Ep 15: Contextual Safeguarding: In conversation with Dr Carlene Firmin MBE

Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to understanding and responding to, young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. Parents and carers have little influence over these contexts, and young people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships.

Contextual safeguarding recognises the impact of the public/social context on young people's lives, and consequently their safety. Contextual safeguarding seeks to identify and respond to harm and abuse posed to young people outside their home, either from adults or other young people.

Working Together to Safeguarding children (2018) tells us that: 

“As well as threats to the welfare of children from within their families, children may be vulnerable to abuse, or exploitation from outside their families.” Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018), paragraph 33

Contextual Safeguarding is based on research and extensive trials in multi-agency safeguarding hubs, led by Dr Carlene Firmin, Principal Research Fellow, University of Bedfordshire. Information about the research and its practical application can be found at the Contextual Safeguarding Network 

(www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk ). Membership of the network is free and allows access to a wealth of resources.

Ep 14: Understanding Trauma-Informed practice with DSL Claire Harwood

DSL, Claire Harwood talks to Safeguarding Days about Trauma-Informed Practice, and how her school have shifted their approach to understanding student behaviour, asking 'whats happened' and not 'what's wrong'.

In the Podcast, Claire references some fantastic resources which can be found here:

• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/trauma/treatment-and-support/
• https://www.nctsn.org/treatments-and-practices/psychological-first-aid-and-skills-for-psychological-recovery/about-pfa
• https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/

Safeguarding Days! is a bespoke web-based Safeguarding CPD platform, with monthly videocasts for Stowe Valley MAT staff; looking at the latest safeguarding news, research and guidance.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020) says: that In addition to your formal training; your knowledge and skills should be updated at regular intervals, to keep up with any developments relevant to your role.

Ofsted ask at most Inspections: ‘how do you keep your knowledge up to date with respect to safeguarding?’

The answer: www.SafeguardingDays.co.uk – it’s your hub for regular CPD, informative videocasts, updates, resources and more!

You can continue to sign up to Safeguarding Days! at www.SafeguardingDays.co.uk for the latest safeguarding news, analysis of guidance and videocast versions of the CPD episodes.  

This is also your one-stop shop for booking face to face and virtual Safeguarding CPD with Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust.

Follow us on Twitter: @SafeguardingCPD

Safeguarding Days! December Trailer 2020

Safeguarding Days! is a bespoke web-based Safeguarding CPD platform, with monthly videocasts for Stowe Valley MAT staff; looking at the latest safeguarding news, research and guidance.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020) says: that In addition to your formal training; your knowledge and skills should be updated at regular intervals, to keep up with any developments relevant to your role.

Ofsted ask at most Inspections: ‘how do you keep your knowledge up to date with respect to safeguarding?’

The answer: www.SafeguardingDays.co.uk – it’s your hub for regular CPD, informative videocasts, updates, resources and more!

You can continue to sign up to Safeguarding Days! at www.SafeguardingDays.co.uk for the latest safeguarding news, analysis of guidance and videocast versions of the CPD episodes.  

This is also your one-stop shop for booking face to face and virtual Safeguarding CPD with Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust.

Special Episode: Leading Safeguarding across a MAT -  Louis Donald at the Schools & Academies Show 2020

Leading a MAT Safeguarding Strategy in the New Normal

How to provide support for your DSL to effectively manage the increased call of duty as a result of the pandemic

• Measuring operational capacity and analysing emerging risk post lockdown and during times of educational uncertainty
• Practical tips for strategic leaders around quality assuring the work going on to support children in school
• Learning to proactively spot any rise in concerns using a traffic-light system for measuring comparable case data

On 17 February 2014, Breck Bednar, 14 was killed by 18-year-old Lewis Daynes at a flat Essex. Bednar knew Daynes only through online gaming and had never met him in person until he visited Daynes’s flat on the day of the murder.

In this episode, we explore this really important learning event for safeguarding leaders. For me, it's an important reminder that young people play an important role in the wellbeing and safety of themselves & friends by recognising signs of grooming & exploitation.

The Breck Foundation is a charity founded by Lorin LaFave after the tragic loss of her 14-year old son, Breck Bednar, in 2014, through online grooming.

Breck was groomed while enjoying his passions of computing and gaming.
We want to ensure that no child is harmed through grooming and
exploitation while enjoying their time on the internet. Prevention through education is essential.

The Breck Foundation uses the motto: ‘play virtual, live real’ to remind everyone never to meet up alone in a private place with someone they have met only online.

The Department for Education (DfE) is publishing a voluntary code of safeguarding practice for out-of-school settings (OOSS).

The non-statutory code of practice is intended to support providers of OOSS. It covers advice on what policies and procedures providers should have in place for health and safety, safeguarding and child protection, staff suitability, and governance.

The guidance for parents and carers is intended to help parents choose a safer setting for their child.

In this episode of Safeguarding Days, we will work through that document and its different sections, to support our own understanding and ability to help parents identify safe settings for their own children and young people, out of school hours. 

Twenty summers have passed since Klara Garcia was hacked to death on a patch of wasteland, but her murder still casts its eerie shadow over the city of San Fernando in southern Spain. 

In this episode, we explore how Iria Suarez-Gonzalez went from convicted murderer to classroom TA in a primary school in Oxford – and analyse the case to identify any learning for our own practice!

DBS Code of Practice: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/474742/Code_of_Practice_for_Disclosure_and_Barring_Service_Nov_15.pdf

Advice on employing overseas candidates: https://safeguardingdays.co.uk/Resource/Recruit teachers from overseas – GOV.UK.pdf

Presented by Louis Donald, Trust Safeguarding Manager - @Ldonald_DSL on Twitter. 

We are really pleased to be joined in episode 8 by Marina Kitchen, Service Manager for Early Help & Targeted Support Services at Warwickshire County Council. 

In this episode, Louis Donald, Trust Safeguarding Manager speaks to Marina about Early Help in Warwickshire, her experiences of safeguarding children; and together we discuss the challenges of Safeguarding post-Covid-19.

Presented by Louis Donald, Trust Safeguarding Manager - @Ldonald_DSL on Twitter. 

Inspired by the recent NSPCC report into the importance of understanding and talking to children about racism, this episode offers advice to help you understand how to talk to children about race and racism, and what you can do to support a child who’s experiencing racial bullying.

Resources mentioned:

• Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice’ 
• A parent’s guide to Black Lives Matter
• The Huffington Post: Microagressions Black people deal with
• Unicef UK: Anti-racism resource pack
• Talking to Kids about Racism, Early and Often‘ 
• How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism
• 56 Black Men 
• NSPCC shop 

Worried about a child?

If you’re worried about a child or young person, you can contact the NSPCC helpline for support and advice for free – call us on 0808 800 5000 or contact us online.

Children can contact Childline any time to get support themselves.Get support

Presented by Louis Donald, Trust Safeguarding Manager - @Ldonald_DSL on Twitter. 

This videocast explores the Serious Case Review into the death of Child KN15 from Nottinghamshire and identifies the learning opportunities that can be taken from. 

KN15 aged 13, died shortly after 17.50pm on Saturday, May 13, 2015, inside a hedgerow off Westfield Lane, Mansfield, as a result of hanging.

KN15 had made her way directly inside the hedgerow after leaving her home address following an argument with her family. 

Assistant coroner Laurinder Bower said she could not be sure if KN15 intended to kill herself after she crept into bushes after going missing from home and hanged herself. She concluded following the four-week inquest into the death of the teen.

Miss Bower also said that social services missed “at least 11 opportunities” to intervene in KN15's life. 

Chris Few, the Independent Chair of the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board, which aims to support and enable organisations and agencies to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. He said: “The death of KN15 was tragic and our thoughts are with everyone who knew her.

“We owe it to KN15 to learn from what happened and Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board commissioned a serious case review to examine what could be learnt that would lead to improvements in the protection of children.

Presented by Louis Donald, Trust Safeguarding Manager - @Ldonald_DSL on Twitter.