Safeguarding is everybody’s business. It is vital for everyone who works with children, young people, families and/or adults to be fully committed to the safety and wellbeing of the people they work with. The DSL does this by promoting a safeguarding culture throughout their organisation.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (also known as The Designated Person) will be the first point of contact for safeguarding within an organisation so an in depth understanding of the role is a must.

A Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) needs to be able to recognise welfare issues, share appropriate information, manage staff training, and make referrals to the Local Authority Safeguarding team, whilst keeping a person centred approach throughout.

This course is for anyone who is in the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead  role or is thinking of becoming a Designated Safeguarding Lead in the future.

This course contains the following modules:

Module 1 - An introduction to the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). In this module the role of DSL is explained, providing an overview of your role and responsibilities. We look at what training you require, ongoing CPD and working with senior leadership. Legislation including the Care Act 2014, The Children’s Act 1989/2004, and other relevant legislation. You will understand the role of Safeguarding Adults Boards and Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

Module 2 - Creating a culture of safeguarding. This module looks at your organisations safeguarding policy and procedures including best practice for reviews and audits. How as the DSL you can help embed the policy and procedures, ensuring staff know  what to do and who and what to report. Part of the DSL role is linked to safer recruitment, we will look at ways to reduce the risk of unsuitable people working with vulnerable groups.

Module 3 - Understanding how to promote safeguarding and understanding child and adult protection. This module covers training requirements for staff members (Level 1 and 2), training and development for the designated safeguarding lead, including ongoing CPD. Monitoring and reviewing training, support and supervision, peer support, ways to promote positive practice and ways to embed lessons learnt.

Module 4 - Responding to concerns and disclosures. This module will explain records of concern, how a central database is beneficial for building a full picture of safeguarding concerns, reporting disclosures, writing a quality referral, separating fact from opinion and what to do when it involves a person in a position of trust. In addition, we cover professional curiosity.

Module 5 - The referral process. This module will help you to understand local authority responsibilities when a referral is made to children’s social care or adults social care, including what happens next in the process. Referring to a LADO (Person in a Position of Trust), how to make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, making a prevent referral and further support and guidance.

Module 6 - Principles of multi-agency working. In this module we look why the DSL needs to build strong relationships with local partners, potentially take part in multi-agency meetings and ensure documentation is clear and follow-up on agreed actions. We look at advocacy, professional differences and how embedding multi-agency working in safeguarding means going beyond occasional cooperation and making collaboration a normal, expected, and structured part of your organisation's culture, systems, and daily practice.

Module 7 - Recording sharing and storing information. This module looks at information sharing. When it comes to sharing information, it is always best to gain consent, we look at gaining consent and circumstances where it is not required. We cover the 7 golden rules for information sharing, how to store safeguarding information and how to share it securely.

This course takes learners approx 4 hours to complete.