Training

Introduction

Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Board/Partnership (RBSB) are responsible for agreeing how organisations in the borough will work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, families and adults.

Working Together 2023 sets out a responsibility for Safeguarding Partners to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The Care Act 2014 states that Safeguarding Adults Boards must promote multi-agency training and consider any specialist training that may be required, and consider any scope to jointly commission training with other partnerships.

The safeguarding board and partnership in Rochdale have decided to exceed these requirements and provide multi-agency training directly, making sure that appropriate learning opportunities are available to everyone who works with adults and that this training makes a positive difference to practice.

This strategy sets out how the Board/Partnership will fulfil these responsibilities.

Purpose of the Strategy

To provide a framework for the delivery of all single and multi agency training to ensure that this is effectively co-ordinated and delivered to a consistently high standard.
To ensure that a process exists for quality assuring the effectiveness and impact of training and that there is sufficient, relevant training to meet workforce needs across the partnership.

Principles

There should be a culture of continuous learning and improvement across the organisations that work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, families and adults.
All training must be consistent with the requirements of national legislation, respect diversity and promote equality.
Professionals and organisations working with children, families and adults need to reflect on the quality of their services and learn from their own practice and that of others.
All staff must be alert to potential indicators of abuse and neglect, know how to act on those concerns and to fulfil their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children, or adults in line with appropriate RBSB multi-agency policy and procedures.
All training should promote a child centred/ person centred approach where the needs of the individual are paramount and where people receive the support they need before problems escalate.
All training will ensure that the philosophy of “make no decision about me, without me” is embedded into practice

Training Objectives

Seek assurance for the Board that partner organisations have training in place that meets statutory and local need, and which adheres to the agreed minimum content and standards.
To provide a multi-agency training programme accessible to anyone who works or volunteers in the Rochdale borough.
To ensure the training provided meets statutory requirements and is informed by the learning of Child Practice Reviews, Rapid Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews etc. and local and national initiatives.
To conduct an annual Training Needs Analysis to ensure that the training programme is effective and efficient and meets partners’ requirements within the borough.
To recruit and maintain a pool of appropriate front-line practitioners to help design and deliver the training programme.
To ensure that the impact of training on front-line practice and outcomes for families and individuals is effectively evaluated and findings inform future planning.
To liaise with other Board sub-groups to ensure learning from audits is embedded within training and awareness raising campaigns are supported.
To produce a work-plan which outlines all activity for the coming year and to report progress in a quarterly report to both Boards.

The training offer to partners

Application process - The RBSCP website provides a training page on which courses are listed and can be booked.

Charges - Training is mostly free of charge but there is a charge for late cancellation or non-attendance. Full details are in the Charging Policy.

Online Learning - The RBSB websites will provide links to free e-learning packages on external sites.

Continuous Professional Development - It is important to recognise that the realities of building and sustaining competence are much more complex than simply attending a training programme. All multi-agency safeguarding training should be seen in the context of continuous professional development in recognition that what happens after
training is equally, if not more important than the training itself.

Individual practitioners should always discuss their specific training needs with their line manager and seek to develop their knowledge and skills, not only through formal training but through supervision, research, peer support and other relevant opportunities. The learner packs that will accompany every
RBSB course will include recommendations for further reading, study and skills development.

Refresher Training - The minimum requirement is that “Introduction to Safeguarding” training is undertaken every 3 years. However some sectors and specific roles require more frequent updating. It is the responsibility of each organisation / sector to make this clear in its own workforce strategy.

Single agencies have the responsibility to audit the training that their staff access so they can report to
the Board accordingly.

Evaluation - Participants are sent an evaluation form following the training and are also contacted three months after the course to elicit information on impact. Feedback is shared with the relevant trainers.

Single agency training - RBSB has developed training standards to ensure that single agency training is compliant with statutory guidance. Compliance is monitored on an annual basis.

Book a Course