership responsibility for their school’s safeguarding arrangements and must ensure that they comply with their duties under legislation. They must have regard to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) ensuring policies, procedures and training in their schools are effective and comply with the law at all times.

This Essential CPD course provides you with the core content you need to understand your statutory safeguarding requirements as a school governor.

Split into bite-sized modules, the training has been designed to provide maximum learning potential in the leanest, most cost-effective and most time-efficient manner. It has been produced in high-quality remote video CPD format which is accessible on any device, any time, anywhere.

Developed by Robin Watts, international safeguarding expert, the course is split into eleven modules and encourages audience interaction to support and embed learning. There is a knowledge assessment at the end to help you evidence course completion.

Designed in line with the following policies

Governance Handbook
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Working Together to Safeguard Children
The Children Act 2004

Learning Outcomes

Understanding your legal responsibilities as part of the governing body and the legislative frameworks and statutory policy in place that schools must comply with.
Identifying the different roles of the governing body and the importance of establishing a safeguarding lead to deliver effective oversight of school safeguarding provision.
Recognising key policies and UK guidance on different aspects of safeguarding and child protection to support the prevention, recognition and reporting of safeguarding issues.
Understanding how to effectively respond to allegations of unprofessional conduct and behaviour and delivering a pupil-led approach to safeguarding.
Recognising general characteristics of offending behaviour and the boards responsibilities to safer recruitment processes.

Course Units

Introduction

Module 1: What is safeguarding?

Module one will explore the difference between safeguarding and child protection, provide an introduction into board expectations of school leaders and consider the importance of whole-school awareness.

Module 2: The role of the governing body

Module two will discuss the role of the governing body in line with DfE guidance and statutory safeguarding polices, including the legislative requirements behind the promotion of pupil welfare.

Module 3: The role of the committee

Module three will help you understand committee structures, governor meetings and how different sub-committees help deliver effective safeguarding arrangements.

Module 4: The chair, vice-chair, and safeguarding governor

In module four you will explore the roles of the chair of governors, the vice-chair and the safeguarding governor, including their respective roles and responsibilities.

Module 5: Policies and procedures

Module five will explore the different policies and procedures schools should consider around safeguarding and child protection and ask you to consider the requirements of your own setting.

Module 6: Safeguarding concerns

In module six, you will look at a number of safeguarding issues and different forms of child abuse, such as female genital mutilation, radicalisation, serious violence, child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation.

Module 7: Allegations against professionals

Module seven will explore teacher prohibition and the different ways of raising concerns about staff, including the correct procedure for whistleblowing and dealing with allegations of abuse.

Module 8: Pupil voice

Module eight will explore why it’s important to always take a pupil-led approach to safeguarding, describing different risks children are vulnerable to and the role of the RSHE curriculum.

Module 9: Governor conduct and whistleblowing

In module nine, you will explore the conduct expected of governors under their roles and responsibilities, examine the 7 Nolan principles and the importance of developing a whistleblowing procedure.

Module 10: Offending behaviour

Module ten will focus on offending behaviours, including an offender’s inhibitors, traits, and the ‘offending cycle’ in which many offenders are trapped.

Module 11: Safer recruitment

Module eleven will discuss the importance of safer recruitment policies and the measures schools must have in place to ensure a robust recruitment process which keeps children safe from potential harm.

About The Expert

Robin Watts

International safeguarding expert and education consultant who has worked with schools worldwide.

Find out more

Annual Certificate in Safeguarding for School Governors (2022-23)

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