Do you check the taps when visiting a care setting?

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

‘Check that the taps work … and … 70-20-10’. A very valued colleague said this to me a couple of weeks ago.

‘Pardon?’ I replied, thinking I might have an idea about the second part of this, but the first part was lost on me! Was 70-20-10 a secret code for an elaborate spread betting syndicate, ahead of the new football season?

My colleague elaborated:

‘It’s a way to explain how many of us effectively learn a new skill or consolidate existing ones. I tell my students this all the time. 70-20-10 is a model for learning and development that suggests a proportional breakdown of how people do this:

• 70% of learning happens through on-the-job experience,
• 20% of learning happens socially through colleagues and friends and
• 10% of learning happens via formal training experiences.’

The numbers represent the relative weights of each learning type, not rigid percentages. The core insight of the 70-20-10 framework is to remember that the bulk of learning and development comes through day-to-day work, rather than formal training. And there is a flow and connection between these different elements.

‘And the taps…?’ I ask.

‘Oh, that’s an example of my own experiential learning. It comes from a visit I made to a care home where there were significant safeguarding concerns around neglect, including residents not even having access to basic amenities (like access to running water). But on the day, I didn’t check this. Now, on every visit I make to a care setting, I make a point of turning on the taps to check.’

While there is commentary on whether or not the 70-20-10 model is effective (see The 70:20:10 framework and the transfer of learning) and it has been challenged for the limited evidence base supporting its use, it nevertheless continues to be referred to and used widely.

In thinking about ‘learning’ and ‘competency’ for safeguarding adult practice, a useful document to refer to is the National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults, more widely known as the Bournemouth Competency Framework (BCF). The BCF offers a clear framework and identifiable standards setting out the skills, knowledge and competency needed in various adult safeguarding roles.

The framework emphasises the importance of recognising signs of abuse, conducting effective risk assessments, understanding legal frameworks and implementing appropriate safeguarding measures appropriate to each role. It aims to enhance the quality of care and ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable adults. It has been adopted by the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB) and by many other SABs too. Read more about the BCF here (scroll down to bottom of the page).

And the question of learning for safeguarding adults practice was the discussion topic in the July round of LSAP* meetings.

I was lucky to be able to join in the Western and Northern meetings in July, where we explored several questions on learning and best practice for safeguarding adults. This included making use of learning through storytelling, what might best support learning for adult safeguarding, why ongoing learning is always important (as one colleague said: this process of ongoing learning also feeds confidence in an area like safeguarding), and what ‘experiential learning’ might look like for safeguarding adults.

What we are always looking for and trying to encourage is a workforce which has strong, well embedded safeguarding skills in a ‘think family’ way. We want to find as many ways as possible to make learning more ‘Velcro’ and less ‘Teflon’; ways to help the learning be as ‘sticky’ as possible, regardless of which type of learning it is.

Perhaps the most useful point, however, is knowing what really works for you and your staff.

For me, it is taking a bit from the 10% and 20% and mixing this with the learning that happens through on-the-job experience (70%). And for on-the-job learning, there is no place better to get it than at an LSAP* meeting. LSAPs are open to anyone from any organisation (small, big or somewhere in between) and they are a superb learning opportunity to bring into your day-to-day safeguarding practice. There is no other meeting like it.

Alongside the LSAP meetings and in support of safeguarding adults learning and training, NSAB in collaboration with KP Training runs a Safeguarding awareness: Train the trainer workshop. The aim of this popular workshop is to train staff to deliver safeguarding adults awareness training to staff and volunteers in their own organisation.

I am very pleased to say that we have maintained the price of £239 for the foreseeable future. This price includes VAT, the cost of all training materials and refreshments/lunch on the day. It also provides an annual refresher session for anyone who has completed the original course. Great value.

If you would like to find out more see Safeguarding awareness: Train the trainer.

Perhaps you have done some safeguarding adult ‘learning’ recently? Please do get in touch and tell me about it.

Thank you.

Walter Lloyd-Smith
NSAB Board Manager

Email: [email protected]

* Locality Safeguarding Adult Partnerships bring together lots of different organisations from a particular locality to talk about adult safeguarding. Coming to an LSAP meeting gives you a unique opportunity to talk about safeguarding adults because it is the one multi-agency forum in Norfolk to do just that. Here, colleagues can ask questions, keep updated on NSAB news, exchange information, and connect with other safeguarding colleagues and promote action / awareness on safeguarding adults, both together in the network and as individual agencies.