1) News from the Local Safeguarding Children's Board
Practice Guides
Policy Briefings and Practice Guides have been publshed for a year now and there has been some great feedback. In the New Year, the LSCB will be making changes to the way they publish Briefings/Guides, and they would really appreciate any ideas or suggestions you have to improve things. Not just about the content but any suggestions about the regularity of the briefings, the way they are laid out on our website? Are they addressing the right subjects, would you like to contribute?
You can access the Practice Guides by Clicking here;
Practice Guide 15: Safeguarding Children at licensed premises
Practice Guide 16: Participation of young people in service development
Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board Business Plan 2011-12
The Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board Business Plan 2011-2012 for April 2011 to March 2012 is now available to download here.
Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton Safeguarding Children Boards Procedures Manual
Recently the National Commissioner for Children has launched a two year enquiry into child sex exploitation. Local children’s safeguarding boards are required to have published policy. The policy is published on the safeguarding board website and this issue is a priority to all three Boards. You can find the document by clicking here, then contents and scroll down to Chapter 26.
Updated Online Interagency Child Protection Procedures
A minor update has been made to the Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton Safeguarding Children Board's Interagency Child Protection Procedures. The changes are in Part 3 of the manual and relate only to Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board's. The manual can be accessed here. Please inform other colleagues that they can register to be alerted for these updates.
Tri X continue to issue briefings and guides designed to illuminate and improve practice and outcomes for children and vulnerable adults and have published two Practice Guides – available for FREE and downloadable from their website. The subjects covered this month are ‘Children of women involved in street prostitution’ and ‘Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’, the latter has been prepared for us by Corinne Gurvitz, a Counselling Psychologist at Clinical Psychological Associates.
Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2010 - 2011
Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board have published their Annual Report for 2010-2011. Please find it available to view here.
Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2010 - 2011
The Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board's Annual Report 2010 - 2011 is also now available to download from the LSCB's website and disseminate to your staff. Click here to download.
LSCB Policy Briefings
The LSCB have published several new Policy Briefings, listed below, but are aware that a great number of changes are taking place in April – with several sets of Regulations, Guidance and National Minimum Standards coming into force.
The range of changes are complex and far reaching, so the LSCB have created ‘Quick Reference Guides’ to help you and colleagues get your heads round the changes. There are two guides, one for local authority children’s services colleagues and for independent providers. To access and download the Guides, go to the LSCB website and follow links to ‘Quick Reference Guides’. It is hoped that you find them useful.
The Policy Briefings included this month are:
- Family and Friends Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities
- Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability
- New Employment Laws
- Transforming Adult Social Care
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Looked After Children
- Female Genital Mutilation – new Multi-Agency Guideline
- The Autism Strategy
To access the Quick Reference Guides and Policy Briefings, please click here.
The 2 documents below were launched at the recent
Serious Case Review Briefings on the 21st September. The Escalation Procedures and Sexual, Abuse Jargon Busting tool have been developed in response to recommendations from the Child J Serious Case Review. You can also find on the publications page of the LSCB website, the Executive Summary for Child J and the presentations from the briefing event on the 21st September. This information should be disseminated to all those staff who are working with children and young people.
Protocol & Guidance; Working with Sexually Active Young People
This is a policy area that has in the past resulted in some LSCB’s producing protocols and guidance that were not in accordance with ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ and with which many of the most influential agencies and organisations sought to distance themselves from. All agencies, which have contact with children and young people, should use this protocol to develop and implement local guidance for their own staff. Click here to download the policy. Click on each of the supporting documents below to download:-
Bedfordshire Local Safeguarding Children Boards Annual Review
Click here to download.
Bedfordshire and Luton Protocol for Children & Young People at risk of sex exploitation
Click here to download.
Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board, Central Berdfordshire Safeguarding Children Board & Bedfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership Information Sharing Protocol
Click here to download.
2) News from Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Child in Need Procedures
The new Bedford Borough Council Child In Need procedures are now available to be disseminated to your staff and added to your agencies website/intranet as appropriate. Click here to download.
Common Assessment Framework (CAF) Update
All paperwork relating to the Common Assessment Framework and the Multi Agency Case Clinic has been refreshed and can be found on the LSCB website
Training – CAF training has been refreshed and re-launched as Supporting Families through Integrated Working. It is now a two day programme. New dates are now available for January – March 2012. Booking is via Learning and Development (caron.montague@bedford.gov.uk)
Bedford Borough NHS have developed a short Awareness Raising session which will be appropriate for Managers and those that need to know about the Framework but that do not work with families to complete. This will be run three/four times on 25th January 2012
Bedford Borough have also developed two courses to support assessment skills – 1) Understanding the impact of the Child Development 2) Communicating Effectively with children, young people and families. Details of both of these training courses are now available to view on the website
3) News from Parent Partnership
The Parent Partnership Service has split into two services linked to the new unitary authorities.
Contact Details:
Click here to view their Spring 2010 Newsletter.
The Bedford Borough Parent Partnership Service has produced a helpful document regarding where to go for Information and Support. Click here to view
Click here for more information or view their Autumn 2009 Newsletter.
4) News from Health
Top Tips for keeping warm and well this winter
The NHS Keep Warm Keep Well campaign has the following advice for staying healthy during the cold winter months: Top five tips for keeping warm and well this winter.
- Heat your home well. By setting your heating to the right temperature, you can still keep your home warm and lower your bills. During the day set the thermostat to 21°C (70°F), and during the night set it to 18°C (64°F). Set your heating to come on just before you get up. If you feel cold at night, use a hot water bottle or electric blanket - but never use both together
- Get financial support. There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills
- Eat well. Food is a vital source of energy, which helps to keep your body warm, Try and make sure you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day
- Get a flu jab. You can get a free flu jab to protect against seasonal flu from your GP if you are over 65 or if you have a long term health condition
- Look after yourself and others. On cold days try to avoid going outside; however, if you do need to, remember to wrap up warm. Watch out for icy pavements particularly if you are at risk from falls. If you have an older neighbour or relative, look out for them during winter to make sure they are safe, well and staying warm.
If you, or a member of your family feel unwell, you should call NHS Direct on 0845 4647, visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or speak to your local pharmacist, for health advice and information.
Bedfordshire Healthy Schools Website
A new Bedfordshire Emotional Wellbeing website for professional who work with children and young people. Lots of good information and ideas.
Go to www.ehwb.org.uk.
Emotional Health & Wellbeing Website
A new Bedfordshire Emotional Wellbeing website for professional who work with children and young people. Lots of good information and ideas.
5) News from the Children's Workforce Development Council
CWDC to provide 25,000 training places to young people's workforce
Volunteers working with young people are being given the opportunity to enhance their skills by accessing accredited training though a new project. The Progress Project has been set up by CWDC to offer 25,000 training opportunities until March 2011. This training will enhance the skills of those working with young people in the voluntary and community sector. Click here to find our more. (19.1)
Share Street - An online community of learning
Share Street is a new online community to connect everyone who works in the children and young people’s workforce It is a central place to add and access resources, to share best practice and overcome challenges
and to be connected. It has been created after them 2020 Children and Young People Workforce Strategy advised CWDC to make it easier for people to communicate with each other and to access information, evidence and guidance. Click here to find out more. (22.4)
Common Core refreshed
The Children's Workforce Development Council has launched a refresh of the common core of skills and knowledge that everyone working with children, young people, and families should have, following wide consultation with children and young people and those who work with them. The 6 areas of expertise in the common core provide an essential foundation that supports an integrated approach to working. The main difference of the refreshed version is a fuller breakdown within these 6 areas between Skills and Knowledge. Click here for more information.
