Safeguarding Children Level 3
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined by the UK government as:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children's health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play in safeguarding children and protecting them from harm. It is everyone’s responsibility.
For Level 3, dental professionals are expected to recognise and assess risk, share information lawfully (including without consent when necessary), refer and escalate, and contribute to multi-agency assessments, plans and reviews.
Script container
Aim
Enable dental team members who require it to achieve Level 3 safeguarding competence: recognise and assess risk, share information lawfully, make timely referrals, escalate when needed, and contribute to multi-agency assessments, plans and reviews.
Course objective
- Equip the team to practise child-centred safeguarding, participate in strategy discussions/conferences, apply Working Together processes (incl. lawful information sharing and escalation), and evidence CQC expectations in policy, records and training.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
The learner will, with respect to the components that he or she has elected to study as listed below:- Risk & recognition (dental-focused): identify patterns incl. dental neglect, head/neck/oral injuries and repeated WNB/DNAs; judge impact and urgency.
- Recording & sharing: make neutral contemporaneous notes (verbatim where possible); share information lawfully (including without consent when necessary and proportionate) and document rationale/outcomes; follow up/escalate.
- Multi-agency contribution: prepare a concise dental summary (chronology, findings, barriers/adjustments) and contribute to strategy/s47/ICPC within statutory timescales.
- CSA/CSE/peer abuse: act within professional limits (no investigation/forensics), consider SARC for recent assault, recognise power imbalance/exploitation (including online).
- Leadership & quality: understand the safeguarding lead’s role (policy, contacts, training matrix, supervision, audit) and what inspectors expect.
- Vulnerable groups & adjustments: identify additional risks (disability, SEND, looked-after, young carers, domestic abuse, parental MH/substance misuse, trafficking/online harm) and record reasonable adjustments.
GDC Development Outcomes
This CPD will support the learner in meeting the following GDC Development Outcome(s): A, B, D.