"It’s often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”
Welcome to Issue 79 of Quest News. We have 14 hours of off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Events of the week
Wear A Hat Day 2023 is set to be the biggest, boldest and HATTIEST yet. Grab your favourite hat and raise funds to bring us closer to a cure for brain tumours. Take part with your school, workplace or simply at home with family and friends either on Friday the 31st of March or on any day during the month.
https://is.gd/UhiucV!
Approx. 60 mins)
March 27 - April 2 - World Autism Acceptance Week 2023
March 31 - Wear A Hat Day 2023
March 30 - World Bipolar Day 2023
Video
A young woman in upstate New York is murdered by an incel who posts his actions online. Follow the family’s battle to stop the images from spreading around the world.
Approx. 60 mins
Legislation of the week - Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.
Approx. 60 mins
Safeguarding and ED & I
Removing online nude images and videos
NSPCC Learning has published guidance for professionals supporting young people to report nudes shared online using the Report Remove tool. Professionals can support young people to use the tool, which can help them to take down nude or sexual images and videos. The young person can choose to access emotional support from Childline, and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) can try to remove the image or video. The guidance includes information on how professionals can talk to young people about the tool, before they need to use it.
Approx. 30 mins
Online safety
Ofcom has set out its planned approach to online safety risk assessment when it takes on its role as online safety regulator. The discussion paper covers what good risk assessments and risk management for online platforms should look like, and how risk assessments should work. A consultation on the approach will open once the Online Safety Bill passes.
Approx. 30 mins
Child sexual abuse
The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) has published a literature review of key messages from research on child sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Findings include: there is not a sufficient amount of accurate information on child sexual abuse in institutional settings; there is sometimes a ‘culture of silence’ where institutions deny what has happened or victim-blame following disclosures by survivors; and the impact of abuse in institutional contexts may make some survivors unwilling to seek support from other organisations.
Approx. 30 mins
Safer sleeping
Researchers from University College London (UCL), University of Oxford, University of Bristol and Newcastle University have written a report on promoting safer sleeping for babies in high-risk groups in England. Findings include: a range of motivational factors impact parental decision making about infant sleep environment; professionals responsible for having conversations about safer sleep do not always feel confident in providing tailored support to high-risk families; communication about safer sleep is more effective when it comes from evidenced and trusted sources; and the pressure to be a ‘good parent’ may act as a barrier to parents acknowledging and planning for ‘out of routine’ circumstances.
Approx. 45 mins
Co-sleeping
The Lullaby Trust has published findings from its co-sleeping research. Findings from the survey of over 3,400 parents include: 9 out of 10 parents had co-slept with their child, whilst 4 out of 10 said that a health professional had spoken to them about how to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if co-sleeping with their baby.
Approx. 30 mins
Maternal mental health
What Works for Children’s Social Care has published findings from research conducted by King’s College London into the characteristics of mothers who accessed postpartum psychiatric care and had involvement with children’s social care. Findings include: mothers were often experiencing wider adversity and inequality, were less satisfied with their mental health care, and had more unmet needs than mothers who weren’t involved with social care.
Approx. 30 mins
Adult to child ratios
The Department for Education (DfE) has responded to a consultation on regulatory changes to childcare in England. Among the points made in the response, the DfE has confirmed that they will proceed with the proposed change to statutory minimum staff to child ratios for 2-year-olds from 1:4 to 1:5. This change is expected to come in from September 2023.
Approx. 30 mins
Ben Nelson-Roux Inquest Findings – INQUEST
In April 2020 a sixteen year old boy - Ben Nelson-Roux, was found dead in an adult homeless hostel under the jurisdiction of Harrogate Borough Council. Ben Nelson-Roux's case raised many questions from the national media, due to the circumstances leading up to his unfortunate death. For many years it was alleged that he had been under the influence of groomers from the illegal narcotics sector. His case has been described as a typical example of Criminal Child Exploitation. Aggravating the power of local criminals over Ben, was believed to be his vulnerable status as an individual diagnosed with ADHD. The Ben Nelson-Roux case makes for a good study in institutional failure, and as such the findings of the inquiry - concluded on the 13th of March this year, may be of interest to you. If so please follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
What to Do About Fake Accounts – SWGfL
We talk frequently about the issues that the internet can pose to children and to internet security within educational establishments themselves. Increasingly a new threat has been emerging to this. The issue of fake accounts. These accounts can be on Tik Tok, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media medium. Often these accounts pose as staff from a particular educational establishment, these fake accounts can cause distress to members of staff and may show offensive content. The SWGfL has published a page which gives advice on what to do in these situations. To find out more follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
Virtual reality and child safety
The term “metaverse” might sound like something dreamed up in films like The Matrix or Ready Player One. But with companies like Facebook investing heavily in creating this virtual world, it is time to start taking it seriously. So, what is “the metaverse”? And do we really understand the implications it will have on child safety? We take a closer look.
Approx. 30 mins
Health & Safety
‘Teacher Burnout and How to Avoid It - Educational Support
Being a professional in the education sector can be very challenging. In our briefings we most often seek to provide information relating to the job of being a teacher, or within the staff of an educational establishment.
Of course, the pupils are the number on priority for any school and for any teacher. But at Success in Schools, we recognise that the mental and emotional health of teachers is an important element in the educational sphere. Sometimes, particularly for new educational professionals this career can be overwhelming. It is important when you feel like this that you can get some support and advice. The Educational Support organisation has published a page over on their site dedicated to addressing how to deal with these feelings. If interested, please follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
Headteacher killed herself while waiting for negative Ofsted report, sister says
Ruth Perry, 53, who had been the headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life in January.
Approx. 30 mins
Violence and aggression at work
This guidance explains what work-related violence and aggression is and how employers can protect workers from it. It is also aimed at safety representatives and people responsible for health and safety in their workplace.
Approx. 30 mins
Concerns about employee mental health on the rise – but employees prioritise financial health
Employers are most concerned about the mental health of their staff – followed by financial health, research has shown.
Approx. 30 mins
Morrisons’ £3.5m Fine Is ‘A Warning To All Employers’, Says Council
Supermarket chain Morrisons has been found guilty of four health and safety failings following the death of one of its workers in 2014.
Approx. 30 mins
Caterham nursery where children 'eat cereal off the floor' told it requires improvemen
Rainbows Day Nursery, in White Knobs Way, was visited by Ofsted inspectors in December
Approx. 30 mins
Wider Curriculum
How childhood trauma could be mistaken for ADHD
Dr. Nicole Brown’s quest to understand her misbehaving paediatric patients began with a hunch.
Brown was completing her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, when she realized that many of her low-income patients had been diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Approx. 30 mins
Get Your Free SEND Behaviour Handbook – Beacon
The education of children who come under the term SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) is a vital part of our jobs as educational professionals. These children can be among society's most vulnerable, finding ways to accommodate their particular requirements whilst making sure they can achieve the same educational targets as anyone else, is therefore of the highest importance. To aid you in becoming the very best teacher you can be to these pupils, we would like to recommend the SEND Behaviour Handbook from the BEACON organization. Normally £7.99, the BEACON organization is currently running an offer where you can get yours for free. It really is an excellent resource so if interested please follow the link below:
Approx. 30 mins
Man sentenced to hospital order for attempted murder of social worker
Social worker, who was 61 at the time, has been left with ongoing pain as well as psychological impact of attack by Sulai Bukhari, while practitioner was doing welfare check
Approx. 30 mins
Asylum bill passes first hurdle as commissioner issues stark warning over safeguarding of children
Commissioner Rachel de Souza seeks urgent meeting with Suella Braverman over 'unacceptable' plans for Home Office accommodation of unaccompanied children
Approx. 30 mins
World Social Work Day: the social workers crossing oceans to practise in the UK
Rising numbers of overseas social workers are being recruited amid mounting workforce pressures in England - but councils must also provide sufficient support to benefit from their resilience and experience
Approx. 30 mins
Quarter of those who quit register last year had been on it for less than a year, reveals Social Work England
Number of first-year leavers broadly similar to those who had quit after being on register for more than 10 years, adding to concerns over early career departures
Approx. 30 mins
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