Unconscious Bias 23/24

Target Group

This training is targeted to the adults and children workforce in the London Borough of Sutton. It includes those in:

• Direct contact with children who undertake or contribute to risk assessments and multi- agency meetings including social workers, family support workers, health professionals, schools, police and others who work with children at risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Adult Social Care staff and Private, Independent and voluntary (PVI)  sector professionals supporting Sutton residents in residential care, nursing care, home care, personal assistants, and supported living.

It will meet the following safeguarding competency requirements:

- Professional within Group Level 1 (awareness) 2 (regular contact with children, young people and/or parent/carer) or Level 3 (predominantly working with children) or above (including strategic leads), and NHS Inter-Collegiate Standards 2 and above for health professionals.  

- Staff Groups A, B, C, D, and E as per the Bournemouth University National Mental Capacity Act Competency Framework.  Level 2 staff and above (ref: NHS Intercollegiate document 2018 - Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff).

Aims:

This course aims to raise awareness and improve the understanding about the layers of
unconscious bias that may negatively affect those with protective characteristics under the
Equality Act.
It will provide an opportunity to critically reflect on our own bias, how such biases potentially affect
behaviour negatively and influence decision making in the professional social care context.
Values and ethics are the underpinning ethos of the session to consider how we each are part of,
and influencers in, the systems in which we live and work and how our own biases impact on the
professional role. The session will provide a safe, reflective space for discussion and shared
learning across disciplines and includes group exercises.

Learning Objectives 

After attending this course you will have:

• An improved awareness about the theory behind implicit bias, and how such biases might
  potentially affect behaviour negatively towards those with protective characteristics under
  the Equality Act.
• An increased knowledge and understanding about the importance of being open to
  challenge bias;
• An improved ability to identify and critically reflect on your own as well as group biases,
  and be able to recognise how these impact on the accessibility and experience of
  individuals and their help-seeking behaviour;
• An improved ability to develop strategies to recognise and address implicit/unconscious
  bias;
• An increased knowledge and understanding about the influence of our biases on decision making.