Safeguarding training is essential for all individuals who work with children and vulnerable adults, or who come into contact with children and vulnerable adults as part of their role. Every member of the dental team needs to have dental safeguarding training for this reason.

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Dental safeguarding training covers elements of child protection, including how to identify abuse and neglect, how to respond correctly to concerns about a child’s welfare, and which guidance, laws, and legislation you should be familiar with if you work with or around children. It should also include safeguarding for vulnerable adults and the differences in practice for these individuals.

There are different types of safeguarding training. No matter what your role in the practice, it is a requirement of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that every member of the dental team has an up to date safeguarding training certificate.

Will I and my dental practice be inspected?

Every dental practice is subject to regular inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and there are standards of safeguarding that must be upheld in order to pass these inspections.

Safeguarding training is therefore an absolute requirement; you must hold a verifiable dental safeguarding certificate for every member of staff in your dental practice. Expired certificates will not be accepted. Failure to provide evidence of each staff member’s safeguarding certificates will result in the loss of valuable marks during inspection.

The CQC guidance states that safeguarding training should be refreshed every three years. Online safeguarding courses are acceptable for training at Levels 1 and 2.

According to the General Dental Council Principles (‘Standards for the Dental Team’, https://standards.gdc-uk.org/Assets/pdf/Standards%20for%20the%20Dental%20Team.pdf):

  • 8.5.1 You must raise any concerns you may have about the possible abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults. You must know who to contact for further advice and how to refer concerns to an appropriate authority such as your local social services department.

  • 8.5.2 You must find out about local procedures for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. You must follow these procedures if you suspect that a child or vulnerable adult might be at risk because of abuse or neglect. See our website for further information.

Furthermore, the Intercollegiate document, which is a statutory framework that sets out safeguarding training responsibilities for all healthcare staff working with children and young people in the UK, states that:

  • To protect children and young people from harm, all healthcare staff must have the competences to recognise child maltreatment and to take effective action as appropriate to their role. It is the duty of employers to ensure that those working for them clearly understand their contractual obligations within the employing organisation, and it is the responsibility of employers to facilitate access to training and education which enable the organisation to fulfil its aims, objectives and statutory duties effectively and safely.1

Do dental safeguarding training certificates expire?

Yes. All verifiable safeguarding certificates will have an expiry date, as the laws and guidance surrounding safeguarding change frequently and you need to be aware of these changes as a professional.

Typically, safeguarding certificates have a lifetime of 1 to 3 years. Each of the Child Protection Company’s verifiable online dental safeguarding training certificates expires after 2 years.

Do I need to take a specific safeguarding course for my role in the dental practice?

You will need to take safeguarding training that is suitable for the responsibilities and expectations of your role. For example, a dental receptionist will not require the same level of safeguarding training as a specialist paediatric dentist. However, everyone working in the dental practice, including admin staff, volunteers, and trainees, will need to take an introductory level safeguarding course.

You can take a safeguarding course with any verifiable training provider, but it is always best to choose a provider who specialises in dental safeguarding training.

What safeguarding training do I need as a dental receptionist?

As a non-clinical member of the dental team, you are still required to take Level 1 safeguarding training, but you do not need to have further training unless deemed necessary by your practice manager.

An introductory safeguarding course like the Child Protection Company’s Introduction to Adult/Child Protection online training course may be the most appropriate training for you. This covers both child protection and vulnerable adult safeguarding and meets the needs of Level 1 safeguarding training as outlined in the Intercollegiate Document.

What safeguarding training do I need as a dental care professional?

The Intercollegiate Document states that all dental staff working in a clinical capacity must take safeguarding training at Level 2. Therefore, as a dental care professional, you will need to take an introductory level and a further level safeguarding course.

To get Level 1 training, you must first take an introductory level safeguarding course such as the Child Protection Company’s Introduction to Adult/Child Protection. To achieve Level 2 safeguarding training, your knowledge should then be built upon in their Further Adult/Child Protection online safeguarding course. Taking both of these courses together will give you the appropriate level of safeguarding training required for your role.

What safeguarding training do I need as a trainee dental professional?

Even while training or on work experience, you are still a part of the dental team and therefore will need to meet the CQC safeguarding training requirements. At the very least, you should have a Level 1 safeguarding certificate, but if you are training in a clinical capacity then you will also require a Level 2 safeguarding certificate.

What safeguarding training do I need as a specialist dental professional?

The safeguarding training needs of specialist dental professionals will vary. As a minimum, however, you are required to have safeguarding training at Level 2.

Training at higher levels cannot be taken online, so you must get in touch with your practice manager or NHS Trust to find out where you can take a safeguarding training course beyond Level 2 in your locality.

Mark Foster

As Commercial Director of The Child Protection Company Mark worked with the British Dental Association (BDA) in 2011 to create dental specific versions of the company’s safeguarding courses. After schools, dental practices are the company’s largest client group.

Away from work Mark is a keen motorcyclist and he jogs or cycles every day before work – mainly to find some peace and quiet away from his three noisy children!

Further information

If you would like to speak to a member of the Child Protection Company’s friendly customer support team about your dental safeguarding training needs, please email help@childprotectioncompany.com, or call them on 01327 552030 today. The Child Protection Company’s (www.childprotectioncompany.com) online dental safeguarding courses are recommended by the British Dental Association, and each course is worth 3 hours of verifiable CPD under the General Dental Council Lifelong Learning Scheme.