We are continuing to publish newsletters and 5-minute briefings via the Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership mailing list.

However, as we draw closer to the new partnerships’ websites going live, we urge you to sign up to the new mailing list for your respective safeguarding partnership. For some professionals, it may be relevant for you to sign up to both.

To sign up to these mailing lists, please click on the links below:

Cumberland sign up here 

Westmorland and Furness sign up here 

Pol-Ed is a Police education programme that aims to keep children safe by developing their resilience and ability to help and support each other. 

Cumbria Constabulary's Child Centred Policing Team is bringing this programme to Cumbria and would like to invite Early Years group-based settings to join a training session with them to discuss the programme and how the resources can support your young children and help to keep them safe.

You can watch a short 5 minute video to find out more about Pol-Ed https://youtu.be/w_7brjULY-Q

Briefing session

• Wednesday 23 July 2025 (2.00pm to 3.00pm)
• Wednesday 23 July 2025 (6.00pm to 7.00pm)

If you would like to join one of the meetings above, please email Laura.smyth@cumbria.police.uk for a link to join the training.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an information only version of the updates to the statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance for schools in England, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). The final version will be published in September 2025.

This version will replace previous editions of the guidance.

Changes to the content of KCSIE includes:

• the DfE's Working Together to Improve School Attendance is now statutory guidance
• changes to the list of content risks under online safety, adding in disinformation, misinformation and conspiracy theories
• more information on the DfE guidance on generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• additional information on, and clarity around, alternative provision guidance
• clarity on Virtual School Heads and their non-statutory responsibilities around children in kinship care.

You can read the full guidance in the following link:

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 - statutory guidance for schools and colleges

The Department for Education (DfE) has released the updated Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory frameworks which are effective from 1 September 2025.

• EYFS statutory framework for childminders 
• EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK

The revised documents set out updated expectations, which are aimed at improving the safety and quality of early years provision.  All registered early years providers must follow the frameworks, which include the following changes or additions:

• Updates to safer recruitment around checking references and suitability checking
• Child absences must be monitored and unexplained absences followed up
• Two emergency contacts must be held per child (other than primary carers)
• Changes around Paediatric First Aid expectations for those counting within ratios
• Changes around supervision while children are eating and clearer expectations around allergies and prevention of choking
• Privacy must be protected during intimate care
• Updated expectations of the content of safeguarding training
• Changes to safe recruitment training including obtaining references
• Providers must have clear whistleblowing procedures in place

DfE Safeguarding Training to follow

The DfE has announced it will launch a free online safeguarding training package in Spring 2026, supporting the changes to be introduced in September 2025.

The training package will be a free and universal offer open to all early years settings, educators and reception-based staff.

The 'Casey Report' is a National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and was published on 16 June. It is intended to evaluate understanding of the scale, nature and drivers of child sexual exploitation and abuse by ‘grooming gangs’ in England and Wales.

Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnerships are currently reviewing the Child Exploitation (CE) Strategy, which will remain as a Pan-Cumbria Strategy, both Partnerships are working to ensure the learning from the Casey Report is incorporated into it.

Casey Report - National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse - GOV.UK

Summary of the National audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse | NSPCC Learning

Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnership are delighted to launch their first Cumberland Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) Conference, taking place on Monday 22 September (9.15am-4.30pm), at Greenhill Hotel, Wigton.

The DSL Training Conference is open to all Designated Safeguarding Leads and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads within schools. Please note we are currently offering one place per school, however, additional requests for places are being added to a 'waiting list' and individuals will be informed when a place becomes available. 

The conference is a full day training event and is free and will include a variety of training to improve frontline safeguarding practice. A full Conference Agenda will be shared closer to the event.

How to book your place

There are still some places available. You can book a place by emailing CSCP.Training@cumbria.gov.uk, your name, job role and email address, along with stating whether you are a Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

We are delighted to share that the Cumberland Family Hubs Summer Timetables have now been published. 

There are free full of fun activities for children and families, to take part in throughout the summer holiday period.

Please cascade and encourage families to find out more here: Homepage | Cumberland Family Hubs or via Facebook Cumberland Family Hubs | Facebook

Please also see the attached document for more fun holiday ideas – Summer holiday ideas.

The Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Safeguarding Children Partnerships' have a range of training sessions across the county. 

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

Ofcom has published three reports on the online lives of children in the UK. The reports cover: children’s online spending and potential financial harm; passive measurement of children’s internet use; and platform design and user behaviour.

The reports look at different activities and themes that contribute to children’s experiences of the online world, including children’s internet use, children’s online spending and potential financial harm, and platform design and user behaviour.

Selected findings include: UK child internet users aged 8-14-years-old spent an average of 2 hours and 59 minutes a day online with girls spending more time online than boys; there is a steep growth in take up of popular social media services during the age range of 10-12-years-old; over half of children (58%) said they spent money online in the past month; and there are minimal differences between child and adult accounts across services.

Read the reports: Top trends from our latest look at UK children’s online lives

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its child development strategy for England. The report outlines how the government will work to ensure every child has the best start in life by providing better support for families and better access to quality early education and care. This includes the creation of Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, open to all but based in communities where they are needed most. These Hubs will work closely with other local children’s services to safeguard children and help families facing complex problems, particularly those supported by a dedicated family help lead practitioner. Other measures highlighted in the strategy include strengthening health services, especially maternity care and health visiting.

Read the paper: Giving every child the best start in life