Safeguarding Topics
Supporting New Parents - Safer Sleeping
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – the sudden and unexpected death of a baby where no cause is found – is rare, but does still happen. Safer sleeping can help reduce the chances of this tragedy occurring. The Lullaby Trust provides support and advice for professionals working with families with young babies.
Supporting New Parents - Babies Crying
Research suggests that some lose control when a baby’s crying becomes too much. Some go on to shake a baby with devastating consequences.
ICON is an evidence-based programme consisting of a series of brief ‘touchpoint’ interventions that reinforce the simple message making up the ICON acronym. Visit the ICON website for guidance and resources to support families
Supporting young dads
Studies show that many new dads feel ignored and left-out by services, which may mean they don’t ask for help when they’re struggling. There can be unique opportunities for midwives, health visitors and other healthcare professionals to identify any concerns and offer timely support. The Institute of Health Visiting have produced a film highlighting factors that may impact new dads’ mental health – Watch here
North East Young Dads & Lads is a unique youth support service that is dedicated to helping young fathers and expectant dads and other vulnerable young men aged under 25 to play an active and meaningful role in the lives of their children, within families and wider society. They offer a non-judgmental service that is based on mutual trust, respect and honesty. They listen and respond to the challenges facing young men and work with them on a voluntary basis to find positive and long-term solutions.
Working with families and partners to safeguard children
Contextual Safeguarding
Gateshead work with Durham University’s Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding. Their website provides publications and practice resources produced by in collaboration with practitioners, young people, their families and wider communities. See here to access this work.
This Ted Talk is available on YouTube by Dr Firmin, the founder of Contextual Safeguarding outlines:
- how contexts beyond families are associated with abuse
- how traditional child protection systems fail to engage with these contextual dynamics
- the components of the Contextual Safeguarding system that would redefine what child protection means.
The NWG is a network of over 14,500 practitioners who disseminate our information down through their services, to professionals working on the issue of child exploitation (CE) and trafficking within the UK. Gateshead Safeguarding Children Partnership are members of the NWG – to join and access all benefits, contact the [email protected] to be included.
The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) works in partnership with Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships and other partnerships and key agencies to work towards preventing crime in our region. See here for more information.
Child Exploitation
Missing children and young people
Children go missing from home or care for various reasons, some are often varied and complex, and as well as short-term risks there can be long term implications for these children. For every ‘missing episode’ the young person will get proper attention from the professionals involved. This includes independent return interviews for any young person who goes missing – for more information see our missing procedure.
Gov.UK have statutory guidance on young children who go missing from home or care.
If you have concerns about a specific young person that you’re working with get advice from children’s social care. If a child is at immediate risk then you should call the police and/or children’s social care – see Report concerns about a child.
County lines
County lines refers to a model used by criminal gangs, whereby urban gangs supply drugs to suburban areas and market and coastal towns. These gangs frequently exploit children and vulnerable adults to courier drugs and money. Some vulnerable adults have their homes taken over by the gangs (cuckooing) using force or coercion.
To support policing and other statutory frontline staff – particularly those who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults – in identifying potential victims of this type of criminal exploitation, the Home Office sets out the signs to look for in potential victims, and what action staff should take so that potential victims get the support and help they need. The document supplements an organisation’s existing safeguarding policies. View the guidance on Gov.uk.
Alongside the guidance, there are resources to help policing and statutory staff recognise the signs to look out for, that could indicate that someone is a victim of county lines gangs.
The Home Office is also raising awareness of county lines across a range of non-statutory sectors. These are:
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Child Trauma
Adverse Childhood Experiences
This short animation on vimeo, produced by Blackburn with Darwen Council in partnership with Public Health Wales, tells the story of a young boy growing up, and how his experience with adverse childhood experiences have affected his life. It also explains the roles that different agencies can play in preventing them and supporting those impacted.
A TED talk by Paediatrician Dr Nadine Burke Harris who explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain.
Child Trauma
A presentation on YouTube, by Cath Knibbs, Author, Doctoral (Ph.D.) Clinical Researcher and Child/Adult Psychotherapist specialising in virtual and corporeal (real world) trauma using Integrative creative methods including gaming, AR, VR, and biofeedback.
This short animation on vimeo, produced by NHS Education for Scotland highlights the ways that traumatic experiences can effect people and supports practitioners in being trauma informed in their practice.
Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is more common than most people think, and far more children are sexually abused than are ever identified or responded to. Children can be sexually abused
in many different ways, by different people and in different places and situations, including online, and most
The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse aims to reduce the impact of child sexual abuse through improved prevention and better response.
Most children do not tell anyone about sexual abuse at the time. All adults need be alert and responsive to concerns. Anyone working with children must be confident in spotting the signsand indicators of child sexual abuse. This guidance can support: Signs and indicators of child sexual abuse
It is vital that anyone who works with children knows how to recognise what is happening and understands how to help the child to have that conversation. This guide – Communicating with children – explains what may be going on for the child and what might be preventing them from talking, giving all professionals – not just those in specific safeguarding roles – knowledge and confidence to talk to children who need help.
Discovering that their child may have been sexually abused is devastating for a parent. Many families feel that professionals assume they knew about the abuse or failed to protect the child. This guide – Supporting parents and carers – details how you can give them a confident, supportive response when child sexual abuse concerns are raised.
The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse have updated their key messages on child sexual exploitation paper. This aims to provide succinct, relevant information for frontline practitioners and commissioners. The paper brings together the most up-to-date research into an accessible overview, supporting confident provision of the best possible responses to child sexual exploitation.
Teenage relationship harm
Teenage relationship harm occurs when a relationship between young people (aged 13 years and over) involves controlling, abusive, or harmful behaviour that makes one person feel scared, pressured, unsafe, or unequal.
For information on what this means, how to get support, what healthy relationships look like and more, see: Teenage Relationship Harm – Support Services and Resources