AT this time of year, and with the festive season coming up, it can be very easy to over-indulge – not just with food or drink, but by splashing out in the shops and online.

The concept of Black Friday is a fairly recent arrival in the UK, but in just a few years we’ve seen it grow to the point where people spend thousands on goods that could be obsolete in just a few months.

The NSPCC was founded in 1884, and Childline just celebrated its 35th anniversary, and while our methods may have changed over the years, unlike mobiles, laptops and fashion, the need to keep children safe from abuse and neglect is something that never goes out of date.

We do move with the times though. Especially during the pandemic, where we’ve seen an increase in the number of people using our virtual services and contacting our NSPCC helpline to report concerns about children.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure children are safe, and with that in mind, on Monday, November 29, NSPCC Learning held a ‘flash sale’ on its training courses – it’s not exactly Black Friday, but the skills on offer can be more useful than a new kitchen gadget.

NSPCC Learning is a way for anyone to take part in specially designed training to help identify signs of child abuse or neglect and safeguarding concerns, with up-to-date child protection policy, practice and research, and other expert e-learning courses.

The shortest example is the 15-minute It’s Your Call course, which is ideal for anyone whose work or volunteering sees them regularly visit homes. Postal workers, gas engineers and delivery drivers, for example, could be well placed to spot any emerging safeguarding concerns or signs of possible abuse and neglect.

It’s Your Call gives you the knowledge of potential signs of concern, and the confidence to report those concerns, either through your employer, the NSPCC helpline, or if it’s an urgent concern, to the police. It also gives advice on supporting colleagues who may have already witnessed signs of child abuse.

If you’re a school governor or work in a school or college, there are several three-hour CPD-certified courses to help you understand safeguarding responsibilities and to create a safer culture for children and young people in your school.

Likewise, if you’re an independent tutor who teaches children, you can take the Child Protection Training For Tutors course, and if you’re a health visitor, midwife or work in a children’s centre, there’s a short course on how to deliver our Coping With Crying programme to help support new parents.

There are also courses to support anyone in entertainment or sport, anyone who manages an online community, works with SEND children, and a course for taxi and bus drivers.

While the latest flash sale might have ended, NSPCC Learning is available all year round, and this week’s discounts won’t be the last – why not have a browse and see if there’s a course that interests you?

NSPCC Learning is a vital part of the work we do as a charity to help keep young people safe from abuse and neglect, and many professionals trust NSPCC Learning to provide support, training and resources to help protect the children and young people they work with.

NSPCC Learning also lists book and resources which can help anyone who works with children, and as a charity, income usually generated from the sale of our training courses is reinvested back into the NSPCC to help protect children.

Visit go to learning.nspcc.org.uk or search NSPCC Learning.

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