Source: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
Date: 14 May 2021

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its second annual report looking at how effectively the system of national and local child safeguarding practice reviews is operating in England. The Panel received notification of 482 serious incidents between 1 January and 31 December 2020, relating to 514 children. Of those notifications, 206 were in relation to child deaths and 267 related to serious harm. Of the 206 fatal incidents, 17% were caused by maltreatment within the family, 8% were extra-familial assaults or homicide, 31% were sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) and 20% were suicides. Notifications relating to serious harm notifications show that: physical abuse was the main form of harm recorded in 38% of non-fatal cases; domestic abuse was recognised in 42.6% of non-fatal incidents; and parental mental ill-health was a characteristic in 27.3% of non-fatal incidents. The report identifies six key practice themes to make a difference in reducing serious harm and preventing child deaths caused by abuse or neglect. A briefing summarising learning from this report will be published by NSPCC Learning next week.

Read the press release: Safeguarding system needs to tackle “stubborn challenges”
Read the report: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2020

Source: NSPCC Learning
Date: 05 May 2021

NSPCC Learning has relaunched the safeguarding self-assessment tool for schools and voluntary and community groups. The free self-assessment tool provides: a step-by-step guide to help your school or organisation meet best safeguarding and child protection practices, help to identify areas for development, and support you in making any changes necessary.

Visit the self-assessment tool: Safeguarding and child protection self-assessment tool

Source: Home Office, Ministry of Justice
Date: 29 April 2021

The Domestic Abuse Bill received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021. The Domestic Abuse Act explicitly recognises children as victims if they see, hear or experience the effects of abuse and includes a legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including emotional, coercive or controlling behaviour, and economic abuse.

Read the news story: Landmark Domestic Abuse Bill receives Royal Assent
Read the Act: Domestic Abuse Act

See also on NSPCC Learning 
Protecting children from domestic abuse

Sexual abuse in schools

Source: Ofsted
Date: 07 April 2021

Ofsted has published the terms of reference for the review of safeguarding policies in state and independent schools and colleges in England in relation to sexual abuse. The review will: look at: whether schools and colleges have appropriate processes in place to allow pupils to report sexual abuse concerns freely, knowing these will be taken seriously; look at whether there is sufficient guidance for schools and colleges on how they should deal with sexual harassment and violence allegations, and whether they understand and implement guidance well; and identify whether current inspection regimes in both state and private schools are strong enough to address concerns and promote the welfare of children.

Read the terms of reference: Ofsted review of sexual abuse

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Protecting children from peer-on-peer sexual abuse

Sutton's Local Children Safeguarding Partnership launch a new Child Safeguarding Toolkit

Sutton's Local Children Safeguarding Partnership (LSCP) is delighted to launch a new and unique Child Safeguarding Toolkit- a comprehensive learning resource for everyone who comes into contact with children and young people. This is part of our longstanding commitment to help prevent future serious injury or harm to children.

The Toolkit has been designed and led by Sutton Council, the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group), schools and the police, working with the national Virtual College. It applies all contexts of child and family practice and provides practical, on-line child protection guidance and training for students and trainees; front-line practitioners; designated safeguarding leads; managers; senior leaders, academics and the judiciary. 

This interactive Toolkit includes animations, bite-size and e-learning modules with up-to-date legislation, guidance and practice resources- all drawing on learning from both local and national Serious Case Reviews (SCRs), many highlighted in the first annual report of the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. It also covers the new requirements to undertake Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews under Working Together 2018.

The resources and e-learning modules are based on 10 key safeguarding principles to support all those confronted with child neglect and abuse, or young people being exploited and going missing. The course details 10 case scenarios that draw on the real lived experiences of children, based on some of the most commonly repeated SCR themes. Domestic abuse and violence is a feature in many of these SCRs. The e-learning has been split into four levels, each representing the varying degrees of responsibility and knowledge that individuals have in their current role.  

The golden thread running through the Toolkit is – Keep Listening to the Voice of the Child.

Christine Davies CBE, Sutton LSCP Independent Scrutineer and Board Chair, said:

"The Child Safeguarding Toolkit provides everything you need to know about child protection in one place. The 10 key safeguarding principles were drawn together by Sutton's local safeguarding partners, working with schools and are based on the real stories of children, as covered in Serious Case Reviews undertaken across the country. These underpin this unique, easily accessible range of resources, developed for awareness raising as well as training for all those in contact with children. We are particularly grateful to Sutton's CCG for initiating this work and to the Virtual College for developing the outstanding e-learning modules. We hope that safeguarding practice will be supported and strengthened, through using this thorough and extensive toolkit".

All of the Toolkit's training and resource materials are free and can be accessed on this link:   https://www.childsafeguardingtoolkit.org.uk