Safeguarding Training in Wales: Groups A to F and Which One Your Staff Need
Safeguarding training in Wales is organised into six groups, A to F, set by the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards. Group A is basic awareness for everyone. Group B is for people who work directly with children or adults, and Group C is for those with particular safeguarding responsibilities, such as a designated safeguarding person. Groups D to F cover specialist decision-makers and senior leaders.
Most staff in care homes, children's homes, schools and support services sit in Groups A, B or C. Each group has its own minimum hours and a refresher at least every three years.
This guide explains what each group means, how to decide which group a role belongs in, and what to look for in a training provider.
Please note: This article provides general information, not legal or regulatory advice. Your organisation decides which group each role sits in, and your Regional Safeguarding Board can advise on local arrangements.
What are the national safeguarding training standards?
The standards are a single, Wales-wide description of what safeguarding training each worker needs, based on their role rather than their job title or sector. Social Care Wales led their development with a multi-agency group, and they were launched in autumn 2022. A companion training, learning and development framework sets out the hours and refresher periods for each group.
According to Social Care Wales, the standards were needed because there were no national multi-agency standards, training varied widely between organisations, and people were confused about which level of training they needed.
They apply to everyone working in:
- Local authorities and social care
- Early years and childcare
- Health, police and probation
- Education
- Inspectorates
- Third and independent sector organisations, including commissioned providers
The standards are built on Part 7 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Working Together to Safeguard People statutory guidance and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Wales's Regional Safeguarding Boards own the standards and build them into regional policies.
The standards use “groups” rather than “levels”. The national development group aligned the groups with the safeguarding levels used for healthcare staff, so Group A is equivalent to Level 1.
The six safeguarding groups at a glance
Each group builds on the one before it, and the training hours rise with responsibility. The figures below are the minimums in Social Care Wales's at-a-glance training needs; employers can ask for more.
| Group |
Who it is for |
Initial training |
Refresher |
Minimum hours |
| A |
Everyone: basic awareness and knowing how to report a concern |
E-learning before starting work or during induction |
Every 3 years, after a change in safeguarding law, or when the employer requires |
1 to 3 hours |
| B |
People who work directly with children or adults |
During induction or probation (first 6 months) |
At least every 3 years, after a change in law, or when the employer requires |
6 hours |
| C |
People who work directly with people and have particular safeguarding responsibilities, including designated safeguarding persons |
8 hours during probation, plus role-specific learning |
Generic and role-specific training, updated every 3 years |
8 hours generic, plus role-specific |
| D |
Specialist safeguarding decision-makers, mainly in statutory agencies |
8 hours during probation, plus role-specific learning |
Role-specific learning over 2 to 3 years |
24 hours over 3 years |
| E |
Strategic leaders, mainly in social services and key statutory partners |
Training within the first 6 months in role |
A formal CPD log over 3 years |
24 hours over 3 years |
| F |
Executive and senior leaders across the public sector |
Group A e-learning before starting or during induction |
Bespoke refresher at least every 3 years |
6 hours |
The role examples in the sections below are typical, not official: Social Care Wales leaves it to each organisation to decide which roles fit which group.
Group A safeguarding training: awareness for everyone
Group A staff know what safeguarding means, what to look out for and who to report to. Social Care Wales offers a free, bilingual Group A e-learning module that covers recognising abuse, harm and neglect, what to do if someone discloses, the basic law and the duty to report.
Typical roles: reception, catering, domestic and maintenance staff, drivers, and volunteers with limited direct contact.
Group B safeguarding training: working directly with children or adults
Group B staff build relationships with the people they support, so they see more of their lives and need a deeper understanding of the law in daily practice. If they are worried, they report to their line manager or designated safeguarding person, or directly to social services.
Typical roles: care workers, residential child care workers, support workers, teachers and teaching assistants.
Group C safeguarding training: particular safeguarding responsibilities
Group C staff go beyond reporting. They decide whether a concern can be managed within their organisation or needs a referral to social services, and they understand the difference between safeguarding and child or adult protection. They may advise colleagues, attend strategy meetings and contribute to multi-agency protection plans.
Typical roles: designated safeguarding persons, registered managers and deputies, and senior staff who attend core groups or strategy meetings.
Social Care Wales publishes Group B and Group C training packs that set the minimum content for these courses. Trainers can add material for their sector, but they should not cover less.
Groups D, E and F
Few independent providers will have staff in these groups, but managers should know where the line sits. The descriptions below summarise Social Care Wales's groups summary.
- Group D: operational decision-makers, mainly in statutory agencies, who make complex decisions such as applying for a court order or arranging a secure placement. Many also advise colleagues as specialist safeguarding practitioners.
- Group E: strategic leaders, mainly in social services and their key statutory partners, who take decisions too unusual, complex or costly for Group D and oversee safeguarding across the organisation.
- Group F: executives and senior managers across the public sector, who use expert advice to make sure the organisation meets its safeguarding duties and to redirect resources when needed.
How to decide which group a role belongs in
Your organisation decides, based on what each person actually does. Social Care Wales sets out three rules to apply:
- If a role straddles two groups, train to the higher one. A worker who sits between B and C should be trained at Group C.
- Earlier groups come first. From Group B upwards, staff should complete the earlier groups before starting the role, or within the first six months of induction.
- Groups C to E need two kinds of training. Everyone completes the generic training for their group, plus role-specific learning agreed in their personal development plan.
The examples below show how one organisation might map common roles. Judge each role by its responsibilities, not its title.
| Setting |
Role |
Likely group |
Why |
| Care home |
Housekeeper |
A |
Limited direct care; needs to recognise and report |
| Care home |
Care assistant |
B |
Daily personal care and close relationships with residents |
| Care home |
Senior carer who leads shifts |
B or C |
Train to C if they decide on referrals or join strategy meetings |
| Care home |
Registered manager |
C |
Makes safeguarding decisions and often acts as the designated person |
| Children's home |
Residential child care worker |
B |
Builds relationships and reports concerns |
| Children's home |
Registered manager |
C |
Decides on referrals and contributes to multi-agency plans |
| School |
Office staff |
A |
Limited direct contact with learners |
| School |
Teacher or teaching assistant |
B |
Works directly with learners every day |
| School |
Designated safeguarding person |
C |
Responds to concerns and liaises with social services |
Once roles are mapped, record each person's group, completion dates and refresher due date in one place. That record is the first thing to check when someone changes role.
How often is safeguarding refresher training needed?
At least every three years for every group. Groups A and B should also refresh after a change in safeguarding law, or sooner if the employer requires it. Groups D and E need at least 24 hours of learning across each three-year period.
Refreshers do not have to repeat the same course. Social Care Wales gives the example of a Group C practitioner refreshing through topics such as child sexual exploitation, Prevent or the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. They are not expected to repeat Group A and B training unless their organisation asks them to.
That makes topic-specific training a sensible way to keep knowledge current. Useful topics for care and education teams include:
How to choose a safeguarding training provider in Wales
Social Care Wales publishes 12 standards for safeguarding trainers. Use them to shape your questions before you book.
1. Experience
Has the trainer worked in safeguarding in a relevant field, such as social care, social work, youth work, education or policing?
2. Welsh law and procedures
Is the course built on Part 7 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures? Courses written around English guidance, such as Keeping Children Safe in Education, do not reflect the Welsh framework.
3. Current content
Do the materials draw on recent research and lessons from practice reviews, now called Single Unified Safeguarding Reviews?
4. Language
Are the materials available in English and Welsh?
5. Trainer skills
Has the trainer completed, or are they working towards, a train-the-trainer course or an equivalent qualification?
6. Local knowledge
Does the trainer know your Regional Safeguarding Board's procedures and your own reporting routes?
7. Evaluation
How will the provider measure what learners took away, both on the day and later in practice?
Ask for evidence, such as certificates, a CV, testimonials, previous course evaluations and sample materials. Check the course length too. PAVS, a voluntary sector support body in Powys, warns that some online courses carry a group label but take far less time than Social Care Wales's hours require.
Frequently asked questions
Is Group A safeguarding training free?
Yes. Social Care Wales provides a free, bilingual Group A e-learning module, developed in line with the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. The framework allows one to three hours for Group A.
What is the difference between Group B and Group C?
Group B staff recognise and report concerns. Group C staff also respond to them: they decide whether a concern needs a referral, advise colleagues and contribute to multi-agency plans. Group B needs at least six hours of training; Group C needs at least eight hours of generic training plus role-specific learning.
Do the standards apply to schools?
Yes. Education is one of the sectors the standards cover. Schools in Wales should also follow the Keeping learners safe statutory guidance.
Are the standards a legal requirement?
They are not set out in an Act, but they are the national standard for Wales. Every Regional Safeguarding Board helped develop them, and organisations are expected to build them into their own safeguarding policies.
Is safeguarding training from England valid in Wales?
The principles are similar, but the law, guidance and procedures are different. Training for staff in Wales should be based on the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.
