From education to employment

Children’s safety at forefront of new qualification

David Grailey is chief executive of NCFE, the national awarding organisation
A new qualification has been launched to help childcare providers protect children and young people from harmful situations, including dangerous use of the internet.
The NCFE Level 2 Award for Safeguarding Children and Young People aims to enable learners to understand what is meant by safeguarding and looks at the ways in which children and young people can be harmed, including by other children and through the internet.
 
It also covers understanding legislation and policies, recording and reporting appropriately, the importance of a safe and healthy environment and enables learners to develop an understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
 
The qualification is ideal for people who work in an environment where there is direct contact with children. This includes youth workers, care workers, local authority staff, school support staff and voluntary workers.
 
David Grailey, Chief Executive at NCFE, said: “There is rightly so much emphasis on child safety that childcare providers need to proactively ensure that they are aware of any potential harmful situations. The NCFE Level 2 Award for Safeguarding Children and Young People gives learners a complete overview and understanding of children’s welfare.
 
“We have carefully developed this qualification to ensure childcare providers can recognise any potential dangers and safeguard children and young people in their care.”
 
The qualification was developed in response to the Every Child Matters Change for Children agenda. It is also supported by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC), the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK).
 
The objectives of this qualification are to:
  • enable learners to recognise their role and take considered action (in relation to their job role)
  • develop personal skills and communication skills
  • develop learners’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities for keeping records and reporting appropriately
  • develop the learners’ awareness and basic knowledge of legal procedural frameworks
  • develop an awareness and understanding of the wider contexts of services (this encompasses multiagency working)
  • develop self-knowledge

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