Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Course for UAE Healthcare Professionals
Know what to look for, what to say, whom to tell and what to write when you suspect abuse or neglect of a child, an adult at risk or an older patient in the UAE.
2learning hours
20final questions
80%pass mark
PDFcertificate
What you will learn
Explain the reporting duties, protected groups and penalties in Wadeema (Federal Law No. 3 of 2016), Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024 and Federal Law No. 9 of 2019.
Describe the DOH Child Protection Policy (2026) pathway and explain how reporting routes differ in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.
Apply the "fit" test of history, development, consistency and timing to injuries in children.
Recognise indicators of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, exploitation and domestic violence across clinical settings.
Identify the legal route that applies to older people and adults at risk, including older expatriates not covered by the Senior Emiratis law.
Respond to a disclosure without leading questions or promises of secrecy, and act immediately where there is danger.
Make a prompt, proportionate safeguarding report using the confidentiality exception in Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016.
Write factual safeguarding records that meet Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019 and the DHA Code, and handle late entries correctly.
Raise concerns about colleagues and organisations using the DHA Code speaking-up provisions and incident reporting systems.
Describe the criminal, disciplinary and liability consequences of safeguarding failures and plan evidence of insight and remediation.
Relevant to
The UAE codes, standards and laws this course helps you reflect on. Relevance is our own mapping; it is not an approval by any authority.
DHADHA Code of Ethics (2025) Standards 2 and 3, speaking-up clauses 10.1.8–10.1.9 and Section 9 (confidentiality and records)
DOHDOH Child Protection Policy (2026) and its annual training expectation for staff in contact with children
MOHAPStatutory reporting duties for MOHAP and SHA licensees under Wadeema, the domestic violence law and the Senior Emiratis law
Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (Wadeema) as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2024; Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024; Federal Law No. 9 of 2019
About this course
This course explains how to protect children, older people and other adults at risk in UAE healthcare practice. It covers the reporting duties in Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights (Wadeema) and its 2024 amendment, Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024 on Protection Against Domestic Violence and Federal Law No. 9 of 2019 on the Rights of Senior Emiratis, the confidentiality exceptions in the Medical Liability law, the DOH Child Protection Policy (2026) pathway in Abu Dhabi and the safeguarding duties in the DHA Code of Ethics (2025). It then works through recognising physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect, domestic violence and harm to older people, responding to disclosures, making reports, keeping records, sharing information safely and raising concerns about colleagues.
The course is for any licensed professional who may meet a child, an older person or an adult at risk: doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, psychologists and allied health staff working under MOHAP, DHA, DOH, the Sharjah Health Authority or Dubai Healthcare City. That includes emergency departments, primary care centres, community pharmacies, school clinics and home-care services in every emirate. It is useful for newcomers to the UAE, for staff who hold licences in more than one emirate, for safeguarding leads who train colleagues, and for anyone reflecting after a safeguarding concern has been raised about their own practice.
Healthcare professionals are often the only people outside a household who see the signs of abuse and neglect. In the UAE, failing to report can lead to fines under all three federal safeguarding laws and to imprisonment under the Senior Emiratis law, as well as disciplinary action by the licensing authority. Reporting routes also differ between emirates. Case studies in every content section are drawn from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, alongside checklists you can use on shift and a structured reflective account.
Syllabus
10 sections, about 2 learning hours, 20-question final assessment
1Safeguarding in UAE healthcare: purpose and principles2 lessons
What safeguarding asks of a UAE healthcare professional
Vulnerability, culture and bias in a diverse population
2The UAE legal and regulatory framework2 lessons
Federal laws: child rights, domestic violence and Senior Emiratis
Emirate rules, professional standards and where they differ
3Recognising abuse and neglect of children2 lessons
Physical, sexual and emotional abuse: what to look for
Neglect, medical neglect and risks to older children
4Domestic violence and adults at risk2 lessons
Domestic violence: recognising it, asking safely and responding
Older people and adults at risk
5Responding to disclosures and making a report2 lessons
When a child or adult tells you: responding to a disclosure
Making the report: who, when, what and what happens next
6Records and information sharing2 lessons
Safeguarding records: what to write and how
Sharing information safely: systems, families and requests
7Colleagues, organisations and accountability2 lessons
When the concern is about a colleague or your own facility
Accountability, complaints and remediation after a safeguarding failure
8Conclusion and key points1 lesson
Conclusion and key points
9References and further reading1 lesson
References and further reading
10Your reflective account1 lesson
Your reflective account
Course facts
CPD value
Approximately 2 learning hours (self-directed CPD, including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)
Audience
Licensed healthcare professionals in the UAE in all professions: doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, psychologists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR
Standards covered
Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights (Wadeema) and Cabinet Resolution No. 52 of 2018, amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2024; Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024 on Protection Against Domestic Violence; Federal Law No. 9 of 2019 on the Rights of Senior Emiratis and Cabinet Resolution No. 9 of 2021; Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 and Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019; Federal Laws No. 5 of 2019 and No. 6 of 2023; Federal Law No. 2 of 2019; Ministerial Resolution No. 14 of 2021; DOH Child Protection Policy (2026); DHA Code of Ethics (2025); Dubai ECR No. 49 of 2024
Format
Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, UAE case studies and reflection
Assessment
20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)
Outcome
Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your professional development portfolio
Alignment
Supports reflection on the DOH Child Protection Policy (2026) and its annual training expectation for staff in contact with children, the DHA Code of Ethics Standards 2 and 3 (patient and public best interests), clauses 10.1.8–10.1.9 (speaking up) and Section 9 (confidentiality and records), and the statutory reporting duties applied by MOHAP and SHA
Price
AED 349
Who this course is for
Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, psychologists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR.
Written for professionals licensed by any UAE authority: MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR. Where the rules differ, the course explains the difference.
Your certificate
Your name, the course title and the approximate learning hours
Completion date and your final-assessment score
A unique certificate number with a QR code anyone can verify
The certificate states that the course is not accredited by any UAE health authority and that no CME/CPD points or credits are awarded. Whether it counts towards your licence renewal is for your licensing authority to decide.
Healthcare Practise
Certificate of Completion
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Course for UAE Healthcare Professionals
Approximately 2 learning hours · Final assessment score shown
Certificate No.HP-7K2M-9QXA
HPUAE
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Questions about this course
Do healthcare professionals in the UAE have a legal duty to report child abuse?
Yes. Wadeema, Federal Law No. 3 of 2016, protects every child under 18 and makes reporting mandatory for physicians and others entrusted with a child's care. Module 2 explains this duty, the 2024 amendment, the reporting duties in the domestic violence law and the Senior Emiratis law, and the penalties for failing to report.
How do safeguarding reporting routes differ between emirates?
Module 2 describes the DOH Child Protection Policy (2026) pathway in Abu Dhabi and explains how reporting routes differ in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. Module 5 then walks through making a prompt, proportionate report and acting immediately where a child or adult is in danger.
Does reporting suspected abuse breach patient confidentiality?
Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 contains a confidentiality exception that covers safeguarding reports, and module 5 shows how to use it. Module 6 covers sharing only what is needed, writing factual safeguarding records that meet Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019, and handling late entries correctly.
Does the course cover older expatriate patients and adults at risk?
Yes. Module 4 covers domestic violence and adults at risk, and identifies the legal route for older people, including older expatriates who are not covered by the Senior Emiratis law. Module 3 and module 4 also cover recognising neglect and exploitation as well as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Does the course meet the DOH annual child protection training expectation?
The course explains the DOH Child Protection Policy (2026) and its annual training expectation, but it is independent and is not accredited by the DOH or any other UAE health authority. Ask your facility whether it counts; it may complement, not replace, the training your employer arranges.
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