Course outline

In safeguarding and child protection, a defensible decision is one where you can demonstrate and evidence the journey to making a decision for intervention, adjustment, or the decision not to.

• What are the consequences of not getting this right, to the victim, to your professional reputation and to your organisation?
• Would you be confident in recording a decision that could be scrutinised by third parties at a later date, potentially years later?
• Where would you draw guidance from?

This interactive training session will use case studies from statutory organisations, including education, and third sector to support delegates’ understanding of the importance of understanding defensible decisions and their practical use across safeguarding. It is essential that delegates are prepared to engage fully with the learning tasks and activities during the session.

Training topics will include:

• What is defensible decision making?
• How to demonstrate, reference and record defensible decisions
• Understanding the consequences of not getting this right
• Defensible not defensive.

Learning outcomes:

• Increased understanding of defensible decisions and their use for safeguarding
• Recommended methodology of recording decision-making and risk-assessments to ensure validity at a later date of scrutiny
• Increased understanding of the person-centric nature of good safeguarding practices.

Audience:

• All practitioners working with children, young people or vulnerable individuals, DSL/DSO, DDSL, Safeguarding Manager/Lead.

Cost:

• Member rate: £100
• Non-member rate: £200*

*If you would like to become a member and access discounted rates for Sacpa CPD and events, please click here.

Speaker: Mark Bramah, Executive Committee member, Sacpa and Director, Corporate Safeguarding
Mark is the managing director of Corporate Safeguarding, and as a former detective inspector who served in the police force for 30 years, he is highly skilled in identifying, managing and mitigating high risk. Working in this sensitive and emotive area and drawing on years of experience in supervising child abuse investigations, adult at risk investigations and managing dangerous offender units, he understands the way dangerous offenders operate. He supports clients where they have situations relating to risk by reviewing incidents and offering sound and practical advice. He encourages “professional curiosity” when staff have concerns about a colleague. He also has considerable expertise in identifying risk and safeguarding vulnerability; developing risk management solutions; delivering bespoke training packages; conducting independent reviews and investigations, and appearing at internal enquiries to offer evidence in relation to HR investigations. Mark recently completed a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal justice, with a dissertation involving primary research into safeguarding.

Speaker: Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding, Professional Development and Accreditation, Sacpa and BSA Group
Dale is a child protection specialist, with over 30 years’ experience working in the education sector. He is currently the Director of Safeguarding, Professional Development and Accreditation for Sacpa and the BSA Group, is accredited by the NSPCC, having completed their ‘Training for trainers in child protection’ and his work includes liaising with government bodies on behalf of the sector as well as delivering child protection CPD to schools. Dale has also been a multi-agency safeguarding trainer for Dudley Safeguarding Children Board.