‘The law requires organisations serving children and learners under 18 to keep them safe from danger, harm or abuse. These responsibilities, commonly known as safeguarding, are being extended from 1 April 2008 to learning and skills providers in respect of any vulnerable adults that are training with them’.
OFSTED website, 2011

Learning at Work appreciates the importance of Safeguarding within the Further Education Sector. We have designed a range of support mechanisms that will help increase the knowledge and awareness of the importance of Safeguarding to FE employees and their students.

A dedicated Safeguarding course for 16-18 year old learners

In partnership with NCFE we have recently launched a nationally recognised safeguarding qualification targeted at 16 – 18 learners. The learning materials and delivery model has been developed in conjunction with Weston College, who offered the programme to all of its 16-18 learners in September 2011 and again for its new cohort of students in September 2012. Feedback from their learners, curriculum managers and tutors has been excellent. A breakdown of the key points is listed below:

Concept

We wanted to develop a programme which helped a learner create a better understanding of the importance of safeguarding to themselves and others. This could be in situations they encounter at their home, place of work, online or at the college. The content was carefully selected to ensure that we had the best possible chance of enabling learners to recognise some of the signs of harassment and bullying and what support mechanisms exist to protect them.

Weston College

Over a six month period we worked with Weston to create the delivery model and support material needed for the course rollout. Since August 2011 Weston College have delivered the programme to over 5000 of their learners, many of these during their initial inductions in September. The feedback they have received from learners and staff has been extremely positive. The learners have gained a valuable qualification, improved their employability and gained greater awareness of the reasons why staff cannot lend them money, befriend them on Facebook or give them lifts. Staff noted that they have spotted instances of potential abuse at a much earlier stage. The college are happy to discuss any detail of the course with you and provide support where required.

Support material

Within our fee we provide the following support material:

• bespoke student pack that covers the content of the course. We will embed your logo and branding throughout plus reference your own policies and procedures (click here for sample pages)
• an electronic tutor guide containing a background to the course and model answers
• PowerPoint presentation so that the delivery can be embedded within the curriculum delivery/tutorial programme
• suggested scheme of work
• template lesson plans

We can also provide a training programme for your delivery team. At the end of the course the learners undertake a short NCFE approved assessment that can be completed in hard copy or online.

Funding and costs

EFA funding for the 26glh additionality course (0.0577 SLN) will be between £170 - £240 per learner, depending on your college provider factor. NCFE now have the programme listed on the QCF meaning that funding claims should be more straightforward. Their reg and cert fee is circa £21 a learner while the learning packs start from £35 per student.

Feedback

We have helped colleges deliver this course to over 8,000 learners and have the in-house expertise to support centres offer this course to their students. Below is a sample of some of the feedback we have received:

“The college rolled out the NCFE Safeguarding course to over 2000 full time students as we wanted to enable our students to understand more about this key subject as well as ensuring they are well prepared to remain safe in the work environment. It should also help with early success for our students as they will gain a nationally recognised qualification in their first few weeks with the college. Learning at Work created a bespoke pack for the students that used the college processes and policies. They created a variety of support tools including a tutor guide, scheme of work and presentation slides. They also came in to see our curriculum teams to provide advice and guidance on best delivery practice. This ensured we were fully prepared for the programme.”
Dave Kynaston – Vice Principal, Reaseheath College

“This award was created to fill an identified gap in training for our learners. Significant awareness and zero tolerance of abuse are critical to our society. This qualification is of national significance in preparing students for career progression, whether it is higher education or employment. Over 2,013 learners completed this qualification during the first few weeks of induction – it is part of our continuous awareness raising campaign and adds real value in supporting the communities we serve.”
Dr Paul Phillips OBE – Principal, Weston College

“This course is an excellent way of ensuring all students are aware of the key issues surrounding Safeguarding. Learning at Work have played a key role in this development and provide a range of high-quality NCFE approved materials which support the delivery of the qualification.”
David Grailey – Chief Executive, NCFE

Click here for our joint NCFE flyer on this course

NCFE National Partnership Award (NPA) in Safeguarding My Learning Environment

This online accredited qualification is aimed at students aged between 16 and 18 and studying at a Further Education institution. Like the bespoke version, it helps learners become aware of the importance of this subject area and gives practical guidance on how they can minimise potential dangers at home, at their place of learning and online.

NCFE National Partnership Award (NPA) in Safeguarding Learners in Educational Settings

This online accredited course is aimed at anyone who works within Further Education and wants to expand their knowledge in safeguarding. It provides guidance on legislation, including national legislation and edicts from bodies such as OFSTED and the YPLA. At 30GLH it links to the required number of CPD hours each FE lecturer or assessor should complete per year.

Personalised training and support in Safeguarding

We can create specific training sessions for any members of staff working with or for FE Providers. The course would be tailored to the requirements of that provider.