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Free Safeguarding Courses by Virtual College for Professionals Working with Children
Each course below is free to access and comes with a certificate and counts towards your continuous professional development. These are ideal for professionals working in education, social care, youth work, health, or safeguarding roles.
Free Safeguarding & Child Protection Courses
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Awareness
This course raises awareness of the cultural, legal, and safeguarding issues surrounding FGM. It equips professionals to recognise signs, understand the context, and act to protect girls at risk. Essential for those in schools, healthcare, and community roles.
Awareness of Forced Marriage
This course helps professionals spot warning signs of forced marriage and understand legal protections like Forced Marriage Protection Orders. It’s particularly useful for staff in schools and youth services where disclosures may occur.
Learning from Serious Case Reviews (Levels 1–4)
Based on real-life safeguarding cases, this multi-level course highlights how to improve responses to child neglect, abuse, and exploitation. Ideal for safeguarding leads and multi-agency staff.
Keep Them Safe: Protecting Children from CSE
Empowers professionals to understand and prevent child sexual exploitation (CSE). The course explores how grooming works and the role of trusted adults in supporting vulnerable children.
Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines
This course explains how children are coerced into criminal activity, especially through county lines. It helps staff identify risks and respond effectively, making it crucial for school staff, youth workers, and early help teams.
Free Mental Health & Child Well-being Courses
Understanding Young Minds (Self-Harm Awareness)
Developed with Self Harm UK, this course supports professionals to respond compassionately to young people who self-harm. It includes how to talk about self-harm and practical steps for supporting recovery.
Fire Prevention and Safeguarding
Designed to support professionals in identifying fire risks in vulnerable homes. It’s especially useful for early help workers, SEND teams, and housing support services.
Understanding Animal Welfare in Violent Homes
Explores the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence. It helps professionals in education, social care, and policing understand signs of hidden harm and promote whole-family safeguarding approaches.
Are You Ready to Save a Life?
This bite-size course teaches essential first aid and CPR skills in a simple, accessible format. A great refresher for all staff working in child-facing roles.
Get Moving, Get Healthy
Highlights the physical and mental health benefits of activity and how to promote these with children and families. Great for schools and wellbeing-focused roles.
Explore all courses at: virtual-college.co.uk/resources/free-courses
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Q1: Are these Virtual College courses completely free to complete?
A: Yes, the selected Virtual College courses listed on this page are free to access online and include downloadable digital certificates upon successful completion.
Q2: Who are these free online courses designed for?
A: These courses are tailored for UK professionals working with children and young people, including primary and secondary teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), teaching assistants, social workers, youth workers, and healthcare staff.
Q3: Do these free Virtual College courses provide CPD certificates?
A: Yes, completing these modules awards a digital Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificate that can be saved, printed, and used as evidence for professional portfolios, school audits, and Ofsted compliance.
Q4: How long does a typical Virtual College course take to finish?
A: Most bite-sized e-learning modules take between 45 minutes and 2 hours to complete, allowing professionals to learn flexibly at their own pace.