Welcome to September 2021, which for many settings is the start of the next academic year, and a time of new beginnings. As a safeguarding trainer who supports the professional development of designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), I am aware of the sense of overwhelm that many of them experience. And the publishing of new key …
‘Around 9 in 10 of the girls we spoke to said that sexist name calling and being sent unwanted explicit pictures or videos happened ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes. Inspectors were also told that boys talk about whose ‘nudes’ they have and share them among themselves like a ‘collection game’, typically on platforms like WhatsApp or …
‘The DSLs interviewed invariably described the programme as ’excellent’, ’great’ …‘very useful’ and ‘valuable’. In one instance the programme was perceived as a ‘life-saver’ as that DSL had been ‘almost on my knees’ due to an increasing workload as a result of her DSL duties. …DSLs felt they now made fewer inappropriate contacts to children’s …
My abuser said he was a scout for a professional club. I played for a team that he ran by himself, with no assistance from anyone else. He came and watched me play football at school after that, on the premise that he wanted to see how I was doing. And he scouted other boys …
“I was groomed when I was 12 by a 16 year old and haven’t told any of my closest friends and it’s been four years and I’ve been repressing it for so long that it doesn’t feel like it should matter anymore but it does and it still affects me every day because I feel …
What Adverse Childhood Experiences can tell us about trauma and the importance of safeguarding. “… being raised with a parent, a mother and a father that I had, was the reason I had mental health [difficulties], because my mum and dad were always beating the crap out of each other and taking drugs and drink. …
The focus of this week’s newsletter is Maria Colwell, whose tragic death lead to major changes in child protection in this country. The story of Maria was a watershed moment in child welfare in the UK; she has remained in collective memory and has often been referred to when similar and much more recent cases …
6 things that everyone should know right now.’ I have delivered training in Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) for many years now and I consider it an absolutely critical aspect of safeguarding knowledge that every member of the children’s workforce should have. Here is some important and up to date information about DVA that I …
‘Cos I know what these boys are like if they don’t get what they want, they’ll beat you up or get girls to beat you up and they’ll switch for no apparent reason…if you say no they consider it as being rude and they don’t like getting talked to like that, and if you’re rude …
It’s Safer Internet Day on 9 February 2021, and this usually merits a piece from me on one aspect of the ever-changing landscape of online safeguarding. What an immense challenge safeguarding children from online risks is for the children’s workforce. And what an even bigger challenge it presents for us right now – at a …