Music teachers encouraged to complete NSPCC online training

Individuals looking to go into a career teaching music have been advised to take part in the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s (NSPCC) online training programme.
The Child Protection Awareness in Music scheme has been designed for use by any individual teaching music to children and young people in the UK.
Produced jointly by the NSPCC and the Musicians Union and in partnership with MusicLeader and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the programme uses a series of short films to show a variety of good and bad practice examples.
It aims to give anyone teaching music a better understanding of their child protection responsibilities and is designed to help teachers avoid any situations that could lead to misconduct cases.
NSPCC Senior Child Protection Consultant Tom Narducci said the charity wants all teachers, private tutors and youth workers to complete the training.
“This is the first time an online, bespoke EduCare programme has been developed for the music sector and the first time filmed scenarios have been incorporated into any NSPCC EduCare product,” Mr Narducci commented
“We became aware that there was a gap in training and a need for everyone working in music to know how to keep children safe, whether in schools, youth groups or teaching in the home.”
The initiative has been split into four separate modules which aim to give potential music educators a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
Child Protection Awareness in Music covers a variety of scenarios, including handling inappropriate communications with a pupil, how to demonstrate playing techniques, dealing with a difficult group situation, and what to do about concerns a pupil may be suffering abuse or self-harming. For more details, visit EduCare’s website.
The NSPCC has produced a number of child protection programmes through EduCare, including those covering education, health, sport and bullying.