What you will learn
This course introduces the safeguarding principles music teachers need when working with children and adults at risk. You will learn how to recognise signs of abuse, respond appropriately, record and report concerns, and apply safer practice in one-to-one, small-group and community teaching settings.
Modules
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1. Overview and Tips
Your starting point. This module sets out the course’s learning outcomes, explains how to navigate, pause and return to the course, and covers accessibility features such as read aloud, browser zoom and language translation. It also includes a content note, as later modules cover sensitive topics around abuse, neglect and exploitation.
2. Core Principles of Safeguarding
What safeguarding means, who is responsible for it, and the key legislation and guidance that underpins it across the UK. Covers key definitions, including ‘adult at risk’, and the safeguarding boards and agencies that support children and adults at risk.
3. Creating a Safe Environment
Using Finkelhor’s Four Factor Model, this module looks at how abuse happens and the barriers you can help build against it. Covers appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, safeguarding policies and risk assessments, maintaining a person-centred approach, and keeping yourself safe as a lone-working music teacher.
4. Recognising Abuse
How to judge whether something is abusive, and who may be at risk and where, including in an education, training or teaching setting. Covers the categories of abuse and neglect, specific forms such as FGM and financial abuse, and the signs and indicators to look out for.
5. Responding to Concerns
The different ways someone may disclose abuse, the barriers that can stop them speaking out, and how to listen and respond calmly and appropriately when a disclosure is made, including why you should never promise to keep it a secret.
6. Reporting and Recording Concerns
Your duty to report and record concerns, and how to carry it out properly. Covers confidentiality and information sharing, how to record a disclosure accurately using a body map, and what to do if an allegation is made against you or another member of staff.
7. Referring Concerns
How to make a referral to Children’s or Adult’s Social Services, what happens after a referral is accepted, and the key stages of the child protection process. Also covers the range of support available to children and families in need.
8. Best Practices for Using Devices
Best practice for using mobile devices safely and effectively as a music teacher. Covers setting clear device rules with pupils and their parents, managing data responsibly, including recordings of performances, and using secure, well-established platforms for sharing and storing data.
9. Safeguarding in Practice
A chance to apply the key principles of recognise, respond, record and refer to realistic case studies, including a pupil showing signs of self-neglect after a bereavement, helping you stay alert to poor practice and the signs of abuse in a one-to-one teaching setting.
10. Final Assessment
Test your knowledge with a random selection of questions drawn from the course question bank. You need 80% to pass and can retake the assessment as many times as you need. Your certificate is emailed to you automatically as soon as you pass.
11. Downloads
Resources to keep, including a body map template, plus links to further reading if you would like to follow up any part of this course in more detail.
12. Post Course Evaluation
A short feedback questionnaire so we can keep improving our training.
Who is this course for?
- Private and freelance music teachers
- Peripatetic music teachers
- Community music teachers and choir leaders
- Music schools and teaching colleagues
The course is suitable whether your pupils are children, young people or adults, and covers the practical considerations involved in lone working and private teaching.
Certification
This online Safeguarding for Music Teachers course is accredited by The CPD Group.
Score 80% or more in the final assessment to receive your certificate, which is valid for 2 years.
Your personalised certificate is emailed to you automatically as a PDF, and you can download or reprint it from our LMS (Learning Management System). Each certificate includes a verification number so anyone can check it is genuine.
Genuine reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
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I teach music privately, freelance, peripatetically or in the community. Is this course suitable for me?
Yes. The course is designed for private, freelance, peripatetic and community music teachers, including those working one-to-one, with small groups or with community choirs. It covers safeguarding children and adults at risk, including the practical considerations involved in lone working and private teaching.
How is this different from Safeguarding in Music Education?
If you teach children within a school or formal education setting, our Safeguarding in Music Education course may be more suitable because it addresses education-specific guidance and requirements. This course is intended for private, freelance, peripatetic and community teachers working outside that framework, including those teaching adults at risk.
Is this course suitable for teachers anywhere in the UK?
Yes. We provide regional variants of this course for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Some of my pupils are adults. Does this course cover that?
Yes. As well as children, the course covers people of any age who may be at risk of abuse or harm, so it’s suitable whether your pupils are children, young people or adults.
How long does the course take?
The course takes around 2 to 3 hours. You can take regular breaks, and your progress is saved so you can return to the same point later.
If I run a music school or teach alongside colleagues, can they take this training too?
Yes. Each person needs to complete the course individually. When you register, set up your account as an organisation so you can add colleagues and tutors to it and monitor their progress centrally.
Do I receive a certificate?
Yes. Score 80% or more in the final assessment and your personalised certificate is emailed to you. You can retake the assessment as many times as you need, and the certificate is valid for 2 years.
