“It seems like everything sleeps in winter, but it’s really a time of renewal and reflection”
Welcome to Issue 63 of Quest News. We have over 15 hours of off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Events this week
6th December – Saint Nicolas’s Day https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Nicholas-Day
8th Bohdi Day https://bodhiday.org/
10th Human Rights Day https://www.ohchr.org/en/about_us/human_rights_day
December 2 - December 8 National Grief Awareness Week 2022
Every year, between December 2nd-8th, we have National Grief Awareness Week. These six days are dedicated to raising public awareness of grief and loss.Other key objectives for the NGAW include:
to create safe spaces to talk about grief
helping those living with grief
improving our understanding of grief
developing grief literacy
learning to signpost people to specialist grief charities or networks
Completing activities Approx. 60 mins
Legislation
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
These Regulations, often abbreviated to PUWER, place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over work equipment. PUWER also places responsibilities on businesses and organisations whose employees use work equipment, whether owned by them or not..
Approx. 45 mins
Video
Panorama Cost of Living: Can’t Afford My Home
What does the winter hold for people struggling to get a home, or hold on to the one they already have? The rapid increase in interest rates has left many at breaking point. With mortgage rates up and rents soaring, Panorama spends time with those trying to survive, from young workers who’ve given up on ever owning a home of their own, to families facing eviction before Christmas. Reporter Richard Bilton investigates what’s gone wrong with the UK’s housing market.
Approx. 30 mins
Safeguarding & ED & I
Promoting sexual safety
When something goes wrong in health and social care, the people affected and staff often say, "I don't want this to happen to anyone else." These 'Learning from safety incidents' resources are designed to do just that. Each one briefly describes a critical issue - what happened, what CQC and the provider have done about it, and the steps you can take to avoid it happening in your service.
https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/learning-safety-incidents/issue-11-promoting-sexual-safety
Approx. 30 mins
#WakeUpWednesday: What Parents Need to Know about Social Media & Mental Health
Using social media has plenty of potential benefits for young people: it helps them stay connected to their friends, hear contrasting views on the world, find reassurance or support, and ease social anxiety. It also brings, however, a corresponding number of negative possibilities – including compulsive use, unhealthy comparisons with others online and exposure to harmful content.
Ironically – for a medium designed to enable engagement with other people – social platforms can actually lead to children feeling increasingly isolated and lonely, taking an obvious toll on their mental wellbeing. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has our top tips on how trusted adults can support healthier social media habits in young people.
Approx. 30 mins
ProjectEVOLVE – New Online Bullying Resources Available
For anti-bullying week, ProjectEVOLVE has released some brand-new resources available for ages 3 -11 that have a focus around online bullying. These new resources have been created with consultation and feedback from partner organisations around online bullying and are available to use for free within the toolkit. They have also been adapted to reflect the invaluable feedback we receive from all professionals who are using the ProjectEVOLVE toolkit to assist them in educating around digital development.
Approx. 30 mins
Harmful Sexual Behaviour in School Resources
Support for professionals working with children and young people when responding to incidents or issues surrounding harmful sexual behaviours
Approx. 30 mins
Online Safety Bill Set to Return to Parliament
November 24th 2022 the Online Safety Bill was announced to be returning to parliament after a series of delays encountered throughout the year. Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt confirmed the news today that the Bill will be discussed in parliament on Monday 5th December. This would be the third reading of the Bill and is another step towards progressing it further towards the House of Lords and then towards its final stages of approval.
Approx. 30 mins
‘Downblousing’ and Sharing of Pornographic Deepfakes to Be Criminalised
It has been announced that the Government is set to criminalise ‘downblousing’ as well as the sharing of pornographic deepfakes without consent. The proposed changes state that those who share explicit images or videos that have been manipulated to look like someone else without their consent (deepfakes) could be jailed. As well, this includes downblousing (photos that are taken down a woman’s top) as well as new laws brought forward by the Ministry of Justice to address the installation of equipment to take photos or videos of someone without their consent.
Approx. 30 mins
Instagram Age Verification Steps Up Online Safety
Instagram has gone live with new AI technology which helps to confirm the age of users in the UK to increase safety online for young people.
Approx. 30 mins
Online Safety Podcast
Episode 5: Anti-Bullying: Alex Holmes of The Diana Award
Alex Holmes is one of the UK's best known anti-bullying campaigners. Aged just 16 and after experiencing bullying himself, he founded a peer-to-peer support programme Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. He won a Diana Award for this work, and later went on to become deputy CEO of the Diana Award organisation. He has been named as one of '100 people who make Britain a happier place to live’. Find out more about the Diana Award's work here: https://diana-award.org.uk/
Approx. 30 mins
Logan Mwangi Child Practice Review
As Safeguarding and educational professionals it is important to reflect back on safeguarding failures. Without studying these tragic cases it makes children more vulnerable, and our safeguarding capabilities weaker. Logan Mwangi was found dead in July 2021, after a sustained period of abuse at the hands of his mother, father and step-brother. Earlier this week the Cwm Taf Morannwg Safeguarding board found there to have been ‘system issues rather than isolated instances of poor practice. The full report into the failures that led to this damning conclusion can be found by following the link below.
Approx. 30 mins
Child to Parent Violence and Abuse (CPVA) Resources
Although there is no 'official' definition, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, says that CPVA is 'CAPVA is a form of family abuse where children/adolescents use a range of harmful behaviours towards parents/caregivers in an attempt to get their own way, hurt or punish, communicate distress and/or control their environment.'
Approx. 45 mins
A Guide to Detecting Child Exploitation
Children and young people are at serious risk of exploitation, both sexual and non-sexual. Whether it comes from criminal gangs inducing children into criminal activity, or networks of individuals preying on children, recognizing the warning signs is crucial. The Children’s Society has published guidance on how to see and stop exploitation. A key document for safeguarding professionals
Approx. 30 mins
Defining County Lines
County Lines and the gangs that operate them are a key threat to vulnerable children. But in order to combat it effectively, and to protect the children that they threaten an understanding of the definition is required. To help in this effort to safeguard children from the practice’s influence the National Crime Agency has published the document linked below:
Approx. 30 mins
The Significance of County Lines Organisations: Case Study
To understand the importance and potential power of County Lines Organisations, please refer to the link below to find out about one of the National Crime Agency’s largest anti-County Lines investigations.
Approx. 30 mins
The Practice of Cuckooing
Adjacent to the dangers of County Lines Organisations, is the vulnerability of young people, particularly in families with an absent or sick parent. Cuckooing refers to the practice of criminals who take over another individual’s house or property. These Cuckooing attempts are carried out particularly by County Lines groups to store their illegal goods. To understand more about Cuckooing and how to stop it please follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
Health & Safety
Covid-19 and infants
The First 1001 Days Movement and the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) have published a report looking at how coronavirus has impacted infants, families and services supporting them in the UK. Findings from a literature review and a survey of 555 professionals include: 42.7% of professionals stated that many babies they work with are affected by parental anxiety, stress, or depression due to the pandemic; and 44.1% of respondents said that many of the babies they work with are currently affected by increased exposure to domestic conflict, child abuse and neglect. Recommendations include: government spending on the youngest children should match that allocated to school-aged children; and leaders from councils and various sectors must work together to integrate strategies that reduce inequalities.
Approx. 30 mins
Child mental health
COSMO, a cross-organisational study and collaboration between UCL and the Sutton trust, has published a new briefing exploring the mental health and wellbeing of 16- and 17-year-old children across England. Survey research was conducted using a sample of over 13,000 young people in Year 11 and parents in England. Findings include: 44% of 16- and 17-year-olds report elevated psychological distress; and 24% of young people said they experienced bullying at school or college. Recommendations include: ensuring access to an independent counsellor for students; the introduction of Mental Health Support teams in every school; and a well-evidenced anti-bullying programme in all schools.
Approx. 30 mins
Rate of self-reported work-related ill health and non-fatal injury by industry
Industries with statistically significantly higher rates of work-related ill health compared to the average rate across all industries were human health and social work and public administration and defence. Agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, accommodation and food service activities and wholesale and retail trade (including motor vehicle repair) had statistically significantly higher workplace injury rates compared to the average rate across all industries.
Approx. 30 mins
Wider Curriculum
Ofsted – Net loss of 300 nurseries in one year
There has been a net loss of 300 nurseries in the past year, according to the latest Ofsted statistics, with the number of childminders joining the sector the lowest recorded.
Approx. 30 mins
Celebrating Teaching Assistants And Everything They Do - All I Do
Teaching Assistants deliver a wealth of value for children, young people and schools. Despite this, they often don’t receive the recognition their role deserves. We want to raise awareness of the impact Teaching Assistants are having every single day.
Approx. 30 mins
To download the 2022 Winter Edition of Care Talk as a PDF
Approx. 40 mins
Older people unlawfully detained in mental health hospitals because of poor DoLS practice, warns CQC
Annual Mental Health Act monitoring report also warns staff shortages, lack of beds and inadequate community provision are undermining patient safety and care quality and leading to 'closed cultures'
Approx. 30 mins
‘Advocates and independent visitors made me feel listened to – but too many children in care lack this’
As a report finds many children in care lack awareness of advocates and independent visitors, Shelly Reed urges the government to adopt care review recommendations to ensure much greater access to their support
Approx. 30 mins
Government urged to fund return to social work scheme to bring back 200 practitioners
Council heads say initiative would help alleviate workforce pressures, with last return to practice programme deemed "largely effective" by government in enabling 133 social workers to re-register
Approx. 30 mins
Supervision orders face overhaul to improve effectiveness in supporting family reunification
Expert group rejects abolition but proposes changes to tackle high rates of cases returning to court, practitioner scepticism about order and parental dissatisfaction with support
Approx. 30 mins
Latest survey on impact of Covid on social workers and care staff opens
Previous research has found that social workers’ wellbeing at work is lower than that of other professions in wake of pandemic
Approx. 30 mins
Muslim-heritage children in care
My Family Group has published a report on supporting Muslim-heritage children in the care system. The report focuses on themes that emerged from the group’s annual roundtable event which included discussion around identity and wellbeing.
Approx. 30 mins
