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Monday News Issue 102- 11th September 2023

Matthew Paminter

" Education is a once in a lifetime opportunity to open children's hearts and minds to the unbelievable wonder of the universe"

Welcome to Issue 102 of Quest News. We have 13.5 hours of off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.


Events this week:

September 11 - September 15 - Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week 2023

September 11 - September 15 - Pension Awareness 2023

September 11 - September 17 - Male Cancer Awareness Week 2023

September 13 - Roald Dahl Story Day 2023

September 15 - National Doodle Day 2023


Policy of the Week

Health and Safety Policy

A health and safety policy sets out your general approach to health and safety. It explains how you, as an employer or employee, will manage health and safety in your business. It should clearly say who does what, when and how.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)

Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)


Videos of the week

James Bulger The Trial

The true story of what happened in court - from lawyers, jurors and James Bulger's mother.

(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 90 mins)


Event of the week/month

September 13 Roald Dahl Story Day 2023

Roald Dahl Story Day is an annual celebration of Roald Dahl’s marvellous stories from Matilda to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Schools across the country take part to celebrate Roald Dahl’s stories and fundraise for our charity.

(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Completing activities Approx. 60 mins)


Safeguarding & ED & I


Keeping your child safe on their smartphone

The summer before starting secondary school is a common time for parents and carers to buy their children their first mobile phone (Kidscape, 2022). Up to 91% of 11-year-olds own one (BBC, 2022).

Having a mobile phone can help your child to be more independent if you know you can always contact them and find out where they are. Phones can also support learning and allow your child to build stronger relationships with their friends. However, a phone can expose them to new risks and it’s important for you and them to be aware of these.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


#WakeUpWednesday: What Parents & Carers Need to Know about Live Streaming

Around one in four social media users watch other people’s content in real time on those same platforms. What’s more, Ofcom estimates that 58% of children in the UK have consumed video content this way – with many also creating and broadcasting their own material online.

Live streaming, as it’s known, has become immensely popular – with some streamers drawing tens of millions of followers. Among those viewers, however, lurk individuals who may pose a threat. This #WakeUpWednesday, find out how you can help to protect young live streamers.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


Resources – CEOP

Returning to school is a happy time for many. However, we must be mindful that whilst children get back to the classroom their safety once again becomes the responsibility of educational institutions. The same threats that were there in the last days of July, still very much remain, particularly online. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has released a series of pages, over on their site providing training, resources and information to professionals and carers. To find out more please follow the link below:

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


Podcast: What’s next for children’s social care in England? An interview with Josh MacAlister

Earlier this year, the UK government published its vision for the reform of children's social care in England: Stable homes, built on love.1

The Independent Review of Children's Social Care in England, which published its final report in May 20222, provided a cornerstone for this strategy. The review was chaired by Josh MacAlister and aimed to produce recommendations for a social care system that puts lifelong loving relationships at the heart of the care system and acts decisively in response to abuse.

In this podcast episode, Abigail Gill, the NSPCC’s Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs sat down with Josh to talk about the review and what still needs to be done to meet its aims.

(Reading and listening to this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


School attendance

The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a series of blogs on school attendance looking at children missing from education and barriers some children are facing. The blogs explore measures to support children returning to school and include discussions around: looked after children missing from school; the role of schools in children’s wellbeing; and SEND and specialist mental health provision for pupils.

(Reading these can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 50 mins)


Sexual harassment in schools

The University of Greenwich and other institutions have published a report on the sexual misconduct and harassment of students by teachers in secondary schools in Ireland and the UK. A survey was conducted with 593 adults in the UK and Ireland who had experienced some form of sexual harassment or misconduct during their time in secondary school. Findings include: sexist harassment was experienced by 86% of Irish respondents and 95% of UK respondents; sexual harassment was experienced by 72% of Irish respondents and 85% of UK respondents; and approximately 10% of Irish and 27% of UK respondents experienced unwanted sexual attention.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


(Podcast) School exclusions and child criminal exploitation

BBC File on 4 has released a new episode on school exclusions and child criminal exploitation in England. The episode hears from parents, pupils and teachers and discusses the targeting of children by criminal gangs.

(Listening to this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


Youth violence

Ofsted has published new guidance on inspections of the multi-agency response to children affected by serious youth violence in England. The guidance, aimed at inspectors conducting joint targeted area inspections (JTAI), explains how to evaluate the effectiveness of the police, children’s social care, education, youth offending services and relevant health services in working together to address and prevent serious youth violence.

(Reading these can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


Child sexual abuse imagery

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has published a news story about the effectiveness of new ‘clustering’ technology in helping analysts to assess online sexual abuse imagery and to identify criminal abuse.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


(Podcast) Child mental health

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has published a new podcast episode about a paper on interventions in children and young people’s mental care. The podcast discusses organisational barriers and facilitators in implementing interventions.

(Listening to this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


Adoption agencies

Ofsted has announced it will carry out inspections of regional adoption agencies in England to examine adoption practice and outcomes for children. New guidance sets out the focus of these inspections and expectations of regional adoption agencies.

(Reading these can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)


Health & Safety


RAAC schools list shows those with buildings affected by unsafe concrete

The government has published an official list of 147 schools in England it says have crumbling concrete.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)


Work In Extreme Heat – What Are Employee Rights?

With a heatwave forecast across the UK this week, with highs of 32C in some parts, working in the hot weather can not only be uncomfortable, but also dangerous if the appropriate measures aren’t taken to ensure your health and safety. Sun-related health issues can occur, from burns, to heat stroke.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)


UK Government Mandates Second Staircases In High-Rise New Builds

The Housing Forum has highlighted its concerns over the government’s requirements for a second staircase in new residential buildings over 18m in height and the unintended negative impact it could potentially have for fire safety.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)


Crumbling Concrete Crisis: The Risks

Schools and NHS buildings made from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) could be unsafe or face closure, the UK government has admitted.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)


Wider Curriculum


When social work becomes a family affair

A mother-daughter social worker duo speak about the impact social work has had on their family, the lessons they've learned and whether they would recommend it as a profession

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


Mental health social workers vote to strike over ‘chronic staffing issues’

UNISON members seeking pay boost to tackle retention issues beyond £1,000 annual payment offered by council.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


One day with social workers showed Fatima Whitbread how much the care system had changed

Former world javelin record holder Fatima Whitbread MBE’s traumatic childhood inspired her to advocate for children in care but left her without a positive view of social work. For our Choose Social Work campaign, Community Care and Essex County Council organised for the reality TV star to see how the profession had changed from when she was a child.

(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)


‘It was wonderful to have somebody show me they really cared’: Luke Rodgers on the power of social work

In this podcast for our Choose Social Work campaign, Luke Rodgers, founder of The Care Leaders, talks about the social workers who had a positive impact on his time in care and how practitioners can do the same for the children they support.

(Reading and listening to this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)



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