Designated Safeguarding Leads Training
Designated Safeguarding Leads Training
Wednesday 4th November 2026, 9:30am-3:30pm at the Solaris Centre - European Room
Tuesday 2nd March 2027, 9:30am-3:30pm at the Solaris Centre - Global Room
Tuesday 22nd June 2027, 9:30am-3:30pm at the Solaris Centre - Global Room
Reflective Supervision Skills for DSLs
Designated Safeguarding Leads regularly support colleagues who are managing complex safeguarding concerns, hearing difficult disclosures and making challenging decisions. Whilst many DSLs hold regular meetings with Deputy DSLs and pastoral staff, these discussions can easily become focused on operational updates, case management and compliance.
This practical and interactive training day explores how DSLs can use reflective supervision approaches to support the wellbeing, resilience and professional development of their safeguarding teams whilst maintaining a focus on children and effective decision making.
Delegates will leave with practical tools, supervision frameworks and increased confidence to deliver meaningful supervision sessions that go beyond line management.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the day delegates will:
- Understand the purpose and benefits of reflective safeguarding supervision.
- Recognise the difference between supervision, case management and line management.
- Develop skills to facilitate effective supervision conversations.
- Explore approaches to supporting staff wellbeing and reducing safeguarding fatigue.
- Gain practical tools and models to structure supervision sessions.
- Increase confidence in asking reflective and challenging questions.
- Understand how supervision can strengthen safeguarding decision making and professional curiosity.
- Create an action plan for implementing or enhancing supervision within their own setting.
Programme Outline
Session 1
Why Supervision Matters
- The emotional impact of safeguarding work.
- Compassion fatigue, burnout and vicarious trauma.
- Why safeguarding professionals need support.
- The evidence base for reflective supervision.
- Creating psychologically safe spaces for discussion.
Practical Activity
- Reflecting on the realities of safeguarding leadership.
- Group discussion: What keeps us awake at night?
Session 2
Understanding Reflective Supervision
- What reflective supervision is and is not.
- Supervision versus line management.
- Supervision versus case discussions.
- Creating boundaries and expectations.
- Building trust and confidentiality.
Practical Activity
- Reviewing examples of supervision conversations.
- Identifying reflective and non-reflective approaches.
Session 3
Essential Supervision Skills
- Active listening.
- Reflective questioning.
- Professional curiosity.
- Appropriate challenge.
- Managing difficult conversations.
- Supporting staff without taking ownership of their emotional responses.
Practical Activity
- Paired exercises to practise questioning techniques.
- Role play supervision scenarios.
Session 4
Practical Models and Frameworks
- Structuring supervision sessions.
- Using reflective models.
- Recording supervision appropriately.
- Balancing support, accountability and challenge.
- Developing supervision agreements and expectations.
Practical Activity
- Facilitated supervision exercises.
- Practising supervision conversations using safeguarding scenarios.
Session 5
Wellbeing and Resilience
- Recognising signs of stress and safeguarding overload.
- Supporting staff wellbeing.
- Maintaining professional boundaries.
- Encouraging healthy coping strategies.
- Building resilience within safeguarding teams.
Practical Activity
- Wellbeing self-assessment.
- Creating individual wellbeing action plans.
Session 6
Embedding Supervision in Practice
- Creating a supervision culture.
- Overcoming barriers to implementation.
- Supporting Deputy DSLs and pastoral teams.
- Quality assuring supervision arrangements.
- Next steps and action planning.
Practical Activity
- Developing a supervision implementation plan for your setting.
Additional Resources if required by the LA to accompany the course can be purchased as a pack for £500.
Delegates would receive:
- Reflective supervision framework.
- Supervision agreement template.
- Supervision recording template.
- Reflective questioning toolkit.
- Wellbeing check in resources.
- Safeguarding supervision action plan template.
Reflective Supervision Skills for DSLs
Face to Face Delivery - Solaris Centre
- Full day training (up to 6 hours delivery)
- Maximum 25 delegates
- Interactive workshop format
- Training materials included
Tuesday 13th October, 9:00am-4:00pm at the Solaris Centre
Please book here: Training Booking Request Form
Course Fee
Nil for all participants
(Please note as of September 2026 a non-attendance charge of £100 will be applied to all delegates)
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (YMHFA)
Blackpool’s Primary Mental Health Workers, based within Blackpool CAMHS, have been commissioned by Blackpool Opportunity Area, to deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (YMHFA) to our schools. The training will support school staff to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of how to support children and young people who may be suffering with emotional wellbeing or mental health issues.
For dates and times for the training please click the link: Blackpool Safeguarding Partnerships Training
Introduction to The Request For Support Hub
This training is aimed at all practitioners working with children and young people.
The training will provide participants with information about:
- The agencies which sit within the Request for Support Hub and their responsibilities
- The launch of the new online referral form
- What a “good” referral looks
- What happens on receipt of a referral
- Advice Line and Duty Line
To view training dates and to book onto the training please use the link: Blackpool Safeguarding Partnerships Training
Specialist Gaming and Gambling Harm Workshop
Course Contents
Ygam are working with Blackpool Council to offer a fully funded workshop, delivered through the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme. This workshop is aimed at professionals who work with children or young
people in an Education, Youth Work or Youth Sports setting.
Topics Covered
- Gaming and gambling harm
- Advertising
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Blurred lines between gaming and gambling
- How to spot the signs of harm
- Where to get help and support
On completion you will receive a City & Guilds Certificate and Digital Credential, and have access to over 1000 resources, including PSHE linked schemes of work and 1:1 and small group work activities which you can download and use in your setting.
Available Sessions
Teachers & Youth Workers Booking | Ygam
Safer Recruitment
This event is aimed at all line managers who recruit staff to work with children and vulnerable adults. By attending the course you will develop the use of safer recruitment techniques and help to fulfil your responsibility to have in place safer recruitment and selection practices.
This workshop is intended to provide a consistent national minimum standard of good practice measures that organisations will adopt when recruiting and selecting people, including volunteers, to work with children and vulnerable adults. This approved training was originally badged by the National College of School Leadership (NCSL) and then the Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC). However it is now accredited and registered with the Lucy Faithful Foundation as part of the Safer Recruitment Consortium. It must also be noted that the trainers delivering this course are nationally registered trainers with the Safer Recruitment Consortium.
Aims and Objectives:
- Increase your understanding of offender behaviour
- Understand the key features of safer recruitment that will help to deter or prevent the appointment of unsuitable people
- Understand the policies and practices that minimise opportunities for abuse and ensure its prompt reporting for concerns
- Be able to consider/review your own practices and procedures within your area of work.
Training date:
Friday 25th September 2026, 9.30am-4:30pm at the Bickerstaffe.
Thursday 26th November 2026, 9.30am-4:30pm at the Bickerstaffe.
Monday 1st February 2027, 9.30am-4:30pm at the Bickerstaffe.
Please book here
Multi Agency Training
Contextual Safeguarding
Target audience
All frontline multi-agency practitioners working with adults, children and families.
Aims and Objectives
- Explore how contextual safeguarding works in practice
- Explore the risk indicators in relation to sexual and criminal exploitation
- Explore how we respond to young people and their families when the concerns are extra-familial
- Share an over view of the multi-agency working that keeps young people safe
- Explore direct work tools to support young people
- Explore the use of legislation, tools and powers used by the multi-agency to keep young people safe
- Increase knowledge and understanding around the importance of intel forms and trigger plans
- How Missing from home episodes can increase a young person’s vulnerability to contextual harm
- Recognise the services within community safety and licensing that can support a young person at risk of exploitation
For dates and times for the training please click the link: Blackpool Safeguarding Partnerships Training
Child Protection, Core Groups and Conferencing
Aims
The aim of this course is to offer practitioners the opportunity to build on their knowledge and skills to be able to actively participate in a Child protection conference and gain an understanding of their roles and responsibilities moving forward into the core groups.
Objectives
- To understand the importance of communicating effectively with the children and families they are supporting with a child centered approach
- To recognise the importance of restorative practices whilst working in a multi-agency approach
- To develop a clear and supportive Child Protection plan that will lead into the core groups
To view training dates and to book onto the training please use the link: Blackpool Safeguarding Partnerships Training
Getting on Better Relationship Toolkit Training
Course Contents
The Toolkit Training is designed to help practitioners explore parental relationships and enable practitioners to gain a better understanding of family life and explore what the children’s lived experiences are.
The toolkit is able to be used to support assessments being completed, it can be used with parents that are experiencing parental conflict, whether parents remain in a relationship or have separated.
The toolkit is designed for practitioners to be able to pick up and use easily.
Throughout the training we explore the toolkit fully and support all practitioners to better understand how parental conflict presents, how to explore this as a professional and what the impact is for children.
Aims and Objectives
- Build practitioner confidence and skills with exploring parental relationships.
- Better understand the impact that frequent, intense and poorly resolved parental conflict can have on children, young people and the whole family.
- Practitioners to have a range of tools that support them with exploring and offering support around parental conflict.
- Better understanding around the difference between domestic abuse and parental conflict.
How to Book On
If you have access to iTrent Employee Self Service, please visit the Learning section to book yourself on.
If you are a council employee without access to Employee Self Service, or are joining our training from an affiliated company or school, your manager can submit bookings.
For any other applicant (including foster carers, Shared Lives Carers, students, and agency workers) please submit booking requests using the following form:
Non-Fatal Strangulation
One hour online briefing to explore NFS
Overview
The aim of this session is to raise awareness of Non-Fatal Strangulation and Suffocation so that frontline staff are able to identify and manage risk and offer appropriate support and responses to those affected.
By the end of the session, participants will
- Have increased awareness of the seriousness of NFS
- Understand the physiological and psychological impact of NFS
- Have a developed understanding of risk associated with NFS and how to identify and manage risk
- Understand how victim’s may present
- Be able to respond and support appropriately to safeguard victims and children & young people
Target Audience:
Multi-agency professionals working with adults, children and families affected by domestic abuse. Including the local authority, NHS, Police, Probation, VCFSE organisations, Housing, Fire, NWAS, Early Years providers, Schools, Colleges, Care Providers, Care Homes, Community Safety.
Booking information
To register your interest in attending the online briefing, please email safeguardingtraining@blackpool.gov.uk, with the following information:
• Name
• Job Role
• Organisation
Please note: that all training attendees are expected to have completed basic level awareness e-learning for domestic abuse ahead attending the sessions. The multi-agency eLearning platform can be accessed at the following link: https://app.melearning.co.uk/auth/validate-key?registerKey=FBMPTYSJ
(N.B. when registering to use the system for the first time, users should select “external” as your organisation when prompted.)
Public Health Training Offer
For training offered through Blackpool Council's Organisation & Workforce Development (OWD) Team
The courses that are available are:
- Alcohol Awareness
- Anxiety Awareness
- Bet You Can Help Now! Tackling Gambling Harms
- Bet You Can Help Now! Tackling Gambling Harms (Level 2)
- Blackpool Safeguarding Partnerships - DASH Risk Checklist Training
- Bystander Green Dot
- Cannabis Awareness
- Emotional Health and Wellbeing
- General Drug Awareness
- Mental Health First-Aid (Two Day Course)
- Nicotine Awareness Training
- Sex, The Law and the impact of Phonography
- Suicide First-Aid
- Understanding Self-Harm
- Wellbeing in Sexual Health
Please see link for dates and times of the courses, Public Health Training Offer | Public Health Blackpool Council
Kooth
Kooth are able to provide young people with self help strategies that prevent their mental health from declining, preventing them from going into crisis.
Kooth CYP services can reduce the necessity of GP appointments and hospital admissions and can prevent the need for referrals into CAMHS. Or can support young people with their mental health for young people on waiting lists or who have been discharged from services.
Kooth can support neurodiverse young people, who may find face to face support more challenging and difficult to engage in.
(A reminder the age range for Lancashire and South Cumbria is 10 - 18, up to 25 for SENDD. Please note in Cumberland the age range is now 11 - 18, up to 25 for SEND.
You may be a school, or know of a school that would benefit and like to book their class or year group onto one of the Kooth webinars. I would advise that cameras are kept off as there may be multiple schools on the call. Please email hhook@kooth.com for a link
Kooth are also offering some theme based building resilience national webinars, to sign up for these please use this booking form.
If you as a professional would like to find out more about Kooth, please attend one of the 30 minute Kooth webinars. Please email hhook@kooth.com for a teams link.
Bereavement Training for Teachers
On average, 1 in every 29 children will be bereaved of a parent. That’s one in every class. Whether your student has been bereaved recently or several years ago, they need support from the school community to ensure that they can cope with their grief. That’s why it’s vital that teachers and staff understand how to support the grieving children and young people in their school.
Our free online bereavement training courses will help you understand how grief affects a child or young person and how you can help them cope with their grief. The courses are designed for schools but would be useful for anyone who works with bereaved children. Written by the Winston’s Wish team, drawing on our many years of experience supporting bereaved children, and created by Learning Nexus.
All the courses are free.
For more information and training courses please visit Free Online Bereavement Training for Schools | Winston's Wish
MindEd
MindEd is suitable for all adults working with, or caring for, infants, children or teenagers, adults and older people, including people with a learning disability and autistic people; all the information provided is quality assured by experts, useful, and easy to understand. We aim to give adults who care for, or work with people:
- the knowledge to support their wellbeing
- the understanding to identify a child, young person or adult at risk of a mental health condition
- the confidence to act on their concern and, if needed, signpost to services that can help
MindEd is multi-professional, and can be used by teachers, health and mental health professionals, police and judiciary staff, social workers, youth service volunteers, school counsellors among others to support their professional development.
For more information please visit MindEd Hub
For training courses please visit MindEd Hub
