Designated safeguarding officer in Northern Ireland (NI) training

Training for anyone responsible with receiving concerns about the safety and welfare of children and young people

Our training course will help you gain the skills for a child protection role in Northern Ireland.

Taught by experienced professionals, you will you gain a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the designated safeguarding officer, and have a clear understanding of how to recognise and respond to concerns about a child’s safety.

Not in Northern Ireland?

> See our designated training courses for England, Scotland and Wales

What will I learn?

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

describe the role and main responsibilities of the designated safeguarding children officer
state your own values regarding child abuse and the impact of these on professional practice
describe the key legislation and guidance that determines your organisation’s policy for child safety and welfare
decide what steps your organisation needs to take to look after the safety and welfare of the children and young people it comes into contact with
identify the barriers that prevent children from reporting abuse
know how to respond effectively to a child who does report abuse
understand the barriers that prevent staff from reporting concerns, and how to overcome them
make the right decisions about what steps to take when concerns about a child have been raised
know what’s likely to happen following a referral to children's social care
explain the issues connected to recording and sharing information, including confidentiality
show an awareness of the emotional impact of safeguarding children and identify a network for personal support
talk about your organisation’s overarching policy and procedures.

Choose how you want to learn

This training is available face-to-face or as a live virtual training session, to support a range of learning styles.

Both options are taught by experts and feature the latest legislation, guidance and best practice. So you can choose to learn on location in a dedicated learning space or from the comfort of your own home or office.

Benefits of the course

CPD certified.
Delivered by expert trainers who are at hand to answer any questions you may have as you go along.
Choose your training style: live virtual sessions with an expert trainer or face-to-face on location.
Covers the information you need to successfully fulfil your responsibilities in the designated safeguarding officer role.
Learning is underpinned by key legislation and guidance.
Train alongside peers and share your ideas, experience and learning.
Take part in a number of practical and interactive exercises, including group discussions and presentations.
Dedicated and neutral learning space so you can learn without distraction.
Resources to take home to help you protect the children you work with.
Personalised certificate of achievement upon completion of the course.
Income generated from the sale of our training courses is reinvested back into the NSPCC to help protect children.

98%

of our customers would recommend NSPCC training

* We received 35,644 evaluation forms from people who had taken our elearning courses between 1st April 2023 - 31st March 2024. 35,074 (98.4%) said they would recommend the course they had taken.

Who is this course for?

Our designated safeguarding officer in Northern Ireland course is for those who have a responsibility to coordinate the response to safeguarding concerns within their organisation, and support others in doing so.

You must have previously attended an introductory level course in child protection, and have a role in liaising with other agencies involved in child protection, especially children’s social care.

People who have taken this course include:

child care groups
professionals and volunteers from commercial and community organisations

This course doesn’t provide full training for people who work in a statutory agency.

If you are interested in commissioned training for a statutory agency or health named professionals, please call 0116 234 7246 or email learning@nspcc.org.uk.

Your learning options

All NSPCC Learning courses are up-to-date with the latest information about legislation, guidance and best practice and provide a certificate of achievement.

And it doesn't stop there. As experts in safeguarding and child protection, we have a range of further information, training and downloadable resources to help you protect the children you work with.

Live virtual training benefits

Remote sessions delivered live by expert trainers.
Share your ideas, experience and learning virtually with participants from a wide range of sectors and organisations.
Receive real-time feedback.
Learn from the comfort of your own home or office.
No travel costs.
Participate in interactive exercises and get direct support and guidance as you learn.

Book virtual training now

Face-to-face training benefits

Delivered by expert trainers.
Share your ideas, experience and learning with participants from a wide range of sectors and organisations.
Learn in a dedicated learning space, without distractions.
Participate in interactive exercises and get direct support and guidance as you learn.

Book face-to-face training now

Technical requirements for live virtual training

We use Zoom Pro to deliver our live virtual training.

You’ll need to sign up to Zoom and agree to the Zoom Privacy Notice in order to attend virtual training.
No confidential or sensitive data should be shared during the virtual event.
In order to take your training securely and for the best possible experience please use Zoom version 5.0 or above.
We recommend installing the latest version of your web browser before beginning your course. Prior to the event, you can test your internet connection at https://zoom.us/test
Your trainer will contact you prior to your training date with details of how to login on the day of your session and setting up Zoom. You can also visit the Zoom website for technical support.

Why take your training with the NSPCC?

At the NSPCC, we work to keep children and young people safe from abuse and neglect every day.

As experts in safeguarding and child protection, we understand the issues organisations and people working with children can face. That’s why professionals trust us to provide the support, training and resources they need to help protect the children and young people they work with.

Our highly-rated training courses are developed by experts. We work with a number of organisations, experienced consultants and subject matter experts in a range of sectors to develop courses that are clear, easy-to-use, up-to-date and in line with the latest statutory guidance, and tailored to your needs.

And as a charity, income generated from the sale of our training courses is reinvested back into the NSPCC to help protect children.