NSPCC Learning Podcast

Safe and effective sex and relationships education (SRE) plays a vital role in preventing abuse. However, teaching SRE can be challenging. According to a 2022 NASUWT and NSPCC survey, 46% of teachers say they don’t feel confident teaching sex and relationships education.

In this podcast episode, actor and Childline ambassador Natalie Dormer is joined by two teachers to talk about what it's like to teach sex and relationships in secondary schools. They discuss the challenges teachers may face when teaching SRE, as well as practical solutions to these problems.

You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers 

Natalie Dormer is a British film, TV and stage actor and producer — her acting credits include Game of Thrones, The Tudors and The Hunger Games. Natalie is a passionate champion and advocate of children's rights.  She is a longstanding supporter of the work of Childline, which is a life-changing service provided by the NSPCC. Natalie's support of the charity over many years culminated with her being appointed as the NSPCC's Ambassador for Childline in 2019 and in 2024 Natalie was made an Honorary Member of the NSPCC's Council.

Pete Basham is a science teacher and form tutor in a state-funded secondary school who also delivers the school's RSE programme. 

Sarah Oakes is director of performing arts at an independent prep school in Dorset and head of RSE, delivering the curriculum to her form as well as overseeing it for the whole school.

📚 Resources mentioned in this episode 

> Find out more about our Talk Relationships service

> Learn more about our Talk Relationships elearning courses

 

> Learn more about how to take a whole-school approach to teaching SRE

> Read 'We have to educate ourselves', a report on how young people are learning about relationships, sex and sexuality

> More information about our Report Remove tool

> Advice for parents and carers from nspcc.org.uk on how to talk to children about relationships, sex and consent

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It is important for social workers to consider the voice of the child — their experiences, their worries and their wants — when undertaking their work, particularly when conducting assessments. This improves professionals’ abilities to act in the child’s best interest. 

In this episode, three consultant social workers from the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice team discuss: what we mean by ‘the voice of the child’ and why it is important; how to effectively capture the voice of the child and what barriers might get in the way of this; how to make use of the child’s voice in practical work, including in meetings, assessments, interventions and record keeping.

You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers

Julian Fabian has been a qualified Social Worker for more than 26 years. He is currently Consultant Social Worker in the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice Team with a remit of quality assurance and practice improvement. 

Emily Waddington is a Supervisor in the Childline Service. Prior to this role, Emily has worked as a Consultant Social Worker at the NSPCC and in the Assessment and MASH teams in the Local Authority. Emily’s main areas of interest include systemic and reflective practice which is underpinned by a desire for continuous practice improvement. 

Damien Fitzpatrick is a NSPCC Consultant Social Worker based in the Service Quality and Practice Team. His role involves quality assurance of direct practice through a safeguarding lens, pre-post inspection support, supporting the development and implementation of practice standards and guidance. Prior to joining the NSPCC, Damien practiced in the local authority for 12 years in a number of different roles.

📚 Related resources

> Find out what case reviews highlight about the voice of the child 

> Listen to our podcast episode on pre-birth assessments 

> Learn more about what makes a good assessment with our ten practice points

> Discover other NSPCC Learning resources for social workers

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Language and communication barriers faced by d/Deaf children and young people can manifest in a way that increases safeguarding risk. It's important that there are professionals who can understand and communicate with a child or young person if they need to report or disclose any issues they are experiencing.

In this podcast episode, a panel of experts from the Social Workers with Deaf Children and Professionals Working Group explore how the differing language and communication needs of d/Deaf children can affect their safety and the child protection support they receive.

📺 A fully accessible video version of this podcast is available on the NSPCC Learning YouTube channel. 📺

You can also read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 

💬 About the speakers 

Shirley Wilson MBE is the NSPCC's Senior Consultant on Deaf & Disabled Children and Young People and Professional Service Delivery Chair of the Social Workers with Deaf children and professionals group.

Jo Hornsby is a Social Worker in the Disabled Children and Young People’s Team in Suffolk and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group.

Professor Alys Young is Head of Social Work at the University of Manchester and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group. 

Tim Richardson is the Provider Collaborative Lead on the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Children and Young People’s Mental Health Strategic Plan and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group.

📚 Resources mentioned in this episode

> Read the full Guidance for Safeguarding Partners in England - Deaf Children, Young People and their Families document (PDF)

> Learn more about safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

> Read our learning from case reviews briefing on d/Deaf children and children who have disabilities

> Take our training course on safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people in England

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Education is a vital part of ensuring children get the best possible start in life, and there can be safeguarding implications for children who are absent from school. If children miss school, the ability that schools have to offer them the support they need is compromised. And missing school may be an indicator of broader child protection concerns.

In this podcast episode, experts from the NSPCC and Childline discuss the potential causes for this, and what schools can do to address the problem. You’ll also hear two secondary school students share their thoughts on how the stresses and strains of school life can affect attendance.

You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers

Janet Hinton is the NSPCC's Strategic Service Manager for Schools, working on the delivery of a range of NSPCC programmes for schools, including Speak out, Stay safe. 

Kelly Burnett joined the NSPCC in May 2021, as a Supervisor as the Childline Liverpool Base. Kelly is responsible for the management of staff and volunteers, training staff, and making safeguarding decisions on shifts. 

John Anderton joined the NSPCC in 2008 as a Childline Supervisor, after serving two years as a volunteer. John is currently practice champion at Childline's Birmingham base, supporting and guiding Childline counsellors on shifts. 

The NSPCC Young People's Board for Change is a cohort of young people who steer, advice and influence the NSPCC on issues that affect children and young people in the UK, ensuring that children and young people’s opinions and ideas are considered within the strategic direction of the organisation.

📚 Related resources

> Learn more about Childline 

> Find out more about our Building Connections service 

> Take our Safeguarding training for schools, academies and colleges course 

> View our other safeguarding resources for schools

> Learn more about protecting children from county lines

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Pre-birth assessments help social work professionals to identify strengths, needs, risks and protective factors in the lives of expectant families. They play an important role in safeguarding babies; effective pre-birth assessments can ensure that families get the support they need before issues escalate.

In this podcast episode, In this podcast episode, Sophie Bell, Associate Head of Development at the NSPCC, talks to Anna Squirrell and Nina Bell, social work practitioners working in children’s social care in Blackburn with Darwen. The two experts discuss the practicalities of conducting effective pre-birth assessments, including what good practice looks like, what challenges might arise, and how tools such as Graded Care Profile 2 Antenatal can help with assessments.

You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers

Sophie Bell joined the NSPCC in 2010, moving into the role of Associate Head of Development in 2022. Sophie heads up the portfolio of projects and services in the Prevention of Abuse & Neglect in the Early Years Theme, managing the development and implementation of evidence-based support for families. 

Anna Squirrell has worked in children’s social care in Blackburn with Darwen for over 25 years. Anna has spent time working in different departments including the fostering team and residential homes with young people team. Passionate about early intervention and getting the right help to the families at the right time, Anna joined the Pre-Birth Team seven years ago as a family support worker, and now manages a team of seven practitioners.

Nina Bell is a children’s social care practitioner working in the Pre-Birth Team in Blackburn with Darwen.

📚 Related resources

> Find out more about the Graded Care Profile 2 Antenatal (GCP2A) assessment tool

> Read our Learning from case reviews briefing on assessments

> Learn more about attachment and child development

> Read our Learning from case reviews briefing on the early years sector

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The criminal and civil justice systems play an important role in the way the State responds to child sexual abuse. However, many of IICSA’s investigations featured details of inadequate responses from the police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts.

The final episode of the series looks at how the IICSA recommendations might improve victims and survivors’ experiences of the criminal justice system. Areas covered include policing, the courtroom experience and access to advocacy, and reforms to the Victims’ Code. You’ll also hear about the proposed changes to the available schemes of compensation and redress.

Ian Critchley is the National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Child Protection, Abuse and Investigation, a role he has held for three years. Ian’s role is to enhance and develop the police service in its prevention and response to child abuse working with Chief Constables, the College of Policing and statutory and charitable partners across the country. Ian was also formerly the Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.

Simon Bailey is a member of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. Simon was a police officer for 35 years, the last 8 as the Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary. Simon was also the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection.

Tomi Ogundele is a Child Protection Lawyer at the NSPCC.

> Learn more about children and the law

> Read the UK Government's press release on establishing a redress scheme for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

> Read the Victims' Code and supporting public information materials

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.

This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.

Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Being online is an integral part of children’s lives, but it can expose them to risks, including sexual abuse. The past five years has seen a proliferation in child sexual abuse material online, and IICSA’s investigations into the problem found that law enforcement is struggling to keep pace.

In this episode of Recommendations for Change, we explore the scale of the online abuse problem and how the IICSA recommendations and the new Online Safety Act seek to tackle the issue. The episode covers the importance of implementing online protections for children and what professionals can do to keep children safe online. You’ll also learn how law enforcement responds to online-facilitated CSA.

Susie Hargreaves is the Chief Executive of the Internet Watch Foundation. She is a member of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command Strategic Governance Group and an Executive Board member of the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS).

Ian Critchley is the National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Child Protection, Abuse and Investigation, a role he has held for three years. Ian’s role is to enhance and develop the police service in its prevention and response to child abuse working with Chief Constables, the College of Policing and statutory and charitable partners across the country. Ian was also formerly the Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.

> Read the IICSA investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation facilitated by the internet

> Read the latest Internet Watch Foundation annual report

> Learn more about online safety with our introductory elearning course

> Read our article about what the Online Safety Act means for professionals

> Find out more about how young people can use the Report Remove tool to take down nudes shared online

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.

This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.

Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Many children enter care because they have been abused or neglected. IICSA found that, rather than being protected, many vulnerable children who entered care were subject to further abuse.

This episode of Recommendations for Change looks at the IICSA findings relating to children in care. How did institutions fail to protect looked after children, and what changes – through IICSA or other reform – need to be made to improve the care system for young people and keep them safer in future? This episode also covers the mandatory reporting recommendation made in the final IICSA report.

> Read the podcast transcript

Claire Sands is an Associate Head in the NSPCC’s Research and Evidence team. She manages research projects across all areas of NSPCC work and runs the NSPCC Research and Ethics Committee.

Matt Forde is Partnerships and Development Director at the NSPCC. He leads services for children that the NSPCC delivers in partnership with other organisations and communities across the UK and Channel Islands.

Chloe Meaney is an HR Safeguarding Consultant with the NSPCC, she works nationally across a diverse range of sectors as well as providing internal advice and support, looking at HR policy, procedure and practice through a safeguarding lens.

Patricia Cannon is a Children’s Solicitor and Partner at national firm Simpson Millar Solicitors. She specialises in the representation of children and young people in care proceedings before the Family Court.

David Pritchard is the Registrar and Director of Regulation at Social Care Wales, which is responsible for regulation of the social care workforce in Wales.  Over 60,000 social care professionals are registered with Social Care Wales, including domiciliary and care home workers, social workers and managers. Before joining Social Care Wales, David was a senior official at the Welsh Government where he led the development of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act.

> Read IICSA's research report into child sexual abuse in children's homes and residential care

> View the NSPCC Learning information page on looked after children

> Read the latest Working together to safeguarding children statutory guidance

> Learn more about safer recruitment

> Take our safer recruitment training course

> Read our CASPAR briefing on the UK Government plans to reform children's social care in England

> Listen to our podcast episode on what's next for children's social care in England

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.

This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.

Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Gathering and analysing data plays a key role in understanding the extent of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA and CSE). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final report suggests one of the reasons that the true scale of CSA in the UK is not fully understood is poor data collection.

In the second episode of our series looking at the IICSA final report, we explore the topic of data. You’ll learn how data can help professionals to prevent and respond to CSA, and what the existing data and evidence is telling us about the scale of CSA in the UK. We also cover how the introduction of a single core dataset in the UK will improve data collection.

> Read the podcast transcript

Lisa McCrindle is Assistant Director in Policy, Communications and Strategic Influence at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre). She’s an experienced public policy and communications leader, researcher and evaluator with over 20 years’ experience working in public policy across the children and young people’s agenda.

Kelly Agudelo is Head of Analysis at the National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP).

> Read the CSA Centre's latest trends in data report

> Read the VKPP's National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Crimes Report 2022

> Read the NSPCC Learning briefing on some of the issues to consider when looking at child abuse statistics

About the series

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.

This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.

Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Recommendations for Change is a new five-part podcast series from NSPCC Learning, exploring the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final recommendations. The series breaks down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse.

This first episode of the series provides the background to the Inquiry. You will learn why IICSA was set up, how the NSPCC contributed to the Inquiry, and why it’s so important for professionals working with children to be aware of the Inquiry and its findings. The episode also covers how the Inquiry engaged with victims and survivors of CSA, including the set-up of the Truth Project.

> Read the podcast transcript

Peter Wanless is Chief Executive of the NSPCC. Peter joined as Chief Executive in 2013, after running the Big Lottery Fund for 5 years. Before this he worked as a Director at the Department of Education. In the 2021 New Year’s Honours, Peter was awarded a knighthood for services to Children, to Young People and to the Charitable Sector.

Lisa McCrindle is Assistant Director in Policy, Communications and Strategic Influence at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre). She’s an experienced public policy and communications leader, researcher and evaluator with over 20 years’ experience working in public policy across the children and young people’s agenda.

Dr Maria Neophytou is the Director of Strategy and Knowledge at the NSPCC, joining in 2020 from Impetus, where she was Acting CEO. Maria has worked on strategy, public policy and research in the children’s sector for over fifteen years, exploring how we can harness evidence in aid of social change. She gained her PhD at Cambridge University, where her research was on gender equality and international relations.

> Read the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final report

> Read the CASPAR summary of the IICSA final report, and the government responses to the recommendations made

> View the CSA Centre's 'Key messages from research' series

> Access other practice resources from the CSA Centre

> Learn more about child sexual abuse

About the series

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.

This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.

Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley