Training

If you are looking for bespoke training in the fields of safeguarding, child protection and workplace culture then you should be speaking with Joanna.

Utilising not only her years of experience in the field of Safeguarding and Child Protection but also working with a range of organisations, including working as a core trainer for her Local Safeguarding Children Partnership, Joanna has built up a comprehensive knowledge of Safeguarding and Child Protection practice and how best to impart that knowledge, including relevant case law and up-to-the-minute legislation. Add in her unique personal style and practical advice and you have a formula that will win over any audience.

Training is generally delivered through a mixture of PowerPoint, group discussion, case studies and exercises. The training is fully interactive and is enhanced by Joanna using examples of case scenarios and anecdotes from her 30 years of experience.

Although these topics can be difficult and distressing, Joanna has a host of testimonials describing her approach as accessible, informative and enjoyable.

Joanna can also develop your online training content with you.

Available Courses

To give some idea of the scope of Joanna’s work, here is a selection of some of the courses she regularly delivers:

Safeguarding and Child Protection

This training can be delivered as a foundation course or a refresher update course and can incorporate adults at risk as well as child protection.
General courses cover the categories of abuse, the signs and symptoms of abuse, current legislation, learning from serious case reviews/ child safeguarding practice reviews and how to work more effectively.

This course can be delivered as a half, one or two day training course.

The Impact of Neglect

Neglect, is the form of child maltreatment that is the most prevalent in the UK but it is the one professionals find hardest to work with.
On completion of this course delegates will have a better understanding of the impact of neglect, the research that evidences the impact, what leads to neglect, what level of neglect would warrant a referral to children’s social care, how to work more effectively with cases of neglect and how to keep work more focused.

This course can be delivered as a half, one or two day training course.

Presenting Evidence of Neglect in the Court

Social workers are generally given very little training on presenting evidence in court.
Upon completion of this course delegates will be much clearer about the impact of neglect, how to evidence the impact of neglect in court and the likely impact of future significant harm.
The course will also cover the use of research and will help social workers be clear about what they are, or are not, experts in.

This course can be delivered as a half or one day training course.

Disguised Compliance

It is a common finding from serious case reviews/ child safeguarding practice reviews that some families have employed, very effectively, techniques of disguised compliance.
This has prevented professionals from understanding what the child’s life is like and what the risks and strengths are.
Upon completion of this course delegates will have a better understanding of the reasons why families employ this technique, what disguised compliance is and how professionals can work more effectively in cases where there is disguised compliance to keep the child at the centre of everything they do.

This course can be delivered as a half or one day training course.

Learning from Serious Case/ Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

The same lessons and findings come up time and time again from serious case reviews/ child safeguarding practice reviews.
Upon completion of this course delegates will have developed a clear understanding of what the most common themes in serious case reviews/ child safeguarding practice reviews are, including a lack of understanding of the impact of neglect, professionals not working well together, information sharing, disguised compliance, working with chaotic families, working with hard to reach families and working with minority ethnic communities.
Taking all of these issues into consideration, this course will examine how professionals can work more effectively to keep the child at the centre of everything they do and to keep work focused.

This course can be delivered as a half, one or two day training course.

For more information or to discuss bespoke training contact Joanna.

Rebecca Hiley

Deputy Head of Events, Forum Training

“Joanna Nicolas is an engaging presenter who is clearly very knowledgeable in her field. Joanna’s presentations are always informative but also thought provoking and inspirational. Joanna has spoken for us on a number of occasions and always receives fantastic feedback from delegates.”

Dermot Brady

Senior Lecturer, School of Allied Health, Midwifery and Social Care, Kingston University

“Joanna delivered the first of our series of Social Work Seminars at Kingston University this year, and what a great start. We arrange these seminars for our students and employer partners, so are important for encouraging links between students and practitioners in the field and to ensure they hear from experienced practitioners and researchers. Joanna has a depth of experience and knowledge that few can match and she delivers her material in a coherent and powerful way. Her passion for advocacy for children and young people comes across really strongly and she prompted great discussion and learning. We are sure that she will have had a direct influence on how people practice and learn.”

Dave Jones

Deputy CEO and Safeguarding Lead, CCP

“Joanna was recommended to me by the LSCB Business manager when I was looking for an independent safeguarding consultant to undertake a few projects for CCP. I had previously worked with her through the Safeguarding Children Board and was pleased to be able to commission her to undertake some consultation work on behalf of the charity. Joanna has worked with CCP now on a number of projects, which has seen both my understanding, as Safeguarding Lead, and our organisation’s understanding, implementation and expertise in safeguarding children significantly increase. I would strongly recommend Joanna to any organisation that may need to consider additional safeguarding support as she is thorough, efficient and extremely knowledgeable.”

Antony Pearce

Director of Quality and Business Improvement, Prospects Services

“We asked Joanna to review our safeguarding policy, procedures and practices as part of a general health check. She undertook a comprehensive review working with staff, managers and our senior team across a variety of locations. Whilst identifying the good practice she also really challenged us as an organisation getting us to think about child and adult protection in new ways. This has enabled us to identify clear areas for improvement. Her passion for putting children first really made me think about what quality means when we look at safeguarding. I feel better equipped to support my company as a consequence”

Mrs. Sheila Brown, OBE

CEO, Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children

“The issues surrounding child protection are complex, but Joanna made it easy to absorb using her experience of working in the real world and her expertise, which helped us to implement the policy strategically. We needed to write policy, train and integrate the learning across very diverse groups of people from very different departments. Joanna genuinely cares about protecting children and you can see it in all she does, she provides clear and practical training, delivered with passion and commitment”.

Rob Parkinson

CEO, Home-Start UK

"Following Joanna's notable and well received contribution to our 2016 national convention, we invited her to carry out an independent review of our child protection activity. It was an insightful piece of work which will positively shape the future development of child protection activity at HSUK. I would recommend Joanna to other organisations looking to carry out similar pieces of work".

Dr Dawn Harper

MBBS MRCP DCH DFFP

“I first met Joanna several years ago when I attended a “Safeguarding Children” course. I am ashamed to say that my only expectation of the day was to tick some government boxes, but I left totally inspired by Joanna. She has so much expertise and experience in this field and has an unusually brilliant way of communicating that knowledge. She has since become a very respected work colleague and someone I feel privileged to have met.”

Chris Coles

Coach Hire

"Being involved in the transport of school children it is imperative that our safeguarding is at the highest level. Joanna provides clear, researched direction that is real-life based and can easily be implemented. I would recommend her services to any organisation looking to go that step further in their safeguarding."

Liz Warner

CEO, Comic Relief

"When I joined Comic Relief two years' ago, I prioritised a review of Comic Relief’s approach to safeguarding. We identified Joanna as an independent child protection/safeguarding specialist and from our very first engagements with her, we were confident we had found an expert to work with. Joanna undertook an end to end review of our existing approach to safeguarding and made excellent recommendations to tighten and improve our practices, which is now part of an ongoing process of constantly seeking to improve. She presented these improvements to management and trustees and kickstarted the work. In all, Joanna provided services to us for almost a year, and she undoubtedly left us in a better place with improved practices and a brilliant full time safeguarding expert she helped us employ. She was a pleasure to work with."

Kate Varah

Executive Director, The Old Vic

"Joanna came to us highly recommended and, having worked with her over the past year on safeguarding and wider staff wellbeing initiatives, I can see why. Joanna carried out a safeguarding audit for The Old Vic in 2017 and her report was thorough and gave clear practical advice. So insightful was her advice that when launching our new Guardians initiative to support a healthy workplace culture, Joanna became a key part of the team. She carried out cultural awareness sessions (talking about what’s ok and what’s not ok in the workplace) for all staff, and now acts as a much trusted mentor for our Guardians, who she also trained. It is rare to find someone so experienced, sensitive, practical, and personable to work with. I would recommended Joanna without hesitation."

Get in touch

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