HUNDREDS of heating engineers are taking NSPCC safeguarding training as part of a major new partnership.

Domestic & General (D&G) is the latest business to sign up to the charity’s It’s Your Call training as part of a pilot which could roll out to thousands more of the company’s workers.

It’s Your Call is a simple online training package, which helps workers who visit homes recognise signs of child abuse and neglect and gives them the confidence and knowledge to seek appropriate support, including contacting the NSPCC Helpline.

By taking the training, heating engineers who cross thousands of doorways every day can help spot signs when children or families might need support.

One utility worker told the NSPCC Helpline: “On a job today, a young boy was telling me about issues at home. He was talking about how hard it is not being able to wash himself or his clothes at the moment. The heating and water have been broken for a while, it’s not one I could fix there and then, sadly. He’s been told he can’t even put an electric heater on because the family are struggling for money.

“I don’t know what support is available to them but it’s really affecting the lad’s mental health, even if he’s trying his best in a difficult situation.”

Up to 500 members of the D&G Heating Division – including employees and a network of sub-contracted partners – are currently being trained as part of the pilot, but the training could be rolled out to the 10,000 D&G engineers across the UK.

Al Grljevic, chief operations officer at D&G, said: “We are super proud to be part of this new partnership with the NSPCC and rolling out the It’s Your Call training to our engineers is another step towards supporting our customers, whatever their needs.”