Advanced Safeguarding Children Online Course

Course learning outcomes

After completing the Advanced Safeguarding Children course, you will be able to:

• Identify who is responsible for safeguarding children.
• Describe legislation that relates to safeguarding children and what happens when suspected abuse is reported.
• Identify parental/carer issues that can contribute to child abuse.
• Describe several kinds of abuse that children can experience.
• Identify special issues regarding disabled and deaf children.
• Outline what to do if a child discloses abuse or you suspect abuse.

Course content

The online Advanced Safeguarding Children course covers the following 16 topics:

1 – Introduction to safeguarding children

The first topic explains what safeguarding children means. It outlines who abuses children and identifies who is responsible for safeguarding children. The topic also describes the short-term and long-term impact of child abuse.

2 – Legislation, policies and procedures

The second topic introduces fundamental human rights and the rights of a child. It outlines key UK legislation and policies related to safeguarding and explains what happens in different parts of the UK after child abuse has been reported.

3 – About parents and carers

The third topic describes how issues such as drug and alcohol misuse, mental health difficulties, and stress can affect parents’ and carers’ ability to care for children appropriately. It also highlights the importance of early help.

4 – Physical abuse

Topic 4 focuses on the physical abuse of children. It explores definitions and prevalence statistics and identifies the short-term and long-term effects of physical abuse. It also outlines how to recognise possible signs that a child may be at risk of physical abuse.

5 – Emotional abuse

Topic 5 explores emotional abuse and the impact it can have on child victims. This topic covers the definition and prevalence of emotional abuse, its effects on children, and how to recognise the signs that it might be taking place.

6 – Sexual abuse

Topic 6 is about the sexual abuse of children. This topic covers definitions of sexual abuse, its prevalence, the short-term impact and long-term effects on children, and the signs to look out for that can help identify whether a child is being abused.

7 – Neglect

Topic 7 explains what neglect is and outlines the impact it has on a child. This topic covers the definition and prevalence of neglect, four different types of neglect, its impact on children, and the signs that a child is being neglected.

8 – Domestic abuse

Topic 8 explores how domestic abuse between parents can impact children in the household. This topic covers the definition and prevalence of domestic abuse, explains what constitutes domestic abuse and identifies how it affects children. Finally, it outlines the warning signs that a child may have witnessed domestic abuse.

9 – Human trafficking

Topic 9 is about the human trafficking of children. It provides a definition of human trafficking and some reasons why children are trafficked. The topic also explores the relationship between trafficking and abuse, outlines the prevalence of human trafficking in the UK, and identifies signs that a child has been trafficked.

10 – Radicalisation

Topic 10 is about radicalisation and how to prevent children from being radicalised. This topic provides a definition of radicalisation, explores what makes children vulnerable to radicalisation, and identifies signs that a child is being radicalised.

11 – Bullying

Topic 11 defines what constitutes bullying, outlines its prevalence and explains the impact on those who bully, are bullied and who witness bullying. This topic also identifies signs that help recognise when a child is being bullied.

12 – Online issues

Topic 12 is about online issues and how they affect a child’s health and well-being. This topic covers cyberbullying, sexting, online pornography, online grooming, and some new online developments that can be unsafe.

13 – FGM

Topic 13 is about female genital mutilation, also known as FGM, and other harmful practices. This topic explains what FGM means, where it happens, and its prevalence. It also explores the impact of FGM and the signs that a girl may have been subjected to FGM. This topic also explores other harmful practices, including forced marriage, breast flattening, virginity testing, and hymenoplasty.

14 – Special issues around disabled children

Topic 14 is about special issues around disabled children. This topic explores why disabled children are more likely than other children to be abused, the communication barriers that mean disabled children may not get the help they need, and how isolation increases risks for disabled children. It also explains how the signs that a disabled child is being abused can be missed.

15 – Mental Health

Topic 15 is about mental health and safeguarding. This topic explores which children can have mental health problems, the importance of early recognition, how common mental health problems are in children, and how to respond to disclosure.

16 – What to do about abuse

The final topic is about what to do when you suspect a child is, or has been, subject to abuse. This topic covers how to deal with disclosure, how and why you should record abuse, and how to report abuse.

Other online UK Health & Social Care courses

Click on the course titles below to learn about other Health & Social Care courses or see a full list of courses here.

1. Dementia Awareness Training Course
2. Infection Prevention and Control Course
3. Safeguarding Adults Course (Level 2)
4. The Legal Use of Restrictive Interventions Course

Want to view our entire course offerings? View our training courses on fire safety, health and safety, food hygiene and health & social care.