Choosing e learning for training?

Part One KCSIE states that “All staff should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety ). Crucially, KCSIE stipulates neither the mode of delivery for the training nor who it needs to be provided by, although DSLs and staff need to know their local multi-agency partners’ procedures.  It is therefore the responsibility of the SLT to decide how and where they receive training and schools and settings cannot be mandated by the Local Authority, Ofsted or others to attend specific training or use particular providers.

There is a plethora of alternative local and national training providers which offer eLearning/virtual training alongside local training providers, other than the ESS, who provide Face-to-Face training for school/setting staff, but also online Teams training.

There are strengths to e-learning in that 

• eLearning incurs no travel or venue costs for delegates or the service.
• Minimum numbers of delegates required for eLearning to be profitable are lower than F2F or virtual options.
• The ability to reach a larger audience at a lower cost makes eLearning an economically efficient option for providers so there are many on offer.
• eLearning can be completed at the pace of the delegate at a time that is convenient for them.

Risks 

• Limited interactivity
• eLearning is a passive and solitary delivery method which can reduce the effectiveness of learning.
• eLearning does not allow for the application of social/collaborative skills; it lacks a personal touch and human connection that can be established through F2F/live training, which may potentially limit the development of trust between those delivering the training and delegates.
• Some delegates may struggle with understanding, and/or motivation when not under direct support, meaning misunderstandings cannot be identified and poor practice cannot be explored or challenged.

Feedback from delegates over the years to us is that they prefer F2F delivery when engaging in safeguarding training as this enables them to actively engage in the content (thereby increasing their retention of knowledge) and so they can ask questions to clarify their understanding.

At ESS we can offer face to face designed for your setting and for your needs. If location is an issue we are well versed at offering it virtually online. This still allows for interaction and discussion which delegates continue to say is how they get the most from their training.