“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
Events this week:
February 17th- Random Acts of Kindness Day 2025
February 17th- February 24th- Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025
February 19th- February 23rd- Emotional Health Week 2025
February 21st- Care Day 2025
February 22nd- World Thinking Day 2025
February 23rd- Helplines Awareness Day 2025
Legislation/Regulation of the week
Domestic Abuse Act
Domestic abuse is a cruel, complex issue affecting people of all backgrounds and leaving lasting physical and emotional impacts. The 2019-2020 Crime Survey for England and Wales reported that 2.3 million adults experienced domestic abuse, with most victims being female. Recognising that anyone can be affected, the 2021 Act introduces a statutory definition of domestic abuse and includes case studies to illustrate its various forms. Abuse often remains hidden, affecting victims in subtle and sustained ways. The guidance has been developed with input from sector experts, commissioners, academics, and frontline professionals.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
Disclosure: Kids on the Psychiatric Ward
Young women tell their stories from years spent on an adolescent psychiatric ward - a place supposed to make them better, but which they say failed them and left them traumatised.
BBC Disclosure investigates claims that physical restraints and forced sedative injections are overused within a culture of cruelty among nursing staff in a specialist NHS unit.
With first-hand testimony from six young women, this film shines a light on life inside a mental health hospital for some of our most vulnerable children.
Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)
Event of the week/month
Cancer Prevention Week 2025
Each year, World Cancer Research Fund holds Cancer Prevention Action Week, which focuses on supporting and empowering the public to make changes to their daily habits, and that of their families, to reduce their risk of preventable cancers.
This year’s campaign will run from 17-23 February 2025.
About 1,100 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK, but 40% of all cancer cases could be prevented.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Anxiety the top mental health concern for children contacting our Childline service
In the first six months of 2024/25, Childline delivered over 6,600 counselling sessions related to anxiety, both online and over the phone. This represents almost a quarter (24%) of all counselling sessions about mental health and wellbeing.
Causes of anxiety included bullying, social and political reasons such as climate change, and body image issues.
We’re revealing these figures to remind children and young people that they’re not alone this Children’s Mental Health Week, or any other time of the year, with Childline ready to provide help and support 24/7.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2025/anxiety-top-mental-health-concern-for-children-contacting-childline/?utm_campaign=20250210_KIS_CASPAR_February10&utm_content=Anxiety%20the%20top%20mental%20health%20concern%20for%20children%20contacting%20our%20Childline%20service&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 50 mins)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Tips
AI generated content and AI tools like chatbots, content generators and summaries are quickly appearing across popular online apps and services. There are also popular AI tools appearing like ChatGPT.
There can be many positives to the use of AI in helping to find information, making creative content and getting support quickly through chat functions. However, as with other areas of online use, it comes with risks to children as well.
For example, the content that children see might not be age appropriate, legal or promote healthy behaviours. They can also experience harms such as bullying and sexual abuse through the misuse of AI content generators to create realistic looking content intended to cause harm.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2025/artificial-intelligence-safety-tips-for-parents/?utm_campaign=20250210_KIS_CASPAR_February10&utm_content=Artificial%20intelligence%20safety%20tips%20for%20parents&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Britain's leading the way protecting children from online predators
UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences to protect children from predators generating AI images.
Children will be protected from the growing threat of predators generating AI images and from online sexual abuse as the UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences.
AI tools are being used to generate child sexual abuse images in a number of sickening ways including by ‘nudifying’ real-life images of children or by stitching the faces of other children onto existing child sexual abuse images. The real-life voices of children are also often used in this sickening material, meaning innocent survivors of traumatic abuse are being re-victimised.
Perpetrators are also using those fake images to blackmail children and force victims into further horrific abuse including streaming live images. AI tools are being used to help perpetrators disguise their initial identity and more effectively groom and abuse children online.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
In a Mother’s Mind: Birth mothers’ experiences of domestic abuse- Podcast
Pause and Listen has released a podcast on birth mothers’ experiences of domestic abuse. Pause is a charity which works with women who have had, or are at risk of having, their children removed from their care. The episode features discussion with the CEO of charity For Baby’s Sake and two mothers who have worked with Pause, covering: breaking the intergenerational cycle of domestic abuse; the systemic changes needed to meet the individual needs of families; and the complexities of protecting children whilst also seeking support when experiencing domestic abuse.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
What is EatSafe
EatSafe is a campaign designed to support safer eating in early years non-familial settings. The campaign was developed following the tragic death of Oliver Steeper in September 2021.
A child dies in the UK every month from choking and hundreds more require hospital treatment. EatSafe has been designed to support early years settings providers and management to ensure the safeguarding of mealtimes and to reduce the risk of serious harm whilst eating. Whist primarily designed for early years settings, the principles and guidance may also be of use to other settings providing food to children in their care.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Courageous & Challenging Conversations resources
KSCMP have published new resources to support professionals holding difficult and challenging conversations. Learning has frequently been identified in practice views that there has been a lack of sufficient or effective challenge by professionals, which has affected the ability to safeguard a child. It is important that professionals are able to hold courageous and challenging conversations when needed and without significant delay.
The new resources aim to highlight the importance of these conversations in practice, explore approaches to prepare for a difficult conversation, and help build confidence for professionals. The resources include guidance and a tool for professionals to use to plan conversations.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Health & Safety
8 tips to help reduce your cancer risk at any age
Cancer in people under 50 has been increasing since the 1990s - and has risen by 79% over the last thirty years. Changes in diet and other lifestyle factors are playing a big part in this rise. We explore the lifestyle habits thought to be most important in reducing your risk of cancer.
"It's never been more important to actively take steps to reduce your cancer risk," says Heather Mackey, senior director of cancer prevention and early detection for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. "It is thought that up to 40% of cancers are linked to lifestyle factors that we can control."
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
When to call an Ambulance
At some point in their life, most people will witness or be involved in a medical emergency or accident. Knowing what to do and when you should call the emergency services could potentially save lives.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
What is health anxiety and is it clogging up the NHS?
Latest figures show 73% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&E last month - up from 71.1% in December - but still well below the NHS target of 95%.
Doctors have told Sky News the winter crisis in the health service is being made worse by patients who are demanding urgent and immediate care when it is not always what they need.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
How to prevent heart disease, according to science | Prof. Eric Rimm: Video
Heart disease is among the top five causes of death globally, and it’s the first in the United States and United Kingdom. In the U.S., it causes 1 in 5 deaths. But what is heart disease, exactly? Can we take steps to avoid it? Prof. Eric Rimm, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is here to enlighten us.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)
Wider Curriculum
10,000 more apprentices as Government slashes red tape to boost growth
Up to 10,000 more apprentices will be able to qualify per year as the government cuts red tape to boost economic growth by giving employers more flexibility over maths and English requirements.
Leading employers have been calling for these changes. Businesses will now be able to decide whether adult learners over the age of 19 when they start their apprenticeship course will need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) in order to pass it. This means more learners can qualify in high demand sectors such as healthcare, social care and construction, helping to drive growth and meet government targets in key areas.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10000-more-apprentices-as-government-slashes-red-tape-to-boost-growth
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Older LGBTQ+ people and social care
Older people (65+ years) are the largest age group accessing adult social care services and as such also make up the largest LGBTQ+ group engaging with these services. Issues of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) are often missed by social care workers or, if perceived, are not engaged with because of a lack of knowledge or concerns of morality. Our knowledge about LGBTQ+ people contains significant gaps; one prominent area is about their social care interactions. While some research has explored the public service experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals (see below), there is little research exploring how social care workers engage with and understand the needs of LGBTQ+ people needing care and support.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
‘They don’t have to retell their story’: building long-lasting relationships with children and young people
One of the factors that attracted Lucy to North East Lincolnshire Council was being able to build long-lasting relationships with children and young people.
“At my previous local authority, my experience was predominately assessment, but I wanted to build on my professional development and case-holding and remain their [the children and family’s] social worker longer term,” she said.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Sustainability
Which is worse for wildlife, wind farms or oil drilling?
US President Donald Trump says that wind farms harm birds and whales. Scientists weigh wind power's impacts on wildlife against those of oil and gas.
Aspen Ellis, a seabird biologist at University of California, Santa Cruz, spent a decade doing field work on remote islands off the coast of the United States. She often lived for months amongst thousands of birds, becoming so immersed in their ways that she even learned to tell which predators were nearby from the birds' calls. But as she added her observations to 40 or 50 years of previous research on these colonies, she noticed a worrying pattern.
"Again and again, I just found myself logging the impact of climate change over time," she recalls, from rising sea levels that threatened breeding colonies, to fish moving to cooler areas and leaving seabird chicks starving. "Without addressing this larger issue of climate change, the seabird conversation work we were doing wasn't sufficient to save those populations," she adds. She decided to change focus – and today, studies ways to make clean-energy offshore wind farms safer for birds.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Is Social Media Becoming too Dangerous?
Did you know that the average person spends 6 hours and 40 minutes on screen and scrolls the length of the Empire State Building every single day? For young people, that number jumps even higher—spending a staggering 8 hours and 38 minutes glued to their screens daily.
With so much of life now happening online, concerns about Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) are rising. The World Health Organisation warns that excessive screen time is leading to addiction-like behaviours—uncontrollable scrolling, anxiety when offline, and a sharp increase in mental health struggles.
But screen addiction is just one piece of the puzzle. Research shows that teens experiencing PSMU are three times more likely to suffer from irritability, nervousness, and exhaustion, and are significantly more likely to experience depression. And the dangers go beyond mental health: 60% of children as young as 8 are currently at risk of severe online harms, including cyberbullying, violent and sexual content, and risky contact with strangers. So, in a world where everything is online – from the news, to shopping, to connecting with friends and family – how can we keep our children safe?
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
An Idiot’s guide to change the world- Why Women are Reclaiming the Narrative
Ending all discrimination and violence against women and girls is not only a human rights issue, it’s crucial to achieving a more peaceful and sustainable world. In March we highlight and celebrate women’s stories on ‘International Women’s Day’ and during ‘Women’s History Month’, because it’s through stories that we understand their perspectives and experiences, and reshape the world. In this episode Gail and Loyiso look at the Global Goal to achieve gender equality (Goal 5) and are joined by three storytellers. Author and podcaster Janet Mbugua explains why we need to talk about periods, journalist Zahra Joya ensures Afghan women’s stories don’t go untold, and activist Gina Martin engages boys into the conversation about gender.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 60 mins)
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