Children Act 1989
The Children Act 1989 is a principal Act for child welfare in England and Wales. Staff use it as background when a disclosure concerns a child. They record the concern and pass it on. They do not investigate.
Disclosures
Managing Safeguarding Disclosures and Resilience Training
Practical training for staff who may receive a disclosure of abuse, covering a calm response, a factual record and support for the people who hear it.
Discuss this course
At a glance
- Audience
- Housing, council, social care and charity staff who may receive a disclosure.
- Typical duration
- Half day
- Group size
- Training is delivered to groups of up to 15 delegates, allowing everyone to participate in discussions and practical exercises. For larger teams, we can arrange additional sessions to suit your staffing requirements.
Why the course matters
For the moment a person decides to tell someone
People often disclose abuse at the end of a session, on a journey, or in a late-night message. This course is for staff in housing associations, local authorities, social care and charities whose work builds trusted, informal relationships. Where the concern is county lines, gangs or knife crime, see County Lines, Gang and Knife Crime Safeguarding Training. The Safety Hub guide Safeguarding: notice, record and refer sets out how to notice, record and refer.
Who it is for
Built for the staff who face the risk
Frontline staff, coaches, mentors, support workers, housing and tenancy officers, coordinators and managers who may receive a disclosure. Safeguarding leads can use the same session so a team shares one approach.
The session also looks after the people who hear disclosures. It covers vicarious trauma, debriefs, supervision and professional boundaries.
Practical outcomes
Practical outcomes for safer decisions
Delegates leave able to stay calm, use open questions, keep professional boundaries and avoid investigating a concern that sits outside their role.
Course content
What delegates will work through
- Recognise when someone may be signalling or disclosing a safeguarding concern, including in texts, messages and online meetings
- Respond calmly using clear words, open questions and professional boundaries, without investigating
- Handle confidentiality honestly, without promising secrecy or a particular outcome
- Know when and how to escalate to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, emergency services or social care
- Record concerns factually, using the person's own words
- Recognise the signs of vicarious trauma and use debriefs, supervision and boundaries to stay resilient
Scenarios and practical application
Practical application
The session looks at where disclosures happen, including one-to-one meetings, group sessions, journeys and out-of-hours messages. Open questions use Tell, Explain and Describe.
Staff work through Recognise, Respond, Report, Record and Resolution. Scenarios can follow your own safeguarding policy, including self-harm, domestic abuse and criminal exploitation.
Safeguarding law
Safeguarding law used in this session
This is general information. It is not legal advice. Each point says where it applies. Where you work in another part of the UK or in Ireland, the session uses the law that applies to you.
Children Act 2004
The Children Act 2004 sets out cooperation and safeguarding arrangements for children in England and Wales. The course uses it to show why a concern must reach the right person.
Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 is the main adult safeguarding framework in England. The course uses it when a disclosure concerns an adult.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 is statutory guidance for England. It replaced the 2023 guidance on 18 March 2026. The course uses it for the practical steps of recognising a concern, responding, reporting and recording through the organisation's designated safeguarding lead.
Children (Scotland) Act 1995
The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is part of the child welfare framework in Scotland. The course uses it when the organisation works in Scotland.
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 includes Getting it right for every child. The course uses it for Scottish delivery.
National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021
National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021, updated in 2023, is the child protection guidance the course uses for Scottish delivery.
Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007
The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 is the adult protection framework the course uses for Scottish delivery.
These points are the legal backdrop for the session. They do not replace your safeguarding policy, your designated safeguarding lead, or advice from your own solicitor.
Training Arrangements
In-house or live online
We deliver training at your premises or live through Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Sessions are led by experienced trainers and include discussion and practical exercises.
Planning your training
We agree dates with you and review your staff's roles, relevant policies and training requirements before delivery. Larger programmes can be arranged across several sessions.
Where we deliver
We provide in-house training throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, alongside live online courses for organisations in different locations.
Course fees
We provide a quotation based on the training required, number of delegates, location and delivery arrangements.
Common questions about this course
Who should attend disclosures and resilience training?
Frontline staff, coaches, mentors, support workers, housing and tenancy officers, coordinators and managers who may receive a disclosure. Safeguarding leads can attend so the team uses one approach.
What should staff do when someone starts to disclose?
Stay calm and find a private space if it is safe to do so. Listen, and use open questions: Tell, Explain, Describe. Do not investigate. Do not promise secrecy or a particular outcome. Say what will happen next.
How should the concern be recorded and passed on?
Write down the facts and use the person's own words. Pass the concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Contact the emergency services or social care when the risk is immediate.
Does the session cover the staff who hear disclosures?
Yes. It covers vicarious trauma, the pressure to step into a rescuer role, and the use of debriefs, supervision and boundaries so staff can keep doing the work safely.
Can the scenarios follow our safeguarding policy?
Yes. Scenarios can be tailored to your organisation's own safeguarding policy. They can include self-harm and suicidal ideation, domestic abuse and coercive control, and county lines and criminal exploitation.
What do delegates receive?
Every delegate receives a certificate of attendance, a PDF copy of the certificate and PDF course handouts.
Course guidance
Free, maintained guidance from our Safety Hub on the subjects this course covers.
- Safeguarding: Notice, Record and ReferA concise safeguarding guide for non-specialist staff and their managers.
- Recognising Boundary DriftPractical manager guidance for spotting, resetting and recording professional boundary drift.
- Incident Evidence and ReportingCapturing, recording and acting on incidents so patterns change controls rather than going unreported.
- Post-Incident SupportImmediate welfare, supportive conversations, debriefing, referral routes and organisational learning after an incident.
Discuss this course
Tell us what you need and we will quote for it.
Discuss this coursePlan training around your staff and risks
Tell us about your staff roles, working environment and the situations your staff face. We will recommend the right training approach for your organisation.
Trusted by organisations across the UK for practical, scenario-led staff safety training.