The SACPA Advanced Certificate in Child Safeguarding Practice is a certificate programme for safeguarding managers and leads, heads of safeguarding, safeguarding hub managers and co-ordinators.  It has been developed to support safeguarding colleagues from a diversity of sectors to supplement and extend designated safeguarding lead training.  This programme may also support the safeguarding practice of behaviour leads, SENCO’s, pastoral support leaders and Designated Teachers for Looked After Children.

Key areas of contemporary safeguarding practice are explored in depth with particular attention to their application to leadership and management of safeguarding, interface with governors, trustees and board members responsible for oversight and scrutiny and the multi-agency safeguarding system beyond.

SACPA  Certificate in Child Safeguarding Practice – Option 2

• Day 1: February  5th, 2025
• Day 2: March 18th, 2025
• Day 3: May 15th, 2025
• Day 4: June 18th, 2025

All Study Days will be held online via Zoom.

Timings: 10:00-16:00

Course Outline for Option 2

• Sexual Violence
• Safer Organisations
• Mental Health
• Digital Safeguarding

TO BEGIN OPTION 2 IN FEBRUARY CLICK HERE

The aims of the SACPA Advanced Certificate course are to:

• Provide development for safeguarding leads to explore beyond Designated Safeguarding Lead Training
• Focus on specific contemporary safeguarding subjects and developments
• Support management and leadership of safeguarding, bridging the gap between operational delivery, the provision of management information to support strategic planning, oversight and working in partnership with trustees and governance bodies and local safeguarding partners
• Increase confidence and competence through opportunities to study and develop expertise in specific areas of professional interest
• Enhance a professional career path in safeguarding and to provide SACPA recognition of your achievement and successful completion of the course
• To contribute to improved practice and raising standards within the safeguarding setting
• Foster reflection and critical evaluation of safeguarding practice and professional issues, and to provide opportunities to share experience and good practice with colleagues.

How is the course organised?

The course is organised around a combination of four intensive on-line study days which contain a variety of teaching methods and opportunities to learn in different ways, which include short lectures, presentations and discussions led by students, together with group problem solving exercises and case studies.

Group discussion is a particularly important aspect of this course, enabling delegates to look at the theory in light of their own practical experience. Students will be encouraged to contribute ideas, opinions and questions, taking responsibility for their own learning, whilst contributing to the learning of the group as a whole.

The course is run by senior members of the SACPA staff.  Each delegate will have an experienced SACPA Tutor who attends the study days.

Course Assessment

Delegates may choose assessment via portfolio or assignment.

Maria Putz – Interim Head of Training (Sexual Violence and Safeguarding)

Maria joined LimeCulture in January 2019 as one of the Training Managers. Maria has been involved in the development and delivery of Preventing Sexual Misconduct Education (PSME) and the Sexual Misconduct Liaison Officer (SMLO) Model helping schools and colleges to create a whole school approach in their prevention and response to sexual misconduct.  Maria has also presented nationally and internationally with a focus on healthy relationships and safeguarding in sport. Maria is committed to improving services for those affected by Sexual Violence through building knowledge, confidence and skills in frontline workers.

Most recently Maria has become the interim Head of Training leading in the development and delivery of training for LimeCulture in their Sexual Violence, Safeguarding, Education and University work.

Prior to joining the LimeCulture Team she was a specialist-safeguarding nurse for the largest children’s hospital in the UK. She has also worked as an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) and a Crisis Worker at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

Karl Hopwood, E-Safety Expert

Karl Hopwood is an esafety expert. He is a member of UKCCIS (UK Council for Child Internet Safety) and sits on the advisory board for the new UK Safer Internet Centre. Karl has worked for a number of key players in the UK and abroad including CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre), BECTA (British Educational and Communications Technology Agency), the European Commission and several Local Authorities within the UK. As an ex headteacher, he continues to work closely with children, young people, parents and teachers to develop safer online behaviours and the promotion of digital literacy. Karl works closely with the Boarding Schools’ Association and supports many of their schools. He is also an in-house consultant for INSAFE which is the coordinating node of the EU safer internet programme.

Marcus Erooga
Independent Safeguarding Consultant

Marcus is an independent safeguarding and sexual abuse Consultant, Researcher & Trainer. From 1999-2018 he was a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield Centre for Applied Childhood, Youth and Family Studies. He spent the majority of his employed career in various positions at the NSPCC, as a practitioner, team manager and Assistant Director for service delivery as well as service and policy development roles relating to child sexual abuse and sexual offending.

He has authored or edited some 80 publications on child abuse and sex offender related issues. Most recently this work has focused on organisational safeguarding. In 2016 he co-authored a review of the literature on organisational risk & protective factors for the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse as well as being Expert Witness on grooming in a Royal Commission Case Study. He is an Expert Witness for the IICSA (the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) Residential Schools inquiry.

As an independent consultant Marcus regularly trains and presents based on his research and undertakes safeguarding work including audits & reviews for a range of organisations. Marcus is a past Editor in Chief of the Journal of Sexual Aggression and a past Chair of NOTA (the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse) and is now a NOTA Fellow.

NB: Please be aware that it is crucial to remain on your assigned course path and tutor group to gain the very best out of your training. Of course, we understand some things are unavoidable however we cannot guarantee alternative placement days, and this may incur an admin charge