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Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board

Information Update

Welcome to the 12th edition of the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) Information Update.

Please share this as widely as possible across your organisation. If you have any feedback, suggestions for improvement, or want to discuss anything else relating to the BSCB contact Joanne Stephenson, BSCB Business Manager: jstephenson@buckscc.gov.uk

The BSCB is a statutory partnership responsible for coordinating local arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and ensuring these are effective.

New Policies and Procedures Online Manual

www.bucks-lscb.org.uk

Issue 12: February 2018

Together...keeping children safe

We are happy to announce that our online Policies and Procedures Manual is now live!

You can view the manual in its entirety by clicking on the Policies and Procedures tab on the BSCB website home page (or visit: http://bscb.procedures.org.uk/).

The manual can be navigated by clicking on the Content tab in the left hand side menu; all policies and procedures are sub divided into relevant categories, with local strategies listed under Section 9.

We hope you will agree that this manual is clear, easy to navigate and user friendly.

If you would like to provide feedback on the manual, positive or negative, please contact Ally Martindale on amartindale@buckscc.gov.uk

The BSCB has published two new Audit Summaries. These summaries relate to the ‘Neglect’ Audit, undertaken in June 2017, and the ‘Domestic Abuse’ audit, which was completed in October 2017.

These summaries have been signed off by the Board and can be downloaded and shared within organisations.

To view the documents in their entirety visit the BSCB website at: www.bucks-lscb.org.uk/about-the-bscb/audits-other-learning/

Audit Summaries

Are you data compliant with the new regulations?

It isn’t long until the May 2018 deadline, when all organisations must comply with the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) legislation. Are you aware of what this means for you and your organisation?

For background see: https://www.eugdpr.org/

GDPR legislation

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www.bucks-lscb.org.uk Together...keeping children safe

Short Awareness Raising sessions

The BSCB are aware that not all practitioners can take whole days off work to attend training courses. To try and combat this we have devised short awareness raising sessions which are running through the year. These sessions are usually between 1.5 and 3 hours long.

There are three new awareness raising sessions taking place on various dates - starting on

Wednesday 2nd May 2018 at The Stafford Room, Green Park, Aston Clinton.

Introduction to the Role of the LADO

Improving Practice for Child Protection Conferences and Core Groups

Child Protection Conferences - Your Agency’s Responsibility (Managers Only)

We are also holding two Exploitation awareness raising sessions (morning and afternoon - each

session lasting 2.5 hours) on Thursday 19th April 2018 at The Clare Charity Centre, Saunderton.

Information Sharing & Consent workshops

Why has information sharing between professionals long been problematical, despite the development of guidance and the acknowledgement of its importance in effectively safeguarding children and young people? What makes it such a problem? What gets in the way of good practice?

To address these questions we propose to hold 4 half day workshops (9.30 - 12.30) in April and May 2018.

Wednesday 25th April Disraeli School, High Wycombe

Friday 4th May Stafford Room, Green Park, Aston Clinton

Wednesday 9th May Disraeli School, High Wycombe

Friday 18th May Education Suite, FNH, Aylesbury

Information regarding these sessions and how to book your place can be found on our

website http://www.bucks-lscb.org.uk/training/short-awareness-raising-sessions/

Additional training dates

There are also additional training dates for:

Family Outcomes Star Assessment training on Monday 14th May 2018 at Knight Hall, Green Park, Aston Clinton

Graded Care Profile Assessment Tool training on Wednesday 27th June 2018 at The Clare Charity Centre, Saunderton

For more information and to book your place please see the main training programme at:

http://www.bucks-lscb.org.uk/training/courses/

Following the completion of a SCR for a baby who was taken to hospital with non-accidental injuries, the BSCB devised a PowerPoint with commentary to cascade the learning from the review. This can be found by clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kRJwsHgH0Y&feature=youtu.be

The NSPCC publish ‘themed’ SCR leaflets, we have taken the information from them and added further material to show learning specific to Buckinghamshire for each topic. The topics covered are Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Domestic Abuse, Disguised Compliance, Neglect and Health Sector including Paediatrics and Accident & Emergency.

The leaflets and SCR reports can be found by following this link http://www.bucks-lscb.org.uk/serious-case-review/

BSCB Multi-Agency Training

BSCB Learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCR)

BSCB information update - Issue 12: February 2018

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Newly commissioned service for adults and

young persons

Identifying and supporting those affected by exploitation

The Rahab Project is dedicated to identifying and supporting those who are or have been affected by any form of exploitation through raising awareness, offering support and empowerment.

They are a local charity based in Reading who seek to restore all hope and belief by supporting those individuals who are assessed as having been exploited or deemed as a high risk or highly vulnerable to being exploited through:

Sexual Exploitation – those involved in prostitution or working in the commercial sex industry; those manipulated or coerced into sexual activities of any kind for another person’s gain; human trafficking for purpose of sexual exploitation; grooming; Female Genital Mutilation

Modern Slavery – forced labour; domestic servitude; organ harvesting; child trafficking for benefit fraud

Financial Exploitation – debt bondage; finances controlled by others; financial scams Criminal Exploitation – those manipulated or coerced or trafficked for the purpose of any

illegal activity, including drug trafficking (known as County Lines) Other Exploitation – the taking over of a person’s address for the purpose of any criminal

activity i.e., for drug dealing/using (known as ‘cuckooing’), prostitution or storing stolen goods.

Rahab provide prevention work, crisis intervention and ongoing support to both individuals and anyone who may also be involved in the care and support of them including family or other services. The support they offer is on both a practical and emotional level on any issues that are important to the individual and ranges from help with housing, benefits, education & employment, assistance through court processes, advocating at meetings, to hospital visits and arranging food and clothes parcels etc.

Rahab pride themselves on their staff and volunteers’ commitment to valuing and empowering the individual to seek new opportunities enabling them to make positive changes in their lives. This helps in reducing the risk of exploitation, or if they are already affected, allows them to break the cycle that they may find themselves in. Rahab believe that their experience and expertise, coupled with their passion and heart for the exploited, ensures that the individual receives compassionate, holistic support and fills a much needed gap in a professional and caring way to those who are often over-looked or misunderstood.

Change of remit for CSE Sub Group

The BSCB Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) sub group has recently extended its remit to reflect what we know are the issues facing children in relation to exploitation. This group will now be called the Children & Young Person Exploitation Sub Group and their remit will consider the impact of sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation (sometime referred to as County Lines ) missing children and trafficked children.

For more information on some of the aspects this sub group will monitor see :

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/31/british-gangs-using-violence-to-groom-children-as-drug-mules

http://anncoffeymp.com/archives/415

Rahab

BSCB Sub Group changes

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BSCB information update - Issue 12: February 2018

www.bucks-lscb.org.uk

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is when a baby dies suddenly and unexpectedly and there is no identifiable cause of death.

Approximately 500 babies die unexpectedly in England and Wales every year. Those that remain unexplained after post-mortem examination may be registered as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) or unascertained.

Figures show that five babies die every week without a known cause, leaving families devastated. Potentially some of these deaths could be prevented if every parent acted on evidence-based safer sleep advice.

For more information visit:

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/ and https://www.isisonline.org.uk/

Together...keeping children safe

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

SIDS claims the lives of

approximately 290 babies

every year in the UK; that's

five babies per week

The risk of SIDS is 4 times

higher in babies born to

younger parents under the

age of 20 than those born

to parents aged 20+

Each year over 100

babies’ lives could be

saved if no pregnant

woman smoked

An infant placed on their

front to sleep is up to 6

times more at risk of SIDS

than one placed on their

back

Sharing a room

with your baby

can halve the risk

of SIDS

Around 90% of SIDS

deaths happen in the

first 6 months of life

Boys are more at risk of

SIDS than girls—55% of

unexplained infant

deaths were boys in

2013

Babies born at low birth

weight are over 3 times more

at risk of SIDS than babies

born at normal weight

The current unexplained

infant death rate in the

U.K. for live births. This

rate is higher than much

of Western Europe

SIDS in Numbers: Reduce the Risk

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Upcoming Events

Safer Sleep Week

A survey commissioned by charity The Lullaby Trust has found

that over 55% of parents are unsure of the basic steps they can

take to lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Safer

Sleep week is an opportunity for professionals to raise awareness

of Safer Sleep practices.

The next Safer Sleep Week campaign will take place from

12th to 18th March 2018 and details of how people can get

involved and resources that are available can be found here

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/professionals/safer-sleep-week-awareness-campaign/

Some areas have noticed an increase in the numbers of deaths attributed to SIDS where babies are

away from home and it is important that parents understand the need to continue practising safer sleep

24/7. Check when booking or arranging to stay away from home what facilities are available.— https://

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/professionals/safer-sleep-week-awareness-campaign/

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Awareness Day CSE Awareness Day this year takes place on 18th March 2018.

Every year staff in organisations across the country join together to promote awareness of CSE.

For further information see: http://www.stop-cse.org/national-child-exploitation-awareness-day/

Safety Video

The CCGs East of Berkshire have produced a short video clip to be used widely across the health economy and by partners. Using messages around water safety and window safety, the video is in response to increasing concerns about the distractions of mobile phones in particular and how use of electronic devices may impact on risks to supervision of babies and children.

This clip has been sent to all GP practices, dental surgeries, optometrists and pharmacies across the Thames Valley and to designated nurses for cascade across health networks. Please distribute widely as appropriate.

Children safety video clip – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5_LTEfun_oNV0c1ZEptdndrUVU

Brexit news

The Brexit and Children coalition have published two Parliamentary briefings ahead of the second reading of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill in the House of Lords on 31 January 2018.

The briefings cover: the protection and promotion of children’s rights; and ensuring cross-border mechanisms are in place to safeguard children (source CASPAR (NSPCC briefing) and the Children’s Society)

For more information: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/european-union-withdrawal-bill-2r-briefing-hol-childrens-rights-.pdf

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BSCB Contact details

The BSCB is not a front line service. If you are worried about a child please follow the advice here. The Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board can be contacted from 9.00am – 5.00pm (Monday – Friday). For general queries regarding the Board, please telephone 01296 383485 or email the Board Admin Officers (see below for email addresses) If your enquiry is of a confidential nature please contact us via our secure email address: secure-bscb@buckscc.gcsx.gov.uk. Please note that this is only fully secure if you are also emailing from a secure email address. Alternatively, you can fax us on

our secure line: 01296 382383.

You can write to us at: BSCB, 4th Floor, County Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1UZ

BSCB Training: For queries regarding Multi-Agency Safeguarding Training, please contact: bscbtrainingteam@buckscc.gov.uk or telephone 01296 387915. The training brochure is available to view on the BSCB website.

Independent Chair of the BSCB

Fran Gosling-Thomas – The Chair can be contacted via bscb-chair@buckscc.gov.uk

Business Manager

Jo Stephenson – 01296 382537 / jstephenson@buckscc.gov.uk

Board Administrators 01296 383485