Safeguarding and CPR/AED (BLS) Requirements

Child and Adult Safeguarding – Summary of requirements

For each ST training year, all trainees need to include the following 3 pieces of evidence in their portfolio:

1. Evidence of Level 3 safeguarding for both adult and child safeguarding from early in ST1. This should be evidenced with a certificate* of Level 3 in the Fourteen Fish Compliance Passport. This can be online training, but needs to be level 3. 

  • *If a certificate is not available, screen grabs must include your full name, the date completed and state clearly if it is for online learning or face-to-face. It is helpful if an email confirming attendance on the course is provided (the same applies to Child & Adult Safeguarding).

2. Evidence of an annual knowledge update every year, unless level 3 training was completed in the preceding 12 months. These must include a demonstration of knowledge, key safeguarding information, and appropriate action to take if there are any concerns. Examples of knowledge updates include: 

  • Attending face to face training
  • Webinars
  • Attendance at safeguarding practice meetings
  • eLearning

The above entry should be linked to the clinical experience group, ‘People with health disadvantages and vulnerabilities’ and entered under ‘Supporting Documentation/CPD’ with any certificates or relevant documents uploaded.

Please note that annual knowledge update sessions are frequently offered through Avon LMC. See their timetable here.

3. Clinical Case Reviews: For each ST training year (1, 2 and 3) all trainees must log a minimum of one reflective log for child safeguarding and one reflective log for adult safeguarding.

These logs should reflect on learning from a case the doctor has been involved in, and consider safeguarding issues that have arisen (or may arise) and show application of relevant safeguarding knowledge. It does not need to include a referral to a safeguarding body but should include consideration of safeguarding issues and how they may be best managed, involving the most appropriate people.

If the doctor has not had experience of any such cases then this may be demonstrated with reflective entries (likely most appropriately entered as ‘Supporting Documentation/CPD’ as below:

  • Group case discussions (for example at VTS teaching) where you discuss a case which you have been directly involved with, or a case which you have not been directly involved with, and reflect on the learning from the case.
  • Discussing a case at a practice safeguarding meeting (either a case which you have been directly involved with and have presented, or a case which you have not been directly involved with), and reflecting on the learning from the case.

For CCT, trainees need to have, for both adult and child safeguarding:

  • An in-date level 3 certificate uploaded
  • Evidence of a knowledge update in the last calendar year (if level 3 is not completed in that year)
  • Clinical case reviews demonstrating the application of safeguarding knowledge in the ST3 year.

The above information has been compiled from Severn Deanery Primary Care and RCGP website. Further information can be found on the following links:

CPR/AED (BLS) Requirements

  • From 31 August 2022 it is no longer acceptable to provide online-only evidence of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. When an update is due all updates/new qualifications in CPR and AED (i.e. Basic Life Support/BLS) need to be hands-on, and face-to-face, not online.
  • Trainees must prove competence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) in every calendar year. This should include demonstrating competence in these areas for both children and adults, unless there is no paediatric exposure for that year. In which case there is only a need to show Adult CPR and AED competence.
  • Even if an ALS course has been completed and the certificate states an expiry after 3-4 years, there is still a need for evidence of an update of competence in CPR and AED, every calendar year.
  • Some Immediate Life Support (ILS) separate adult and paediatric resuscitation. If the ILS course did not include a paediatric component, you will need to provide more evidence of demonstrating competence in this area.
    • For example: by taking a Basic Life Support (BLS) course that does include a paediatric component or the separate paediatric ILS.
  • Please note that ALS and ILS qualifications are not required for GP training and as such expenses cannot be claimed from the training school for booking onto these course. If either qualification (or Paediatric Life Support) is required for a hospital post, it is the responsibility of the host trust to provide time and funding.
  • In order to meet the requirements for CCT, trainees need to provide certificated evidence of CPR/AED training that is still valid by the last day of training.
  • Trainees can often undertake BLS training at their host practices so please contact your practices directly for details. Alternatively, Avon LMC run BLS courses several times a year (see here).