"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight”
Welcome to Issue 77 of Quest News. We have over 14 hours of off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Events of the week
Comic Relief/Red Nose Day March 17th
Red Nose Day is an annual fundraising campaign created by Comic Relief to end child poverty throughout the world. The organisation funds programs which help keep children safe and healthy while providing them with support and education.
Approx. 60 mins
March 13 - March 19- Compost Week UK 2023
March 15 - Young Carers Action Day 2023
March 17 - St Patricks Day 2023
Video
Social Media Murders: The Murder of Ashley Wadsworth
Ashley Wadsworth was lured to her death via social media. The unlikely love affair between the Canadian Mormon and a tattooed Essex boy began online and ended in murder.
Approx. 60 mins
Policy of the Week – Accident/Incident policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that when an accident/indeicent occurs in the workplace that you know what appropriate action to taken and how to accurately recorded information and how it is communicated.
Approx. 60 mins
Safeguarding and ED & I
National Child Exploitation Awareness Day
NWG Network is a charity committed to raising awareness and unite the world against child exploitation on 18th March.
National Child Exploitation Awareness Day aims to highlight the issues surrounding child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation, and encourage everyone to be aware of, able to spot, and feel able to speak out against abuse.
To help raise awareness, you can download their campaign media package or “Think Twice, Think Abuse”, use their banners and buttons on websites and social media, and display their posters.
Approx. 45 mins
Toxic Masculinity and Misogyny in Schools
Misogyny is not new, but many schools, including primary schools, are having to deal with increasing incidents of toxic masculinity and misogyny following the growing popularity of certain social media influencers.
The actions and lifestyles of influencers and celebrities can often lead to them becoming idolised by many of their followers. The increase in disturbing behaviour and language witnessed in schools, has prompted fears that boys and young men are being radicalised by some influencers’ views.
These resources from the PSHE Association can help educational settings to address the impact of the persuasive narrative of online media influencers.
Approx. 30 mins
Minimum Age to Marry Raised in England and Wales
As of Monday 27th February 2023, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act (2022) means that anyone under 18 years old in England and Wales will no longer be able to marry or enter a civil partnership, even if they have parental consent.
The change in law aims to protect children and young people from forced marriage. Anyone who exploits those under 18 by arranging for them to marry will face criminal charges, whether force was used or not.
The government has also updated its guidance for professionals working with children and young people to help protect, advise and support victims of forced marriage
Approx. 45 mins
Free anonymous reporting app for online extremism
The Overlap between hate crime, hate speech and the promotion of terrorism on the online space is huge.
As referenced in KCSiE the internet has been known to be linked as a driver to many safeguarding issues, exposing children or vulnerable people to inappropriate, hate or illegal content in order to desensitise them for Radicalisation is one such way. Everyone can play a part in preventing terrorism by sharing information that you may be aware of, whether it is online or in your community.
If there is an immediate threat you should always call the police by dialling 999 but you can report non-urgent concerns online. The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) and Raven Science have developed a national public referral app for online terrorist content. The iREPORTit app allows people to refer worrying or disturbing content to the CTIRU easily, effectively and, crucially, completely anonymously.
Approx. 30 mins
#Lookcloser – Awareness raising of exploitation
The Children Society have teamed up with British Transport Police and National County Lines Coordination Centre to provide people with a series of free resources exploring young people and exploitation.
The resource supports practitioners in exploring;
• What is child exploitation?
• Learning the signs of child exploitation
• Learning the signs for different workplaces
• Providing a list of Exploitation learning events
• Providing details around how to report child exploitation
• Downloadable #LookCloser resources
Approx. 30 mins
Safeguarding Voice - Mentoring
In the latest episode of Safeguarding Voice, join host Leonie Thorpe as we welcome a special guest to this latest episode - Ashley Howard - Director of organisation Forever Young People. Forever Young People provides a multitude of services to support young people, but in this episode we are focusing on the area of Mentoring.
Approx. 40 mins
#WakeUpWednesday: What Parents and Carers Need to Know about iPads
It hasn’t quite made the sociocultural splash of the Mac or the iPhone, but Apple’s iPad has undeniably been a colossal critical and commercial success for the American tech giants. The device truly changed the game: before the iPad, comparatively few tablets existed – and they certainly weren’t adaptable enough to find a niche in the home as well as the workplace.
In the intervening 13 years, Apple’s sleek tablet has become a familiar sight in homes around the world – with children being wholehearted fans of having a portable, easy-to-use gateway to learning and entertainment on tap. Are iPads completely safe for young users, however? And if not, what do trusted adults need to be aware of? Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the details.
Approx. 30 mins
Young people and eating disorders
Spurgeons Children’s Charity has created new animated videos about young people and eating disorders. They aim to tackle misconceptions around eating disorders and educate professionals on how to support young people with the conditions. The resources provide information on different types of eating disorders, causes, treatments and prevention.
Approx. 40 mins
Adolescent body image
The American Psychological Association has published a study looking at the relationship between social media use (SMU) and body image in children and young people. A trial was conducted in the US with over 200 participants which monitored social media use. The study finds that reducing daily SMU led to discernible improvements in both appearance and weight esteem when compared with participants who had unrestricted access to SMU.
Approx. 30 mins
Online Protection Checklist for the Home - Internet Watch Foundation
It is of vital importance to protect children from the online sphere whilst in schools. The reality though, is that the majority of dangers posed from this portal to the world’s less conducive elements comes from inside the home. Out of the range of school filtering software, mandated software bans and other measures that can be taken in educational establishments. The Internet Watch Foundation, an superb organization from which we regularly cite in these briefings, has released a checklist to help mitigate the risks at home from the internet. This checklist covers all things related to child protection online at home. The eighteen page document, contains a wealth of information and ideas on how to reduce potential vulnerabilities once your pupils have left the school premises. To get hold of this guidance please follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
Health & Safety
‘Debilitating’ effects of pandemic linger on for Britain’s young
In this exclusive article in The Guardian, it looks at the results of two studies which focus on the physical, mental health and educational impacts of the pandemic on young people.
It is really important that, as professionals working with young people, we don’t forget the ongoing impacts that the last few years has had on children and young people.
We have all had to try and ‘bounce back’ but of course for some of our children they have had more difficulty doing this than others.
Approx. 30 mins
Falling Trees and Risk - Healthy and Safety Executive
The management of risk to pupils whilst they are on the school premises does not only encompass protecting them from other humans. Indeed, there are a myriad of potential dangers from nature and the school’s surroundings. Whether it’s an unwanted infestation of pests, to the presence of asbestos in your establishment’s legacy buildings the potential accidental dangers within the physical sphere are not to be overlooked.
Many schools enjoy a wealth of lush environmentally sound ground in which their pupils can play and take a break from their schoolwork. However, it is vitally important that these grounds and the thing in them are factored in to securing the safety of children and young people. And one danger looms large over the others – falling trees or branches. Back on the 25th of September 2020, a council was fined £280,000 after the death of a six year old girl who was hit by a falling tree in her playground. The Year 2 pupil was playing with friends at her first school in north east England when a decaying willow tree collapsed. Several other children were hit by the falling tree but managed to escape, some with superficial injuries. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the tree had decayed and was in poor condition. The council had failed to identify the extent of the decay or to manage the risk posed by the tree. To aid in avoiding this, make sure to read the guidance linked below:
Approx. 30 mins
Wider Curriculum
Senior practitioner loses bid to keep court judgment that he abused ex-partner from Social Work England
Regulator given copy of judgment that found social worker perpetrated domestic abuse after court ruled that need for public safety outweighed practitioner's privacy rights
Approx. 30 mins
Responding to Critical Incidents in Educational Communities
The UK Trauma Council has put together a selection of resources to help educational settings respond to critical incidents that have a traumatic impact on their educational community. This is welcome support given the tragic recent events in Syria and Turkey, along with the war in Ukraine, both of which will have affected many within your setting communities.
The guidance has been designed to help educational settings create an environment to promote recovery in the immediate aftermath of a critical incident and long-term.
Approx. 30 mins
Young Carer’s Action Day
Resources are now available to download for Young Carer’s Action Day on 15th March.
This year’s theme is “Make Time for Young Carers” and highlights two things that can help improve the mental health and well-being of young carers:
1. Make more time to listen to young carers explain the challenges they face, so professionals and responsible adults can better understand the support young carers actually need.
2. Once responsible adults understand the sort of support that’s required, they then need to make time to put that support in place.
Approx. 40 mins
School Protests - Getting the Balance Right
There have been protests by some students at a number of schools which are trending on TikTok. Typically, there is a school rule that students are protesting about. In some schools there are protests about sexual harassment by some students, including allegations that students are photographing other students in unisex toilets. It is important if you hear about such issues to ensure school leaders are aware. Where there are allegations such as indecent images being taken without the awareness of students you should follow your child protection procedures and in such serious incidences involve the Police and children’s services in line with these procedures.
Approx. 30 mins
Social work in schools: an opportunity to change perceptions
In the second instalment of our series on social work in unusual settings, we look at how practitioners in schools are making a difference - to students, and to perceptions of the profession
Approx. 30 mins
Councils referring more children from residential to foster care, report agencies
IFAs say trend reflects positive impact of residential care, as well as cost considerations, but stress need for moves to go at child's pace and to allay foster carers' concerns over risk
Approx. 30 mins
Essex nursery where toddlers managed to escape closes down while under Ofsted investigation
A Grays preschool has closed down after an incident where two toddlers managed to leave the premises and get onto a street unsupervised.
Approx. 30 mins
Rationing, not strengths-based practice, likely to explain fall in numbers receiving care, finds study
King's Fund probes reasons behind demand for adults' services reaching record high as the number of people receiving long-term care
Approx. 30 mins
Government pushes ahead with rollout of SEND social work lead role
Councils will be 'strongly encouraged' to appoint designated officers to lead on social care contribution to special educational needs provision
Approx. 30 mins
