| Abstract: | The role of health professionals in child protection is central to effective interagency working, yet there has been in the past criticism of their contribution to the process and recognized difficulty in engaging some health professionals in relevant training. In 2001 the author, working as Child Protection Adviser for an NHS Trust in Scotland, obtained funding to deliver child protection training to 23 primary health care teams across the region. Participants included those seen as having a key role in child protection and those often overlooked such as clerical and reception staff. Learning outcomes were established in response to the identified needs of the target group, national recommendations and the requirements of the funding body. A number of methods of evaluation, both planned and opportunistic, were used during the 1‐year project. All evaluations indicated that, in the short term, the training had been effective and the learning outcomes had been achieved. Results of an internal audit suggested that the training had resulted in a significant increase in awareness and knowledge. Further audit and evaluation will, however, be required to establish the extent of any lasting changes in practice. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
