Changing My Job To Child Protection Officer

by abeer
(london)

I am a nursery manager at the moment and I am well trained in child protection and I would like to work as a child protection officer.

What would I need to do this job ?

Reply by Peter Fisher

If I understand it correctly you will already have experience as a Nursery Manager similar to this:

Responsibility for the daily running and administration of the nursery whilst adhering to the Policies & Procedures of the organization, ensuring compliance with the Children Act and Health and Safety legislation, all within the requirements and guidelines laid down by Ofsted/CSIW and the National Standards.

Ensuring confidentiality is maintained in the nursery.
Having key-holder responsibility.
Offering all children equal opportunities with regard to their religious persuasion, racial origins, gender, disabilities, cultural or linguistic background; in particular, challenging situations where racism or discrimination is displayed.
Ensuring effective staff recruitment following agreed recruitment procedures. Supervision of staff and students, conducting regular staff assessments, recognizing training needs, monitoring training and developing teamwork. Organizing regular staff meetings and in-service training.
Care and supervision of the children with regard to their physical, emotional and intellectual needs.
Supervision of the planning and preparation of activities to develop all aspects of the child's individual development in a stimulating atmosphere. Ensuring developmental records and observations are kept.
Ensuring that the preparation, care, cleanliness and maintenance of the nursery playrooms, kitchen and equipment are carried out according to the Policies & Procedures and risk assessments.
Administration and finance of all nursery activities as directed by Head Office to manage budgets, and keep accurate records of staffing, payroll, banking, petty cash, fund-raising and all other activities as requested. Issue of invoices and collection of fees, and meeting agreed targets.
Liaison with parents and negotiation of working targets ensuring effective communication within the nursery.
Ensuring a tier system of management is in place and that duties are delegated fairly. Maintaining staff ratios and ensuring staff are deployed effectively to carry out the correct preparation of bottles and babies' feeds, nappy changes, laundry duties and supervision of meals.
Nursery Managers must at all times ensure that only designated staff administer medication as recorded in the risk assessments and as displayed in the Operational Plan.
Keeping and monitoring accident, incident and risk assessment records.
Providing the Area Manager with weekly reports on the nursery and following procedures for reporting accidents and incidents.
Arranging regular parents' evenings, publicity, open weekends and children's outings and ensuring effective marketing.
Ensuring the effective and regular removal of waste materials to the designated store and ensuring regular collection of that waste.

To become a Child Protection Officer you would need to pass the appropriate Level 1 and Level 2 courses before applying for jobs.

Course details are like this outline:

Child Protection Course (Level 2 Advanced) is for those who have already completed a Level 1 course and need to gain an advanced knowledge of Child Protection, including working towards becoming a designated Person or Child Protection Officer, more in-depth knowledge of signs and symptoms, reporting, policies & procedures. Child abuse and neglect are realities in our communities. The workshop takes a more in-depth look at potential signs of abuse, how to respond if a child confides in you and the steps that can be taken to safeguard their welfare.

Who is this course for?

Anyone who has attended a Level 1 Awareness course and needs to gain an advanced knowledge of Child Protection issues, eg) designated persons, Child Protection Officers, managers or policy writers. Gain a greater understanding of signs & symptoms, reporting, policies & procedures and the law. This course is for you if you work with children: for instance, project workers, youth departments, youth programmes, family support, hostel workers, child minders, parent and toddler groups, play groups, workers in the community, church leaders, volunteers and teachers… in fact anyone who wants to understand the importance of child protection at a greater level.

Course Benefits

This course provides an advanced Level 2 knowledge of child protection and will help you to recognise and know what to do if you believe that a child is at risk. The course aims to take a deeper look at child protection issues, signs of abuse and neglect and provides advanced information on reporting strategies, policies and procedures. It also covers: how to make your working environment safe for children, including safe practices; what to do if you believe that a child is at risk; who to approach or report to; what actions to take and which legislation applies in this area. The course includes a step-by-step toolkit to help you work towards good practice including staff recruitment and human resources policies. Broaden your knowledge of child protection issues now, spot warning signs, know how to report concerns and understand your role.