Welcome

GP receptionists and care navigators are often the first practice staff to notice when an adult is frightened, controlled, neglected, confused, exploited or unable to speak freely.

This Level 2 course is aimed at GP receptionists, care navigators, call handlers and frontline administrative staff. It explains how to recognise possible adult safeguarding concerns, respond safely, record factual information and escalate concerns within the practice.

Safeguarding concerns rarely arrive as clear allegations. They may emerge during a difficult phone call, when a carer insists on speaking for the patient, via a safe-contact request, through repeated missed care, in a worrying online message, or as a pattern that becomes visible only when staff connect separate pieces of information.

Core adult safeguarding focus

• Adults at risk and first contact: how safeguarding concerns can appear at reception, by phone, through online requests and in routine admin work.
• Types and indicators of abuse, neglect and exploitation: how fear, control, dependency, poor care, self-neglect and unsafe access may be noticed.
• Disclosures and immediate safety: how to listen without investigating, avoid unsafe promises and escalate urgent danger.
• Professional curiosity: how to connect patterns across appointments, medicines, records and safe-contact requests.
• Recording, confidentiality and information sharing: how to record facts clearly and share relevant information through the right route.
• Practice systems and staff support: how clear procedures, supervision and learning help staff raise concerns early.

A simple Level 2 safeguarding spine

• Notice possible risk
• Listen safely
• Record facts
• Protect safe contact
• Escalate promptly
• Keep concern visible until owned

Role boundaries

Awareness of adult safeguarding helps staff recognise concerns, avoid increasing risk through unsafe contact or promises, and ensure concerns reach the right person in the practice or the local safeguarding system.