Competency Framework

Identifying training needs

“Safeguarding training should take place within a week of commencement of employment and refresher training at least every three years.”

The Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership provides a comprehensive training program to promote awareness, prevent harm, and foster a culture of vigilance against potential risks. By adhering to the following guidelines, organisations can understand how to prioritise the well-being and protection of all children and young people in Croydon. The objective of this guidance supports a key duty from the Children Act (2004), 'making sure local authorities and important agencies team up to improve children's lives.' When it comes to learning skills and knowledge to keep children safe and well, "working together" includes completing training or learning activities with different agencies. Various training levels equip professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge for specific roles within safeguarding frameworks. These levels follow the pan-London Competence Still Matters framework, which outlines the required competencies for different roles. 

Please refer to the tables below to identify your group and appropriate course(s) tailored to your role within safeguarding contexts. Whether you have occasional contact with children or oversee strategic operations, these tiers provide essential awareness, expertise, and protocols for safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

  • Table 1: Suitable Courses for Each Group
  • Table 2: Group Classification Based on Your Role

Table 1: Suitable courses for each group

Courses suitable for Group A

Courses suitable for Group B

In-Person Training

  • Change Grow Live (CGL): Service offer and referrals
    • Trends in Youth Substance Misuse
  • Challenging Disproportionality
  • Child Neglect
  • CSCP Focus Events
  • Domestic Abuse Awareness
    • Risk Identification and MARAC
  • Safeguarding Children Level Level 3
  • Supporting children & young people at risk from suicide
  • Threshold Training

All eLearning courses

Courses suitable for Group C

In-Person Training

  • Change Grow Live (CGL): Service offer and referrals
    • Trends in Youth Substance Misuse
  • Challenging Disproportionality
  • Child Neglect
  • CSCP Focus Events
  • Domestic Abuse Awareness
    • Risk Identification and MARAC
  • Safeguarding Children Level Level 3
  • Supporting children & young people at risk from suicide
  • Threshold Training

All eLearning courses

Courses suitable for Group D

In-Person Training

  • Change Grow Live (CGL): Service offer and referrals
    • Trends in Youth Substance Misuse
  • Challenging Disproportionality
  • Child Neglect
  • CSCP Focus Events
  • Domestic Abuse Awareness
    • Risk Identification and MARAC
  • Safeguarding Children Level Level 3
  • Supporting children & young people at risk from suicide
  • Threshold Training

All eLearning courses

Courses suitable for Group E

In-Person Training

  • Change Grow Live (CGL): Trends in Youth Substance Misuse
  • Child Neglect
  • CSCP Focus Events
  • Domestic Abuse Awareness
    • Risk Identification and MARAC
  • Safeguarding Children Level Level 3
  • Threshold Training

All eLearning courses

Table 2: Group classification dependent on your role

Group A

Responsibility: 

Staff in infrequent contact with children, young people, and/or parents/carers who may become aware of possible abuse or neglect.

Role: 

Librarian, GP receptionist, community advice centre staff,  groundsmen, recreation assistants, and environmental health officers. 

Professional Competency

  • Recognise signs and indicators of child abuse and neglect
  • Record and share information about concerns
  • Understand the organisation's basic safeguarding procedures
  • Know who to contact about a child's safety or welfare, including alternates
  • Know who to contact about a colleague's behavior or potential risk to children
  • Understand expected standards of staff behavior towards children.

Group B

Responsibility:

Staff who work predominantly with children, young people and/or parents/ carers.

Role: 

Housing officers, hospital staff, YJS staff and staff in secure settings, the police other than those in specialist child protection roles, sports development officers, disability specialists, faith groups, community youth groups, and play scheme volunteers.

Professional Competency

  • Record and share information about concerns.
  • Use the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families.
  • Collaborate to identify, assess, and meet the needs of children with safeguarding concerns, focusing on child-centered interventions and measurable outcomes.
  • Understand the impact of parenting difficulties (e.g., domestic abuse, mental health, substance misuse, learning difficulties) on parenting capacity.
  • Recognise the importance of family history and functioning.
  • Work with children and families, addressing lack of cooperation and superficial compliance within the role.

Group C

Responsibility:

Those who have particular specialist child protection responsibilities.

Role:

GPs, youth workers, Early Years practitioners, residential staff, midwives, school nurses, health visitors, sexual health staff, teachers, probation staff, sports club welfare officers, and those working with adults in, for example, learning disability, mental health, alcohol and drug misuse services, those working in community play schemes.

Professional Competency

  • Conducting section 47 enquiries, attending Child Protection Conferences, and managing Core Groups; roles, responsibilities, and collaborative practice.
  • Using professional judgements to make decisions as to whether a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
  • Working with complexity.
  • Taking emergency action.
  • Communicating with children in line with interviewing vulnerable witness guidance.
  • Promoting effective, professional practice.
  • Supervising child protection cases and advising others.

Group D

Responsibility:

Operational managers of services for children, young people and/or parents / carers.

Professional advisers and designated leads for child protection.

Role: 

Designated safeguarding leads from health, education, police, and children’s social care.

Professional Competency

  • Working with complex cases and social work staff responsible for coordinating assessments of children in need.
  • Supervising child protection cases. 
  • Managing performance to promote effective inter-agency practice.
  • Specialist training to undertake key management and/or supervisory roles in, for example, intake/duty teams.

Group E

Responsibility:

Senior managers responsible for strategic management of services for children, young people, and/or parents / carers.

Role:

Members of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

Board Level for Chief Executive Officers, Trust and Health Board Executive and non-executive directors/members, commissioning body Directors.

Local Authority Elected Members, Lay Members or Non-Executive Directors.

Professional Competency

Sets Section 11: Expectations, Roles, and Responsibilities

  • Promote Effective Cooperation: Members are expected to foster cooperation that enhances overall effectiveness.
  • Stay Informed: Keep up with current policy, research, and practice developments.
  • Apply Lessons Learned: Implement lessons from Serious Case Reviews and Learning and Improvement Reviews.
  • Specialist Training: Ensure specialist training for specific roles, such as Independent Chair and Business Manager.
  • Safer Recruitment Training: Complete training on safer recruitment practices.