Fire safety is often viewed as a technical issue, but tragic incidents have demonstrated that it is fundamentally a safeguarding one.
Following a local rollout, Sutton’s safeguarding partnerships have launched their Fire Prevention and Safeguarding Toolkit nationally.
This is a vital national resource library and e-learning module, available to all safeguarding practitioners, councillors and officers, free of charge.
Developed in close collaboration with the London Fire Brigade, Sutton Safeguarding Adults Board and Sutton Local Safeguarding Children Partnership, this toolkit bridges the gap between fire prevention and supporting residents’ needs.
The initiative is born from lessons learned from real tragedies, aiming to ensure that every practitioner entering a home – whether supporting vulnerable adults, families, or children – has the skills to identify and report life-threatening risks of fire.
I wholeheartedly endorse this toolkit and the vital learning it provides. This is not just a resource for Sutton, but a national tool arising from learning in the intersection of fire safety and safeguarding.
I strongly encourage all councillors, local authorities and safeguarding partners across the country to ensure their teams complete this free training.
Equipping our frontline staff and partner agencies with this knowledge is an essential step in preventing future tragedies and keeping our most vulnerable residents safe.
The knowledge gathered here could quite literally save lives.
The toolkit offers a comprehensive suite of e-learning courses and bite-sized training modules.
It is designed for anyone who works with people in their homes, including social workers, domiciliary carers, housing officers, police, health visitors and nursing staff.
By embedding this free training into your council’s workforce development, we can foster a culture where fire prevention and safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
- To access the fire safeguarding toolkit, please visit the Fire Prevention Toolkit website.