Journal Article

6837 Unlocking the mysteries of child protection study day

Sebastian, Neethu, Cowling, Isabel, Malik, Qasim

2024

Overview

ObjectivesThe royal college of paediatrics and child health list safeguarding as a core competency for paediatric trainees. The advent of progress plus has led to many junior paediatric postgraduate doctors in training advancing through their career with potentially little guidance on how to approach cases involving safeguarding or child protection.Our objectives were to:Increase awareness of the child protection process and safeguarding proceduresDemonstrate how to fill out a child protection proforma and strategy meetingFacilitate simulation for candidates to undertake a child protection with debrief and signpost to useful resourcesMethodsWe designed a child protection study day that consistent of a series of lectures followed by a simulated scenarios with facilitation from experienced registrars with an interest in or those who had subspecialised in safeguarding. The candidates were briefed at the start of the day with a trigger warning due to some of the content that would be discussed and received a series of lectures from faculty detailing the legal misnomers, physical injuries that they may see, a live demonstration of how to fill in a child protection booklet and a fictionalised depiction of what a simulation would look like.ResultsCandidates were asked to fill in a pre and post questionnaire. The pre-survey highlighted that none of the attendees had been placed in a community post with just over a half having read a child protection report and two thirds having never accessed the Child Protection Companion Tool.100 percent of all attendees felt the course had addressed any concerns or questions they had felt before attending.When asked about the demonstration of a child protection and strategy meeting attendees praised the realistic depiction and the sense of following through the patient journey.Using a likert scale 14/15 attendees found the event very useful.ConclusionOverall candidates extorted the utility of this course in helping them prepare for scenarios where they may face safeguarding and be required to complete a child protection medical examination.Our survey highlighted that many candidates felt unprepared to lead on such scenarios before this intervention. The authors believe that such a training day, a hybrid of lectures, demonstrations, simulation and group debrief should be incorporated into regional training across deaneries particularly in the advent of Progress Plus,1 including exploring further teaching surrounding sudden unexpected death in infants and children.ReferenceRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. RCPCH Progress+ core syllabus (from summer 2023). [Internet] Available from: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/rcpch-progress-plus-curriculum-syllabi (accessed 28th October 2023).

• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health,BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subject: Careers / Child Abuse / Child Safety / Childrens health / Course Descriptions / Lecture Method / Paediatric Educator’s Special Interest Group / Pediatrics / Public speaking / Simulation / Surveys / Training