Continuous professional development is an important part of maintaining high standards of practice, and safeguarding remains one of the most important areas in which we invest our time and attention.
As part of our recent Soundswell Speech team CPD day, we took part in a bespoke safeguarding refresher session designed specifically for speech and language therapists working within educational settings.
Whilst safeguarding refresher training is a mandatory requirement, finding training that reflects the realities of our service delivery model can sometimes be challenging. As therapists working across multiple schools and settings, our role often differs from that of school-based staff. We therefore value opportunities to engage in training that is directly relevant to the situations and responsibilities we may encounter in practice.
Our session was delivered by County Safeguarding, led by Keith, a retired headteacher with extensive experience of both educational settings, and also of the roles of visiting professionals. His understanding of the role of visiting professionals brought an additional layer of relevance to the training, helping to bridge safeguarding guidance with the practical realities of our day-to-day work.
The session combined current safeguarding legislation, frameworks and guidance with real-world examples and case studies. Drawing on both local and national safeguarding incidents that have featured in the media, the training encouraged thoughtful discussion around professional curiosity, reporting responsibilities and the importance of maintaining vigilance in every setting we work within.
One of the greatest benefits of undertaking training together as a team is the opportunity to share perspectives, reflect on practice and learn from one another’s experiences. These discussions help ensure that safeguarding remains an active and ongoing part of our professional thinking, rather than simply a compliance exercise.
We would like to thank Keith and the team at Country Safeguarding for delivering such an engaging and relevant session.
If you are looking for safeguarding training tailored to speech and language therapists or other professionals working across educational settings, here’s their website to check out.
