Child Protection for Equestrians - Refresher

This course is designed to refresh your training in safeguarding and child protection while encompassing the content of the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) guidelines. As someone who is likely to regularly come into contact with children and young people, the content will help you to recognise potential abuse and give you the knowledge to take appropriate action to report an incident.

On completion of this course, the learner will:

• Relate to the range of legislation and guidance surrounding safeguarding and the protection of children and young people
• Demonstrate an understanding of statutory and non-statutory roles in protecting children
• Describe your own role and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and child protection
• Define the different types of child abuse and the associated indicators
• Ensure that good practice with regard to safeguarding and child protection is embedded within your working practices
• Be able to deal with safeguarding concerns and referrals
• Ensure access to adequate advice, support, information, instruction and training for yourself and others you may be working with
• Be able to respond to allegations and complaints

This module is intended to remind you of the legislation and guidance that is incorporated into the practice of the British Equestrian Federation child protection policy. It will also remind you of the key descriptions and words used to inform the understanding of child abuse. At the end of the module, there will be a short quiz to help you assess your current knowledge.

Abuse and neglect happen in surprisingly large numbers. Often, children will find it hard to speak to someone about the abuse they are suffering, or they may have very few people who will listen. Being around horses may create the safe haven they need to open up to someone about their situation. This module will look at the 4 major categories of abuse, the indicators that abuse is happening, how to recognise the signs of abuse, and some methods of disclosure you may encounter.

The focus when working on safeguarding or dealing potential abuse must be the safety of the child or young person. Remaining child-centred is key to the process of identification and reporting because sadly, children sometimes report several times before any action is taken. The learning you will complete in this module is contextualised in a realistic situation so that you can see how a ‘child focus’ can be achieved.

By the end of this module, you will have a better understanding of what it means to be child-centred in your approach.

Children can disclose in a number of ways, so while you want to maintain confidentiality where appropriate, you also need to know when to report and to whom. It is vital that you respond quickly and appropriately when presented with a disclosure of abuse, and this module covers the right process to follow, including what you should and shouldn’t do to achieve the desired outcome.

By the end of this module, you will have a better understanding of the correct procedures to follow in response to a potential abuse situation and/or if you have concerns about the behaviour of an adult. A step-by-step guide is included, which will help you to refer any concerns you may have.

Around 80 children die in the United Kingdom each year from abuse or neglect, and the circumstances surrounding these fatalities are often complex. Each incident informs the assessment framework and makes it more likely that we will be able to identify and help the vulnerable more adequately in the future.

By the end of this module, you will be more familiar with ‘Every Child Matters’, the Common Assessment Framework and similar guidance.

The Lead Welfare Officer and Nominated Welfare Officer play a key role in the wider context of safeguarding. This module looks at the role played by the LWO/NWO in the reporting and safeguarding process, as well as the expectations of the role.

The importance of early and effective communication cannot be underestimated in the safeguarding process. This module looks at what constitutes good practice for the effective sharing and recording of information, and the ‘seven golden rules’ of information sharing.

The LWO/NOW is the central point when it comes to working with other agencies, both statutory and non-statutory. This module explores who the agencies are and how they work together to provide effective safeguarding. By understanding the role played by each agency and the multi-agency approach taken, you will be able to play a more effective safeguarding role.

Should a complaint arise about a potential shortcoming in the protection process or a similar related situation, it is important that the issue is dealt with in an even, consistent and confident manner. This module looks at the practice of dealing with a complaint or allegation and the process surrounding good practice.

Using a range of scenarios, you will now take all that you have learned and apply it to an assessment of your knowledge. The final assessment is your opportunity to show how much you have absorbed and why it is so important to have child protection awareness training.

Once you have passed your assessment, you will be able to download your certificate. The pass rate is 70% but if you do not pass the first time, you can take the test multiple times.