January - March 2024

January - March 2024

Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership circulate monthly E-Bulletins; if you would like to be included on the distribution list, please email sscp@salford.gov.uk.

All enquiries concerning the welfare or safety of a child or requests for information MUST BE SENT DIRECTLY to the Bridge Partnership.   

The Bridge Partnership can be contacted on 0161 603 4500. All referrals and requests for support must be completed on the online referral form. The Bridge Partnership is available Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm.  If you need to speak to someone outside these times, please contact the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) on 0161 794 8888. If a child is in immediate danger of being harmed or is home alone, call the police on 999.  

If you are worried about an adult - Report abuse or neglect by telephone on: 0161 206 0604.  For further information visit https://www.salford.gov.uk/adult-safeguarding

International day of Zero tolerance for FGM 

Savera UK and Oxford Against Cutting are offering a free online event on International day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on Tuesday 6 February 2024, 12.30-2pm. 

The event will host a panel of FGM survivors and professionals to explore the issue of FGM, its indicators and impact, and look at the responsibilities of health professionals including GPs, midwives and medical students, while also discussing how specialist organisations can help better equip health professionals to respond to FGM.

To book the event Savera FGM and HealthCre Online Event.

Children's Mental Health Week 2024

Monday the 5th to Sunday the 11th of February 2024 is Children's Mental Health Week. This is a week to show the importance and raise awareness to children and young people's mental health.

Salford Youth Elections & Make Your Mark Consultation - February 2024

Salford Youth Election is running throughout February and will be selecting 2 young people to be Member of Youth Parliament, and the top topic for young people for 2024.

Please can you encourage anyone working with young people aged 11-18 to vote during February.

Below is a link for a digital version of the manifestos, which also has a link to the online voting form:

• Salford Youth Elections Online Information and Voting Form

Salford Youth Voice Newsletter

See the link below for the latest news from Salford Youth Voice

• Youth Voice Newsletter - Winter 2024

Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week

Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (SASVAW) is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and sexual violence.

Running from 5 – 11 February, SASVAW aims to shine a light on the issue and the organisations that work in this sector.  It helps to educate, inform and signpost people to support and information.  It is also a chance for interested organisations to find out more about what is going on around them and to share information with their members and followers.

For more information and resources visit the SSCP Child Sexual Abuse Practice Resources

Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse

The Centre of Expertise on CSA are offering a  webinar on the 13th February on the subject of  'Speaking to children about Sexual Abuse'. Visit SSCP Child Sexual Abuse Practice Resources   for more information and booking.

The Centre of Expertise have also launched 17 new courses for 2024, aimed at  organisations and professionals working with children across social work, policing, education, health and more.

New courses include:

• Harmful sexual behaviour in online contexts
• Communicating with children when you have concerns of sexual abuse
• Civil orders for sexual and violent offending
• Child sexual abuse and disability: understanding the vulnerabilities and the professional role

They also released 11 reports and resources last year to support, guide and inform professionals including a  Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway | CSA Centre

For more information visit the SSCP page for professionals on Child Sexual Abuse  and the SSCP Salford Child Sexual Abuse Strategy 2023 - 2026.

National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment: terms of reference

In December 2023 the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel announced a national review into Child Sexual Abuse Within the Family Environment.  The review was initiated in the context of a range of themes and issues highlighted by rapid reviews.  The lead reviewers are the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse.

The review will explore the challenges of identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment, and will seek to make recommendations on how children can be better protected.

For more information visit the Government web page National Review into child sexual abuse within the family environment: terms of reference.

Hate Crime Awareness Week 

Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week takes place from the 5th to the 9th of February.  It recognised each year by the ten boroughs that make up the Greater Manchester County, promoting a message of a county that is ‘Too Great for Hate’.

A hate crime incident is an offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their:

• race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins
• religion
• gender identity
• sexual orientation
• disability
• alternative sub-culture

Hate crime incidents include:

• physical attacks - to people or property, including offensive graffiti or arson
• the threat of attack - including offensive letters, telephone calls, online messages or groups of people hanging around to intimidate
• verbal abuse or insults - including offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures and bullying at school or in the workplace

Hate incidents can be verbal abuse but if the victim feels threatened or is caused distress, this could become a hate crime.

You can get more information on support available and how to report a hate crime by visiting the Salford City Council Hate Crime information page.

Race Equality Week

Race equality week also takes place the week beginning 5th February.  The theme for this year is 'Listen Act Change'.  The Race Equality Week Website highlights that this "is an annual UK-wide movement uniting hundreds of thousands of organisations and individuals to address the barriers to race equality in the workplace".  The aim is to promote change by uniting organisations to address race inequality in the workplace.  Visit the dedicated Race Equality Week Website for more information and resources. 

LGBT+ History Month

February also marks LGBT+ history month.  The theme of this year is Medicine #UnderTheScope to celebrate LGBTQ+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today.  This includes showcasing the work of LGBTQ+ staff across the NHS and in other healthcare settings, whilst highlighting the history of the LGBTQ+ community’s experience of receiving healthcare which can be complicated and result in LGBTQ+ people still facing health inequalities today.

For more information visit LGBT+ History Month 2024

Why language matters: Victim or Survivor?

In the 'Why language matters' series the NSPCC discuss the difference between the use of the labels 'victim' and 'survivor' and why its important to understand individual preferences.  Their take away points include:

• Be led by the preferences of the individual. People experience and relate to their abuse in different ways, and it’s important to be led by the language individuals use themselves.
• The term ‘victim’ is a label. Labelling children as ‘victims’ can impact the way safeguarding professionals see children and the way children see themselves.
• Popular notions of victimhood can lead to abuse being missed. Children and young people who are experiencing abuse may not match expectations of how ‘victims’ should look or behave. This can lead to a lack of action to safeguard and protect children.
• Instead of ‘victims,’ say ‘children who have experienced/are experiencing abuse.’ The language we use should reinforce the fact that abuse is something children have experienced and not who they are.

To see the full article visit NSPCC Why language matters: why we should avoid the term 'victim' when talking about children who have experienced abuse.  

Weight Stigma Training

Public Health Scotland have created a Learning Hub Challenging Weight Stigma. It is free to access and open to all. 

This learning hub aims to increase awareness of weight stigma, its impact, and what we can do to address it. It is free to access and to complete the training. There is a 2 minute introductory video to the weight stigma hub.

Learning objectives of the free training

• Describe what weight stigma means, and the effects it can have.
• Describe how weight stigma undermines public health efforts to address obesity/higher weight.
• Introduce approaches that address weight stigma and improve outcomes for individuals with higher weight.
• Guide on how to have good conversations about higher weight and behaviour change.
• Provide opportunities for personal reflections that enable practice improvement.

You can access the training including other e-learning courses by visiting E-Learning Courses | Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership

Greater Manchester Multi-Agency Safeguarding Children Policies Update

The GM Safeguarding Children Policies are updated twice a year, in June and December. A summary of the December 2023 updates, including a new chapter on Child Criminal Exploitation, can be found by clicking on the link below:

• Amendments (proceduresonline.com)

Please have a look and familiarise yourself with the revised policies. If you would like any new safeguarding policies to be added please contact sscp@salford.gov.uk in the first instance.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week 18th- 24th March 2024

Neurodiversity Celebration Week wants to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.

To get involved visit the Neurodiversity Celebration Week website.

In case you missed it!

Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2023

The Department for Education (DfE) has recently published the updated 'Working Together to Safeguard Children'.  This is statutory guidance for multi-agency working to help keep children safe in England.  This guidance applies to all agencies with functions that relate to children, education, and childcare settings. 

Access the full guidance here: Working Together to Safeguard Children

For a concise summary of the changes please see the NSPCC CASPAR briefing 'Working together to safeguarding children 2023: summary of changes.'

Equality and Diversity Statement

Our vision is to make Salford a fair and inclusive city where everyone has an equal voice, access to services and opportunities, and are included and represented in decisions that affect them, irrespective of their age, disability status, ethnicity, faith, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation or socio-economic background. Salford has a strong commitment to tackling inequality which is reflected in The Salford Way, a city-wide approach to ensure partners work together to build a fairer and more inclusive Salford for all. A key part of this approach is the Salford Equality Strategy our catalyst for change to ensure we work together to build a fairer and more inclusive Salford for all.

All partners of the SSCP are required to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are a thread through all our priorities/activity, as are the views and voices of young people.