National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for children up to the age of 12 years: statutory guidance - Audience and overview

This Guidance provides details about safeguarding training appropriate to different roles within the childcare and playwork sector.

Group A (Level 1) Safeguarding Awareness

Group A (Level 1) Safeguarding Awareness courses provides the knowledge and skills needed to safeguard children. It describes the different types of abuse, how to recognise them, and how to respond to concerns. It also explains how to correctly report concerns. 

This mandatory training should form part of an employees’ induction for all staff.

Required Roles

Employees who may or may not directly work with children but may work in a building where a childcare provision is based; or members of a Board / Committee who support a childcare provision. 

Examples include (not exhaustive):

• Caretaker/ Cleaner/ Cook
• Non-working Committee members
• Secretary/ Administrator/ Receptionist

• Volunteers (dependent upon level of supervision. If left alone with children, Group B training would be more appropriate.) 

  Course type and considerations:

• Online course – Group A Safeguarding via Social Care Wales website 
• Duration: Up to 2-3 hours 

Recommended: to renew every 3 years (as set out in the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards and Framework 

Group B (Level 2) Safeguarding Intermediate Course

Intermediate Safeguarding Children courses help to increase existing safeguarding knowledge and teach more about what is involved in the safeguarding process. The course shows how to identify abuse, and report concerns as well as learn more about the safeguarding structure, recognising risks and what happens after a report has been made.

Required Roles:

For employees who work directly with children.

Examples include (not exhaustive):

• Child minding Assistant
• Trainee Nursery Assistants
• Nursery Assistants
• Nursery Room Leaders
• Assistant Managers
• Playworker
• Transport Driver

• Volunteers (dependent upon level of supervision) 

  Course type and considerations:

• Face to face course where possible, or blended learning. 
• Duration: 4-6 hours/1 day/2 x evenings

Recommended: to renew in line with the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards and Framework. 

Group C (Level 3) Advanced Safeguarding Course

Advanced Safeguarding courses teach more about what the role involves and helps to understand the safeguarding process in more detail. The course uses a variety of written activities and interactive exercises to help review and develop the safeguarding procedures within the setting and ensure that all staff members understand their responsibilities towards safeguarding children. Includes topics relating to allegations of abuse against a staff member and how to deal with these, understanding key legislation and guidance which underpins settings policy for children’s safety and welfare, roles to play in the multi-agency child protection process including case conferences and providing written reports.

Required Roles: 

Persons in contact with children and have ultimate safeguarding responsibility for the provision. These practitioners will need to have all the knowledge and understanding of the standards in groups A and B.

Examples include (not exhaustive):

On site 

• Setting leader
• Manager
• Person in Charge
• Child minder

Potentially off-site

• Designated Safeguarding Person
• Responsible Individual
• Registered Person

Course type and considerations:

Face to face course where possible.

Durations: 2 days

Recommended: to renew in line with the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and

Development Standards and Framework.

Designated Safeguarding Person - This term is used throughout the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards. A Designated Safeguarding Person is “the identified person within the organisation who is available to discuss safeguarding concerns.” They should be consulted as to whether to raise a safeguarding concern with the local authority, will manage any immediate actions required to ensure the individual at risk is safe from abuse. All practitioners should know who to contact in their setting for advice and they should not hesitate to discuss their concerns no matter how insignificant they may appear.

• Designated safeguarding leads are the first point of contact for staff members, families, carers and other people who have access to settings, so it’s essential that knowledge of child protection procedures is in-depth and up-to-date. 

Providers can get more information about Safeguarding training from the following sources:

• Regional Safeguarding Boards.
• Social Care Wales - National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards These standards have been designed to ensure that all practitioners in Wales receive consistent and high-quality training in safeguarding practices
• Social Care Wales : National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Framework This explains how safeguarding training could be done and should be used in conjunction with the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards
• Safeguarding training | Social Care Wales
• Third sector organisations, Cwlwm and Play Wales

Please ensure that the safeguarding course for which you enrol reflects practices and procedures in Wales, not in England – i.e., that they reflect the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

Social Care Wales provide the Group A Safeguarding course. 

The term ‘practitioners’ is used throughout the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards. This has been used as a blanket term to describe anyone who is in “paid employment as well as unpaid volunteers”.