Welcome to the Safeguarding Essentials course!


This course will build your understanding of what safeguarding is in the humanitarian and development sector. It will look at a diverse range of safeguarding issues affecting the vulnerable groups we serve and focus on the 'non-negotiables for conduct' in safeguarding. 


Running alongside the course, you have a personal learning journal. This is where you can manually capture your thoughts, both when prompted by course activities or through your own reflections. Your learning journal will be a personal record of your engagement with the course as well as a lasting resource, which you can return to refresh your understanding at any time. 


This course is also available in Arabic, French and Spanish.

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Is this course for me?

The course is aimed at anyone working in the humanitarian and development sectors, but is relevant to all working in organisations where safeguarding issues are a concern. The course is written at an introductory level and is modularised to facilitate easy engagement and suit practitioners in the field. It is both a pathway to understanding what safeguarding is and how you can help tackle safeguarding breaches. 

Safeguarding Essentials is a self-guided and self-paced online course that is experiential, thought-provoking and rich in interactivity.

 
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How will I benefit from this course?

On completion of this course you will:
  • Know the non-negotiables of conduct 
  • Recognise safeguarding concerns   
  • Understand the importance of safeguarding for the humanitarian and development sectors
  • Know what to do if you observe or hear testimony or rumour about another individual causing harm, exploitation or abuse.
  • Act and report safeguarding concerns

The course is divided into 6 modules of roughly equal length, each requiring 10-15 minutes study. We recommend that you study the course in sequence the first time, but after this it is up to you how you revisit the materials. There is benefit in just dipping in and out to reacquaint yourself with concepts, facts, figures and stories at any time.

The modules are:

1. What is safeguarding?

2. Safeguarding communities at risk

3. How do safeguarding issues arise?

4. Mythbusting – true or false?

5. How you can help?

6. Be ready to report


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How long will it take?
 The course takes between 1 and 1.5 hours to study

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How much does it cost?

 This course is free!

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Will I get a digital badge at the end of this course?

 

Yes, you will be able to gain a digital badge once you have completed all the modules and passed the test at the end of the course. You need to score 80% to pass the test. 

A digital badge is like a certificate but it can be stored, displayed and shared online. You can create a portfolio of badges on myHPass, a platform dedicated to recognising humanitarians' skills and experience. Find out more about HPass here


Humanitarian Leadership Academy safeguarding badge
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Will I get a certificate at the end?
 

Yes, you will be able to gain a certificate once you have completed all the modules and passed the test at the end of the course. You need to score 80% to pass the test. If you choose to, you can download a certificate.


A circle with START and a question mark inHow do I start?
 Scroll to the top of the page and click on the       Join course      button. This will take you through to the course page itself. You don't need to complete the course in one go - you can always continue later from where you left off.