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.”

Introduction

Ensuring children’s safety and well-being is a shared responsibility across all professional roles. The CSCP Competency Framework provides clear guidance on the safeguarding training required based on your role and level of responsibility.

To make it easier for professionals to identify the training they need, we have simplified the framework into five role-based groups (A–E), each with tailored in-person and eLearning courses. This structured approach ensures that everyone, from frontline staff to senior leaders, has the appropriate knowledge and skills to safeguard children effectively.

Use this guide to determine which group best matches your role and access the recommended training courses available through the CSCP training portal. The CSCP competency framework is based on the PA3. Learning and Improvement Framework from the London Safeguarding Children Partnership.

Group A: Minimal Contact with Children

Roles Responsibilities Recommended Training
  • Librarians
  • GP receptionists
  • Community advice centre staff
  • Groundskeepers
  • Recreation assistants
  • Environmental health officers.

Occasional interaction with children

Professional Competency

  1. Recognise signs and indicators of child abuse and neglect
  2. Record and share information about concerns
  3. Understand the organisation's basic safeguarding procedures
  4. Know who to contact about a child's safety or welfare, including alternates
  5. Know who to contact about a colleague's behavior or potential risk to children
  6. Understand expected standards of staff behavior towards children.
  • Safeguarding Children Awareness
  • Safeguarding Children Level 1
  • Anti-Bullying

Group B: Regular Contact with Children

Roles Responsibilities Recommended Training
  • Housing officers
  • Hospital staff
  • Youth justice service staff
  • Police officers (non-specialist roles)
  • Sports development officers
  • Disability specialists
  • Faith group leaders
  • Community youth workers
  • Play scheme volunteers.

Frequent interaction with children

Professional Competency

  1. Record and share information about concerns.
  2. Understand how to use the Threshold Guidance to assess the needs of children and and their families.
  3. Collaborate to identify, assess, and meet the needs of children with safeguarding concerns, focusing on child-centered interventions and measurable outcomes.
  4. Understand the impact of parenting difficulties (e.g., domestic abuse, mental health, substance misuse, learning difficulties) on parenting capacity.
  5. Recognise the importance of family history and functioning.
  6. Work with children and families, addressing lack of cooperation and superficial compliance within the role.
  • In-Person Courses:
    • 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 3
    • Supporting Children & Young People at Risk from Suicide
    • Threshold Training
  • eLearning Courses: All available eLearning courses.

Group C: Specialist Child Protection Roles

Roles Responsibilities Recommended Training
  • Paediatricians
  • GPs
  • Youth workers
  • Early years practitioners
  • Residential staff
  • Midwives
  • School nurses
  • Health visitors
  • Sexual health staff
  • Teachers
  • Probation staff
  • Sports club welfare officers
  • Professionals in adult services (e.g., learning disability, mental health, substance misuse)
  • Community play scheme workers.

Frequent interaction with children

Professional Competency

  1. Conducting section 47 enquiries, attending Child Protection Conferences, and managing Core Groups; roles, responsibilities, and collaborative practice.
  2. Using professional judgements to make decisions as to whether a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
  3. Working with complexity.
  4. Taking emergency action.
  5. Communicating with children in line with interviewing vulnerable witness guidance.
  6. Promoting effective, professional practice.
  7. Supervising child protection cases and advising others.
  • In-Person Courses:
    • 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 3
    • Supporting Children & Young People at Risk from Suicide
    • Threshold Training
  • eLearning Courses: All available eLearning courses.

Group D: Operational Managers and Designated Leads

Roles Responsibilities Recommended Training
  • Operational managers of services for children, young people, and/or parents/carers; professional advisers
  • Designated Leads for Child Protection.

Overseeing child protection cases, supervising staff, and ensuring effective inter-agency practices.

Professional Competency

  1. Working with complex cases and social work staff responsible for coordinating assessments of children in need.
  2. Supervising child protection cases. 
  3. Managing performance to promote effective inter-agency practice.
  4. Specialist training to undertake key management and/or supervisory roles in, for example, intake/duty teams.
  • In-Person Courses:
    • 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 3
    • Supporting Children & Young People at Risk from Suicide
    • Threshold Training
  • eLearning Courses: All available eLearning courses.

Group E: Senior and Strategic Managers

Roles Responsibilities Recommended Training
  • Senior managers responsible for strategic management of services for children young people, and/or parents/carers.
  • Members of Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships.
  • Board-level executives, directors, and elected members.

Setting strategic direction, ensuring compliance with safeguarding policies, and promoting inter-agency collaboration..

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.
  • In-Person Courses
    • Change Grow Live (CGL): Trends in Youth Substance Misuse
    • Child Neglect
    • CSCP Focus Events
    • Domestic Abuse Awareness
    • Risk Identification and MARAC
    • Safeguarding Children Level 3
    • Threshold Training
  • eLearning Courses: All available eLearning courses.