Multi Agency Training and Learning Resources Update

*Watch this Space* for the August Newsletter promoting the New GSCE Training Courses and Complimentary Learning Resources 2020/21.

As you will no doubt be aware, all classroom based face to face multi-agency training has currently been suspended until the end of September 2020. This will shortly be reviewed again for the period 1st October to 31st December 2020, taking into account current advice from central Government and the ability to adhere to social distancing guidelines in all our venues.

Bear with us until we can offer a much clearer picture in the August 2020 Newsletter. Fear not, you will be able to stay up to date with your safeguarding training through our virtual training courses which will be bought online to replace the currently suspended classroom training. This offer will begin from the start of September 2020, complemented with monthly Webinars offering a blended approach to upskilling the workforce in the county.

We will detail the roll out of a new GSCE Training Platform including information on all of the replacement virtual training courses at Level 3 including Child Protection and specialist courses, a range of new and improved safeguarding children e-learning courses and lastly our new monthly Webinars on both local and National safeguarding issues, safeguarding issues of local importance and findings coming from Rapid Reviews undertaken in the county in the last six months.

Gloucestershire has undertaken nine such Rapid Reviews in the last five months and we are now in a position to roll out through the use of Webinars, some detail and insight into the learning identified in some of those cases. We hope this will be a further tool to front line colleagues safeguarding training library to assist in developing and improving practice. You will find more detail on Rapid Reviews and Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews on our website (Click here) or in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (Click here) and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's 2018/2019 Annual Report (Click here).

Please note that details of how you can register onto the GSCE Training Platform and book onto these training courses and Webinars will be outlined in the August edition of our Newsletter and on the GSCE website, please do not contact us before then.

New online app: Childhood Local Data on Risks and Needs (CHLDRN)

To read more, and download the app, please Click here.

The Children's Commissioner's office will be running a series of webinars to demonstrate how to use the app (only 4th & 5th August remaining at the time of sending this Newsletter). You can register for the webinars Click here.

For more information on childhood vulnerability in England 2019, please Click here

Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel

Latest information from the CSPR Panel:
National review into sudden unexpected death in infancy in families where children are considered at risk of significant harm. Click here

To receive regular updates from the CSPR Panel you can sign up to receive regular Newsletters by Clicking here

Lots of retailers are advertising face masks for babies and toddlers. The Government and Public Health England state face masks should not be used for babies and children under the age of 2. Please Click here to read further advice from the NHS.

Coronavirus: child suicide.

The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) has published a report looking at child death by suicide in England during lockdown. Analysis of figures show that in 2020, during the 82 days before lockdown, there were 26 likely child suicides and a further 25 in the first 56 days of lockdown. The report notes that: there is a concerning signal that child suicide deaths may have increased during the first 56 days of lockdown, and that amongst the likely suicide deaths reported after lockdown, restriction to education and other activities, disruption to care and support services, tensions at home and isolation appeared to be contributing factors.

Read the news story: Briefing published: child suicide during COVID-19
Read the report: Child suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic in England: real-time surveillance.