Safeguarding Awareness Online Course

Safeguarding Awareness Online Course

New for October 2026

Introduction

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. There is no “not my job” when it comes to protecting children and young people,  every member of staff, volunteer, contractor, and leader within our organisation has a vital role to play in keeping children safe, promoting their wellbeing, and acting on concerns without delay.

This course has been developed to reflect the latest statutory and multi-agency guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, the Information Sharing Duty 2026, and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. It is designed to equip you with the knowledge, confidence, and clarity of process to recognise harm, respond appropriately, and contribute to a culture where safeguarding is proactive, inclusive, and embedded in everything we do.

Modules:

Module 1: What is Child Abuse

Module 2: Signs and indicators of abuse

Module 3: What to do if you have concerns / reporting abuse.

Module 4: Guidance and Good Practice

Use the Keeping children safe in education 2026 guidance, working together to safeguard children 2026 guidance, information sharing duty 2026, children’s wellbeing and schools act, as reference

Course Aims

This course aims to:

1. Define safeguarding and child protection and explain the legal and statutory frameworks that govern practice in England, including KCSIE 2026, Working Together 2026, the Information Sharing Duty 2026, and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.
2. Build a clear understanding of the categories and forms of child abuse and neglect, including emerging and contextual harms such as online exploitation, peer-on-peer abuse, and criminal exploitation.
3. Enable you to recognise physical, behavioural, and environmental signs and indicators of harm, and to distinguish between developmental behaviour and concerns that require attention.
4. Clarify the correct, statutory-aligned procedures for reporting concerns, making referrals, sharing information lawfully, and responding to disclosures including when and how to escalate matters in an emergency.
5. Promote consistent, high standards of safeguarding practice across all roles, including professional boundaries, digital safety, record-keeping, inclusive practice, and ongoing personal responsibility.
6. Foster confidence to act early, seek advice, and contribute to a supportive, accountable culture where concerns are raised without fear or hesitation.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define the terms ‘child’, ‘safeguarding’, and ‘child protection’, and name the key legislation and statutory guidance applicable to your role
• Identify the four primary categories of abuse, physical, emotional, neglect, and sexual, plus emerging harms including online, peer-on-peer, domestic abuse impact, and exploitation
• Explain the difference between Early Help / Family Help and statutory child protection, and understand the Information Sharing Duty 2026, including that no threshold is required to share relevant welfare information
• Recognise a range of physical, behavioural, and contextual indicators of abuse and neglect, understanding that patterns of concern are more reliable than single signs
• Describe how children may disclose harm directly or indirectly, and know how to respond appropriately, listening calmly, reassuring the child, avoiding leading questions, and explaining limits to confidentiality
• Follow the correct reporting pathway: raise concerns promptly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or their deputy; call 999 in cases of immediate danger; and never investigate personally or confront those involved
• Explain what information to include in a referral, how to maintain accurate and secure records, and when and how to share information under the 2026 duty, including that consent is not always required where a child’s welfare is at risk
• Understand your role in maintaining professional boundaries, digital safety, and safer practice, and know the importance of anti-discriminatory and inclusive approaches to safeguarding
• Describe how safeguarding culture is sustained through policy compliance, training refreshers, learning from incidents, and supporting the wellbeing of colleagues carrying out safeguarding duties
• Apply this learning confidently in your daily role, recognising that you are not expected to be an expert, but you are expected to be alert, responsible, and willing to act

Duration
It is estimated that this module will take approximately two to three hours to complete (depending on learning speed). As an e-learning module you can complete this training in convenient stages and revisit whenever you wish. 

The system will record your progress throughout. Upon completion you will be able to download your course certificate valid for 2 years

Assessment Method

After completing each module there will be a quiz to assess your learning. You will move through the later modules upon successful completion of the quiz test. This process continues till the end of the course. You need to achieve and overall score of 70% correct answers to pass this online course.

Certification

After completing the course, you can instantly download your certificate for FREE