In partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Thirtyone:eight completed a research project looking into how faith-based and statutory safeguarding professionals can work more effectively together.
One of the key findings of this research was that stronger relationships and better understanding between sectors can make all the difference to the people we’re trying to protect*. In response to this, we’ve developed a new training session designed specifically for faith and community groups who are working alongside safeguarding professionals.
In this blog, we’ll unpack why this training is so important, who it’s for, and the benefits to your organisation.
Why ‘Working with Safeguarding Professionals’ training?
Faith-based and community groups are often well-connected with people who need extra support within their organisation, but safeguarding professionals are the ones with the legal duty to safeguard them. It's only when faith and community groups work well with statutory agencies that we can truly safeguard those in our care.
Navigating formal safeguarding processes can feel overwhelming. Perhaps we’re supporting people who have been referred to us by safeguarding professionals, or we may be the ones raising a concern.
But what happens next? How can we stay involved helpfully and appropriately? This course is here to unpack all of that in practical, down-to-earth terms.
This course takes a practical look at what happens after we report a safeguarding concern or when safeguarding professionals refer people to us.
The session covers:
- The roles and relationships between faith groups and statutory services.
- What happens in safeguarding processes.
- How to collaborate and communicate well with professionals.
- Understanding safeguarding language, systems, and laws.
- Ways to build safer, more resilient cultures in your community.
- Real-life scenarios and case studies.
The Benefits of Working with Safeguarding Professionals training
We all want to help safeguard those in our care — but it can be hard to know what to do, especially when formal systems feel unfamiliar or overwhelming. This course aims to remove that uncertainty and give you confidence.
You’ll achieve:
Skills to work well with safeguarding professionals.
Tools to better support and advocate for vulnerable individuals.
Confidence in managing referrals and safeguarding concerns.
Strategies to stay strong and resilient in tough situations.
All of which helps to:
Build trust and understanding between sectors.
Ensure that safeguarding is informed by cultural and religious context.
Create safer environments in churches and community spaces.
Support a more joined-up approach to protecting vulnerable people.
Who is it for?
This course is for anyone in a faith or community role who interacts with safeguarding professionals — whether regularly or just occasionally. It’s designed for people across all four UK nations, with specific references to each nation's practices and legislation.
Book your training
If you want to know more about this training you can Contact us. Alternatively, book your place today.
**Morrison (2000) and Shorrock et al. (2020)
"A great course that I think will benefit a lot of churches and faith groups. I am also pleased to hear about the training for statutory services too. Working together is so essential to keeping people safe and I think this training will really help keep this at the forefront of churches and faith groups minds."
"I really liked the practical element of the training and the focus on roles. Provides a good understanding of common barriers but that the goals are the same. It was a very reflective tone which I enjoyed too and I think would be helpful for safeguarding leads."