- NEW: Learning Exchange Event: The National Referral Mechanism
- Speak Up, Be Heard, Shape Your Future Children & Young People's Plan 2025-28
- Partnership Development Workshop
- Learning from Multi-Agency Case Audits (MACA)
- WSCP Website Updates
- Domestic Homicide Review - The Case for Professional Curiosity
- 16 Days of Action - Make Up with Maddie Videos
- Updated: Continuum of Need: A Framework to Support Decision Making
- Education Updates
- Our Year Educator's Conference & Showcase for Secondary Educators
- Multi-Agency Training Dates
- National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV): Civil Orders Training
- Early Help Workforce Development Session
- Language Matters #LookCloser Learning Sessions
- Anti Bullying is NOT just for Anti-Bullying Week!
- Safer Sleep in Winter
- Winter Water Safety
- Keep Children Safe from Dangerous Toys this Christmas
- NSPCC Updates
- Christmas in Wakefield
- Useful Links
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1. NEW: Learning Exchange Event: The National Referral Mechanism
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WSCP are delighted to announce the next in our series of Learning Exchange Events which is titled "The National Referral Mechanism". This is a virtual event which will take place on Tuesday 10th December 2024, 11am - 12:30pm. For more information please see the flyer below and to register for a place click here.
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2. Speak Up, Be Heard, Shape Your Future Children & Young People's Plan 2025 - 28
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The Children and Young People’s Plan Survey is now live! This toolkit is designed to help you encourage participation. To ensure our children, young people, and their families can voice their priorities and contribute to shaping the future.
Why this matters
The current Children and Young People’s Plan ends in 2025 and we want to hear what matters to our communities. In the past, contributions from young people have led to real and meaningful changes, including improved activities, enhanced support services, and safer spaces throughout Wakefield.
This is a powerful opportunity to make a tangible difference once more.
How you can help us engage with children and young people:
- Digital and print materials: Ready-to-use graphics, posters, and flyers for sharing information across school platforms and community spaces.
- Parent communication resources: Newsletter wording to inform parents and carers about the survey.
Key details
Your support in promoting this initiative can make a significant difference. We can ensure that the voices of children and young people across the Wakefield district help shape a future that meets their needs and aspirations.
Thank you for being an essential partner in this process. Let’s inspire our young people to share their voices and contribute to meaningful change!
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3. Partnership Development Workshop
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We would like to invite you to a Partnership Development Workshop focusing on the new Children and Young People’s Plan for the Wakefield District for 2025-2028.
The Workshop will provide a chance to hear about the progress of the project, reflections of feedback from engagement to date and how the plan is beginning to shape up. It will provide partners with an opportunity to feed into the plan, discuss other strategy/plan linkages and discuss the detail behind the plan. We require and value your contributions and professional insight.
The Workshops will be taking place on 2 dates in December to enable attendance. Partners are only required to attend one workshop each. The workshops will be held in Wakefield on:
- Tuesday 10th December, 13:30 – 15:30
- Wednesday 18th December, 13:30 – 15:30
Please do pass on the message to any other colleagues who may be interested in attending.
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4. Learning from Multi-Agency Case Audits (MACA)
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Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership, as part of its function as set out under Section 11 of the Children Act (2004), is required to assess the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in Wakefield. To achieve this, we undertake reviews concerning serious incidents involving children and multi-agency audit activity on a range of themes throughout the year. Review and audit activity enables us to identify strengths in practice alongside any areas which require development to generate learning to improve safeguarding systems and responses in Wakefield for those who work or volunteer with children and families. In the summer, we undertook a multi-agency case audit on the theme of Serious Youth Violence. To read the 7 Point Briefing on this and other reviews and audit activity we have undertaken, please visit Learning from Reviews & Audits - Wakefield Safeguarding Children
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The WSCP Business Unit have been busy updating the content on some of our published webpages. Please see the links below for the sections that have been updated:
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6. Domestic Homicide Review - The Case for Professional Curiosity
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Wakefield Community Safety Partnership are putting the spotlight on Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). These take place when the death of someone aged 16 or over appears to have been caused by domestic abuse. We can then learn from the deaths to help prevent them in the future. In Wakefield, when a domestic homicide takes place, the Police tell the Safer Together Partnership. They decide whether a DHR should be carried out. If so, they contact relevant organisations to find out more about contacts with victims and their perpetrators, and relevant meetings take place to gather evidence, which feed into a final report. As you work with the public, it’s your job to be professionally curious. Proactively diving deeper into what you learn, rather than making assumptions or taking things at face value. DHRs carried out in our district show how professional curiosity could have made agencies aware of abuse. Working closer with partners can help everyone be aware of possible abuse in someone’s life. It’s the 16 Days of Action, a period when we commit to taking action towards reducing violence against women and girls. Why not read the Lessons Learned Briefings as one of your actions? Click here to read the Lessons Learned Briefings to find out more about DHR's
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7. 16 Days of Action - Make Up with Maddie Videos
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Wakefield Council is releasing four ground-breaking videos during the 16 days of action (25 Nov – 10 Dec) – a campaign to end domestic violence and abuse.
The series of videos follow ‘Maddie’, a beauty vlogger, as she talks about her experience and that of other survivors she has met on her journey. The videos portray the realities of domestic abuse and at the same time are relatable. They want people to realise it affects people just like them and can often go unseen.
The videos were inspired by the stories of local victims of domestic abuse. Including that of a child who witnessed their parent experience abuse. It’s important to remember that children are victims too and they often see and hear more than parents think.
Maddie’s experience of domestic abuse wasn’t physical. It was controlling and left her feeling like a ghost. The stories highlight that there are many types of abuse, and anyone can be the victim or abuser. The final video will focus on a potential abuser. They realise their behaviour is hurting the person they love. But the first step to making a change is to ask for help. Click here to watch the videos and find out more.
Over 10,000 domestic abuse incidents were recorded in the Wakefield district over the last 12 months. That is 10,000 too many. So, it’s important that we continue to raise awareness of the impact of domestic abuse and the support available to victims. Read more about the campaign by visiting w ww.wakefield.gov.uk/16daysofaction or follow the story on social media:
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8. Updated: Continuum of Need: A Framework to Support Decision Making
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In March 2023 WSCP launched the updated Continuum of Need: A Framework to Support Decision Marking . This document aims to help those who work or volunteer with children and families across the Wakefield District make decisions about how to best provide support. Hopefully you will have seen and accessed this document already, but if not now is a good time to take a look, as it has since undergone a further sight update with all references to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 replaced by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. If you have any links to the previous version saved please update them with the latest versions (A5 leaflet and A4 single page) which you can access here.
The Continuum of Need is in line with the Wakefield Families Together approach where a child and their family receive the right help, at the right time from the right service, and importantly, from the right person, whilst always acting in the best interests of a child.
If you haven't yet seen the updated Continuum of Need document it:
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Describes how we work with children and families across the district
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Includes a new Continuum of Need model illustration with updated terminology on the areas of different support
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Has new descriptions of each area of support defined within the Continuum of Need
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Includes guidance on stages of child development, parental capacity, family and environment factors, and contextual worries
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Includes guidance on how to access early support for a child and family, along with what to do if a child requires immediate safeguarding support
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Covers principles of information sharing
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Links to further supporting guidance
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Safeguarding Christmas plays/concerts – filming, photographs and live streaming.
It is that time of year again where schools and others will be hosting Christmas plays and concerts. Please take some time to remind yourselves of best practice with filming and photographing these events.
There are some rules regarding Data Protection but hosting agencies can strengthen this by creating their own policy taking into account the individual nature of their children. Remember there may be some children who may be left vulnerable if photos or films are posted publicly or if live streaming occurs e.g. Children in Care or children who are fleeing domestic abuse situations. For others, cultural or religious reasons may be why they wouldn’t consent to this.
It is wise for hosting agencies to make their rules clear to audience members well in advance. There are some good template letters available in the links below. You may also wish to add any other rules you see fit e.g. no flash photography, no devices in changing areas, no standing etc.
Please also remember the general safe photo publishing advice i.e. not using full names or identifying location etc.
Further information is available on the useful links below.
Reminder: DSL Forums & Network Meetings Open to All!
Also secondary and college DSL’s/ Independent school DSL’s please note dates for face-to-face DSL network meetings here:
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10. Our Year Educator's Conference & Showcase for Secondary Educators
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Educators' ConferenceCalling all primary and early years educators! Don’t miss the upcoming Educators’ Conference.Celebrating Wakefield District’s Creativity & Culture in Education, the conference takes place on 5th Dec – 8.45am to 4.30pmJoin the event for a dynamic day of professional development, celebrating Wakefield’s creativity and culture in education. The conference features keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities to explore local heritage and its impact on teaching. Discover the new Wakefield Curriculum and gain insights from experts on enhancing cultural capital in schools. To find out more and to book a place please click here
Our Year Network & Showcase for Secondary Educators
Also taking place on the 5th December, 4pm - 7pm, this event will feature an evening of networking and showcases designed to explore Wakefield’s rich cultural heritage and its impact on teaching. Connect with local cultural organisations, discover collaboration opportunities, and gain inspiration from successful school projects. Enjoy panel discussions, a preview of new Wakefield Exchange, and a festive networking session. To find out more and to book a place please click here
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11. Multi-Agency Training Dates
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UPDATE: Working Together - A Shared Responsibility
Please note that the advanced face to face training is now on hold and unavailable to book onto. You can still access the Basic Awareness training here. We will update you as soon as we can and apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
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Risk and Resilience Framework Training
The training is delivered by Wakefield Public Health and colleagues from across the Wakefield District.
The aim of the training session is to:
- Increase confidence in navigating the Risk and Resilience website - Explore the support tools, interventions and resources on the website - Understand how it can support your work - Share best practice
Available course dates and times: - Tuesday 4th February, 09:30 - 15:30 - Thursday 10th April, 09:30 - 15:30
To find out more about the above course and to book a place please click here
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Managing Allegations Against Staff Training
This session aims to provide employers and mangers with an introduction to the systems and procedures that are in place for responding to allegations made against people who work with children. This course is delivered by the Wakefield Council Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and the WSCP Safeguarding Advisor for Education Vicki Maybin. If you are interested in this training please email wscpevents@wakefield.gov.uk
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Ready to Relate/Infants Parents Relationship Cards Training Sessions
The Ready to Relate cards, developed by Bradford District Community NHS Trust, are a visual, interactive tool to help all practitioners assess, discuss and share healthcare information with families and to make National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended interventions accessible.
The cards aim to improve and enhance the parent‐infant relationship and promote infant attachment and optimal infant development.
These sessions take place face-to-face and are suitable and available for all practitioners. Please note services are limited to 5 places per booking.
Available course dates & times:
- Wednesday 18th December, 09:00am to 4pm - Wednesday 19th March 2025, 09:00am to 4pm - Wednesday 21st May 2025, 09:00am to 4pm To find out more about the above course and to book a place please click here
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NEW Dates Added for Spring/Summer 2025 - Future In Mind Workforce Development Training (CAMHS)
CAMHS are delivering training on the following subjects, with dates available throughout the year:
- An Introduction to Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Understanding and Working with Anxiety in Children and Young People
- An Introduction to Depression and Low Mood in Children and Young People
- Supporting Children and Young People who have experienced Bereavement or Loss
- The Impact of Sleep on Emotional Wellbeing
- An Introduction to Attachment in Children and Young People
- An introduction to Self Harm
- An Introduction to Suicide and Awareness and Prevention - Full Day Sleep Workshop for Professionals working with Children, Young People & Families
These sessions will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. For further information including dates and times, and to download a booking form please click here
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YGAM Training - Gaming and Gambling Harms
Ygam’s mission is to ensure that every young person is resilient to, and safeguarded against, gaming and gambling harms. They do this through awareness raising, education and research.
This training equips you with the knowledge and confidence to deliver the programme directly to young people. The workshops are 100% fully funded and on completion all trained staff will gain access to resources to use with the young people you support and City and Guilds certification. The training is aimed at a range of youth-facing professionals, including teachers, youth workers, practitioners, universities, faith leaders and health professionals. Please click here for more information Available course dates and times:These are virtual workshops with various dates available. Please click on the link above for more details.
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Young Lives Consortium (YLC) Applied Suicide Interventions Skills Training (ASIST)
Young Lives Consortium (YLC) is currently offering a Two-day ASIST training course. What is ASIST?An accredited two-day, interactive training that prepares professionals to provide suicide first aid interventions. Who can attend ASIST? Anyone over 16 can learn to use the ASIST model. No previous mental health or suicide prevention experience is necessary. For further information about this training course, including costs and to complete an expression of interest form, please visit the Young Lives Consortium website
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12. National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV): Civil Orders Training
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Taking place virtually on the 18th December 2024, the NCDV are hosting a training session in relation to Civil Orders for those suffering Domestic Abuse. Please see the flyer below for more information, and to book a place click here.
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13. Early Help Workforce Development Session
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On Wednesday 22nd January, 11:30am - 12:30pm, Wakefield Families Together are hosting a Housing Pathway Development session.
This session will provide full details of the service, advice, support and the referral pathways from Wakefield Council and Wakefield District Housing (WDH) via:
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14. Language Matters #LookCloser Learning sessions
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#LookCloser is The Children’s Society’s award-winning campaign with the British Transport Police and the National County Lines Coordination Centre, aiming to raise awareness about the exploitation of children and young people and the vital role that everyone can play in helping stop it.
Join The Children’s Society for a session which will highlight the importance of using appropriate language when working with children and young people who are victims of exploitation and abuse.
What is victim blaming language?
Victim blaming language refers to any language that implies, intentionally or unintentionally, that a victim is responsible for the abuse they have experienced. As language evolves, phrases that were once commonly accepted may no longer be appropriate. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain an open and reflective attitude to make sure that our language evolves in a way that supports and respects all individuals.
Why is this important?
Victim blaming language exacerbates the trauma experienced by survivors of abuse and hinders their access to justice and support. Serious case reviews highlight the profound negative effect of victim blaming language on victims themselves and on professional and public perceptions of victims, often leaving them in unsafe and abusive circumstances.
What will I learn?
This session will discuss key themes within ‘child exploitation and abuse: an appropriate language guide’ co-developed by The Children’s Society and NAPAC to explore the critical importance of avoiding victim blaming language in all forms of communications and ensure that the language we use as professionals supports, rather than harms, victims of child exploitation.
Who should join this session?
This session is suitable for any professional who may come into contact with a victim of exploitation and abuse, either directly or indirectly.
The session is being run on the following two dates - please use the links below to sign up to attend:
Language Matters #LookCloser
Monday, December 16, 2024
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (1 hours 30 minutes)
Language Matters #LookCloser
Monday, January 20, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (1 hours 30 minutes)
The Children's Society have also published a new Appropriate Language Guide for child exploitation and abuse, please click here to access this.
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15. Anti-Bullying is NOT just for Anti-Bullying Week!
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As Anti-Bullying Week 2024 comes to a close, it is important for us all to remember that anti-bullying efforts aren’t just for Anti-Bullying Week! The Anti-Bullying Alliance are asking all of us to commit to taking action all year to help bring an end to bullying.
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16. Safer Sleep in Winter
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The colder winter months can be difficult for families. You want to keep your baby warm but not too warm. The Lullaby Trust's expert safer sleep advice covers important information for keeping your baby and their sleep space safe over the colder months. Click on the button below to access The Lullaby Trust's expert advice and information on keeping babies safe as the weather gets cold.
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Water safety is important at any time of the year, but the winter months can bring additional hazards that children, parents and carers need to be aware of. Areas with frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs can be beautiful places to visit during the winter months but all too often people risk their lives by venturing onto frozen water. To help keep children and families safe near water during the winter months The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) have published the following top tips:
- Keep back from slippery banks and wear footwear with a good grip.
- Stick to well-lit areas - the reduction in daylight in the winter adds to risks around water. Plan your walks in daylight or along well-lit paths.
- NEVER go onto the ice - don't be fooled - ice can be extremely dangerous and across the UK and Ireland it is unlikely to freeze to a suitable depth to safely walk on.
- Keep children within reach and teach them not to go onto the ice.
- Keeps dogs on a lead near ice and slippery banks.
- Walk with friends if you want to go out and enjoy a winter walk.
Click here to download a poster summarising the above information, including what to do in an emergency, which can be displayed in public and staff areas.
If is important for the whole family to know basic water safety advice and what to do if they fall in unexpectedly. Visit the WSCP dedicated water safety webpage to access a whole range of useful information and resources suitable for children or all ages, to highlight the dangers posed by open water. This webpage has recently been updated to include information specific to the winter months. Watch the short video below by The Canals and Rivers Trust, which provides important advice about what to do if you find someone who has fallen into open water:
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18. Keep Children Safe from Dangerous Toys this Christmas
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The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) are warning families about the dangers of buying cheap toys online. Many parents and carers assume that if they can buy a toy for their child then it must be safe. But sadly, there is an increasing number of unsafe toys being sold online which can be deadly.
And, with many families feeling the pinch this Christmas, the appeal of cheap toys could have fatal consequences.
That’s why CAPT have created a brand-new toy safety fact sheet for you to download and share. Please click here to access it.
CAPT have also produced the following new toy safety advice to offer even more top tips. Including:
Visit the CAPT resource centre for more downloadable toy safety resources including posters on water beads, magnets and dangerous toys.
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The NSPCC have recently released the following updates which may be of interest to professionals working with children and families, and to share with parents/carers where applicable. Case Reviews
Eight new case reviews have been added to the collection this month featuring issues including physical abuse, child neglect, suicide and parental mental health. Click here to take a look. Child Exploitation and Abuse The Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce has created guidance on appropriate language for multi-agency professionals to use when talking about child exploitation and abuse. The guide sets out: the impact of victim blaming language; key considerations when speaking with people who have experienced exploitation and abuse; and terms that should be avoided. The guide is also available in Welsh.
Read the guide: Appropriate language guide See also on NSPCC Learning: Why language matter: how using terms like "recruited" and "working" minimise children's experiences of criminal exploitation
Voice of the child NSPCC Learning has published a suite of resources exploring the importance of hearing and facilitating the voice of the child. The resources include: an evidence snapshot summarising findings from research published between 2016 and 2023 about the voice of the child in social work practice; a series of practice points designed to help social workers identify and facilitate the child’s voice; and four expert insight films featuring contributions from professionals and young people. The resources highlight how hearing the voice of the child helps professionals to understand children’s experiences, identify risk factors and better meet their needs.
Read the evidence snapshot: Hearing the voice of the child: evidence snapshot Read the practice points: How can we hear and facilitate the voice of the child? Watch the films: The voice of the child: expert insights See also on NSPCC Learning: The voice of the child: learning from case reviews
Online Safety: Parental Controls The Guardian has published a news story on the introduction of new measures on Roblox aiming to improve protection for children on the online gaming platform. Updates include greater parental controls allowing parents to monitor their children’s activity on the platform; adjustments to built-in limits around how children under 13-years-old can communicate with others; and changes to content warning labels.
Read the news story: Roblox to give parents more control over children's activity after warnings over grooming See also on NSPCC Learning: Online Safety Resources
Youth Violence Ofsted, Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HM Inspectorate of Probation have published a report looking at the multi-agency response to serious youth violence in England. The report sets out findings from six joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) undertaken between September 2023 and March 2024 and examines the experiences of hundreds of children across these inspections. Findings show: in some localities in the areas inspected, carrying a knife is the norm for some children; not all local partnerships are sufficiently focused on serious youth violence or identify it as a safeguarding issue; and there is a significant risk of serious youth violence for children with special educational needs and/or who have disabilities.
Read the press release: Serious youth violence more far-reaching than many realise Read the report: Multi-agency responses to serious youth violence: working together to support and protect children
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20. Christmas in Wakefield
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The countdown is on! Christmas is fast approaching, and the Wakefield district’s Christmas stocking is already full of lovely things. There are lots of magical events, unique gifts for all your nearest and dearest, and a range of food and drink options to make your mouth water.
Click here to browse the festive events that are taking place across the district, and dig in and have yourself a merry little Christmas in Wakefield.
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