Welcome

GP receptionists and care navigators regularly speak with children, young people, parents and carers. Routine contacts can reveal that a child may be unsafe, neglected, exploited, distressed or not being heard.

This Level 2 course is aimed at GP receptionists, care navigators, call handlers and frontline admin staff. It focuses on practical actions in general practice: noticing concern, listening safely, recording factual information, sharing relevant details and escalating concerns through the practice and local routes.

First-contact staff are not expected to investigate abuse or decide whether a child protection threshold has been met. They are, however, well placed to spot patterns, unsafe communication, worrying comments, missed child health needs and situations where a child's voice is being lost.

Why this course matters

• Children may be hidden behind adult requests: a prescription, appointment, letter or online form can still contain child safeguarding information.
• Small details can matter: a child's remark, a repeated cancellation, a worried relative or a safe-contact request can be part of a wider pattern.
• Reception records can protect children: exact words and factual observations help clinicians and safeguarding leads understand what happened.
• Unsafe communication can increase risk: online access, proxy access, texts and phone calls need care where a child or young person may not be safe to speak freely.
• Escalation is a safety action: raising concern through the correct route is not an accusation but a way to ensure the right person takes responsibility.

Core child safeguarding focus

• The child behind the appointment request
• Indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation and hidden harm
• Disclosures, non-attendance, recording and information sharing
• Escalation, early help, child protection and safer practice systems

Role boundaries

Level 2 child safeguarding awareness helps staff recognise clues in first-contact work, respond safely to worrying comments or disclosures, record useful safeguarding information, protect safe contact, and escalate concerns through the practice process.