Dumfries and Galloway Public Protection Partnership Newsletter - Issue 7

VOLUNTEERS' WEEK 2022

Volunteers’ Week 2022 will take place on June 1-7, with Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway once again leading the celebrations across the region.

The charity has eight free online training sessions for local organisations and prospective volunteers available to book now at: bit.ly/vwe2022

They will also be showcasing the important impact volunteers have on resident’s lives with profiles shared across their channels.

Any organisation can take part by submitting text/pictures/videos for profiles of their volunteers or their impact on the organisation to alan.hall@tsdg.org.uk

#VolunteersWeekScot

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS LEARNING NETWORK - REPORT

This is the first report of the ASN Learning Network. It summarises the background and ambition of the network and discussions from sessions with members. The network is funded by the South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and facilitated by Inspiring Scotland. It was established in October 2021 and is initially a 12 month pilot. One of its key aims is to share best practice and innovation in the South of Scotland region in transition and employability policy for young people and adults with additional support needs.

We are delighted to share the first Report from the ASN Learning Network – a group funded by SoSE and facilitated by Inspiring Scotland to look at provision and what’s needed within the ASN sector in D&G and Borders regions. 

CLICK HERE TO READ ASN LEARNING NETWORK - REPORT 1

Following a ‘Spotlight Presentation’ on Better Lives Partnership’s Bridge to Employment Programme across D&G, the B2E programme is included in the ASN Learning Network Report under section ‘Examples of Innovative Solutions’. 

We are pleased that Inspiring Scotland, and the wider group, see the work Better Lives Partnership does with young people with autism and additional barriers as innovative and important.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES TOOL

The Community Support Services tool is now live, here. It gives a factual overview of the range of community services in each of the 32 Scottish local authority areas. The information includes details on sentencing measures such as Community Payback Orders, Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, Structured Deferred Sentences, Bail Supervision, Third Sector Programmes and other relevant statutory services and interventions. The aim is to make it easier for those working across the justice sector, and beyond, to see what services are available to support individuals navigating the justice system in different parts of Scotland.

REFERRAL PATHWAY FOR RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION

Dumfries and Galloway’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership are pleased to announce that the new referral pathway for residential rehabilitation has been established. Residential rehabilitation programmes aim to support individuals to attain an alcohol and drug-free lifestyle and be re-integrated into society.

Identifying, caring for and supporting people at risk of drug and alcohol related death is complex. There is no single solution. Residential rehabilitation can make a significant contribution to reducing substance related deaths in Scotland. However, residential rehabilitation does not exist in a vacuum and it is imperative that all services are working coherently with the individual, their families and other services.

To be considered for residential rehabilitation the individual must be in service with either the Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service, We Are With You or Justice Social Work. When in service, if the individual is assessed as eligible for residential rehabilitation support, the ADP may fund or partially fund their placement. The individual must go through the proper referral routes for their funding to be considered.

An outline of the process:

UPDATE - LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION GUIDANCE 

In September 2021 Scottish Government published new National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 which replaces the 2014 version.

The Public Protection Committee endorsed the local Child Protection Implementation group’s membership, terms of reference and implementation plan in December 2021 and so our journey began... 

January 2022 involved members completing a mapping exercise to highlight current local child protection practices.  This was against revised National Child Protection Guidance to identify areas of strength as well as the challenges and the development opportunities moving forward.

The more complex operational challenges are being taken forward via existing groups or newly established short life working groups and feedback into the monthly meetings of the local Child Protection Guidance Implementation Group.    

Achievements to date:

• Initial Referral Discussion (IRD) referred to as Interagency Referral Discussion
• As from 21^st March 2022, Child Protection Case Conferences now known as Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPM).
• In addition, Child Protection Registration terminology has changed from, “primary concern/category” to “parental behaviours impacting on the child” and “main area of harm to the child”.
• A Short Life Working Group has been established to develop ways of capturing children and families lived experience and getting feedback embedded into day-to-day practice.
• The National Guidance for CP implementation - key themes, challenges/opportunities and structure - have been incorporated into the Multi-Agency Child Protection training which has been delivered on 3 occasions during February and March 2022. To date this has captured a multi-agency audience of approximately 68 delegates.             

We will continue to provide you with regular updates of local progress of implementation via the PP Newsletter and trust you find this useful.

Thanks to all who have helped us so far on this journey.

PLANNING - BRIGHT SPOTS

We are pleased to be part of the Bright Spots Programme, which supports local authorities in listening to the views of our children in care and care leavers about the things that are important to them. We conducted two surveys in January and February 2022 to capture the views of our children and young people aged 4 to 25 years old.  

This was a fantastic opportunity for us to listen to our children and young people. The survey is now closed with a fantastic response rate which has helped us to hear from 62% of our children and young people in care and 43% of our care leavers.

In the coming period,

• We will receive an analysis of the responses from our children and young people.
• Later in Spring, we will organise events to tell everyone what our children and young people feel about their lives, and to set targets to improve our services and make life better for all children and young people in care and care leavers.

We will keep you informed and involved in the next steps.

SIGNPOST TO SAFETY

‘Signpost to Safety’ is a training package produced by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Dumfries and Galloway specifically to provide partners with fire risk information and how to refer those at fire risk to SFRS for further assistance.

In Scotland there were 4264 accidental dwelling fires in the year 2019/2020. In Dumfries and Galloway these totalled 94 and we would seek to reduce this number further.

The objective for providing this training is to reduce death and injury from fire within the home and supporting independent living in our community.

The package can be delivered via Teams if required, or, preferably in person, from one of the Community Action Team, who cover all of Dumfries and Galloway. This is usually around 45 minutes delivery with an additional period of 15-20 minutes for questions and feedback.

The package gives an overview of our Home Fire Safety Visits and include such topics as: -

• Kitchen safety
• Electrical safety
• Night time routine
• Fire action plan

There is focus on the newer trends identified in Scotland – these include hoarding, airflow mattresses/cushions, including the dangers from smoking and emollient creams, mental health conditions, including dementia and the effects of chaotic lifestyles.

The training package emphasises the importance of information sharing with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and how, by sharing this information, SFRS can immediately start to make the person safer – from adding more SFRS resources to an identified address or completing joint visits for those requiring additional support.

Additionally, SFRS will attend Adult Support and Protection meetings to provide specialist fire safety advice and continued support to partners and the persons at risk from fire.

If you would like to find out more, please contact the Community Action Team sfrs.dgcat@firescotland.gov.uk.

WHAT IS PREVENT? 

The Prevent Strategy is part of the UK Government's Counter Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST). The purpose of Prevent is to safeguard and support vulnerable people to stop them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent work also extends to supporting the rehabilitation and disengagement of those already involved in terrorism. Prevent works in a similar way to programmes designed to safeguard people from gangs, drug abuse, and physical and sexual abuse. Success means an enhanced response to tackle the causes of radicalisation, in communities and online; continued effective support to those who are vulnerable to radicalisation; and disengagement from terrorist activities by those already engaged in or supporters of terrorism.

The objectives of Prevent are to:

• Tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism.
• Safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support.
• Enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.

Under the Prevent Duty Guidance for Scotland, there are several “Specified Authorities” who are obliged to take steps to stop people being drawn into terrorism - highlighting the importance of a collaborative approach to the Prevent duty. 

You can play a crucial role in recognising when a vulnerable person is being exploited or radicalised. Early identification is vital to enable the appropriate agencies to divert these individuals away from this radicalisation process. 

Prevent Awareness Training is currently being offered to Social Work staff in Dumfries and Galloway. For more information, please contact PublicProtectionTraining@dumgal.gov.uk

JOINT INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWS

Vision: We will ensure that any child in Dumfries and Galloway who needs to have a joint investigative interview will have one in a way that is trauma informed, tailored to their individual needs, and is undertaken by specialist staff to support the child’s right to protection, justice and recovery from trauma.

On the 19^{th of} May 2022, we celebrated the 1^st Anniversary of Dumfries and Galloway implementing the Scottish Government’s Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM). As we set out on this journey a year ago, we were only the third area to pilot the model and the first rural area to do so. A year on, the learning we have identified has been used to help and support a number of other Local Authority areas just setting out on their own journeys.

A core component of the model is the Joint investigative interview (JII). These are forensic interviews conducted jointly by trained police officers and social workers where there is a concern that a child has been or is being abused, and/or is witness to criminal behaviour that is likely to be traumatic for them. If we get the interview right, it can be used as ‘evidence in chief’ and the child won’t need to appear in court and be further traumatised as a result of their experiences.

This approach is rights-based in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), The Promise and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) in recognising that all children must receive the right help at the right time. It’s also integral to the Scottish Government’s vision for a Scottish Barnahaus - Bairns' Hoose - which they aim to have in place by 2025:

The new model for undertaking interviews is underpinned by an extensive training programme for Interviewers (10 weeks) which demonstrates the commitment to interviews being trauma informed and rooted in specialist knowledge about children and child development.

Our Interviewers (3 Police Officers and 3 Social Workers) completed their training in May 2021 and the pilot went live on 19th May 2021.

Feedback from Interviewers is that the intensive 10-week training has equipped them well to ensure that they undertake interviews in a much more planned and trauma-informed way, and their achievements were recognised at a National Awards Ceremony held at Tulliallan in September last year. We now have a further Social Worker and 2 Police Officers doing their training.

Over the last year, there have been many debates and discussions between Police and Social Work to make sure we are interviewing the right children for the right reasons – which has felt difficult at times but shows the strength of our partnership working.

There are still times when it is appropriate to use Interviewers who have undertaken the 5-day JII Training (usually when the child has been a witness to something rather than having been abused themselves) and we have just finished training 8 Social Workers and Police Officers to make sure we have enough Interviewers to do these. At the same time, both Police and Social Work are in the process of having some of their interviewers trained further to undertake interviews with children who meet the criteria under the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019.

Initial feedback from children is that they have found the interview experience to be supportive and helpful - even within the context of something having happened to them which means they need an interview.

We have also held focus groups for school and social work staff, and this has helped us think about how we can better support children before and after the interview – with plans being put in place to develop this.

Ongoing arrangements, developments, and improvements of SCIM in D&G are supported by the National Team and agreed through the SCIM Implementation Group and Performance and Quality Group – both of which have JII Interviewers and Managers on them. The work is overseen by the SCIM Strategic Oversight Group where agencies are represented by senior managers who report back to the Public Protection Committee.

We are proud of what we have achieved in developing this model locally and how we have contributed to the learning of other areas - particularly those who face similar challenges in relation to their rurality. But most of all, we are proud that we have skilled Interviewers and practice arrangements in place which supports children though the most difficult of processes and reduces the likelihood of them having to attend court.

We are excited to see where the next year takes us in terms of how children tell us we can improve things even further!

MISSING PEOPLE - RETURN DISCUSSION - ONLINE TRAINING

Missing People UK offers an eLearning module on conducting return discussions that is available to colleagues across the D&G Public Protection Partnership. To find out more, please contact PublicProtectionTraining@dumgal.gov.uk 

CONTACT

Thank you very much for reading this issue of the DGPPP Newsletter.

💬 If you would like to leave any feedback or contribute to the next Newsletter, please contact publicprotection@dumgal.gov.uk

Visit our DGPPP website for resources and latest Public Protection updates.