"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself"
Welcome to Issue 95 of Quest News. We have 12 hours off-the-job training for apprentices in care and education to read and learn.
Significant Events:
Jul 24 - 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day/ The Big Listen 2023
Jul 25 - National Schizophrenia Awareness Day 2023
Jul 28 - National Milk Chocolate Day 2023
Jul 28 - World Hepatitis Day 2023
Legislation of the Week
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..
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Video of the week
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change
Rose Ayling-Ellis fronts an exciting and groundbreaking film, challenging perceptions of the deaf community and putting audiences at the heart of the deaf experience.
Following the news that, as of April 2022, British sign language has been officially recognised in law, this documentary follows Rose on a personal journey as she speaks to those closest to her, as well as the people pushing boundaries within the deaf community. Exploring whether society is adapting fast enough to allow equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds, Rose challenges the perception of deafness as something that needs to be cured and highlights the beauty of sign language and the deaf experience.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Event of the week
This summer, help parents and carers to talk more and learn together with their children, through #CEOPSummerChallenge. On Monday 24th July, we will be launching #CEOPSummerChallenge, six weeks of thematic challenges for parents and carers to complete with their children.
The challenge aims to support parents and carers to talk regularly with their children about being online and how to be safer. Each week, parents and carers can choose one challenge (or more if they wish!), from four options per age group, for ages 4 to 11 and 11+. Topics covered in the challenge will be:
Week 1: online security
Week 2: a balanced view of being online
Week 3: sharing photos online
Week 4: socialising online
Week 5: online videos
Week 6: online gaming
Parents and carers can follow the challenge on our Facebook (Click CEOP), where they can look out for posts every Monday. The challenge will also be shared with our professional network on Twitter (@CEOPUK), where you can share with your parent and carer networks
(This can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Completing activities Approx. 60 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
At risk, vulnerable and invisible: The thousands of girls in England exploited within gangs
As many as 60,000 girls in England are vulnerable to serious violence, often in gangs, but are "invisible," with most gang prevention services aimed at boys, a new report has said.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Inspecting safeguarding in schools
NSPCC Learning has published new content on the inspection process for schools’ safeguarding and child protection practice and procedures. It covers what inspectors look at before and during visits and what schools are required to do in all four UK nations.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Under-reporting of child exploitation during the school holidays reveals invisible victims
Barnardo’s has published a report on child exploitation across the UK which looks at the impact of the cost of living crisis and school holidays. Findings from survey data and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to police and local authorities in the UK include: during months when there are school holidays of 2 weeks or longer, there are dips in the monthly average police records of child sexual exploitation, which increase again during term time; and there is a lack of specialist support services for children who experience exploitation. Recommendations include: all governments across the UK should invest in specialist support services and the UK Government should strengthen protections from online child criminal exploitation, including within the Online Safety Bill.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 40 mins)
Youth custody
The Chief Inspector of Prisons has published an annual report on prisons in England and Wales which looks at children in custody. The report collates data from inspections of young offender institutions (YOIs) and reviews of progress. Findings highlight that violence remained a significant issue in youth custody, with institutions reverting to the use of ‘keep apart’ lists to manage high levels of conflict between groups.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Children’s homes
The Observer has published a news story about its investigation into children’s social care provision in England. Figures gathered by the Observer show a disproportionate number of children’s care homes are being placed in areas with the cheapest house sale prices in England. Concerns were raised around private companies locating homes where it is cheapest for them rather than where they are needed.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
No care places left for most vulnerable children in England, MPs told
The BBC has published a news story on unregulated accommodation and the lack of places in children's homes in England. The news story highlights concerns around where vulnerable children will be placed due to a shortage of spaces in homes and the use of unregulated care settings.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Early years
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its Early Years foundation stage statutory framework for school and childcare providers in England. Changes include: statutory minimum staff:child ratios in England for 2-year-olds changes from 1:4 to 1:5; and childminders can care for more than the specified maximum of three young children if they are caring for siblings of children they already care for or if the childminder is caring for their own child. The changes will apply from 04 September 2023.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Supported accommodation
Ofsted has launched a consultation on inspecting supported accommodation for 16- and 17-year-olds in England. The consultation is aimed at providers, children and care leavers and will inform Ofsted’s arrangements for inspections starting in April 2024. The closing date is 08 September 2023.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
#WakeUpWednesday: What Parents and Carers Need to Know about W App
Anonymous popularity polls + status-sensitive teens = potential problem W App (also known as ‘Slay’) encourages young users to take part in secret surveys about their friends and classmates. For every vote-winner, though, there has to be a loser.
Possible lasting damage to a teenager’s self-esteem, however, isn’t the platform’s only hazard – with catfishing, compulsive use and monthly subscription fees among the other risks. Check out this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide and help kids to avoid a mishap on W App
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Health & Safety
Return to work recommendations “don’t go far enough”
In a new report, the UK Government’s Work and Pensions Committee has laid out recommendations for getting young people, the over-50s and people with disabilities and long-term health conditions into work.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Tougher action needed against human trafficking
Ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July), IOSH is also urging businesses to ensure they are doing all they can to prevent human rights violations both within their organisations and in their supply chains.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Report highlights gender disparity in safety sector
Study of 200 health and safety professionals suggests issues around senior-level progress and bias.
The survey, Gender Disparity in HSE, collated by HSE recruitment Network, canvassed 200 health and safety professionals who were asked if they believe there is a gender imbalance in the sector. While 20% responded ‘no’ and 9% were unsure, 71% said there was an issue.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
Statutory framework for the early year’s foundation stage
Setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five
Published: 12 July 2023
Effective: 4 September 2023
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 60 mins)
Do you tell people you’re a social worker?
For our Choose Social Work campaign, we examine how comfortable social workers are revealing their professional identity - and how they can be more confident in doing so
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
‘We can respect rights while finding out what works in social care’
While there is a debate about using randomised controlled trials in social care, recent examples show they can be done ethically and are valuable for informing policy, argues David Westlake
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
Parental substance misuse: tips for completing assessments
Advice from Community Care Inform's new guide on working with children and families where parents are misusing alcohol or drugs
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
‘Social work is eye-opening, bounce-out-of-bed exciting’
The Sociable Social Worker shares advice from his 30-year career, in this video letter from the Dear Future Social Worker series, part of Community Care's Choose Social Work campaign
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 30 mins)
