Safeguarding Adults Training

The Care and Support Statutary Guidance to the Care Act 2014 states that, ‘Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) should ensure that relevant partners provide training for staff and volunteers on the policy, procedures and professional practices that are in place locally, which reflects their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding adult arrangements. Employers, student bodies and voluntary organisations should also undertake this, recognising their critical role in preventing and detecting abuse. This should include:

• basic mandatory induction training with respect to awareness of spotting signs of abuse and the duty to report
• more detailed awareness training, including training on recognition of abuse and responsibilities with respect to the procedures in their particular agency
• specialist training for those who will be undertaking enquiries, and managers; and, training for elected members and others for example, healthwatch members
• post qualifying or advanced training for those who work with more complex enquiries and responses or who act as their organisation’s expert in a particular field, for example in relation to legal or social work, those who provide medical or nursing advice to the organisation or the Board

Training should take place at all levels in an organisation and be updated regularly to reflect current best practice. To ensure that practice is consistent – no staff group should be excluded. Training should include issues relating to staff safety within a Health and Safety framework and also include volunteers. In a context of personalisation, boards should seek assurances that directly employed staff (for example, Personal Assistants) have access to training and advice on safeguarding.

Training is a continuing responsibility and should be provided as a rolling programme. Whilst training may be undertaken on a joint basis and the SAB has an overview of the standards and content, it is the responsibility of each organisation to ensure the effective delivery of safeguarding training to its own staff.’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON TRAINING YOUR STAFF ABOUT SAFEGUARDING ADULTS UNDER THE CARE ACT 2014  PLEASE CONTACT US