The CHILD study: a Co-designed cHild-centered Interprofessional simulation course to foster Learning through safeguarding Dialogue

Background Globally, in excess of one billion children experience violence and abuse every year, leading to upwards of 40,000 deaths. Child safeguarding education typically occurs in professional silos across healthcare, often focusing on specific undergraduate competencies. In practice, however, child safeguarding requires a multi-professional approach, necessitating effective communication in emotionally charged contexts. To address these needs, we designed an interprofessional course using simulation-based education for experienced healthcare professionals working in the emergency department. Methods On three occasions, we delivered an in-person, two-day course with 32 healthcare professionals from medicine, nursing, an in-person two-day course on three occasions with 34 healthcare professionals from medicine, nursing and social work. We collected data using multiple methods including pre and post training surveys (n = 32), observational field notes, individual semi-structured interviews (n = 14) and focus groups (n = 4). We analyzed the data using landscapes of practice theory as a sensitizing concept. Results We integrated the insights gained from the open-ended survey responses with our interview and focus group data to generate three key themes 1) collaborative learning, 2) the medium of language and 3) establishing a safe environment. These themes encapsulate our participants' experiences in navigating interprofessional learning within newly established teams during simulated child safety scenarios in the emergency department. Findings also detail participants’ knowledge gains and confidence in reporting child safeguarding concerns. Conclusions Child safeguarding involves emotional interactions, ambiguity, and multi-professional coordination. Interprofessional simulation-based child safety training enhances knowledge, communication skills, and teamwork. Simulation educators should emphasize psychological safety, flatten hierarchy, and expose participants to the language and perspectives of other professions and simulated parents to make safeguarding a shared, interdependent responsibility. Integrating authentic, psychologically secure, and child-centered simulations into health and social care curricula and reinforcing these lessons in workplace cultures can improve workforce preparedness and child protection outcomes.