The Stranger Things Effect- Monday News Issue 191
- Matthew Paminter
- 12 minutes ago
- 7 min read
“Never let the fear of striking out stop you from playing the game.”
Events this week:
December 10th- Human Rights Day 2025
December 11th- Christmas Jumper Day 2025
December 11th- UNICEF Day for Change 2025
Legislation/Regulation of the week
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 is a key piece of legislation for businesses when they’re recruiting new staff members and volunteers. It was passed to help avoid businesses recruit people who are deemed unsuitable to work with children. It developed a centralised vetting process that all those who would potentially work closely with children need to go through.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 20 mins)
Please remember to review this in your policy/legislation review workbook)
Videos of the week
Code Blue
Crime Documentary exploring the UK’s reported 82 one-punch attacks in the past 5 years. With rare access to detectives, the film probes three cases- two killings and one assault.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning – Approx. 90 mins)
Event of the week/month
Christmas Jumper Day 2025
Christmas Jumper Day, observed on the second Thursday in December, is a playful and charitable holiday where people don their brightest, quirkiest Christmas jumpers to spread festive cheer and raise funds for charitable causes. Often celebrated at schools, workplaces, and holiday gatherings, Christmas Jumper Day is a chance to wear colourful, cosy, or humorous holiday jumpers while supporting organisations like Save the Children.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Safeguarding & ED & I
Keeping Children Safe During Festive Changes: Consistency and vigilance in Early Years
December often brings special events, themed activities, and altered routines within Early Years settings. While these can be enriching and fun, they may also feel overwhelming or unpredictable for some children. Maintaining core safeguarding principles - such as consistent staffing, clear routines, and predictable transitions - is crucial during this busy period.
Practitioners should remain alert to changes in behaviour that may indicate a child is unsettled or distressed. Building in calm spaces, offering visual supports, and maintaining familiar daily structures can help children feel safe and grounded. Clear communication with families is especially important when children may be experiencing stress, fatigue, or heightened emotions during the festive season
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 40 mins)
Strengthening Family Partnerships: Sensitive Conversations During the Festive Season
This time of year can be joyful but may also place pressure on families - emotionally, financially, and logistically. These pressures may surface in conversations or through signs noticed in a child’s presentation. A safeguarding-informed approach means keeping communication open, non-judgmental, and supportive.
Staff are encouraged to engage in gentle check-ins with families and signpost them to local support services where appropriate. Concerns raised before the holiday break should be acted upon promptly, with clear recording and follow-up in line with safeguarding procedures. Strong home-setting partnerships are one of the most effective ways to ensure children remain safe, secure, and well during the winter period. Organisations such as Family Lives and local authority safeguarding hubs can provide additional support, while Early Help directories (available via your LSCP) offer practical signposting for families under pressure.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 10 mins)
Understanding and Preventing Online risks During the Holidays
With more free time and excitement over the festive season, children may be exposed to inappropriate content, scams, or online contact from strangers. Early awareness and proactive discussion can significantly reduce these risks. Staff and families should talk openly with children about staying safe online, including not sharing personal information and recognising unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
Professionals can also provide resources for parents, such as tips for monitoring screen time, reporting concerns, and discussing online safety in a way that is positive and age-appropriate. By maintaining vigilance and clear communication between home and setting, children can enjoy online experiences safely while building healthy digital habits that last beyond the holidays.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Mental Health and Family Instability: A Rising Safeguarding Priority
Recent data shows a significant shift in the landscape of safeguarding referrals, with mental health and substance misuse now surpassing domestic abuse as the leading causes. This trend is particularly relevant for further education (FE) providers, where learners often face the ripple effects of family instability.
FE providers are reporting increased cases of student anxiety, self-harm, and emotional distress with many incidences linked to breakdowns at home. In response, safeguarding teams are strengthening early help pathways and deepening collaboration with external agencies to ensure timely, holistic support.
As we move into 2026, FE professionals are encouraged to remain vigilant, foster open dialogue with learners, and embed trauma-informed practices into their safeguarding frameworks.that suggest the person is unsuitable to work in regulated activity, even if there is no criminal conviction or caution.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Health & Safety
Beat the chill: why movement matters for your joints in cold weather
With Christmas fast approaching and temperatures continuing to fall, people with joint issues should take extra care. Cold weather can worsen pain and stiffness, making the winter months especially challenging. We spoke to an expert to find out why this happens - and how you can protect your joints and stay healthy when Jack Frost comes calling.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 10 mins)
Lisa Riley on grief, resilience, and emotional wellbeing
This year, the whole country fell in love with Lisa Riley once again during I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. Her humour, honesty, and kindness struck a chord with viewers of all ages. But just before she entered the jungle, Lisa sat down with Matt Jameson and Christine Talbot for a deeply personal conversation that goes far beyond her life on screen.
As she celebrates 30 years as Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale, Lisa reflects on the health journeys that have shaped her life from grief and emotional recovery to body confidence, resilience and protecting her wellbeing in the public eye.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Don't let unsafe gifts ruin Christmas: Your guide to safer shopping
We’ve all rushed to buy something from an online store or marketplace after being lured in by fast delivery, low prices and five-star reviews from fellow bargain-hunters. A common misconception we deal with at RoSPA is that because something is on sale, it must be safe. Sadly, a number of recent incidents have shown that unsafe goods are still widely available.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 30 mins)
Wider Curriculum
Holiday Devices and Screen Time
The festive season often brings new devices, smart toys, and increased screen time for children of all ages. While these can offer educational and recreational opportunities, they also introduce potential online risks. It’s important for parents and practitioners to encourage age-appropriate use, set clear boundaries, and maintain supervision during device use.
Families can be supported with simple guidance on parental controls, safe browsing settings, and choosing apps or games that are suitable for their child’s age. Practitioners should model good online habits within the setting and reinforce messages about safe device use.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
The Stranger Things effect: why nostalgia builds connection and improves our mood
As Stranger Things Season 5 takes over our screens, the hit Netflix series cranks up the nostalgia, plunging us deeper into its 1980s setting. It’s a perfect match - the '80s were a golden era for coming-of-age stories that resonate across generations, and the show weaves that tradition seamlessly into its world. But Stranger Things isn’t loved just for its retro look. It resonates because its core themes - friendship, growing up, and facing the unknown - are timeless. The setting may be retro, but the emotions are universal.
Our experts explain how nostalgia affects the brain and its potential as a complementary tool to support your mental health.
(Watching this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
Sustainability
How climate change worsens heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods
Many extreme weather events are becoming more common and more intense around the world, fuelled by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)
How Science is Accelerating Progress against HIV
We are at a turning point. 40 years into the HIV epidemic, science is delivering its most promising breakthroughs yet. And just as budgets are being retracted, the HIV innovation pipeline is stronger than ever. Long-acting prevention tools are poised to transform the response and vaccine science is advancing with decades of hard-won knowledge behind it.
(Reading this can be counted towards your 20% off the Job learning if it links to the knowledge, skills, and behaviours in your apprenticeship standard – Approx. 20 mins)`
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