|
Welcome to the first newsletter from the Public Protection Partnership in 2024. We aim to keep you updated with the latest news in the public protection arena – thank you to all our partners for their contributions. The 13th edition of the DGPPP newsletter features a special article about our Public Protection Week in 2024.
As a multi-agency group, we are responsible for the oversight development and delivery of services to the most vulnerable children and adults who are at risk of or are experiencing harm. If you have a question relating to any of the content you read today, please reach-out to the team using one of the contact methods at the end of the newsletter.
 Public Protection Week 2024
Public Protection Week was successfully held from Monday 12 to Friday 16 February with an additional event on Wednesday 21 February, and consisted of seven online events and three in person. The theme this year was lived and lived experience.
Over 190 attended the events during Public Protection Week that included online presentations about Gambling Harm, Child Neglect, Families Outside, Housing First Model and Best Practice in Lived Experience.
The two in person events held during the week were at Summerhill Community Centre and Trauma Training at Mountainhall Treatment Centre. The additional event after Public Protection Week was self-neglect training, also held at Mountainhall.
Three of the online events had BSL (British Sign Language) interpretation to make the sessions as accessible as possible to those who had requested this facility.
There was a successful social media campaign during Public Protection Week on the council’s Facebook and X pages. The days’ themes focused on the organisations that were presenting. Click here to see this years' programme.
On 20 February the theme was National Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Day and focused on dual themes, general ASP Awareness, and sextortion. A press release and social media post featured.
A special thanks goes to health colleagues who had stalls at DGRI, Mountainhall Treatment Centre and Galloway Hospital, alongside colleagues from Out of Hours Social Work (OOH SW).
Summerhill Community Centre Event (14 February)
The Summerhill Centre presentation on 14 February began with a seven minute mini-film of young people as the actors of a siege at Caerlaverock Castle.
The clip was filled with good humour and instantly highlighted the 'feel-good' developmental opportunities available through Summerhill Centre.
Next was a slideshow of community activities involving all ages and partnership working opportunities to benefit the wider community.
AnneMarie Coulter, the centre manager, asked those in the audience for buzz words to identify what they could see happening throughout these community activities. This interactive process was a friendly and inspiring activity, identifying lots of key words that highlighted the positive sense of community spirit, togetherness and kindness shared between all age groups.
Next was an informative presentation discussing Summerhill Centre and its many different events and activities such as Older Peoples Services, Youth Services and Food Hub. Each project highlighted how this is a safe space for children, young people, adults, and older people to participate or volunteer. The centre included a snapshot of some projects such as the peer mentoring and lived experience programmes, which supports and empowers each other. This is one strand of the Amazing Futures Project which also offers many other activities such as online training, placements, lunch clubs, fitness, and wellbeing activities.
Discussion also highlighted the Amazing Futures Prison Visitors Support Project – supporting those who have a family member or friend in prison and providing opportunities for those due to be released from prison.
For further information about Summerhill Community Centre click here.
|
Out of Hours Partners Across Public Protection Week
As part of Dumfries and Galloway’s Public Protection Week, Out-of-Hours (OOH) Social Work joined key public protection partners on 15 February at a drop-in at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
Colleagues from Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Public Protection Team NHS spoke to staff and members of the public about each other’s roles in OOH.
There was a focus on the importance of partnership working to help keep vulnerable people across Dumfries and Galloway safe. Partners were delighted to meet with Councillors Pauline Drysdale (Chair of the council's Social Work Committee) and Chrissie Hill (Vice Chair of the Social Work Committee) who came to find out about what OOH Social Work does.
OOH Social Work also held drop-in sessions at Mountainhall Treatment Centre, Dumfries, on 16 February and the Galloway Community Hospital, Stranraer, on 21 February, when staff and members of the public had the opportunity to meet OOH staff and discuss the varied work that is undertaken on out-of-hours. It is often challenging on OOH to gain feedback from individuals who contact the service. It was a highlight for the team to meet a family who provided positive comments from their involvement in the service.
|
Are you an organisation interested in being involved in Public Protection Week 2025? If so, please email publicprotectiontraining@dumgal.gov.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.
ASPire – an Adult Support and Protection Innovation and Reflection Event
Sandie Donald, Lead Officer Public Protection (ASP) and Hamish McGhie, the Independent Chair of the Public Protection Committee, were fortunate to attend the first in-person ASPire learning event held in Stirling on 22 February.
The event was hosted by The National Adult Support and Protection Learning and Development Network (NASPL&DN) alongside Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS). This was the second in a series of regular events aimed at sharing best practice and learning, while proactively addressing any areas for improvement in ASP.
The program included a session on:
- Sextortion, delivered by Police Scotland.
- Learning from the case of AB, by the Mental Welfare Commission. Read more here.
- Undue Pressure, by Nairn Young.
- ASP Learning Reviews, by the Care Inspectorate.
There were also themed workshops including large scale investigations, self-neglect and hoarding, ASP decision making tool, service user engagements and much more.
Sandie said: "This was an exciting event and opportunity for people who work in ASP to get together and share learning, best practice and consider current themes and pressures in the ASP world. There will be future events in person and online, suitable for a wide range of roles working in ASP. I highly recommend attending if suitable to your working role."
Keep an eye out for information from the Public Protection Team for future ASPire sessions happening in 2024–2025.
 Langlands School Marks Purple Friday
Langlands School marked Purple Friday, LGBT Youth Scotland's annual fundraising and awareness event, on 23 February. This involved them wearing purple, distributing badges and purple ribbons, eating purple snacks and also having fun. They signed or added their handprint to a pride flag to show their commitment to equality and inclusion for everyone. In total they managed to raise £50 on the day.
Faith Organisations
Dumfries and Galloway Public Protection Partnership understands that faith and faith organisations can be a source of resilience and hope to many. As such, it is important to highlight the requirements of faith organisations as laid out in the National Guidance for Child Protection 2021 (updated 2023).
It is necessary for organisations to have a designated lead role for child protection and up to date and readily accessible child protection guidance which is widely understood, disseminated and embedded within their organisations. Child protection leads have a role in sharing concerns about children to police or social work and in developing and maintaining their organisation’s policies and procedures. Regular training should be undertaken as well as having awareness of Dumfries and Galloway Public Protection Committee and local procedures.
The National Guidance for Child Protection 2021 (updated 2023) states:
"Fundamental preventative steps for faith organisations include: safe recruitment practices; safe practice in pastoral support with children and young people; online safety advice for appropriate use of digital and social media; child protection training for staff and volunteers; awareness raising within the faith community, for instance in relation to grooming processes; and the name and contact details for someone to speak to about any concerns."
For any support and advice, please contact Clare Cowan, Public Protection Lead Officer (Child Protection) by emailing clare.cowan@dumgal.gov.uk
Share Your Mental Wellbeing Tips and Experience With Mind to Mind
Hearing about the lived experience of others can help with life’s daily stresses. Change Mental Health is working with NHS Inform and Scottish Government on the Mind to Mind mental health resource, which features video and audio of different people talking about how they deal with life’s challenges. They would like to hear from more people about their mental wellbeing challenges to help others who may be going through the same.
Have you experienced social isolation and loneliness, mental health stigma and discrimination, or is your mental health being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and/or living in poverty? Then please get in touch.
You might want to share the difficult patch you went through and the practical advice, tips and support that helped you. You might want to share your ups and downs and the challenges you’ve faced that can help other people engage with relevant and similar mental health support.
Contact kieran.scott@changemh.org if you are keen to share your lived experience, or know someone or an organisation that would be happy to help out.
Change Mental Health is keen to hear from a broad range of communities. If you are generally keen to share your lived experience of mental health and the things you do to look after your mental wellbeing, then that’s great – we want to hear from many people from many backgrounds and communities across Scotland.
|
Provide Feedback on the Public Protection Website
The Public Protection Partnership is committed to the continual improvement and development of its website. We would really encourage you to give us your opinions so we can make our website even better.
Contact Social Work
Adult Services (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm) 030 33 33 3001 Accessteam@dumgal.gov.uk
Children and Families (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm) 030 33 33 3001 Accessteam@dumgal.gov.uk
Out of hours (Monday to Friday between 5pm and 8am, All day Saturday and Sunday) Call 01387 273660 or email socialworkoutofhours@dumgal.gov.uk for help outside normal working hours or on any bank holiday, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
 Do you have a news story that you think would be great for our next newsletter?
Any queries relating to any of the content you have read today?
|
