New FGM course from the home of safeguarding
UK teachers are now being trained individually online how to identify those at risk or suffering from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and protect Britain’s young girls from extreme child abuse.
Developed by SSS Learning as a ‘much needed’ catalyst for change in safeguarding training the hour-long course is fully CPD-accredited and certifies individual educators, replacing ‘often insufficient’ traditional group training methods.
“Performed both in the UK and abroad on girls as young as three years old, FGM is a complex, cross-cultural issue which requires a thorough understanding of its origins, forms and how to efficiently identify those at risk” says SSS Learning Director Sam Preston.
As a former local authority child protection expert, Sam feels, when planning training it is vital “to consider that members of staff in all likelihood will have varied levels of understanding of the topic which may also include knowledge which is not evidence based, making individual assessment critical to ensure that the desired learning outcomes are properly understood.”
Historically, most training is delivered by INSET sessions on-site which is problematic. It relies on the provider having the specialist area skillset which may not be setting or inspection requirement specific, learning is not fully evaluated and those absent or staff recruited post INSET have to wait for refresher training which may be as long as a year later.
New statutory requirements for all professionals in relation to the reporting of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) were introduced in October 2015. By completing this module, teachers will gain the latest information on this topic, legislative requirements and a clear understanding of their role in supporting those affected and reporting pathways.
The course also meets the Department for Education (DfE) 2016 Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance which emphasizes the importance of regular updates and annual safeguarding / child protection training.
Sam adds: “Fundamentally, FGM is child abuse under UK law, and it is our mandatory duty to safeguard both those we deem vulnerable, and those where intervention has been too late. This new course will help every educator play an ever vital role in our cross-disciplinary approach to FGM child protection.”
The organisation works with over 60,000 frontline professionals across the education, healthcare & third/voluntary sectors.
Find out more about our FGM training course or follow us on Twitter (@SSSLearning) for more info.
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