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Monday 4 February 2019

CASPAR weekly update

                                 NSPCC



CASPAR: current awareness service for practice, policy and research

Welcome to the latest CASPAR alert from NSPCC Knowledge and Information Service for week commencing Monday 04 February 2019

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E-safety for schools
To mark Safer Internet Day on 5 February 2019, the NSPCC has published updated information on e-safety for schools. Information and resources include: resources to help teach children and young people the skills to stay safe online; advice to share with parents and carers; and guides and example documents to help develop online safety policies and procedures.
Source: NSPCC Learning: E-safety for schools  Date: 01 February 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Safeguarding and child protection in schools
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Keeping children safe online: online course 
NSPCC conference: How safe are our children? Growing up online 2.0
This conference, organised by the NSPCC, takes place on 25-26 June 2019 in London. The theme of the conference is growing up online and it will explore potential risks and issues children may face online and ways in which professionals can help protect them. Topics include: young people and digital relationships; the 'internet of things'; gaming and the dark web. The early bird booking offer ends on 23 March.
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Keeping children safe online: online course 
Children with disabilities: restraint and seclusion in schools
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has published a report looking at the use of restrictive interventions on disabled children and young people aged 0-25 in schools. Restrictive interventions can include: physical restraint, mechanical restraint, seclusion, blanket restrictions, and chemical restraint. Findings from data from 566 case studies collected by Positive and Active Behaviour Support Scotland (PABSS), and results from a Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) survey completed by 204 families include: 88% of the respondents to the CBF survey said their disabled child had experienced physical restraint, with 35% reporting it happening regularly; the PABSS case studies included 1,058 reports of restraint and 544 reports of seclusion.
Source:  Challenging Behaviour Foundation  Date: 31 January 2019
Fostering statistics: England
Ofsted had published statistics on fostering in England for 2017/18. Figures show that: on 31 March 2018, 53,040 children and young people were placed with foster carers, an increase of around 1,000 compared with 31 March 2017.
Source:  Ofsted  Date: 31 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Looked after children
Children’s social care: call for research partners
The What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care is seeking partners for a research project to see if Schwartz Rounds, a group reflective practice forum which provides an opportunity for staff to reflect on the emotional aspects of their work, can support the well-being of social workers and others in children’s services.
Source:  What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care  Date: 28 January 2019
Impact of social media and screen use on young people’s health
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has published a report looking at the impact of social media and screen-use on young people’s health following an inquiry launched in February 2018. The report looks at: the risks, harms and benefits of social media and screens; resources for schools and parents; and regulation and guidance. Recommendations include: the government should introduce a statutory code of practice for social media companies; a regulator should be appointed by the end of October 2019; and social media companies should be required to publish detailed transparency reports every six months. The Committee also recommends the government sets a target to halve reported online child sexual exploitation in two years and all but eliminate it in four years.
Source:  UK Parliament  Date: 31 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Keeping children safe online: online course 
Child mental health: the role of practice based evidence
The All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has published a report looking at the role of practice-based evidence as part of a child-centred strategy for promoting and maintaining good mental health. Practice-based evidence provides data based on outcomes achieved in real-life practice rather than data from research trials. Recommendations include: government should adopt a strategy of using practice-based evidence alongside other existing forms of evidence-based practice; a working party should be convened to agree a set of standards for the development of practice based evidence systems.
Source:  Children & Young People Now  Date: 30 January 2019
Children’s services - early intervention
Children & Young People Now has published a report on how local authorities can provide effective early intervention against a backdrop of rising social need and financial constraint. Recommendations following a round table debate with children's services leaders include: local authorities should rethink what data they collect to prove early intervention's impact, how they collect it, and share it better with other authorities and government.
Source:  Children & Young People Now  Date: 29 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Early help (or early intervention)
Children in custody
HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Youth Justice Board have published a report looking at the experiences of 12 -18 year olds held in secure training centres (STCs) and young offender institutions (YOIs) in England and Wales for 2017/18. Findings from the 686 responses to a survey sent to all children in STCs or YOIs in England and Wales include: 56% of children and young people in STCs and 50% in YOIs reported that they had been physically restrained; and 30% in STCs reported being victimised by other children and young people by being shouted at through windows.
Source:  HM Inspectorate of Prisons  Date: 29 January 2019
Depression in children and young people: NICE draft guidance: consultation
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is consulting on draft guidance on the identification and management of depression in children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years. The guideline aims to improve recognition and assessment and promote effective treatments for mild, moderate and severe depression. The deadline is 20 February 2019.
Source: NICE  Date: 24 January 2019
Children’s social care evidence store launched
The What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care has launched an evidence store for social care professionals, pulling together evidence about the effectiveness of different interventions to support informed decisions in policy making and service design. The evidence reviews look at how specific interventions work, in what contexts, and also what is known about how to implement them. Currently 11 reviews, conducted by the Centre’s research partner CASCADE, have been published in practice areas including: child mental health, family drug and alcohol courts, sexual abuse recovery using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and substance misuse and child maltreatment.
Source:  What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care  Date: 30 January 2019
Further information: Evidence store
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
The National FGM Centre has published a leaflet about FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs). Aimed at families, this explains what FGMPOs are, who can apply and how they can be used.
Source: National FGM Centre  Date: 30 January 2019
Inspection of services for children and young people: Scotland
The Care Inspectorate for Scotland has published a report following a five-year programme of joint inspections of services for children and young people across all 32 local authority areas in Scotland between 2012 and 2017. Findings show progress in some areas, but points out challenges in other areas including: outcomes for looked after children and young people in relation to educational attainment and positive post school destinations; and children and young people experiencing domestic abuse and poverty.
Source: CELCIS  Date: 24 January 2019
Migrant children: Wales
The Welsh Government has launched an action plan to tackle inequality and poverty among refugees and asylum seekers. The plan highlights a range of targeted and culturally-appropriate support, including safeguarding for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Source: Welsh Government  Date: 29 January 2019
County lines
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has published its fourth annual assessment into county lines drug supply, vulnerability and harm in the UK. The county lines offending model involves gangs and criminal networks moving drugs within the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines to take orders. Findings include: there are over 2,000 individual deal line numbers in the UK; children aged 15-17 make up the bulk of referrals related to the National Referral Mechanism about county lines; and grooming techniques are similar to those used in child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Source: NCA  Date: 29 January 2019
Child sexual abuse: research and policy work survey
Research in Practice (RiP), in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, are conducting a survey to inform the research and policy work being conducted by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre). The survey closes on 28 February 2019.
Source: RiP  Date: 29 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Protecting children from sexual abuse 
Child protection in sport
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has published a report of an independent review of events at Wrexham Tennis Centre. This was commissioned following the conviction and imprisonment of a head coach who pleaded guilty to sexual offences committed against a young tennis player. Recommendations include that the LTA should: devise mandatory safeguarding training for all people who work with children, or are responsible for people who work with children; and review their safeguarding policy’s content to make it more accessible to children and young people.
Source: LTA  Date: 25 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning: Child protection in sport: online course  
Children and parents: media use and attitudes
Ofcom has published a report on children’s media use in 2018. Findings show that: 16% of children aged 8-11 and 31% of 12-15 year olds who go online have ever seen something online that they found worrying or nasty and, although parents whose children go online continue to be more likely to agree than to disagree that the benefits of the internet outweigh the risks, agreement continues to decrease among parents of 5-15 year olds.
Source:  Ofcom  Date: 28 January 2019
Read more on NSPCC Learning:  Keeping children safe online: online course 
Child mental health
The Department for Education (DfE) has published the 2018 school snapshot survey for England looking at how government policies are working and what senior leaders and classroom teachers think of them. The survey covers mental health needs, and figures show that: 74% of teachers reported they believe they are equipped to identify behaviour that may be linked to a mental health issue, and 69% said they knew how to help pupils access support within their school; 30% of teachers did not know how to help pupils with mental health issues access specialist support outside of their school or college.
Source: DfE  Date: 28 January 2018
Care leavers
The Department for Education (DfE) in England has announced three pilot schemes in Bristol, Lewisham and Sheffield to improve the education and training of young people leaving care, to help them make the transition into independent life.
Source: DfE  Date: 28 January 2019
Breast ironing
The Guardian reports that the practice of breast ironing - the process during which young girls’ breasts are ironed, massaged, and flattened over a period of time in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts – is spreading in the UK. An investigation found anecdotal evidence of dozens of recent cases, although there has been no systematic study or formal data collection exercise.
Source: Guardian  Date: 26 January 2019
Further information: National FGM Centre 
What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care
The What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care has announced the names of the six local authorities (Change Project partners) that it will work with on two initial project areas. Darlington Borough Council, Hillingdon Borough Council and Wigan Council will work on empowering social workers to take decisions - over budgets - to prevent the need for children to enter care; and Lambeth Borough Council, Southampton City Council and Stockport Borough Council will work on projects on locating social workers in schools to work with children and families.
Source: What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care  Date: 25 January 2019
Mental Capacity Act 2005 code of practice: call for evidence
The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation on revising the Mental Capacity Act 2005 code of practice for England and Wales, including providing a new system of Liberty Protection Safeguards which extends to 16 and 17-year-olds. The call for evidence closes on 7 March 2019. 
Source: Ministry of Justice  Date: 24 January 2019
Conversations around culture and belief within the safeguarding context
This conference, organised by the National FGM Centre, takes place on March 8 2019 in London.
Source: Eventbrite 
The impact of neglect on outcomes for young people 
This conference, organised by NAGALRO (the professional association for children's guardians, family court advisers and independent social workers), takes place on 11 March 2019 in London.
Source: NAGALRO 

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