Holiday reflections and safeguarding actions for the year ahead
Happy New Year – we hope that you’ve had a great festive break and have found some time to relax and enjoy all that this time of year offers. As we return to school, many of you will know that some children’s holiday will have sadly not been a relaxing and exciting time. For others, the gift of technology, be that enhanced ‘kit’, or first devices will mean even greater amounts of time accessing content or gaming. Research points to children accessing content, including through gaming and social media at a younger and younger age. As many of you plan the term ahead, anything that can help both children, but especially parents understand both the dangers, but also the protective actions and measures including encouraging children to share their concerns and behaviours is vital.
We’ve been delighted to see so many of you at training events, conferences or from visits to your schools throughout the autumn term. This always helps us to respond to your challenges and has resulted in three new One Minute Guides having been created and a supplement to OMG 58. These, alongside all 62 (!) others can be accessed to support staff and volunteer knowledge throughout the year in your ongoing ‘drip feed’ training. We know that when being inspected, retaining a list of any such additional training is very supportive in supporting a positive view of your settings safeguarding culture.
Finally, I’m delighted that Barbara Manning starts her role as Safeguarding Practitioner this week. Barbara will be completing her induction through much of January which will include working alongside Lewis and Lara so hopefully a chance to meet some of you in doing so. We’re delighted to welcome her to the team and know the skills, experience and passions she has for safeguarding will be a huge asset to us all.
Wishing you all a safe and successful term ahead!
The Safeguarding Team
Please read the document written by Minister Phillips and Introduction Letter which explain Uniform Intelligence Hub programme and how all schools can make a vital contribution to identifying children who have been sexually exploited or abused. Please do also make every effort to have someone attend one of the 30-minute sessions, led by the Police, to enable every school upload images of their uniform.
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel - “I wanted them all to notice”
This report has been produced by our national practice review panel who have used over 130 case studies to highlight and urge all professionals to reflect on their practices in identifying intra-familial sexual abuse. We would recommend, if reading the whole document isn’t possible, DSLs read, digest and reflect on the executive summary as a minimum.
As a team, we will be working with our safeguarding partners as they consider the recommendations and will update our training to reflect the messages within.
Shore is part of The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity working to prevent all forms of child sexual abuse. It is a platform built by experts and backed by young people.
👉 Visit their website for more information!
As you know Devon LA Social Care received an Ofsted Inspection in October. Following Ofsted’s own internal quality assurance process, they have decided to visit again in the New Year to gather additional information for two to three days. The visit could take place any time from 13 January onwards. DevonSCP will be sending out a bulletin to update partners when the announcement is made.
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There have been two recent key updates from the DfE in relation to safeguarding.
Annual Report from the independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panellooks at the child safeguarding system, based on serious child safeguarding incidents occurring between April 2023 and March 2024. It highlights key themes and patterns in practice for national government and local safeguarding partners to improve the protection of vulnerable children.
Last month, the Government also published a new policy paper ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’. This gives the headlines of a reforms set out to the multi-agency safeguarding systems and framework which we all work within.
The NSPCC has published eight new case reviews in December. These are extremely useful documents to understand the landscape of key national development points and themes when safeguarding children.
There have been two recent reports into Youth Violence. One from the Youth Endowment Fund, the other from the Local Government Association. Both reports need to be considered in the context that they sit, but the findings and recommendations will be of interest.
This supplement OMG explains the process of completing a TRA check with helpful images to support. As a team we are constantly responding to feedback we receive from DSLs in areas they feel an OMG would support. Many settings are using these to support staff training across the calendar year. Look out for many more new releases in 2025!
For your information, a new family plan template has been launched by Devon SCP. Please note that while this document has been developed by Devon County Council for use by children social care practitioners, all partners need to be aware that it has been updated so that it’s simpler for both practitioners and families to use and understand. Simplified wording will help support everyone to develop a SMART plan.
Below we provided the links to the referral form and leaflets for the Barnardo’s DICE Programme for parents of 11–18-year-olds.
‘Do you have children between the age of 11-18 years?
Are you wanting to become more aware of online dangers, up to date apps, tips on how to parent a teenager, understanding their emotions & how their brain works?
Then DICE is the perfect programme for you!’
👉 DICE Leaflet
👉 Barnardo's Exceed DICE Referral Form (Parent details)
👉Barnardo's Exceed DICE Referral Form
Unfortunately, there have been an increase in concerns surrounding young people having suicidal thoughts or acting upon these thoughts. We wanted to signpost you all to some supportive material and recommendations:
• Papyrus – schools guide to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.
• Papyrus Debrief Service – available 24/7 via their HOPELINE service, this debrief service is for any professional who has had an experience with suicide or supported young people disclosing suicidal thoughts.
• Letter of Hope – Devon Partnership NHS Trust resources to provide hope and encouragement to people who are facing difficult times, including a version for young people.
• Devon Schools Wellbeing Partnership – the DSWP website pages on emotional wellbeing contain sections on suicide, self-harm, anxiety, trauma and bereavement. Signposting to resources and organisations that can support are included in the sections. There is also a staff wellbeing section.
• Parental Minds – local organisation providing support to families who are struggling with mental health. Although not directly targeted at schools/teachers, there are a range of resources on their website that may be useful, particularly the Local Mental Health Support Thrive Directory.
• Kooth– just a reminder that Kooth is available for children and young people in Devon.
You can sign up for the South West Prevent Newsletters on their website.
Should you have any concerns for an individual and believe them to be at risk of or in the processes of being radicalised please use the Prevent referral process. If, after discussing concerns with your DSL/Safeguarding team, a Prevent referral is believed to be required, they should contact the local Counter Terrorism Policing Team to seek guidance on 01392 225130 or email prevent@devonandandcornwall.pnn.police.uk – prior to submitting a referral.
Access to the AIM checklists has changed: they are now downloadable, whereas previously they were view-only. To access the AIM checklists:
1. Visit Online Resources – The AIM Project. Users will need to register as a member (free) to gain access to the resources, or sign in with an existing username and password they may already have.
2. Once you have registered or signed in you will see five options (AIM Checklists, Videos, Podcasts, Articles, Webinars). Simply click on AIM Checklists.
Note for first access: please watch the really useful video of 'How to use the AIM Checklists' and/or read the 'How to Use the AIM Checklists Guidance'.
3. Select a checklist and Checklist Outcome Form you wish to view or download.
Please always access the AIM Checklists through their website so you use the current and up to date version.
Don’t forget you can also access further advice through the Devon Safe and Healthy Sexual Behaviour Forum which is a multi-agency/service community initiative to address the concern of reactive or harmful sexual behaviour for children and young people. These forums, attended by a range of professionals are an excellent opportunity to discuss cases where schools want to seek guidance and advice.
These lunchtime and twilight sessions are for staff who are unable to access longer training, for example; teachers, and school staff, GPs and primary care staff, Mental health practitioners, senior leaders, local councillors.
Dates and Times:
21st January 2025 – bitesize lunchtime webinar – 12 to 1pm
28th January 2025 – bitesize twilight webinar – 4 to 5pm
The sessions will provide an increased awareness of the issue of parental imprisonment, the range of impacts on children and young people (and their families), the types of support that children may need to lessen these impacts. As part of the training, the short film Invisible Children will be shown. You can view the trailer on the Children Heard and Seen website. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend the session, the full 12-minute film is also available to watch.
Through raising awareness and confidence for attendees, children and young people will receive support from adults that helps to reduce their sense of shame and stigma, help them process their complex and confusing feelings, and support them to hold on to hope and realise their full potential.
This multi-agency training will be delivered by Children Heard and Seen (CHAS), a charity based in Oxfordshire who support children, young people and their families who are impacted by parental imprisonment. Children Heard and Seen over the past eight years have worked alongside 435 families and over 110 children and young people. They listen to the voices of children, and young people and train professionals and volunteers to support them as well as working to change policy nationally.
Eligibility for free school meals has been permanently extended to children from all families with NRPF, subject to the following maximum income thresholds:
• £22,700 per annum for families outside London with one child.
• £26,300 per annum for families outside London with two or more children.
These groups include:
• children of Zambrano carers.
• NRPF families with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
• NRPF families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
• a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• Chen carers or families holding a BN(O) passport.
• spousal visa holders.
• work visa holders.
• student visa holders.
• those with no immigration status.
If you think a family may be eligible, please signpost them to/support them to complete the application form for free school meals from families with NRPF and return it with the relevant supporting documents for both the immigration category and income.
Any applications submitted without supporting documents will be refused.
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A friendly reminder that this year’s S175/157 audit is closing on 1st February 2025. If you haven’t already completed and submitted your audit, please ensure this is done by the deadline.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to jonathan.galling@devon.gov.uk
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 “I just wanted to say thank you for today’s training. It was really useful, and you kept us all really engaged. We all commented on how much we got out of it afterwards.”
“This was an excellent informative refresher that is useful and easy to implement, and re-focuses the mind and renews new passion and drive - fantastic!”
“I just wanted to drop you a message to thank you for yesterday's SCR training session. It was absolutely fantastic and everyone really appreciated the session. I've heard comments about it like 'it was worth its weight in gold.”
“Thank you so much for the training yesterday – I thought it was fantastic and allowed a great opportunity for reflection for us. I really appreciated the warm way you engaged with us, challenged when needed and were so well informed. We really value the relationship that we have with Devon Educational Safeguarding and look forward to working with you again on the level 3 refreshers next academic year.”
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