Child Protection in Scotland: From examination to court [CPEC] (Level 3) - online two-day course

Course dates

• Wednesday 27th May 2026 09:30-17:00 and
• Wednesday 17th June 2026 09:30-13:00

The course times are shown in BST (British Summer Time)

Please note: This course is based on Scottish law. An English/Welsh law based course is being held separately. Please see the details here.

Overview 

The RCPCH has developed this popular and successful course in conjunction with medical and legal experts who bring vast amounts of experience from within the child protection sector.

They will work with you to understand the structure, language and specifications of professional witness reports expected by different court systems, using a report you will be required to submit in advance as part of this course. 

You will also be given the opportunity to testify in a mock trial scenario with dedicated legal experts providing guidance and feedback to help build your confidence.

In addition, you will learn more about key areas of knowledge in child protection, such as consent and performing examinations, ensuring you are equipped to deal with all common concerns that arise in child protection cases.

This was an area I was nervous about as a trainee approaching new consultant stages. I feel immensely more prepared.

Aim

To equip paediatricians involved in child protection cases in Scotland with the skills to gather evidence as part of clinical practice and effectively present this within professional witness reports and court testimony.

The knowledge base was so high, and the organisation was excellent. Well done to all involved

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Produce professional witness reports to the court's required specifications
• Testify in court as a professional witness with the skills and confidence required to provide the best possible outcomes for the child
• Deal with common child protection concerns that arise in your clinical practice

I thought this course was fantastic. The insights from experienced faculty were invaluable.

Target audience 

• Paediatric specialty (ST5-7) trainees
• SAS/locally employed doctors
• Consultant paediatricians

I think this course is a must for senior trainees to help boost their confidence prior to new consultant roles

Course requirements 

• Prior submission of professional witness report (based on case allocated by the College) which will be used in your mock trial session - this must be received by 9am on Monday 8th June (if not submitted, you will not be able to participate in the mock trial session). Please ensure you schedule time to write your report between 28th May and 8th June.

• Prior viewing of pre-recorded online lectures via the College online learning platform

The mock trials were especially good – you can learn skills on paper but putting them to use was incredibly helpful. Also, the court tips from the sheriff at the end was incredibly useful!

Technical requirements 

• Windows or Mac computer (laptop/desktop or tablet)
• An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE). Minimum bandwidth is 600kbps (up/down) and recommended is 1.5 Mbps (up/down)
• Microphone and speaker - either using:
  • the built-in microphone/speaker
  • a headset connected to your laptop/desktop or tablet
• Webcam - either using:
  • the built-in webcam
  • separate webcam connected to your laptop/desktop or tablet