The DfE are pleased to announce that a new children and young people's illustrated guide to the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children was published  on 12 May 2025.  This brilliant guide is accompanied by a short animation for children and young people, which explains how people who help, support and protect them work together and what they can expect when they need help.

The Government has worked in collaboration with children and young people when designing these materials, including the DfE's Social Care Advisory Board, facilitated by the National Children's Bureau.  We know that children and young people find clear effective communication really important and that they want information to be shared openly with them, so they can understand what services they should receive and how they can access help and support. 

The guide and animation can be used by children and young people independently, or with the support of an adult.

A toolkit is available for practitioners to promote the guide and help everyone understand how they can use this guide to support children and young people.  This toolkit can be requested by emailing: workingtogether.statutoryguidance@education.gov.uk.

The Child Centred Policing Team have secured funding for the Pol-Ed resource from West Yorkshire Police. 

Pol-Ed offers schools a range of lessons, assemblies and assessment resources that are mapped out to the PSHE programme, and the resources are free for all schools. 

To support the launch of Pol-Ed in Cumbria, there are 2 webinars available for school representatives to dial into.

Pol-Ed will go live on 2 June. Therefore, please try and send at least 1 representative from your school to the webinars, so that you can see how the system works, and how to register and set up users. A suggestion of who should attend would be the PSHE lead, DSL, DDSL or headteacher/deputy head.

Please ensure you register for the webinar of your choice in advance, which can be done by clicking the links below:

• Wednesday 4 June 2.00pm - 3.00pm - click here to register
• Thursday 5 June 10.00am - 11.00am click here to register

Since the launch of the new Cumberland Single Contact Form in November 2024, the Cumberland Safeguarding Hub have been accepting referrals using both the new and old versions of the Single Contact Form, as part of a transition period.

However, as of Thursday 1 June 2025, Cumberland Safeguarding Hub will only accept the new version of the Single Contact Form, which can be found on the CSCP Website: here. 

As a reminder, within the new Single Contact Form, there are three different types of referrals that can be sent to the Cumberland Safeguarding Hub:

1. Referrals from a professional who works with children, young people and families, who as concerns about a child or is seeking Family Help support.
2. Referrals from an adult (member of the public) with concerns about a child.
3. Referrals from a child with concerns.

What does this mean for me?

If you have saved a link to the old version of the Single Contact Form as a favourite on your computer, please delete this and refer to the CSCP website for the most up to date version (here), as the old version will no longer be accepted by the Cumberland Safeguarding Hub from Thursday 1 June 2025.

If you have any questions or queries in relation to this change, please do not hesitate to contact the Cumberland Safeguarding Hub via email: safeguardinghub.fax@cumbria.gov.uk.

You may or may not be aware that the CSCP facilitate two Practitioner Forums in Cumberland. One for the Allerdale, Copeland & Millom area and another for the Carlisle area.  

These forums provide an opportunity to develop common practice across Cumberland and help people who work with children and young people learn from each other, understand each other's roles and responsibilities and what local provision is available in Cumberland.

At each meeting, guest speakers attend to provide an insight into varied topics. We have been delighted to have recently had presentations from CAMHs, Barnardo’s, the Child Centred Policing Team, a Child Bereavement Charity, Active Cumbria and many more. There is also an opportunity within each meeting for practitioners to network and provide any updates in relation to their service or organisation.  

Anyone who works with children and young people is able to join our Practitioner Forum to share knowledge and understanding, to safeguard children in Cumberland. Please see below the upcoming meeting dates for both Forums:

A message from your Family Help Area Officers. 

As we approach the end of the school year, if you have any children who have an open Early Help Assessment, who are transitioning to a new nursery, school or college, please remember to invite someone from the new nursery, school or college to your next couple of TAF meetings and let parents know they will be attending. During the meeting, please discuss with the family the change of coordinator if you haven’t already done so.

After the meeting, please ensure that you complete the online Change of Coordinator Form: scformcmb.cumbria.gov.uk/DataForms/EHChg1Intro.aspx

Please also ensure that you share any appropriate paperwork with the new Coordinator.

If you are to be the new Coordinator, please ensure that you complete a new Consent Form with the family.

If you have been unable to have someone from the new nursery, school or college attend the meeting, please let them know you will be completing the Change of Coordinator Form and sharing paperwork, as appropriate.

If you have any questions about any of the above, please use the contact details below:

West Cumberland Area

• Karen Ross, Family Help Area Officer, Partnership and Assurance karen.ross@cumberland.gov.uk

North Cumberland Area

• Mags Moorhead, Family Help Area Officer, Partnership and Assurance mags.moorhead@cumberland.gov.uk

There have been some minor amendments to the Early Help Assessment and Review Process in Westmorland and Furness. The updated process, which can be found on the CSCP website, specifies each step of the assessment and review process, including opportunities for additional support that may be required when plans aren’t progressing. 

The update highlights a requirement for Early Help plans to have a whole family approach to assessment and planning. The second change adds in an additional element which requires schools and settings to copy in the Family Help Business Support team email address (family.help.waf@cumbria.gov.uk) when they distribute reviewed Early Help Plans. These will then be uploaded to the child file.

These changes will help to ensure that the Local Authority have access to the most up to date plan for the child or young person, which will assist the multi-agency Children’s Hub make clear and informed decisions. Furthermore, having access to the most up to date plan, will help to avoid data breaches by having the current coordinator recorded, and will allow us to make sure that the right people are receiving accurate and timely information for children and young people on Early Help plans.

Early Help Assessment and Review Process 

The CSCP are delivering an array of training sessions. Please review below the current training being delivered, either face to face or via Teams.

Please also visit our learning zone on our website for all our eLearning courses offered to professionals and volunteers working with children/young people and their families who live in Cumbria.

Important information - As of 1 April 2025, Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership ceased to exist. There are now two new Safeguarding Partnerships for Cumbria - one for the Cumberland area and one for the Westmorland & Furness area. Therefore, please see below the training dates for each council area.” 

Child Safety Week is the Child Accident Prevention Trust’s annual community education campaign, acting as a catalyst for thousands of safety conversations and activities, across the UK.

The aim of Child Safety Week is to help families build confidence and skills in managing the real risks to children’s safety.

Please look out for our Child Safety Week 5 Minute Briefing, that will be published on Monday 2 June, which will provide you with advice and resources to support with child safety.

In the meantime, for more information about Child Safety Week, please visit the Child Prevention Trust’s website: Child Safety Week | Child Accident Prevention Trust

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week provides an annual opportunity to discuss the importance of supporting babies’ mental health and wellbeing.

Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (IMHAW) 2025 is taking place from 9 - 15 June 2025 and the theme this year will be 'Who is holding the baby?'

For more information, please visit: IMHAW - Parent-Infant Foundation

The North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and the six forces across the North West form part of the national Cyber Prevent Network. Together, the group work to prevent individuals from becoming involved in cyber crime and provide positive diversions that could lead to qualifications and employment in the cyber industry.

The Cyber Prevent Network is led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) who have developed the Cyber Choices programme to encourage positive online activity. Across the country, the Cyber Prevent Network is strategically managed by the Regional Organised Crime Units. Cyber Prevent is then locally delivered by the Cyber Prevent Officers in the six Police forces, including Cumbria.

The group work to identify, and work with, individuals who are at risk of becoming involved in cyber dependent crime. Anyone can make a referral to the Cyber Prevent Network if they have concerns about someone’s online activity. They will not be criminalised by this process.

Once accepted onto the Cyber Choices programme, the group will work with them to:

• provide education on the Computer Misuse Act 1990
• identify their skills and interests
• use diversionary activities, such as online labs and games to reinforce education
• signpost them to digital qualifications and careers advice.

Cyber Prevent Network also work with partner agencies and private industry to identify opportunities to develop resources, increase awareness of legislation and promote Cyber Choices.

If you work with children and young adults, it is important to recognise the risks to them from straying into online criminality. It should be treated in the same way that criminality in the physical world impacts on a child. Their safety, wellbeing and life chances can be affected and very often they can be unknowingly breaking the law or be groomed or exploited into doing illegal acts online.

The Cyber Choices programme was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way. Anyone can make a Cyber Choices referral - there is no minimum or maximum age, anyone can be referred into the Cyber Prevent Network. The group seek to educate NOT criminalise. This is not a punitive sanction and participation in Cyber Choices is entirely voluntary. People under 18 years will need to have support of an adult who can be present during our sessions.

More information regarding the programme can be found at www.cyberchoices.uk. If you have need advice or have concerns about someone we can help, it is easy to make a referral, simply email us: cyber@cumbria.police.uk

The Child Accident Prevention Trust have provided updated information to help us all to be aware of ways of preventing accidents and keeping children safe as we enjoy the summer weather.

Summer safety tips: 8 reminders to keep children safe this summer