NEW LEGISLATION, GUIDANCE, POLICY, TOOLKITS:

• NEW – (SSP)  Self Neglect animation with Southend Contact information PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THIS
• NEW – Asthma Training for Schools – (EPUT / NHS) Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Children’s Specialist Asthma Nurses are training and supporting schools in southeast, mid and southwest Essex to achieve Asthma Friendly Schools status. We have prepared all the documents ready for you to adopt!   Staff need to complete their 1 hour online training session and school needs to complete their audit form to get your certificate! To find out how your school can become an Asthma Friendly School Book a date and time to suit your school! email: epunf.caa@nhs.net or call: 0344 257 3955
• NEW – e Safety Link Update – (A great list of recommended links by the Essex Police Cyber Protect Team)  the SSP Website eSafety page has been updated to include these links

AMENDMENT – The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 – Last summer the government ran a consultation to seek views on its plans to introduce secondary legislation to ensure visiting is protected in care homes, hospitals and hospices registered by CQC. In December 2023, the government published and amendment to the legislation to add regulation on visiting and accompanying.

CONSULTATION:

• Consultation from Southend City Council:
  • Proposal to stop the Southend-on-Sea dementia support service
  • Family centre services
  • Charging for Adult Social Care Telecare
  • Damp, Mould, and Condensation Strategy
• Consultation from council-commissioned Healthy Lifestyle service
  • Everyone Health has been working locally in Southend for the past 5 years as the lead provider of the council-commissioned Healthy Lifestyle service. Their services are very popular with over 4000 people a year coming through their wide range of services, such as weight management or fall prevention exercise classes. If you could take the time to complete the survey, it would be much appreciated. If you have any questions or would like to discuss their work in more detail, please email Amy Balmer on: amybalmer@everyonehealth.co.uk
• Over 55s user voice group – This new group provides a safe space for Southend’s older population to come together and have their say. It’s a great opportunity for over 55’s to engage with the Adults and Community team at Southend-on-Sea Council. The next group will be taking place at SAVS, 29-31 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1BW on 6 February from 2:00pm until 3:30pm.
• Gender questioning children: draft schools and colleges guidance (Govt DfE) We’re seeking your views on our draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges about children questioning their gender.

HORIZON SCANNING:

• Why language Matters (NSPCC) why we should avoid the term ‘victim’ when talking about children who have experienced abuse – NSPCC Learning has published a blog post about the use of the word ‘victim’ when talking about children who have experienced abuse, as part of its Why Language Matters Series. Discussion points include: recognising the preferences of the child; the impact of language on how professionals see and support children; and alternative language that can be used.
• DA survivors to get cash support from government (NCDV) Domestic abuse victims in England and Wales will be able to claim up to £3,000 from the state starting 31 January. The government’s motive is to help survivors move forward with their lives, prevent homelessness or face pressure to return to their abusers because of financial strain. “It will be a lifeline for many, helping victims to flee abuse and rebuild their lives,” said domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales Nicole Jacobs.
• Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism Pilot Sites – The National Domestic Abuse Commissioner is working with 10 Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and 10 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) who volunteered to test an approach to overseeing the implementation of domestic homicide review (DHR) recommendations. The 12-month pilot will include gathering information from CSPs and PCCs on the progress of action plans for published DHRs since 2021.  The local oversight pilot is focused on the implementation of recommendations, actions and sharing of learning from completed reviews, to inform the development of an oversight mechanism to roll out nationally.   Southend, Essex and Thurrock will be one of the 10 PFCC/PCC pilot site areas along with Norfolk, Cleveland, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Northumbria, Isle of Wight & Hampshire, Gloucestershire, South Wales and Dyfed Powys. The 10 CSP sites include: Sussex, Warwickshire, Lambeth, Westmoreland & Furness, Leeds, Cornwall, Bexley, North East Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire and Manchester. The pilot will run for the duration of 2024.
• Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: Annual Report 2022 to 2023 (Govt.) Independent annual report for serious child safeguarding incidents, 2022 to 2023. The independent panel of experts reviews local safeguarding incidents when a child dies or suffers serious harm and abuse, or neglect is known or suspected. The panel can also commission a national review where necessary. Work for the report was undertaken by the National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP), in partnership with the panel. The report looks at data gathered from these reviews across 15 months, January 2022 to March 2023, to assist learning and improvement in multi-agency safeguarding practice. Within its period of focused analysis – April 2022 to March 2023 – the report observes that the panel received 393 serious incident notifications, of which 146 (37%) were in relation to child deaths and 227 (58%) were related to serious harm. One of the most important findings is that over half of reviews received by the panel featured a child who had experienced neglect. Another was that a high proportion of school-age children who died or were seriously harmed were either not in school (11%) or reported to be regularly absent (29%). Analysis also shows that, in over three-quarters of cases reviewed, the family of the child was known to children’s social care, and a third of children were either on, or had previously been on, a child protection plan. In addition, nearly a fifth of children were being ‘looked after’ by the local authority, either at the time of the incident or prior to it, while 21% of children were reported to have a mental health condition.
• Skills For Care: Funding Opportunities – Individual employers funding for training personal assistants. Employers can apply for funding to train themselves and their PAs. This funding can be used to cover training costs to develop your skills as an employer, direct costs of completing training/qualifications, hiring replacement support whilst your usual PA is attending training courses, and travel. It’s for people in England who employ their own care and support using an adult social care direct payment or using their own money. We can help people complete the application form, but only you as the employer can agree to the conditions of the grant. The deadline for applications is 17:00 on Friday 15 March 2024 and any training funded must be started by 30 April 2024. You can find out more and apply for funding here: Individual employers you can apply for funding to train yourself and your personal assistants (PAs) in the way you need.

‘Looksmaxxing’ is the disturbing TikTok trend turning young men into incels – A new trend taking over TikTok is targeting vulnerable young men. The “looksmaxxing” phenomenon – to maximise one’s looks – is aimed at young men and boys who want to change their appearance to become more attractive and gain social acceptance.

DAY/WEEK ACTION:

• LGBT+ History Month (The 2024 theme celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today.)
  • SETDAB’s LGBTQ+ Community & Domestic Abuse Basic Awareness E-learning package
• National HIV Testing Week 2024 – 5^th – 11^th Feb 2024 (here)
• Children’s Mental Health Week – 5^th-11^th Feb  (here)
• Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week – 5^th-11^th Feb  (here)
• Safer Internet Day – 6^th February 2024 (here and here and here)
• International day of zero tolerance for female Genital Mutilation – 6th February 2024 (here)
• Empathy Week – 26^th Feb – 1^st Mar. (here)
• National Child Exploitation Awareness Day – 18^th March (NWG resources)

HIGHLIGHT ON WELLBEING

Wellbeing tips Different activities work for different people, so it’s worth trying a few things out and seeing what works for you.

• Museums of curiosity and community – Southend Museums colleagues have been exploring different ways to work more closely with their social care council contacts, to help more people understand and value the role arts, culture and heritage play in fostering good health, wellbeing and inclusive communities. Ciara Phipps, Director of Southend Museums believes passionately “more women from underrepresented backgrounds should see heritage, arts and culture roles as viable career options.”  “We felt it would be meaningful to work with 10-15 local women, from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those with caring responsibilities, such as single parents and those who are new to the UK.” Read Ciara’s fascinating blog in full
• Explore mental wellbeing tips from Every Mind Matters.
• Check out the 5 ways to wellbeing.
• Read the free self-kindness toolkit for adults from British Red Cross.
• Take a look at wellbeing advice from the Local Government Association.
• Music is powerful, and research shows it can boost individual and societal wellbeing. Try listening to your favourite song in headphones.
• Smart devices record our daily activity, like FitBit. The app also contains free mindfulness exercises starting at just 3 minutes long!
• Mindfulness – ‘Mind’ Provides information on mindfulness, how to practise it and how it can help with mental health problems. Many of us use Microsoft Teams, but did you know that this also includes Viva Insights with free mindfulness exercises, lo-fi tunes to work to, and a ‘virtual commute’ to help you wind down after the workday
• Get outdoors! The link between good mental health and nature has been known for a long time, but with more remote working it can be easy to forget how important it is to leave the house for some fresh air and daylight.
• Yoga and stretching – There are plenty of free you-tube videos for desk workers to help stretch out and reduce tension. I’ve found them hugely beneficial – none of us will be at our best with back and neck ache, so taking the time to look after our physical wellbeing is key.

SSP eLearning Platform for Partners (here).

FREE TRAINING, WEBINARS AND EVENTS

 

18.03.24 1600-1700       Live Safeguarding drop in – National Association of safeguarding Leads (NADSL)

15.04.24 1600-1700       Live Safeguarding drop in – National Association of safeguarding Leads (NADSL)

20.05.24 1600-1700       Live Safeguarding drop in – National Association of safeguarding Leads (NADSL)

17.06.24 1600-1700       Live Safeguarding drop in – National Association of safeguarding Leads (NADSL)

13.02.24 1530-1730       United Against Bullying Free CPD Training (Anti-Bullying Alliance)

12.03.24 1000-1100       DBS Service – update Masterclass (The Disclosure and Barring Service)

20.03.24 1300-1400       DBS Service – update Masterclass (The Disclosure and Barring Service)

23.04.24 1400-1515       Consanguinity in child death review: Update (NCMD)

02.10.24 All Day               Learning From Child Deaths (Face2Face) (SET Child Death Review Team)

Notes

• The SSP Website training page lists available training in chronological order; followed by an alphabetic listing of training online with no date.
• If you can’t find the event, use the search facility (at the top of the page) by entering the name or part of the name of the training event you are looking for.