Surrey County Council’s Innovative Approach to Safeguarding Children and Adults Training
| Date | 28 November 2019 |
| Pages | 307-308 |
| Published date | 28 November 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-12-2019-057 |
| Author | Kate Brown |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Review DOI
10.1108/JAP-12-2019-057
A refreshing change to the information giving
approach. A very engaging and fun learning
experience which enabled delegates to think
through and discuss safeguarding issues.
This a board games in which two to four
small teams throw dice and land on a square
which directs them to a question either from
pack of information questions or a smaller
pack of “enabling questions”about what to
do next when a concern arises. One team
wins by reaching the top of the board first
and the competition is accelerated by going
up or down ladders. Our trial group
consisted of two teams of three people from
Norfolk Library Service. This small group
enabled all delegates to feel comfortable to
contribute and ask questions in a safe
learning environment, something they had
not felt comfortable to do on previous
larger group training. The questions enabled
attendees to stop and think and discuss
issues in the depth they chose before
moving onto the next. Rolling the dice
andmovingupcountersupanddownthe
board produced an element of fun and
informality which produced a high
level of energy in the room and an
enabled openness to consider some
challenging topics.
The facilitator was knowledgeable and
experienced in safeguarding and was able to
validate the group’s contribution, ask further
questions and input additional learning
which the delegates felt was invaluable. They
felt that the learning experience would be
less useful if teams asked each other the
questions. Some of the questions were
repetitive and a facilitator may wish to
choose which questions to include in the
pack on the day and consider the order the
questions to put to group. It may not be
appropriate to start with the questions on a
topic as sensitive as sexual abuse. There are
far fewer “enabling”questions which the
group felt they learnt from most. They
commented that they need to know what to
do when safeguarding concerns arise in
Libraries as well as be able to know the
types of harm and the indicators of abuse.
Thegamewouldbenefitfromsome
scenario type questions getting attendees
to consider a safeguarding/potential
safeguarding situation and how they would
approach them. Likewise, the group
suggested some variation in the approach
would be good such as setting up a debate
between the teams. The degree of learning
depends on how fast a team wins the
game which can mean that many of the
questions will not be posed to the group
and some topics will not be discussed.
Many of the questions ask about the impact
of harm on “people”which seemed to
mean child or adult, but it would be good
to strengthen the distinctions between
child and adult abuse and the indicators
of harm. There are no questions on the
legislation which the group were keen
to know about.
This is an innovative way to engage people in
learning about safeguarding which
would be useful for update or refresher
training but not for staff coming to
safeguarding for the first time. The session
needs to be led by a knowledgeable
facilitator who can set up a safe learning
environment, including an understanding of
confidentiality and recognition
that some people in the group may have
experienced abuse as a child or adult or
know someone in their family who is being
harmed. The group involved in the trial
enjoyed the element of competition, but
some delegates may find the concept of
winners and losers in safeguarding
uncomfortable.
Norfolk County Council Library
Service
Norfolk Library Service has a whole system
approach to safeguarding with a committed
safeguarding lead, up to date policies and
procedures that are well understood by
staff. Safeguarding is highly visible to staff
Surrey County
Council’s Innovative
Approach to
Safeguarding Children
and Adults Training
VOL. 21 NO. 6 2019, pp. 307-308, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 30 7
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