OCFA Courses

E-Learning Course

Target Audience: All childcare practitioners working in Early Years settings including childminders and nursery staff.

Course Aim: To enable learners to respond confidently and appropriately to concerns about the safety and welfare of a child.

Course content

Module 1 – Understanding the role of early years practitioners

• The role of early years practitioners in safeguarding
• Safeguarding and welfare requirements
• Child protection requirements in EYFS 2017
• Being alert to issues for concern
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Ensuring the suitability of staff
• Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Possible signs of abuse and neglect
• Staff Training

Module 2 – – Legislation and Government Guidance

• Why you need to know about legislation and Government guidance
• Key legislation – The Children Act 1989
• Key legislation – The Children Act 2004
• Key legislation – The Childcare Act 2006
• Other relevant legislation
• Government guidance

Module 3 – Lessons from serious case reviews

• What is a serious case review?
• What can we learn from serious case reviews?
• Key failures shown up by case reviews

Module 4 – Recognising signs and indicators

• Recognising signs of abuse and neglect
• Categories of abuse and neglect
• Spotting signs of neglect
• Spotting signs of emotional abuse
• Spotting signs of physical abuse
• Spotting signs of sexual abuse

Module 5 – Working with other professionals

• The principles of multi-agency working
• Working together to safeguard children
• Identifying the need for early help
• Knowing who to work with, when and how
• Making a referral
• Children in need of immediate protection

Module 6 – Responding to a disclosure from a child

• Why children may not tell you about neglect and abuse
• Your role as a practitioner in an early years setting
• How to respond if a child discloses abuse or neglect

Module 7 – Recording, reporting and sharing information and concerns

• Recording a concern
• Effective record keeping
• Responding to a concern in a timely way
• Responding to concerns and the role of the DSL
• The importance of information
• Data protection, the law and best practice
• Guidance principles for information sharing

Module 8 – Current and emerging themes in child protection

Themes currently relevant to Early Years practitioners
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• FGM and the law
• FGM and Early Years Foundation Stage requirements
• Radicalisation and extremism
• Indicators of radicalisation – children
• Indicators of radicalisation – young people and adults
• Domestic abuse
• Definition of domestic abuse
• Signs that a child may be witnessing domestic abuse
• Child criminal exploitation – county lines
• The impact of child criminal exploitation on children and families

Module 9 – Allegations against professionals or trusted adults

• The potential for child abuse within the early years setting
• Responding to allegations of abuse in the early years setting

Elearning Features

· Access the course on any device including PC, tablet and mobile phone

· Appeals to all learning styles with interactive quizzes, video and full audio features

· Work at your own pace, testing your knowledge as you progress through the course

· Progress is automatically saved so you can take a break and pick up where you left off