Edition 5: June 2023

Let's hear your voice dashboard

We are pleased to announce that the Let’s hear your voice survey findings are now live. The Survey ran from 14th October to 9th December 2022 and was completed in education settings by Years 4, 6, 8 and 10. The questions
were developed in consultation with Public Health, teaching staff and pupils in Barnsley.
The aim of the survey is to create a large-scale public health dataset about children and young people living/learning in Barnsley, which can be used to help settings understand the health and wellbeing of their pupils
and develop bespoke policy and curriculums according to need. The survey data can inform service commissioning, interventions and strategic planning to improve health outcomes for children,
young people and families in Barnsley. A dedicated power BI dashboard has been produced which includes all survey findings.

View the service dashboard.

R;pple browser extension

Following changes to KCSiE for tracking and monitoring online activity and the recent Mental Health week in May, we’d point schools to this free resource from R;pple.
Aiming to reduce suicide rates through prevention, R;pple provides an interception when an individual searches for harmful content relating to self-harm or suicide online and encourages them to seek mental
health support from a range of charities and services, tailored to suit them (helpline, text service, webchat, self-help app, pocket resources).
The browser extension does not track online activity and is free to use for schools, colleges, parents / carers and individuals

Young people's substance misuse service offer

The Young People’s Substance Misuse Service (YPSMS) is a voluntary, free and confidential specialist drug and alcohol service for young people up to the age of 18 in Barnsley who are
affected by their own, or someone else's substance use. The service is non-judgemental and aims to help young people make the changes they want to make now or in the future. Talking openly and honestly can be difficult and support is offered in safe environments.
We offer a range of therapeutic interventions to reduce or prevent harm associated with drug and alcohol use. The service also offers sexual health interventions, C-card registration and
distribution, chlamydia screening, Blood Borne Virus screening, access to vaccination and smoking cessation advice. It provides young people and professionals with support for relationships, finances, emotional health and wellbeing, peers, exploitation, physical health, family support, education, training & employment.
Provision is offered to parents, carers and professionals, including advice and support to those supporting young people, who may not yet be ready to access the service themselves. We
also work with other professionals and community groups to offer targeted group sessions, training, and outreach provisions with identified groups.

In Barnsley, we have to LADO's; Ruth Holmes and Sian Christian, who can be contacted by emailing lado@barnsley.gov.uk and asking for a call-back.

View the 'one minute' guide.

Keeping children safe in education

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated statutory guidance on safeguarding for schools and colleges in England. Keeping children safe in education 2023 will replace the 2022 version of the guidance from 01 September 2023. NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising updates to the guidance.

Keeping children safe in education 2023.

Children missing from school

Alliance for Youth Justice has published a podcast exploring how society perceives children affected by serious violence, how and why this perception is shaped, and whether this perception is accurate. It highlights how the systems designed to support and safeguard children can be reformed to tackle serious violence effectively.

Listen to the podcast on harmful children or social harm.

Children's social care

The House of Lords Public Services Committee has released a report on the government's plans to reform children's social care in England – Stable homes, built on love. Recommendations include: The Department for Education (DfE). Should look again at how to ensure advocacy services can be fully independent; the government should examine which elements of Family Help could be rolled out nationally and provide funding; both informal and formal kinship carers across England should be consistently provided with sufficient financial support; and the DfE should set regional and national targets for foster carer recruitment and retention.

Read the response to the children's social care implementation strategy.

Free YGAM Training available 

As the recently published guidance on filtering and monitoring includes a section on gambling, The Barnsley
Safeguarding Children Partnership recommend this fully funded training by YGAM.
Accredited by City & Guilds and fully online, you also get access to over 1,000 complimentary resources on completion.

Book your place on the YGAM Training available

Edition 4: March 2023

A message from David Radford, our new BSCP Independent

Dear colleagues,

I am proud to have been recently appointed as Independent Chair and Scrutineer for Barnsley Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP).

Last year I was lucky enough to work alongside the Children’s Social Care Quality Assurance Team and saw, across all agencies, the commitment to improving children’s lives and the determination to work together to make a difference. I experienced the frankness, kindness and big heartedness that characterises this special part of the world. And I thought, ‘I want to be a part of that and play a part’. I know this work can be hard - I am a social worker by profession and have worked in Children’s Safeguarding for 40 years, at the front line and in senior management in statutory and voluntary sectors.

I have seen amazing work that successfully supports families and gives children a voice in making their lives happier and rewarding. I have experienced what can be achieved through creative and productive working relationships. But I’m also aware of the many factors that can cloud individuals and organisations thinking and actions. Effective Working Together across agencies that have different core purposes, skills and expertise, but a shared aim, is an essential ingredient of successful Safeguarding – we all know it, but it remains a significant challenge to get right consistently. Current statutory guidance places a responsibility on Barnsley MBC, South Yorkshire Police and NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, as the Statutory Safeguarding Partners, to enlist the cooperation of all Relevant Agencies to work together under the umbrella of the BSCP.

The BSCP is here to further learning and improvement in effective inter agency working through:

• Providing up to date policies and practice guidance that enables these to be translated into effective action
• Ensuring we have a good understanding of how well we are doing across agencies, promoting children’s wellbeing so that they can remain in their families and communities safely
• Implementing local and national learning including from serious child safeguarding incidents and promoting good practice from local and national activity
• Ensuring organisations and agencies challenge appropriately and hold one another to account effectively

I’ve been involved in many Partnerships over 30 years and have seen how effectiveness and expectations have increased. In all agencies there are increasing pressures from workloads, demand, recruitment challenges and the increasing complexity of work. The Safeguarding Children Partnership has an important role to play in these developments, as the promotion of the principles of good safeguarding practice becomes even more vital.

My role is to facilitate the work of the Safeguarding Partners and the effectiveness of the Partnership through chairing key meetings, and providing evidence, through scrutiny activity, to build our understanding of how well Barnsley meets its statutory responsibilities and how we can continue to improve. I hope to meet many of you and welcome your views to aid my understanding of the experience of children and their families. I hope that the BSCP will ensure it remains of relevance to your work. If you don’t feel it does or if you have views or ideas and suggestions about how we can make the BSCP most effective please contact me through davidradford1@barnsley.gov.uk. I really look forward to working alongside you and supporting you in the work that you do.

Child exploitation Awareness Day 18 March 2023

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day aims to highlight issues surrounding Child Exploitation. The emphasis is in raising public awareness of how to spot the signs of exploitation in local communities and on public transport.
National campaigns are being run by the NWG and The Children’s Society. South Yorkshire Police hold their Child Exploitation Campaign launch Friday 17th March at Rotherham United’s New York Stadium.

CSA 2021/22: Trends and Data

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA centre) has published a new report setting out how agencies in England and Wales identified and responded to child sexual abuse in 2021/2022. The report collates data from various agencies including children’s social care, policing and health. Findings include: in 2021/2022, local authority children’s services in England recorded concerns about child sexual abuse in 33,990 assessments of children, a 15% increase on 2020/2021; and police forces in England and Wales recorded 103,055 child sexual abuse offences, the highest-ever level and a rise of 15% on the previous year.
Child sexual abuse in 2021/22: trends in official data.

State of the Nation 2022: Children and Young People's wellbeing

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a new State of the Nation report looking at the wellbeing of children and young people in England over the academic year 2021/2022. The report finds that during the 2021/22 academic year, while wellbeing on most measures remained consistent, anxiousness among both primary and secondary-aged pupils appears to have increased and is higher than in 2020/21
State of the nation 2022: children and young people’s wellbeing.

Education and Case Reviews

NSPCC Learning has published a new briefing on learning from case reviews for the education sector. The briefing summarises key issues for the education sector highlighted in case reviews and identifies learning to support education professionals with safeguarding children and young people.

Education: Learning from case reviews

Thresholds for intervention 

The document which outlines thresholds for intervention by Universal services, Early Help, CIN and Child Protection is currently being updated and it out for consultation. Please email laurahammerton@barnsley.gov.uk for further information.

Child & Adolescent Mental Health

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has published a recording of its webinar on depression and supporting children and young people. The webinar includes talks on: family risk factors and underlying mechanisms; professional football clubs and the wellbeing of young people; and an online parenting intervention trial.

Depression: identifying and supporting children and young people.

Unaccompanied children 

The Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium (RMCC), including Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK (ECPAT UK) has published a parliamentary briefing on unsuitable accommodation for unaccompanied children seeking asylum in England. Recommendations include: the government should set up a taskforce involving all local safeguarding partners to find all missing unaccompanied children seeking asylum; commit to an urgent independent inquiry about the use of hotel accommodation; and develop a network of local authority commissioned foster carers who specifically look after unaccompanied children seeking asylum.

Refugee and Migrant children's consortium briefing: the use of Home Office hotels for unaccompanied children seeking.

Charging for non-attendance at BSCP face to face training

As from the 1st April 2023 Barnsley Safeguarding Children Partnership will be reinstating the charging policy for non-attendance at face to face multi-agency safeguarding children training. Where a cancellation is made within 24 hours of the training, consideration will be given to charging the service. This will apply to all delegates who fail to attend on the day, without any prior notice.

The charge is £50.00 and will be made directly to the service. 

Edition 3: December 2022

Voice of the child

We want to promote your stories! Many children and young people say that the support and help they’ve received across agencies have had lasting and beneficial impacts on their lives. We want to share those stories. Words on a page can be brought to life through our Comms colleagues for sharing across social media platforms. We have already begun this. Find out more about Ethan's story on twitter.

ICON

Coping with a crying baby and lack of sleep can be difficult to cope with and more so with cost-of-living pressures during the festive period. Research suggests that some parents and caregivers can lose control when a baby’s crying becomes too much. Some go on to shake a baby, which can lead to death or significant long-term disabilities.
 
ICON aims to prevent abusive head trauma in babies by helping parents understand that crying is normal and supports them to develop ways of managing crying without reaching the stage where they feel like harming the baby.
The ICON message is given by Midwives and Health Visitors prior to and after birth. If you work with families with new babies, please ask them how they are doing, remind them of the ICON message, and that support is available.

I - Infant crying is normal and peaks around 6 weeks of age

C - Comforting methods can help soothe a baby and crying may stop

O - It's OK to walk away for a few minutes if crying is becoming too much and the baby is safe

N - Never ever shake a baby

For more information, visit the ICON website. 

Independent inquiry into Child Sex Abuse

Final report published October 2022.

Cyberbullying

South West Grid for Learning and UK Safer Internet Centre have designed new anti-bullying resources that focus on online bullying. Resources are aimed at 3- to 11- year-olds and include information on: questions to ask; statements to support children with recognising online bullying; as well as classroom activities.

See ProjectEVOLVE – new online bullying resources available

Helping babies sleep safe this winter 

Winter can be difficult for families, having to make difficult choices. They might be anxious about the costs of keeping their home and baby warm. The recommended room temperature for babies is 16-20 degrees, which can be hard to maintain in colder months. It can be tempting to wrap a baby up to keep them warm, however we know that overheating a baby increases the chances of SIDS (also known as cot death) and research shows babies are better to be cooler than too hot.

That’s why our Children and Young People Public Health colleagues are working with Communications and Marketing to share information from Lullaby Trust around safer sleeping for babies during winter months. The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families. The short campaign also includes guidance on safer sleep over the festive season, when schedules change and might include staying over at a different house or having a few drinks.

Please share this with people you know, who might benefit from these useful tips. 

Children in care

The Together Trust has launched a survey to establish what care looks and feels like to 16- and 17-year-olds living in England. The trust would like to hear from this age group to help influence government policy around provision of care.

See the survey: Teenagers across England ask 'What does care mean to you'.

Chilypep open up directory 

Access the chilypep directory 

Multi-Agency Escalation Policy

Are you aware of how to escalate a professional disagreement in relation to a child safeguarding concern in Barnsley? Did you know we have an escalation policy for these instances? Use the online escalation form once you have first attempted to resolve the matter at Stage 1 through your line manager.

September 2023

Safeguarding Awareness Week – 20 to 24 November 2023

Providing information and empowering the public to identify and report concerns about themselves, family and friends is a major theme for this year. We're working with Safeguarding Children’s colleagues to highlight the risks of online harm and abuse – romance, financial and other scams, sexual exploitation and the need to protect personal information.

To do this we have the support of Barnsley markets who are providing stalls to organisations who would like to share messages with the public.

If your organisation would like to be involved in the markets during the week, please contact Cath as soon as possible at catherine@barnsley.gov.uk.

A strong media campaign is being organised by all partners. Watch out for social media, web and other publications. If your organisation can be part of this and you have not yet been involved, please do contact us as soon as possible.

We'll have a dedicated Safeguarding Awareness Week webpage that will list details of all activities for both the public and workers or volunteers – just search for Safeguarding Awareness Week 2023. We'll circulate the link when available.

Berneslai Homes – hardship fund

If you're working with an adult or family who live in a Berneslai Homes property and are struggling with bills or food, please let them know about the hardship fund.

Berneslai Homes can offer support with gas and electricity bills with pre-payment vouchers, or help with food and toiletries. In some cases, help can be given to tenants with energy arrears that are below £750 via a one-off payment.

What can households get?

• The fund has a £750 cap per household within 12 months, to be used on fuel costs, food or both.
• A Berneslai Homes officer completes a full application and income and expenditure form to assess whether a tenant is eligible for the fund.
• The application process will look at income, employment status, essential spend, household spend, shopping and travel expenses.
• Following a successful application, the tenant can access the fund again after three months, up to the maximum limit of £750 per household within 12 months.

How do people apply?

• Phone: (01226) 774270
• Email: tenantsupportservice@berneslaihomes.co.uk
• On the Berneslai Homes website

Free online training – trauma informed practice 

This is a one-off, three-hour online training course looking at how we can incorporate a trauma informed approach to working by considering adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma. It explores the benefits of becoming a trauma informed organisation and incorporating a trauma informed approach to your work.

A trauma informed approach is about asking ‘What has happened to you?’ rather than ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and ‘What are you having to do to survive?’. It's moving from ‘What is your problem?’ to ‘What is your story?’ and ‘What are your strengths?’

The course will enable you to:

• Understand that adverse childhood experiences/trauma are widespread.
• Recognise and understand the impact of trauma.
• Recognise the importance of enabling clients who have been affected by trauma, to recognise their own strengths, skills and resources, promoting natural recovery from trauma.
• Recognise and consider how to address the needs of staff/colleagues exposed to traumatic events or to the details of trauma experienced by others.

The course is aimed at professionals who work or volunteer in a role that supports people who may have been affected by trauma and will be delivered over Zoom.

Book your place online.

Mental capacity resources from 39 Essex Street

If you engage in capacity assessments and want to stay updated on case law, please sign up for emails from 39 Essex Street. See an example update.

Learn more about Safer Communities and the support they can offer to adults in Barnsley

We're responsible for delivering a range of services including homelessness and housing options, housing and environmental crime and blight. We're also the strategic leads for agendas including serious and organised crime, prevent, prepare and protect, migration and asylum and violence reduction. 

The housing and community safety team consists of:

• wardens
• proactive and reactive housing officers across private sector properties
• case management officers, who cover all tenure of properties in high-risk cases
• victim and witness officers
• empty homes officers
• community safety and community enforcement.

Our aim is to build strong and resilient communities through a combination of enforcement and support.

Our approach values early help and prevention, strengthening and utilising community assets, and prioritising the most vulnerable. This is achieved through strong partnerships and a proactive problem-solving place-based approach.

We respond to requests for service, investigate complaints and carry out inspections and where necessary, take informal and formal action including the serving of statutory notices.

What issues or problems do we work with?

• Support for Gypsies and Travellers.
• Support for landlords and tenants – disrepair, illegal evictions, waste and recycling issues.
• Community safety, domestic violence, victim and witness support.
• Support for self-neglect and hoarding – the customer led D’Clutter group shapes our work.
• Graffiti removal, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and neighbour disputes.
• Area councils and community engagement, volunteering and relationship with the third sector and private sector.

Which organisations do we work with?

We have a multi-agency approach which includes South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Berneslai Homes, and our officers are based within local partnership team police stations. We also work closely with adult social care, health colleagues and others to support people struggling with self-neglect and hoarding.

How can I refer to the service?

Email safer@barnsley.gov.uk. Emails will be triaged, assessed and allocated for investigation.

Proactive housing officers work within the area council teams and can be contacted directly.

Successful challenge event held

We collaborated with partners to review how safeguarding adults’ reviews into the deaths of four adults from self-neglect and/or hoarding had informed/changed practice.

Positives identified:

• More public information about how to get help for hoarding.
• Strong customer run D’Clutter group – a self-help group for hoarding.
• Robust joint working between organisations.
• Management oversight of cases that remain 'high risk'.
• Additional resources in some organisations.

We found areas for improvement. These themes are repeated in many other parts of the country.

• Help people use the Mental Capacity Act and distinguish between people’s ability to tell you what they are going to do compared with what they are able to do.
• Make sure workers know about all the resources available to them/adults they're supporting.

We'll be producing an action plan to evidence progress and this will be monitored by the Safeguarding Adults Review subgroup

New safeguarding resources

Barnsley Safeguarding Adults Board have updated resources and produced new ones. These include:

• Hoarding Z cards – a credit card sized resource which opens out to show the clutter ratings. We'd like workers who visit people in their own homes to consider carrying them to improve the quality of the referrals into safeguarding.
• Safeguarding bookmarks – for members of the public. Workers and volunteers can give them out on visits, or you can add to packs going into homes – eg medicines etc. Libraries are already putting them in book delivery bags and community nurses are sharing them with housebound or other vulnerable patients.
• Updated safeguarding leaflet for the public – we're going to add a QR code to link to the safeguarding website.

If you'd like copies of these please contact: safeguardingadultsservice@barnsley.gov.uk.

Future items for the newsletter

If you'd like to include information in future newsletters or would like a copy of the newsletter please email safeguardingadultsservice@barnsley.gov.uk.