Level 3 Safeguarding Support Officer Apprenticeship

The Level 3 Safeguarding Support Officer Apprenticeship is designed for professionals who have safeguarding responsibilities within their role. It develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to support safeguarding processes, respond to concerns, manage safeguarding information and records, support referrals and promote a positive safeguarding culture.

The apprenticeship covers areas including safeguarding legislation, communication, professional decision-making, escalation, multi-agency working, case management, reflective practice, practitioner wellbeing, safeguarding training, quality assurance, inspections and audits.

The apprenticeship is based on the Safeguarding Support Officer occupational standard (ST1030). 

View the apprenticeship standard on Skills England.

The apprenticeship is suitable for professionals working across healthcare, adult social care and wider care and community services who have safeguarding responsibilities within their role.

This could include professionals working in:

• Adult social care
• Residential care
• Domiciliary and home care
• Supported living
• NHS and healthcare settings
• Mental health services
• Community health services
• Hospices
• Local authority services
• Charities and voluntary organisations
• Specialist care services

The apprenticeship can be suitable for a range of roles where safeguarding forms part of an individual’s responsibilities. These could include:

• Safeguarding Support Officer
• Safeguarding Coordinator
• Safeguarding Administrator
• Welfare Officer
• Family Support Worker
• Care Coordinator
• Care Supervisor
• Senior Care Worker
• Support Worker
• Community Support Worker
• Mental Health Support Worker
• Family Liaison Officer
• Patient Experience Officer
• Wellbeing Coordinator
• Deputy Safeguarding Lead

The exact suitability of the apprenticeship will depend on the individual’s role and whether they have appropriate opportunities to apply their learning and gather workplace evidence.

You’ll need to be employed in a suitable role with safeguarding responsibilities and have opportunities to apply your learning and gather workplace evidence.

You’ll also need to meet the relevant apprenticeship eligibility and funding requirements.

For full information about apprenticeship eligibility, including residency, right to work and English and maths requirements, please see our Apprenticeship Entry Requirements guide.

You’ll develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to support effective safeguarding practice in the workplace. You’ll learn how to apply safeguarding principles to your role, respond appropriately to concerns, support referrals and multi-agency working, manage sensitive information and records, and contribute to a positive safeguarding culture.

Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll also develop your professional judgement, communication, reflective practice and confidence in applying safeguarding knowledge to real workplace situations.

Throughout the apprenticeship, you’ll develop skills and knowledge in areas including:

• Safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and frameworks
• Identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns
• Professional judgement and decision-making
• Communication with individuals, families, carers, colleagues and external agencies
• Referrals, escalation and multi-agency working
• Safeguarding record keeping and information management
• Confidentiality, data protection and information sharing
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Adult and child safeguarding
• Trauma-informed approaches
• Prevent, exploitation and contextual safeguarding
• The Mental Capacity Act and associated legislation
• Reflective practice, supervision and professional development
• Quality assurance, inspections and safeguarding audits

Yes. The apprenticeship develops knowledge and skills relevant to safeguarding adults, children, young people and families.

For professionals working in adult social care and healthcare, learning can be applied to safeguarding practice involving adults at risk, including areas such as recognising abuse and neglect, responding to concerns, referrals, information sharing, risk management and multi-agency working.

Yes. You’ll develop an understanding of the legislation, statutory guidance and frameworks that underpin effective safeguarding practice, including adult and child safeguarding, information sharing, confidentiality, professional responsibilities and risk management.

You can find out more about the statutory guidance that supports safeguarding practice through

• GOV.UK’s Care and support statutory guidance
• Working Together to Safeguard Children

The apprenticeship combines learning with practical workplace application. You’ll have opportunities to apply your safeguarding knowledge and skills within your role and build evidence towards the apprenticeship standard.

This can include workplace safeguarding activities, casework and caseload evidence, research and reflective activities, witness testimonies, workplace projects, professional discussions, off-the-job training activities, portfolio building and regular progress reviews.

Off-the-job training is structured learning that takes place during your paid working hours but is separate from your normal day-to-day duties. You’re required to complete a minimum of six hours per week of this training to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for your apprenticeship. Activities can include online learning, workshops, research, mentoring and other development tasks relevant to your role.

You can also use our Learner Enrichment Calendar to help plan and log suitable off-the-job activities that count towards your training hours, giving you a variety of ways to grow your skills throughout the programme.

All off-the-job training hours must be recorded on your e-portfolio system, Aptem, to ensure your progress is tracked throughout your apprenticeship.

If you are aged between 16 and 18 and do not have a Level 2 qualification or equivalent (GCSE grade 4/C) in Maths and English, you will be required to work towards obtaining these as part of your apprenticeship.

For those aged 19 and above, completing Maths and English (Functional Skills) is optional rather than mandatory to complete your apprenticeship. However, this needs to be discussed and agreed upon with your employer.

Functional Skills are nationally recognised qualifications in Maths and English that help learners develop practical skills used in the workplace and everyday life. These qualifications support areas such as communication, problem-solving, reading, writing and numeracy.

tend understands that completing Functional Skills in Maths and English alongside your apprenticeship can feel daunting at first, as well as time consuming. That’s why we provide enhanced support to make the process as straightforward and efficient as possible.

We’ve partnered with Pass Functional Skills (PASS) to give you access to a new, improved online learning platform designed to help you achieve your qualifications more quickly and with greater confidence.

Through this platform, you’ll benefit from a clear and structured learning journey, including a diagnostic assessment to identify your starting point, personalised learning pathways, and high-quality interactive resources. You’ll also have access to bite-sized learning modules, practice questions, mock assessments, and progress tracking tools to help you stay on track.

Alongside this, you will continue to receive support from your tutor or development coach throughout your apprenticeship, ensuring you have guidance, feedback and encouragement at every stage of your Functional Skills journey.

The apprenticeship is delivered through our Spotlight Delivery Model, combining digital learning, personalised one-to-one coaching and practical workplace application.

You’ll have access to eLearning and learning activities alongside regular support from a Development Coach. Your learning can then be applied to relevant safeguarding responsibilities within your workplace.

The apprenticeship takes 13 months, followed by 3 Months End-Point Assessment (EPA).

16 Months in total

You’ll receive support from a Development Coach throughout the apprenticeship, including guidance with your learning, progress reviews, workplace application, portfolio evidence and preparation for End-Point Assessment.

You’ll also receive support with setting goals and identifying opportunities to apply your learning in the workplace.

The apprenticeship can help employers develop staff who are more confident in supporting safeguarding processes, managing concerns, maintaining accurate records and contributing to effective referrals and multi-agency working.

It can also support organisations to strengthen safeguarding practice, quality assurance, audit and inspection readiness, while promoting a proactive culture of safeguarding across their services.

Yes. The apprenticeship can be relevant to professionals working in NHS and healthcare settings, mental health services, community health services, hospices and specialist care services, as well as adult social care and other settings supporting vulnerable people.

The key requirement is that the individual’s role provides appropriate opportunities to undertake safeguarding-related responsibilities and apply their learning in the workplace.

On successful completion of the apprenticeship, you’ll achieve the Level 3 Safeguarding Support Officer Apprenticeship Standard.

The apprenticeship includes 13 months of learning followed by 3 months End-Point Assessment (EPA). You’ll be supported throughout the programme to build your knowledge, skills and workplace evidence and prepare for your final assessment.

The knowledge, skills and experience developed through the apprenticeship can support progression into roles with greater safeguarding, welfare, quality or compliance responsibilities.

Your progression opportunities will depend on your existing role, experience and the requirements of future roles within your organisation or the wider health and social care sector.