Format: Live-online Lecturer Led Class (Virtual-Classroom) via Zoom

Duration: 8 Hours- 1 Day 9:30pm to 5:30pm

Online Live Attendance: 8 Hours

Blended Learning: 14 Hours of Interactive SDL

Self-Directed Learning: 8 Hours

Total CPD Credits: 30 Credits

Assessment: Written Assignment +/- Viva Voca Assessment

Award: Accredited Certificate

 

Course Accreditation

- Professional Development Consortium

- Provider of Excellence

- CPD Standards Office

- Irish Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (ICPA)

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Course Description

The Certificate in Safeguarding and Protection of Children, Older People & Vulnerable Adults (Live-Online) is an intensive one-day training designed to give practitioners clear, practical competence in recognising, responding to, and reporting safeguarding concerns across the lifespan.

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Across 8 hours of live, lecturer-led online teaching and 22 hours of structured self-directed learning, participants will develop a solid grounding in:

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• Core safeguarding principles and terminology

• Types and indicators of abuse and neglect in children, older people, and vulnerable adults

• Legal, policy, and ethical responsibilities

• Best practice in first response, documentation, and reporting pathways

• Maintaining professional boundaries and managing the emotional impact of safeguarding work

 

The live-online day combines short lectures, case examples, group discussion, and scenario-based exercises. The self-directed learning component (22 hours) will include interactive videos, pre-reading, policy review, reflective journaling, and a short written or online assessment, allowing participants to consolidate and contextualise their learning within their own professional settings.

This course is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, social care workers, nurses, allied health professionals, educators, support workers, volunteers, and others who work with, or hold responsibility for, the welfare of children, older people, and vulnerable adults.

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Learning Outcomes (1-Day & Self-Directed Learning)

On successful completion of the Certificate in Safeguarding and Protection of Children, Older People & Vulnerable Adults, participants will be able to:

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1. Describe core safeguarding principles across the lifespan
   Explain the concepts of safeguarding, welfare, duty of care, and least restrictive intervention in relation to children, older people and vulnerable adults.

2. Identify types, signs and patterns of abuse and neglect
   Distinguish between key forms of abuse and neglect and recognise common indicators and patterns of harm in different age and vulnerability groups.

3. Recognise risk and protective factors in real-world situations
   Outline individual, relational, organisational and societal factors that increase vulnerability to harm or support protection and resilience.

4. Apply legal, policy and ethical considerations to safeguarding decisions
   Demonstrate awareness of relevant legal and policy frameworks, and apply principles of consent, capacity, confidentiality and information-sharing to typical safeguarding scenarios.

5. Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns and disclosures
   Use clear, supportive and trauma-informed communication when someone discloses abuse or risk, including managing immediate safety appropriately.

6. Document safeguarding concerns in a clear and defensible manner
   Record observations, disclosures and actions in factual, accurate and contemporaneous notes suitable for organisational and external scrutiny.

7. Follow appropriate internal and external reporting pathways
   Describe the steps involved in reporting safeguarding concerns within their own organisation and, where applicable, to external statutory or regulatory services.

8. Demonstrate awareness of professional boundaries and emotional impact
   Recognise the emotional demands of safeguarding work and identify strategies (including supervision, consultation and self-care) to maintain professional boundaries and personal wellbeing.

9. Reflect critically on their own safeguarding practice and context
   Use reflective tools developed in the course and self-directed learning to evaluate their safeguarding responses and identify areas for ongoing improvement in their role or organisation.

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1 Day Live-Online Course Outline (8 Hours)

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Welcome, Orientation and Aims of the Day

• Introductions and overview of the certificate

• Safeguarding in your role and setting

• Review of programme structure: 1-day live + 22 hours self-directed learning

 

09:30 – 11:00

Session 1 – Foundations of Safeguarding Across the Lifespan

• What is safeguarding? Prevention, protection, and promotion of welfare

• Definitions: child, older person, vulnerable adult

• Types of abuse and neglect: physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial, organisational, neglect, self-neglect

• Patterns of harm: single incidents, chronic abuse, systemic and institutional abuse

• Duty of care and core principles: dignity, autonomy, least restrictive intervention, proportionality

• Short case examples and whole-group discussion

 

(Break 11:00 – 11:15)

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11:15 – 12:45

Session 2 – Recognising Abuse, Neglect and Risk

• Risk and protective factors for children, older people, and vulnerable adults

• Common indicators and warning signs across different forms of abuse

• Grooming, coercive control and exploitation

• Barriers to disclosure (fear, shame, dependency, disability, cognitive impairment, communication needs, culture)

• Professional curiosity: noticing, asking and staying with concerns

• Small-group exercise: identifying indicators from brief vignettes

 

(Lunch 12:45 – 13:30)

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13:30 – 15:00

Session 3 – Legal, Ethical and Procedural Responsibilities

• Overview of key legal and policy frameworks (high-level)

• Thresholds of concern: when a situation becomes a safeguarding matter

• Capacity, consent and information-sharing in safeguarding contexts

• Confidentiality vs. duty to protect: when to share information

• Ethical dilemmas and decision-making (autonomy vs. protection)

• Scenario-based activity: applying thresholds, consent and confidentiality to real-world examples

(Break 15:00 – 15:15)

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15:15 – 16:30

Session 4 – Responding, Reporting and Documentation

• First response to disclosures and concerns:

  • How to respond when someone tells you they are at risk

  • What to say and what to avoid (no leading questions, no promises you cannot keep)

• Immediate risk management and safety considerations

• Internal reporting pathways: line manager, designated safeguarding lead/officer

• External reporting: when and how to refer to statutory or regulatory bodies (high-level overview)

• Accurate, factual and contemporaneous record-keeping

• Practical exercise: drafting a safeguarding note and mapping a reporting pathway

16:30 – 17:15

Session 5 – Professional Boundaries, Impact and Reflective Practice

• Maintaining professional boundaries in safeguarding situations

• Emotional impact of safeguarding work: vicarious trauma, moral distress, burnout

• The role of supervision, consultation and peer support

• Introduction to reflective practice frameworks

• Small-group reflection: safeguarding challenges in participants’ own contexts

17:15 – 17:30

Closing, Self-Directed Learning Tasks and Next Steps

• Review of key learning points

• Outline of post-course self-directed learning (22 hours), e.g.:

  • Directed reading (legislation, policy, organisational procedures)

  • Reflective journal on a safeguarding scenario from practice

  • Short written or online knowledge check (if you choose to assess formally)

• Q&A and course close

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Self-Directed Learning (22 Hours – Indicative Structure)

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- 8 Hours – Live Lecturer Led Online Attendance

- 14 hours – Blended Online through interactive videos (Complete at your Own Pace)

- 8 hours – Reflective practice, Reading & Summative Assignment