Learning and Development Group Terms of Reference

Policy Context

139. A Safeguarding Board should ensure that practitioners in the area of the Board are receiving or have access to the training they need in child and adult protection and the prevention of abuse, neglect or other forms of harm. This does not mean that a Safeguarding Board must provide such training itself although it may choose to provide some specialist or inter-agency training as part of a wider programme of interagency and individual organisational training. It requires a review and analysis of the training needs of practitioners in the area to inform the Board of those needs so that it can monitor the training activities provided, identify the training required and ensure agencies provide it.

140. The Board’s strategy for training in its area should take account of themes and learning arising locally or nationally from audits, child and adult practice reviews, investigations and research findings and should include how these are incorporated into training activities. Some Safeguarding Boards have established a more strategic approach to training and are developing and quality assuring consistent packages of training and branding to assist smaller and voluntary organisations with the training they deliver. Safeguarding Boards should adopt a coordinated approach to reduce duplication and maximise capacity by maintaining an awareness of both regional and national training activity.

[Working Together to Safeguarding People: Volume 1 - Guidance on the functions of Safeguarding Boards, SSWBA 2014]

Purpose

  • To ensure Board member agencies provide access to appropriate training on child and adult protection for their staff and to support those member agencies by providing multi agency safeguarding training opportunities.

Objectives

  • To undertake an annual mapping of Board and partner agencies safeguarding training provision and provide feedback and recommendations to the respective Boards
  • To identify multi-agency safeguarding training needs and reflect these within the Learning and Development Strategy and Annual Work plan
  • To coordinate and deliver a programme of safeguarding training on a multi-agency basis that will complement training that is provided by individual agencies.
  • To develop and support a group of practitioners to deliver courses on behalf of the Board/s
  • To ensure that there is a consistent standard for all packages of safeguarding training that are developed and delivered on behalf of the Safeguarding Boards
  • To evaluate the impact of safeguarding training, delivered by the Board/s, on practice.
  • To ensure that Board/s safeguarding training is annually reviewed and the adapted to reflect findings from research and lessons from case reviews as and when necessary.
  • To ensure that changes in law, guidance, and regional procedures will be reflected in the training.
  • To have a strong relationship with other Safeguarding Board sub groups and support them with their work programmes.
  • To have an identified work programme that is agreed by the Safeguarding Boards.

Membership

The Chair will become a member of the Business Planning Group The Vice Chair of the group should be selected from a different agency to the Chair

A named representative or their deputy if required, of:

  • Health
  • Five local authority training departments
  • Education
  • Police
  • Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations
  • Probation (one representative from the two Delivery Units in the region)
  • Youth Offending Service (one to represent all Local Authority areas in the region)
  • University of Newport
  • Coleg Gwent
  • Youth Services (one representative from the two Delivery Units in the region)
  • Welsh Ambulance Trust
  • South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
  • Administrative Support from the South East Wales Safeguarding Children Board, Business Unit.
  • VAWDASV regional team.
  • Co-opt members as and when

Members will represent their own agency at the group. They will ensure that there is a two way flow of information about learning and development between the group and their colleagues

Process

  • The group will meet on a quarterly basis and support will be provided by the Regional Safeguarding Business Unit.
  • The objectives and outcomes of the group will be monitored through the Learning and Development group work plan at each meeting.
  • Members of the group will nominate staff from their organisations to sit on task and finish groups, as and when required, to develop specific activities on the work plan.
  • Co-ordination, delivery, commissioning and administration of regional training will be provided by the Regional Safeguarding Business Unit.

Governance

  • Progress of the Learning and Development group will reported into the Business Planning Group on a quarterly basis
  • The Learning and Development group will provide a report to the Children and to the Adult Safeguarding Boards on an annual basis to inform the following year’s strategic plans. This report will include costs, data and evaluation information on the training activity facilitated through the Learning and Development group.
  • Attendance will be monitored and any issues will be reported to the Regional Board.