Group F

Group F practitioners are the most senior people in an organisation.

They’re responsible for making sure safeguarding is consistent across different agencies or regions in Wales and the UK.

Group F practitioners include:

• elected members for local authorities
• board executive and non-executive directors
• members of all partner organisations
• chief executive officers
• Welsh Government ministers
• Assistant and Chief Constables.

One person in a public sector organisation will be ultimately responsible for safeguarding.

This will normally be about corporate safeguarding, and this isn’t the same as being the highest decision-maker in the safeguarding process.

All Group F practitioners should have access to safeguarding advice and expertise from designated or named professionals.

Group F practitioners don’t need the same in-depth knowledge of safeguarding as group E practitioners because they don’t need to have the same level of expertise and skills.

Group F practitioners need to have the same basic awareness of safeguarding as group A.

They’ll also need to do some training, such as the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) awareness training.

Memorable principles

• I provide leadership that embraces safeguarding in the public sector and promotes multi-agency working.
• I understand the core elements of safeguarding and why this is an important area.
• I will be guided and provided with assurance by group E practitioners on areas of concern.

According to the standards, people in group F need to know:

• the core competencies for specialist roles and sector leaders
• how to work in ways that safeguard people from abuse, harm and neglect
• the factors, situations and actions that could lead to, or contribute to abuse, harm or neglect
• how to report, respond to and record safeguarding concerns or allegations
• how to support others to safeguard people.

They’ll already have completed group A learning.

At the end of a learning activity, they’ll:

• be able to explain the term 'safeguarding'
• be able to recognise abuse or the risk of abuse, harm or neglect
• know they have a duty to report abuse, harm or neglect
• know what to do if they witness or suspect abuse, harm or neglect, or if someone tells the practitioner they’re being abused
• be able to promote a culture in the organisation:
  • that safeguards children, young people and adults
  • where safeguarding and protection is happening throughout the organisation
  • where resources are available to support and respond to safeguarding
  • where there are resources for a safeguarding training and supervision strategy.
• understand the corporate parenting role and their organisation’s responsibilities
• understand the potential causes and consequences of gross negligence
• understand the statutory obligations to work with the regional safeguarding board and other safeguarding agencies, including the voluntary sector
• support the safeguarding board to get specialist advice about safeguarding and protection from designated professionals
• understand the board-level risk about safeguarding
• understand there needs to be arrangements to let people know about, and react quickly to, serious incidents, including the legal need to report duties to the police.

We strongly recommend a blended way of learning.

This will include:

• basic online training
• virtual classroom
• face-to-face teaching and learning.

Group F practitioners need to:

• complete group A e-learning and relevant bespoke training (such as the VAWDSV leadership series), learning and development such as corporate parenting
• do role specific training, learning and development for groups A to E as required for portfolio
• attend virtual national training and learning and development events to network with colleagues and gain shared knowledge of safeguarding topics and practice reviews
• use reports from officers and Regional Safeguarding Boards to maintain awareness of current and emerging themes relevant to safeguarding
• develop strong relationships with experts in specialist safeguarding areas.

Newly-appointed group F practitioners need to complete group A e-learning before starting work, in the induction period or their first six months.

Group F practitioners need to complete the group A e-learning and revisit relevant bespoke refresher training, learning and development for a minimum of six hours every three years.