Source: Children’s Commissioner
Date: 26 July 2023

The Children’s Commissioner for England has launched a survey focusing on whether care experience should become a protected characteristic. The Commissioner is seeking views from: children in care; care experienced people; and professionals who work with care leavers. Findings from the survey will be shared with the Government.

Visit the survey page: Your views on care experience as a protected characteristic
Read the news story: Tell me what you think about whether ‘care experience’ should be given protection in law

Source: NSPCC Learning

Date: 07 August 2023

NSPCC Learning has published a podcast episode on domestic abuse and how support in the workplace can help keep children safe. The episode features experts from the NSPCC Helpline and looks at what professionals can do to support and safeguard colleagues who experience domestic abuse. 

Listen to the podcast: Podcast: Domestic abuse support in the workplace
Visit the YouTube: Domestic abuse support in the workplace

Source: NSPCC Learning 

Date: 03 August 2023

NSPCC Learning has published a Helplines insight briefing on coercive control highlighting its impact on the safety, behaviour, and wellbeing of children. The briefing collates data from contacts to the NSPCC Helpline and Childline in 2022/23. Findings from 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 show 4,412 NSPCC Helpline contacts from adults and 1,096 Childline counselling sessions with children and young people whose main concerns were domestic abuse. Contacts included experiences of: threats and coercion; continual emotional mistreatment; and economic and financial abuse.

Read the insight briefing: The impact of coercive control on children and young people 
Read the news story: 1,400 contacts to our Helpline last year were about coercive and controlling behaviour towards children

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Protecting children from domestic abuse

Child sexual exploitation

Source: NSPCC Learning 

Date: 24 July 2023

NSPCC Learning has published an updated Learning from case review briefing on child sexual exploitation (CSE). The briefing includes key learning around: identifying children and young people at risk of CSE; recognising and responding to signs of CSE; and the use of victim blaming language. Learning for better practice includes the need for ongoing and child centred support for young people experiencing CSE.

Read the CASPAR briefing: Child sexual exploitation: learning from case reviews

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Protecting children from sexual exploitation

Source: DfE 

Date: 06 July 2023

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a policy paper on information sharing which explores the barriers and potential enablers to better information sharing in England. Recommendations for improving information sharing include: functioning, joined-up systems across agencies that enable the right data to be used securely by the right people at the right time; an accurate and well maintained ‘golden record’ about a child/family; and confident practitioners who are clear on their roles and responsibilities for sharing and seeking information.

Read the report: Improving multi-agency information sharing

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Multi-agency working