GSCP Newsletter - September 2021

“The Myth of Invisible Men”

National Panel's third National Child Safeguarding Practice Review

Since July 2018, the National Panel has been notified of the death or serious harm of 257 babies under 1 year old through non-accidental injury. The complex and prevalent issue of non-accidental injury can be looked at through many different lenses. However, rapid reviews for these babies often identify the father or male carer as un-assessed or ‘invisible’ within the risk assessment process. This means the ability of the male carer to be a safe parent, or the risk they presented, was not explored. Therefore, the Panel’s third national review, published last week, is titled ‘the myth of invisible men’ because it seeks to understand why service design and practice tends to render fathers invisible and generally ‘out of sight’. CLICK HERE to read more.

Yearly Report from the GSCP Executive for 2020/2021

In order to bring transparency for children, families and all practitioners about the activity undertaken, the safeguarding partners must publish a report at least once in every 12-month period. The report must set out what they have done as a result of the arrangements, including on child safeguarding practice reviews, and how effective these arrangements have been in practice. CLICK HERE to read the report

GSCP Updated Working Together Published Arrangements

The Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership must set out how they will work together and with any relevant agencies. The purpose of these local arrangements is to support and enable local organisations and agencies to work together. The GSCP Executive have recently updated their arrangements the revised document can be found on the GSCP website (CLICK HERE) and South West Child Protection Procedures Portal (CLICK HERE)

Safeguarding for Educational Settings 2021/2022

Are you a school in Gloucestershire that currently does not subscribe to traded services for safeguarding? If so, any training/services offered by the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership and Gloucestershire Safeguarding Education Partnership are no longer provided free of charge. Therefore any training or services engaged with will come at a charge to your organisation, something that is made clear to all who sign up to attend.

Please CLICK HERE to read the offer for schools for Safeguarding through Traded Services. If you would like more information on this, please do not hesitate to contact the team via email at gsep@gloucestershire.gov.uk. Alternatively you can enquire with our training team gscetraining@gloucestershire.gov.uk about the membership packages available.

Please be aware: The GSCP require that all organisations in Gloucestershire take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 and their responsibilities under Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as ‘Relevant Agencies’; this relates to their compliance with the required  training and competencies for staff and demonstrating their understanding of ‘local arrangements’ under the GSCP’s ‘WT 2018 Published Arrangements’.