"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."
Welcome to Issue 94 of Quest News. We have 16 hours off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Significant Events
July 18 - Nelson Mandela International Day
July 19- Muharram - New Year (Islam)
July 22 - August 6 - National Marine Week 2023
July 23 - March For Men 2023
Legislation of the week
Display Screen Equipment Work: Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
As an employer, you must protect your workers from the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE), such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more. We describe these workers as 'DSE users'. The regulations don't apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or only use it for a short time.
(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)
Video of the week
Konan – trapped in trauma
A Channel 4 documentary has reported that over 300,000 16- to 24-year-olds in England and Wales have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with most cases linked to personal assault and violence. The numbers are based on Channel 4’s analysis of research by King’s College London and data from the Office for National Statistics.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Event of the week
March for Men 23/7/23
1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer. If you're over 50, or you're black, or your dad or brother had it, you're at even higher risk. Prostate cancer is not always life-threatening. But when it is, the earlier you catch it the more likely it is to be cured.
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Completing activities Approx. 60 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Joe Swash: Teens in Care review – the sheer number of children failed by the system is profoundly wrong
The ex-EastEnder is charming, open and excellent in this documentary on the harrowing lack of support for looked-after children. The same can’t be said for the evasive children’s minister
PLEASE SEE LAST WEEK’S MONDAY NEWS FOR VIDEO OF THE WEEK
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Sexual Health Week 2023 – Brook
It's Sexual Health Week 2023 coming up (11th – 17th September) over at Brook. Brook is an organisation founded in 1964 by its namesake - Helen Brook. The longstanding organisation seeks to provide impactful and confidential sexual health advice. It can sometimes be a difficult topic to approach with a class of pupils. Typically, they'll be moving into their last years of compulsory education, and already be armed with a plethora of bravado and questionable senses of humour. Making the area hard to address, particularly if (as many privately will) they hold doubts and insecurities about it. But it is a highly necessary part of education, sending your pupils fully armed with the facts into the wider world is vital to their own lives. This year's theme is 'Playing It Safe' and highlights the impact of sexual education to boosting life chances. If you're interested, please follow the link below:
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Domestic Abuse and Education - National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Domestic abuse has a massive impact on children and young people. Firstly, the presence of domestic violence in the home is a key contributor to undermining the glue that holds a family together. In doing so children and young people are deprived a stable homelife, sometimes leading to increased absenteeism and concerning behaviour. Secondly, and of utmost importance, the trauma generated in an exposed under-18 can seriously affect their mental health leading to reduced outcomes in education. Thirdly it normalises violence within the child or young person's life, affecting their socialisation with others. In all cases it creates an unfathomable impact to the learning outcomes and emotional well-being of pupils. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has recently released a report on this matter. If interested, please follow the link below:
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
ProjectEvolve - SWGfL
It is time to talk again about digital education. Last month saw the release of new research from the Southwest Grid for Learning coming out of their ProjectEvolve. An effort looking at online safety delivery and assessment across schools in England. If you're interested at taking a look at ProjectEvolve and what it entails, please follow the link below:
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Phishing Attacks: Defending your Organisation - National Cyber Security Centre
Last week we discussed the issue of sextortion. The practice of attempting to extort an email recipient, by claiming to possess compromising material of said recipient. This week we're turning our attention to traditional phishing attacks. Phishing scams have been around since the very first emails were being sent, nearly thirty years ago. Although they've evolved in some aspects, they still centre around attempting to trick recipients into clicking on infected links primarily within emails. Phishing emails are sent to personal accounts and organisational accounts indiscriminately, and if not properly defended against they can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. It is essential that your institution is aware of how to defend itself. In this vein the National Cyber Security Centre has published guidance on this issue. To read more, please follow the link below:
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
How Safe conference 2023
NSPCC Learning has published highlights from the NSPCC How Safe 2023 conference. The conference focused on child protection during the cost-of-living crisis and included presentations and discussions on: the challenge of child poverty; poverty and early childhood; and long-term solutions.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Child sexual abuse
The NSPCC has published a news story on public support for measures to prevent child sexual abuse in private messaging. Findings from a YouGov survey of 1,723 adults in the UK show: 73% of adults back plans around Ofcom powers in the Online Safety Bill; 79% think companies should seek to develop technology that allows them to identify child sexual abuse in end-to-end encrypted messaging apps; and 60% think it should be a legal requirement for tech companies to scan for child sexual abuse in private messaging services.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Information sharing
The Department for Education (DfE) has published a policy paper on information sharing which explores the barriers and potential enablers to better information sharing in England. Recommendations for improving information sharing include: functioning, joined-up systems across agencies that enable the right data to be used securely by the right people at the right time; an accurate and well maintained ‘golden record’ about a child/family; and confident practitioners who are clear on their roles and responsibilities for sharing and seeking information.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Mothers and children’s social care
Birth Companions has published a Birth Charter setting out how services and systems in England should support pregnant women and mothers of children under 2 involved with children’s social care. The principles call for: specialist and continuous support during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood; help in retaining or regaining care of their baby where possible; and access to independent advocacy support.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Pornography review launched to ensure strongest safeguards
The UK government has launched a review to investigate gaps in the UK’s regulation, legislation, and enforcement of the pornography industry. The review will consider what more can be done to provide children with information and resources about the harm caused by pornography. It will also be looking into illegal and harmful content, including content which features child sexual abuse and exploitation.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Sexual harassment and violence against women and girls
The Women and Equalities Committee has published a report on the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence towards women and girls in educational settings in the UK. The report explores issues around online harms and abuse experienced in schools. The Committee calls for the government to undertake an evaluation of how well schools are following the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and the impact that guidance is having in practice.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Cost of living
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Students has published a report examining the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on further education students in England. Findings include an increase in safeguarding issues for 16- to 18-year-olds such as criminal and sexual exploitation and abuse, domestic abuse, and mental health disclosures.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Child victims of exploitation left ‘invisible’ during school holidays
Child victims of exploitation left ‘invisible’ during school holidays, says charity
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
#WakeUpWednesday: How to Stay Safe Online this Summer
Swapping maths for Minecraft, English for Instagram and drama for Disney+ The summer holidays often bring a jump in children’s screen time; while that can be tolerated by busy parents, it does also increase the chance of youngsters encountering online hazards
Presented in poster format, our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week highlights some essential tips for young people – helping them stay safer in the digital world and have a more positive experience on their consoles, phones and tablets over the summer break.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Health & Safety
Health and Safety Matters Podcast - Episode 33
Mark also takes a look at the latest industry news the latest UK workplace fatalities statistics, which have been published by the Health and Safety Executive.
(Listening to this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 45 mins)
HR alert: employees’ entitlements during the heatwaves
The approaching holiday season, as well as the increasing incidence of extreme heat waves and accompanying fierce weather phenomena, are not conducive to efficiency and comfort at work, as well as the well-being of employees.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Time tracking is not the answer to motivate remote workers, experts say
Time tracking software is not the most effective way to motivate remote workers, experts have said.
Employee engagement company Weekly10 said employers need to motivate remote workers in other ways such as realistic goals, incentive programmes, transparent feedback and celebrating success.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
The Broken Swing: a poem on social work
A social worker captures the challenges of meeting children's expectations in this poem, inspired by a family she worked with
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Adult social care vacancy numbers fall slightly from all-time high but still top 150,000
Sector bodies say Skills for Care figures show impact of liberalising immigration rules but warn sector cannot rely on overseas staff as solution to workforce problems
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
DfE likely to implement agency social work restrictions – sector head
ADCS has repeatedly raised need for crackdown on 'scurrilous' agency practices with department and 'we have been listened to', says workforce policy lead
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
‘As a former child in care, I know the difference social workers make to people’s lives
ADCS vice president Andy Smith explains how his time in care inspired him to become a social worker, and how transformative the role can be, in the latest letter to future practitioners for our Choose Social Work campaign
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Government no longer funding social care race equality scheme
Workforce race equality standard, which tracks outcomes for council minority ethnic practitioners in areas such as progression, training and disciplinaries, is now being resourced by Skills for Care
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Helping Children in their Move from Primary to Secondary - Salvation Army
It's that time again. The end of the school year is only a couple of weeks away. For most pupils this period will be time to spend going on holidays either to Europe, further afield or simply relaxing at home. A chance to enjoy warmer climes or hope that the British summer is not too unkind. But for one cadre of pupils it can be an anxious time. I am referring to those currently in Year 6, whose lives will be completely changed on their return to education. For some it will mean leaving childhood friends, for others it will mean the hard challenge of becoming, once again a small fish in a big pond. The Salvation Army has recently launched a podcast series of six to seven minute episodes, focusing on this transition. If you're interested or think someone in your class might be, please click on the link below:
(Listening to these can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Education and looked after children
The Education Policy Institute has published a blog analysing the GCSE attainment gap for looked after children in England. The blog focuses on children who have been looked after in the previous 6 years, children in need with a child protection plan (CPP) in the previous six years, and children in need without a CPP in the previous 6 years. The analysis found that GCSE grade gaps widened markedly for all three groups in 2020 and each fell even further behind their peers in 2021.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Child and family wellbeing
Goldsmiths University has published a study looking at the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and racial discrimination on children and families from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic (BAME) communities in England and Wales. Research included work with a youth panel and interviews with children, families and professionals. Findings highlighted the impact on the emotional wellbeing, mental health and educational development of children and young people.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
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