December

Roles and responsibilities for the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) 

The roles and responsibilities for the DSL and DDSL has been updated. This document will also be available to see on the new BCP Council web page too.

November

Supporting your practice

The BCP Council early years Record keeping guidance document is a key tool to support your safeguarding practice.

Effective Safeguarding Recording training is available throughout the year.

This training will support your practice and is available for all early years practitioners. Please book in the usual way on CPD online.

National Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) case review repository

The national case review repository, launched in November 2013, is the most comprehensive collection of case reviews in the UK. The collection also includes case reviews published anonymously on behalf of Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

The case reviews have important lessons about how professionals can improve practice to better protect children.

Childline posters

National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Learning has updated its series of Childline posters encouraging children to contact Childline if they need to talk.

Child Safeguarding Practice Review

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review from the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children's Partnership (PDSCP) is now available.

PDSCP Supervision for Safeguarding

This training will focus on what supervision is and why it is important in keeping children safe from harm. It will introduce an integrated model of supervision which can be used to underpin good supervision practice across a multi professional network and in a variety of settings.

This training will also include factors that may affect analysis and decision making and explore tools that can be used in supervision to encourage professional curiosity and defensible practice. Participants will explore how as supervisors they can promote good outcomes for children through paying attention to the emotional impact of safeguarding practice on their supervisees.

Book on with Dorset Nexus.

Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership Newsletter

Download the November edition of the PDSCP newsletter.

October

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) news - Family support

The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a blog proposing a series of policies to support families in England.

Proposals include:

• an expansion of the family hubs network to provide an access point for families to get help in every community in England
• doubling funding for the Supporting Families programme for families facing multiple disadvantages
• providing support for families and children who are in need including free breakfast clubs and an extension of the holiday activities fund.

Find more information at The Big Ask:family.

Babies harmed by male carers

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published a review of the circumstances involved in cases where babies under-one-year-old have been harmed or killed by their fathers or other males in a caring role. Findings include:

• a range of risk factors were common in many of the cases
• a lack of information sharing was a key factor that prevented practitioners from responding to risk to babies
• many services aimed at new parents are predominantly focused on the mother.

Recommendations include that the government should fund pilots to develop holistic work with fathers and the engagement of fathers must be embedded in prospective and current family-focused programmes. View the research and analysis.

Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (PDSCP) training newsletter for October.

Parents in Sport Week 2021

The NSPCC Parents in Sport Week 2021 runs from 4 to 10 October. The campaign focuses on giving parents the information and tools they need to help keep their child safe in sport including:

• e-learning course for parents on how to keep children safe
• an animation for parents on what abuse might look like in sport and how to get help 
• updated parents' hub on the CPSU website.

National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) learning

Child sexual abuse

Ofsted have released a podcast episode looking at its recent sexual abuse in education review. Guests, including the report author, discuss how the review was carried out and what the inspectors discovered.

Safeguarding disabled children

We all have a responsibility to keep all children and young people safe. A child having a disability, being d/Deaf or needing additional support should never stop someone acting on child protection concerns. Guidance on protecting d/Deaf and disabled children and young people from abuse. 

Please find in the links for the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (PDSCP) newsletter for September and 'The Myth of Invisible Men' document highlighting working with fathers to become more effective at safeguarding under one's.

Dangers of magnets

Please share this important safety information from Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) with your teams and families about the dangers of magnets.
We see more high powered magnets in our everyday lives.
But did you know that if they are swallowed, they can badly injure, or even kill? 

Choking resources

The Food Standards Agency have issued some useful resources, a hazards poster and table which can be displayed in your setting where food is prepared and served to children, as a helpful reminder of how to minimise the risk of choking.

Take Action Today, Put Them Away campaign

We've joined forces with ROSPA on a new safety campaign highlighting the dangers of accidental poisonings from household products such as laundry capsules and other cleaning products. We are aiming to reach as many families with under-fives as possible.

We have a range of free resources for parents including a checklist, factsheet and magnetic pads that can be placed on the fridge with key safety messages on how to prevent accidental poisoning among children. 

Please help us spread the word by collecting a resources pack, including fridge magnets, from your local family hub. Parents are more than welcome to collect packs themselves. Help us save lives.

Signs of Safety (SofS) half day training for early years providers

You are able to book on to free sessions of half day training on the key principles and processes of the SofS. The training covers key elements such as:

• values that drive the SofS practice within Child Centred Practice
• the principles of what good Children's Services Toolbox - SofS practice looks like
• processes that workers will follow to help families and their networks create and stick to plans that makes a real difference for their children / young people
• practice tools that workers will be using with families, their children / young people and networks.

The dates and times available on Teams are:

• Tuesday 2 November 1.30 to 4.30pm
• Thursday 27 January 9.30am to 12.30pm
• Thursday 10 March 1.30 to 4.30pm

Please contact Ashleigh Browning via email to ashleigh.browning@bcpcouncil.gov.uk with your name, job role, employer and preferred session.