Safeguarding Adults Training Levels Explained (1 to 5)

Adult safeguarding training levels are set out in the intercollegiate document Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff. The current edition is the second edition, published by the Royal College of Nursing in 2024. It defines five levels plus a separate board level, and it suggests training time over a three-year cycle for each: 2 hours for Level 1, 3 hours for Level 2, 8 hours for Level 3 and 24 hours for Level 4, with a yearly update at Level 5. The document itself says these hours are suggested and that it is not statutory.

This guide covers England and the UK context in which the document is used. The document says it is intended for use within the UK and that practices may vary in each country, so check with your own regulator if you work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The levels at a glance

Here is how the second edition describes each level and its suggested training, according to the document.

How to decide which level a person needs

The document does not leave this to individuals. It says the allocation of staff to different levels, and the syllabus, should be reviewed by accountable senior managers or the named professionals and included in the training needs analysis. In practice that means the level follows the role, not the job title or the registration. A few pointers from the document:

• Level 3 was widened in the second edition to include non-registered roles such as support workers and healthcare assistants. For registered staff, Level 3 is described as the minimum level required.
• Level 4 now includes safeguarding leads and equivalent roles that directly advise staff on safeguarding.
• Staff who move into a Level 3 post without the required knowledge should complete a minimum of 8 hours of additional education within 12 months of appointment.

Is the intercollegiate document mandatory?

It is guidance, not law. The document states that it is not statutory and that health care providers have a responsibility to ensure the duration and frequency of training are appropriate. But it has real weight in the NHS. NHS England's safeguarding accountability and assurance framework (the 2026 fifth edition) says providers of NHS services must ensure "effective training of all staff commensurate with their role and in accordance with the recommended intercollegiate safeguarding competencies" (section 4.4), and it lists the 2024 adult document as the adult reference.

For regulated care in England, the legal duties sit elsewhere:

• Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 says service users must be protected from abuse and improper treatment, and that "systems and processes must be established and operated effectively to prevent abuse of service users".
• Regulation 18 requires staff to receive "such appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal as is necessary" for their role.
• Under section 42 of the Care Act 2014, a local authority must act where it has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area has needs for care and support, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and as a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves.

Social care: Skills for Care and the Care Certificate

Social care employers often ask whether they need to use the five levels at all. The Level 1 scope in the intercollegiate document explicitly covers social care settings, and the second edition's summary of changes says Level 1 was clarified to apply in both NHS and non-NHS settings. Separately, Skills for Care's statutory and mandatory training guide lists adult safeguarding among training required by all workers, dependent on their roles and responsibilities. It says the minimum refresher period is three years, with earlier refresher triggered when people's care and support needs change or a new risk or activity is introduced. It does not mention the intercollegiate levels.

New care workers also meet adult safeguarding in the Care Certificate. Standard 10 (Care Certificate standards, updated 2025) covers the principles of adult safeguarding, reducing the likelihood of abuse, responding to suspected or disclosed abuse, and protecting people locally and nationally. It is an induction standard, not a substitute for role-based safeguarding training at the right level.

How the training should be delivered and kept current

The second edition is specific about method and review:

• Timing. Staff should attain the competencies within 6 weeks of starting in a role, according to the document.
• Annual review. Competences should be reviewed annually as part of appraisal, alongside learning plans and refresher training.
• Not just e-learning. Level 1 can be delivered through participatory, face-to-face, online, e-learning or hybrid methods. For Levels 3 and 4, e-learning should not be the primary or sole delivery method, and the document says at least 50% of indicative education, training and learning time should be of a participatory nature.
• Refreshers are not repeats. The summary of changes says refreshing at the levels should not simply be repetition of previous training, and the Level 2 text says it is not expected that staff undertake the same training every 3 years.
• Level 3 evidence. Level 3 requires regular documented reviews of practice and, over three years, reflection on a minimum of three different aspects of safeguarding.

What changed from the first edition

If you still have a matrix based on the 2018 edition, update it. According to the RCN's summary of changes, Level 2 moved to a suggested minimum of 3 hours (previously a range of 3 to 4), Level 3 was widened to non-registered roles, Level 4 gained safeguarding leads, and the Level 5 minimum of 24 hours over three years was replaced with yearly updates. New definitions were added, including Head of Safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act Lead and Person in a Position of Trust.

Practical steps

• Map every role to a level and record who signed off the allocation.
• Put the suggested hours and three-year cycle on your training matrix.
• Check that Level 3 and Level 4 learning is not delivered by e-learning alone.
• Build annual competence review into appraisal.
• Where your sector uses a wider framework, see how safeguarding fits in our explainer on the Core Skills Training Framework.

Frequently asked questions

How many safeguarding adults levels are there?

Five numbered levels plus a board level, in the second edition of the intercollegiate document.

How many hours does Level 2 need?

The document suggests 3 hours per 3 years. It describes the hours as suggested rather than mandatory.

Do care home staff need Level 2 or Level 3?

It depends on the role. Level 1 covers all staff, including in social care. Level 2 and above depend on regular contact and on whether the person assesses, plans, delivers or evaluates care where there are safeguarding concerns. Your manager or safeguarding lead should record the allocation in the training needs analysis.

How often must adult safeguarding training be renewed?

The intercollegiate document works to a three-year cycle for Levels 1 to 4 and a yearly update at Level 5, with competences reviewed annually. Skills for Care gives a minimum refresher period of three years for social care workers.

In summary

Use the intercollegiate levels as the benchmark, treat the hours as suggested, and let the role decide the level. You can find related professional development topics in the Learnsignal CPD hub.

This article is general information, not regulatory, legal or compliance advice. Check the current intercollegiate document and the requirements of your regulator, commissioner and employer.