World Autism Acceptance Week 2022 March 28 - April 3
Pioneered by the National Autistic Society (NAS), World Autism Acceptance Week aims to draw attention to the 700,000 people living with autism in the UK both to educate those unaware of the condition, and to help make the world friendlier to those who are affected by it.
Family Safety Week 2022 March 30 - April 2
Family Safety Week is an annual week-long campaign from family safety charity RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), highlighting the simple measures families can take to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe from serious accidental injury, and the heartbreak it can cause.
Child Q - Safeguarding Practice Review
Read about the case of Child Q who was strip searched by two female Metropolitan Police Officers in a school, even whilst being on her period. The review report by City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership published this week makes dreadful reading. There are a number of shocking aspects to the case, not least that no-one from the police or the school spoke to a parent. Child Q was so distressed about what had happened that her mother took her to the GP, and it was the GP that contacted Children's Services.
Online Safety Bill
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has announced that the Online Safety Bill has been introduced in Parliament, the first step in its passage to become law in the UK. The Bill will include the new offence of cyberflashing in England and Wales, and introduce a legal requirement for UK companies to report child sexual abuse content on their platforms to the National Crime Agency. Separately, the Department has published supporting documents including a factsheet covering key points of the Bill and what new online safety laws will mean for internet users including children. The Department has also published the government response to the report of the Joint Committee on the draft Online Safety Bill which includes a section on harms to children.
