- Safeguarding Week 2025 - Places Still Available!
- Wakefield District's New Children & Young People's Plan Launched
- WSCP Vacancy - Learning & Development Lead
- Children & Young People's Guide to Working Together to Safeguard Children
- WSCP Campaign: Peer Pressure in Relation to Water Safety
- Splash Safety in the Garden
- Reminder - Save the Date: Drowning Prevention Week 2025
- Lumi Nova Update - Continued Support for Children with Anxieties & Worries
- WSCP Website Updates
- Education Updates
- Multi-Agency Training Dates
- NEW - Online Safety Live 2026 - Wakefield
- NWG Exploitation & Transitional Safeguarding Event
- Online Safeguarding Essentials - Online Sexual Abuse and Harms
- # LookCloser: Building Positive Relationships with Children - Online Session for Yorkshire & Humber
- County Lines Awareness Webinar for Parents/Carers
- Internet & Social Media safety Information for Parents & Carers
- Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse - Free Webinars & Resources to Support Practice
- Top Safety Tips for Families this May
- NSPCC Updates
- Useful Links
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1. Safeguarding Week 2025 - Places Still Available!
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Safeguarding Week 2025 takes place from the 23rd to the 27th June. During the week there will be a range of FREE learning and development offers across the district for all those who work or volunteer with children, adults and their families.
This year's offer from Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership includes:
- Engaging with Men - this is a face-to-face event taking place 25th June, 9am - 4.30pm. There will be inputs from the Rosalie Ryrie Foundation, Family Nurse Partnership 0-19 Service, Wakefield Parent and Infant Relationship (PAIR) Team and the Dad Matters project from Wakefield Homestart.
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Creating an Inclusive Environment - this is an online event taking place 25th June, 10am - 11am. In this multi-agency session by Yorkshire Sport Foundation, you will learn how to identify barriers to participation, understand positive action, and create a more inclusive environment that attracts and retains diverse participants and volunteers.
- Alcohol Use, Self-Neglect and Barriers to Support: A Spotlight on Steven - this is an online event taking place 25th June, 1pm - 2:15pm. Last year, the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Adults Board published an important Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) about Steven. Steven’s life and early death highlight themes relating to care and support to people with alcohol misuse disorder, but also wider themes associated with people living complex lives. In this webinar, the Board’s Independent Chair and Business Manager will share the key findings of the SAR for Steven, using it to draw out wider learning for both practitioners and services who support people experiencing alcohol misuse and/or self-neglect.
- Pride in Practice: Supporting and Safeguarding LGBTQIA+ Young People - this is an online event taking place on the 25th June, 3pm - 5pm. Spectrum Health will be delivering this webinar on gender questioning. You will learn how best to support a child in the LGBTQIA+ community, Steph will dispel myths and work with practitioners to help them feel confident in assessing risk and other vulnerabilities when safeguarding LGBTQIA+ children.
Click on the button below to find out more about the above and also what else is on during Safeguarding Week 2025! |
2. Wakefield District's New Children & Young People's Plan Launched
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Wakefield district’s new Children and Young People’s Plan 2025 – 2028 has been formally launched at the tenth Build Our Futures Summit. The vision for the plan is that all children and young people are happy, healthy, safe, resilient and hopeful for their future. The voices of children and young people have been at the heart of creating the plan and it will help make sure their ideas and views are at the front and centre of all the Council and its partners’ work and priorities. To find out more about the plan please click here. |
3. WSCP Vacancy - Learning & Development Lead
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Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership is looking to recruit a Learning and Development Lead for up to 40 days per financial year to prepare, deliver and maintain multi-agency safeguarding children training, namely Working Together to Safeguard Children Shared Responsibility and Basic Awareness to Safeguard Children respectively.
The post holder will be a highly motivated and skilled individual who will operate within Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership Business Unit, working closely with the Learning & Development Officer who will provide a key line of support. In addition, the post holder may work in partnership with Learning and Development leads across a range of partner agencies to contribute to the identification and analysis of partnership learning and development needs regarding the wellbeing and safety of children and young people in Wakefield. Click here to find download the job specification and find out more about this role, including how to apply. The closing date for applications is the 15th June 2025. Please share details of this vacany across your networks. |
4. Children & Young People's Guide to Working Together to Safeguard Children
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The DfE is pleased to announce that a new children and young people's illustrated guide to the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children has been published today. This brilliant guide is accompanied by a short animation for children and young people which explains how people who help, support and protect them work together and what they can expect when they need help. Government has worked in collaboration with children and young people when designing these materials, including the DfE's Social Care Advisory Board, facilitated by the National Children's Bureau. They know that children and young people find clear effective communication really important and that they want information to be shared openly with them, so they can understand what services they should receive and how they can access help and support. The guide and animation can be used by children and young people independently, or with the support of an adult. A toolkit is available for practitioners to promote the guide and help everyone understand how they can use this guide to support children and young people. Please click here to request the toolkit. |
5. WSCP Campaign: Peer Pressure in Relation to Water Safety
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In 2023, in collaboration with various agencies across the Wakefield district, Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership were involved in the production of a water safety video aimed at children and young people on the dangers of entering open water.
To watch the video, please click here.
That video was shown to hundreds of children across the district and thankfully there have been no water related deaths of Wakefield children since the release of the video.
Feedback on the video was positive, with many saying it was hard hitting, however, some children posed questions such as 'how do you say no, if your friends are asking you to?', which is where the idea of this mini campaign came about.
We want children to have the confidence to say no in situations where they don't feel comfortable, but we know that isn't easy. The idea behind this campaign is to demonstrate that you can offer alternatives or excuse yourself without having to say no directly.
Within this campaign, we also target parents, to remind them about the dangers of open water, to encourage conversations with their children about where they are going and provide a stark reminder about the devastating consequences that can arise if children enter the water.
Click here to access this campaign on Peer Pressure. Please share the messaging and resources on your social media channels, and with any children and young people, or parents and carers you work with. |
6. Splash Safety in the Garden
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Playing outside is an integral part of a child’s development but it’s important that children can do so safely, especially around water. Whilst lots of fun can be had with water in the home and garden, easy access to water in familiar spaces can sometimes make it easy to forget the risks water can bring.
As shown in Royal Life Saving Society's recent Child Drowning Update, 1 in 3 children who drowned at home did so in places like paddling pools, hot tubs and ponds. Almost 9 in 10 parents (89%) with young children have access to water in their outdoor areas therefore the Royal Life Saving Society have published top tips for enjoying water safely in your outside space at home. Top tips include:
- Stay together - always keep a child within arms reach when they are in or near water.
- Empty it out - after children have finished playing in the paddling pool empty it out, or in the case of large pools and hot tubs ensure the lid is securely replaced after use.
- Tidy Up - when children have finished playing tidy your space and turn the hosepipe off at the tap to prevent access for young children. Turn paddling pools over to stop them being accidentally filled if it rains.
- Prevent accidents arounds Ponds and Pools - if you have a pond or pool don't forget to keep this space secure! Make sure back doors and garden gates are securely locked to limit access.
To find out more about each of the above please click here
Click here for more information about splash safety around hot tubs.
Calling all professionals - please ensure this important information is shared with any families that you work with, who have young children. |
7. Reminder - Save the Date: Drowning Prevention Week 2025
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Drowning Prevention Week (DPW) is the Royal Life Saving Society's (RLSS) biggest campaign of the year, targeting families, carers, teachers and instructors of children aged five to fifteen years old with the aim of educating them about water safety. This year's campaign week takes place from the 14th to the 21st June.No child should drown, and with the right water safety education – such as knowledge of the Water Safety Code – accidental drownings are preventable. Drowning Prevention Week is deliberately timed ahead of the school summer holidays when children spend more time outdoors and when vital water safety skills can help keep children safe. Please help WSCP and the RLSS to spread the word and encourage everyone to have the water safety conversation with children. DPW is critical in raising awareness and encouraging the public to enjoy water safely. Click here to find out more about the campaign, past successes and to access resources. |
8. Lumi Nova Update - Continued Support for Children with Anxieties & Worries
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Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage is a digital therapeutic mobile game supporting children with fears, worries and anxiety. Designed for children aged 7-12 years, Lumi Nova helps children to reflect on their feelings, build resilience, and learn lifelong skills to self-manage their worries in a fun intergalactic adventure.
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Since it's launch, Lumi Nova has supported over 600 families in Wakefield! A big thank you to all those who have signposted families to the offer. What can you do to help?
- Request your Lumi Nova Resource Kit for resources to support you to share Lumi Nova with other professionals and families.
- If you would like to order a pack of free posters/leaflets or have any questions, please reach out to the Lumi Nova team at luminova@bfb-labs.com
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The WSCP Business Unit have been busy updating the content on some of our published webpages. Please see the link below for the section that has been updated this month:
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Beat Eating Disorders - FREE Schools Professionals Webinar
Beat, the UK's leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders, is hosting a free webinar titled "Supportive Communication for Schools Professionals". Taking place on Wednesday 25th June 4pm - 5pm, join Kim one of Beats experienced eating disorder clinicians, for a practical webinar on developing/enhancing supportive communication for schools professionals. This session will introduce key tools for effective conversations with children and young people around eating disorders. To book a place on this webinar please click here
Can't attend live? No problem - the session will be available afterwards on Beat's webinar recordings page.
FREE Training via Brook Learn - Healthy Relationships
High quality relationships education plays a key role in helping young people build respectful, fulfilling relationship and identify unhealthy and abusive behaviours.
Brook Learn are offering a free, two-hour course designed to provide you with the knowledge and context to deliver meaningful healthy relationship lessons. What the course offers:
- Learn what healthy and fulfilling relationships look like
- Recognise unhealthy and abusive behaviours in relationships
- Understand the importance of boundaries and consent
- Know where to signpost young people for support
- Help students understand and navigate the emotional impact of breakups in a healthy way.
Click here to find out more and enrol on this training for free.
Anti-Bullying Information and Resources
The Anti-Bullying Alliance have developed five essential Anti-Bullying Foundations, which serve as a guidance and a solid starting point for impactful anti-bullying work. Click here to find out more and watch the short video below outlining what the five foundations are. |
Bullying a a group behaviour
It is known from evidence and research that bullying tends to be a group behaviour, with several different roles that can be involved. Click here to access the page created by the Anti-Bullying Alliance which explores those roles and how they can change. Bullying on social networks
Bullying on social media is on the rise and it is not difficult to find negative or offensive posts, comments or videos online. If a child is experiencing bullying on social media, there are steps that can be taken to get it stopped. Family Lives' advice can help if you are worried about bullying on Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram and more. Click here to find out more and please share with parents/carers so they have access to this important information. Win a motivational talk from Reuben Dias and enter the Anti-Bullying Team Talk Challenge!The Anti-Bullying Alliance are excited to launch the Team Talk Challenge, a national competition for young people aged 13 - 16 as part of Anti-Bullying Week 2025 Invite your pupils, youth group or sports club members to work as a team and create a 90-second motivational video about how they can use their Power for Good to stand up to bullying. Submissions must be made by an adult staff member via the Anti-Bullying Alliance's Google Form by 5pm on Wednesday 16 July 2025.The winning team will:
- Receive a surprise live motivational talk from Rúben Dias
- Get feedback on their speech
- Win an extra special prize
- Be announced and celebrated in the lead-up to Anti-Bullying Week 2025
Entry requirements:
- Submit a video and script
- Teams of up to 5 young people
- Adults only can submit
- Ensure consent and no personal identifiers are included
Click here to enter this competition.
Wraparound Care
NSPCC Learning has published a blog post looking at the provision of safe wraparound care for primary-school aged children. The blog explores the safeguarding responsibilities of wraparound care providers across the UK who provide regular childcare before and after school. It also discusses schools’ safeguarding responsibilities in England when wraparound care is not directly managed by the school.
Read the blog: Providing safe wraparound care for children
Reminder: DSL Forums & Network Meetings Open to All!
All school/college DSL’s are reminded of the free half termly DSL forums open to all Education DSL’s in the district. It is strongly advised to have a rota of attendance between the DSL team, to keep up to date locally in between official training courses. WSCP Online DSL Forums - Wakefield Safeguarding Children (wakefieldscp.org.uk) Also secondary and college DSL’s/ Independent school DSL’s please note dates for face-to-face DSL network meetings here: WSCP DSL Network Meetings 2024/25 - Wakefield Safeguarding Children (wakefieldscp.org.uk)
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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. |
Domestic Abuse Training Opportunities
The following Wakefield District Abuse Training Opportunities are now available on various dates throughout the year:
- Behind Closed Doors: Understanding and Supporting those who have Experienced Domestic Abuse
- Domestic Abuse and Male Victims
- Working with Perpetrators
- Domestic Abuse Related Death Review Online Briefing
- Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
- Claire's Law (Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme)
- Domestic Abuse Essential Training
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
- Forced Marriage
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - Recognising and Preventing FGM
To find out more about the above, including dates, times and to book a place please click here.
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Managing Allegations Against Staff Training
This session aims to provide employers and managers 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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NEW DATES - 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
- Introduction to Eating Difficulties in Children and Young People
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Teenage Years
- Nature Connectedness for Wellbeing
- NEW - An Introduction to Trauma & Sleep
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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Impact of Parental Mental Illness on Children
A virtual package that considers the impact of a variety of parental mental illness on children at various ages and stages of development.
Available course dates & times:
- Thursday 7th August 2025, times TBC
- Thursday 13th November 2025, times TBC
To find out more about the above course and to book a place please click here
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NEW - Perinatal Mental Health Team - Multi-Agency Training by HDFT
This 2 hour session is delivered by the Perinatal Mental Health Team practitioners, specialist PNMH midwife and Perinatal and Infant MH Specialist Health visitor.
It covers the basics you will need to know about the impact of Perinatal Mental health on women, their children and family. Get a better understanding of the complex nature of perinatal mental health, recognise risk factors, red flags, learn about the support for men affected, and feel more confident knowing what you should do to help.
This is a multi-agency training session, and would be suitable for any staff who work or volunteer with children in Health and Social Care, Education, Maternity, Family Hubs, and the Voluntary sector.
Available course dates & times:
- Tuesday 10th June, 10:00am - 12:00 pm - Online via MS Teams
- Wednesday 10th September, 10:00am - 12:00pm - Online via MS Teams
- Tuesday 9th December, 10:00am - 12:00pm - Online via MS Teams
To find out more about the above training, including how to book a place please click here.
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NEW - Wakefield Parent & Infant Relationship Team Training Sessions
The Wakefield Parent and Infant Relationship (PAIR) team invite you to their free, drop-in lunchtime learning sessions.
These will focus on key areas of importance, impact, and interest when assessing the Parent infant relationship to help consider babies mental health and the Voice of the child. These will also be a regular chance to drop-in and find out more about PAIR team. Training is available on the following subjects:
- Introduction to the Wakefield Parent and Infant Relationship Team and ”Giving a voice of the Child”
- PAIR team updates to practice and “Working with sick and premature babies”
- Wakefield Parent and Infant Relationship Team and ‘The importance of engaging Fathers’
- The PAIR team updates to practice and ‘The impact of parental ACES on the Parent-Infant relationship’
- “How the Parent-Infant Relationship can be affected by a crying baby and feeding difficulties”
- The Parent and Infant relationship team “Working with behaviour that parents find challenging”
- The Wakefield PAIR team and “The role of Family Peer Support”
Audience:
Any professional working with babies and infants from conception to 2 years.
Booking InformationPlease click here for more information. If you would like to watch the Wakefield Parent & Infant Relationship (PAIR) Team Training Sessions from 2024, please click here to access the recordings. 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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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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NEW DATES - 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. Available course dates and times:
- Thursday 9th October & Friday 10th October 2025, 8:30am – 16:30pm – St Marys Community Centre, Pontefract For further information about this training course, including costs and to complete an expression of interest form, please click here
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NEW DATES - Young Lives Consortium (YLC) - SafeTALK Suicide Alertness Training
Young Lives Consortium (YLC) is currently offering SafeTALK training. What is SafeTALK?Know what to do if someone is thinking about suicide by following the easy to remember TALK steps - Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep-safe. Who can attend SafeTALK?Places are free for those that live, work or learn in the Wakefield district Available course dates and times:
- Monday 16th June, 9.30am - 1pm at Lightwaves, Lower York Street, Marsh Way, Wakefield, WF1 3LJ.
- NEW DATE - Tuesday 16th September, 4:00pm - 7:30pm at Lightwaves, Lower York Street, Marsh Way, Wakefield, WF1 3LJ.
For further information about this training course please click here.
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12. NEW - Online Safety Live 2026 - Wakefield
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The UK Safer Internet Centre are delighted to partner with Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSCP) to deliver a FREE Online Safety Session, taking place on Tuesday 27th January 2026 2pm - 4pm.
Location:
- Wakefield Town Hall ,Wood Street, Wakefield ,WF1 2HQ
Duration:
Course Information:
- Designed for anyone working with children and young people, this interactive session delivers the most up-to-date insights on emerging online risks, legislation updates, cutting-edge technology trends, and expert guidance. Plus, attendees receive exclusive access to presentation materials and a wealth of additional resources.
Why Attend?
- Stay informed – Get the latest online safety research, laws, and developments
- Save time – A concise, information-packed session tailored to busy professionals
- Access expert guidance – Our team is on hand to answer your questions
- Exclusive resources – Gain access to slides, research, and tools for later review
Who is this for?
This session is open to all professionals working with children and young people, including:
- Schools (Primary, Secondary, and Further Education)
- Early Years and Childcare Professionals
- Local Authorities & Social Care
- Police & Safeguarding Teams
- Charities & Voluntary Organisations
Please click here to find out more and to sign up for this event. |
13. NWG Exploitation & Transitional Safeguarding Event
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On Tuesday 7th October 1:30pm - 3:30pm, the NWG are hosting a FREE online forum event on exploitation and transitions. Discussion topics are:
- Child Exploitation, Transitional Safeguarding and System Shifting Leadership
- Effective use of the Care Act and Safeguarding
- Vulnerable Adolescents Supported into Adulthood (VASA)
Please click here to find out more and to book your place on this event. To find out more about NWG's full programme of events for 2025 please click here. |
14. Online Safeguarding Essentials - Online Sexual Abuse and Harms
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LGfL are offering FREE Online Safeguarding Essentials training in relation to Online Sexual Abuse and Harms.
Overview:
This course begins with an Introduction to Sexual Abuse from the CEOP Education programme delivered by a CEOP Ambassador, taking a deep dive into selected classroom resources. It will help you shape best practice in this area and also include a high-level introduction to the LGfL DigiSafe tools.
- Online child sexual abuse overview and statistics
- Nude image sharing, livestreaming and life online
- Reporting and responding to concerns
- Time to explore (and even take part in) new CEOP curriculum resources
- DigiSafe provision to support your whole school approach
What will I learn:
Attendees will be equipped with resources and information so that back at school they can:
- Hold an awareness raising session for all staff
- Review and implement policies and procedures to educate and protect children
- Implement cross-curricular activities and lessons for pupils
- Promote parental engagement to empower parents and carers
Available course dates and times:
To find out more and to book a place on this training please click here
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15. #LookCloser: Building Positive Relationships with Children - Online Session for Yorkshire & Humber
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The Children's Society are pleased to be able to share that they will be delivering an online #LookCloser session that will be available for multi-agency professionals across Yorkshire and Humberside on Building Positive Relationships with Children.
The Children's Society continue to hear from children and young people that the interactions they have with professionals can have a profound impact on how they view their experiences of abuse and the support they receive. They're often asked for guidance on how to best engage with children and young people, and whilst this should always be an individualised approach, this session shares some general ideas and tips based the voices of victims, survivors of exploitation and children and young people more generally.
In June 2025 they will be launching their new resource 'building positive relationships with children and young people' which focuses on a trauma-informed and child-centred approach. This will create the foundation for the session.
In this session they will:
- Explore how to embody the key messages within the resource
- Consider aspects of identity and why this is important when working with children and young people
- Explore what cultural humility can look like when working with children and young people
- Identify and celebrate examples of building successful relationships with young people
The session will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Monday 16th June 2pm - 3:30pm
Book your place here |
16. County Lines Awareness Webinar for Parents/Carers
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Are you a parent or carer? Do you want to know more about County Lines and Criminal Exploitation? If so, this webinar is for you.
Who are Catch22:
Catch22 is a national organisation with over 10 years of experience delivering specialist support for young people affected by county lines, child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation. They currently deliver the National County Lines Support and Rescue service providing 1-2-1 support and a rescue service for young people and their families who are criminally exploited through county lines.
Session overview:
This session is aimed at parent/carers(including foster carers/grandparents) to gain an understanding on the important issues surrounding county lines, as well as the impact that it can have on young people and their families, and the support that is available to young people who are impacted/suffering from County Lines and Criminal Exploitation.
Topics will include:
- County Lines, child criminal exploitation (CCE) and financial exploitation,
- Stages of recruitment,
- Push and pull factors,
- The National Referral Mechanism,
- The Psychological impact
- Social media, Debt bondage, plus more
Dates and times available
- Thursday 12th June 2025 (18:30pm) - please click here
- Monday 16th June 2025 (12:00pm) - please click here
- Monday 16th June 2025 (18.30pm) - please click here
- Tuesday 17th June 2025 (12:00pm) - please click here
Confidentiality:
Please note that you will not be able to discuss individual children/young people in this session due to confidentiality and safeguarding. However, if you need to speak to someone confidentially about an individual child or young person, they will be able to refer or signpost you to specialist advice during or following the session.
This session is for parents/carers only, if you are a professional and want to find out about other training that is available, please get in touch via the Catch22 mailbox countylinessupportandrescue@catch-22.org.uk
Calling all professionals - please share the details of this training with any parents/carers you work who you believe it would be useful for. |
17. Internet & Social Media Safety Information for Parents & Carers
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Criminals need just 20 images of one child to produce deep-fake
We are informing parents and carers that criminals need only 20 images of one child to produce a deep-fake version of their identity including a video, a cybersecurity expert has warned.
Parents who share pictures of their children online have been warned these images could expose them to serious risks and long-term problems, such as identity theft and fraud.
Other risks include extortion or exploitation, allowing cyber criminals to create bank accounts and claim benefits in their name.
A new research of 2,000 parents with children under 16 in the UK, conducted by Perspectus Global and commissioned by Proton, showed that parents upload an average of 63 photos to social media every month.
The majority of these photos – 59%– include family photos, with one in five parents – 21% – uploading such pictures multiple times a week, while two in five – 38% – several times a month.
Professor Carsten Maple from the University of Warwick in England and the Alan Turing Institute warned that parents were "unwittingly opening their children up to possible exploitation by criminals who want to use their data for their own purposes".
“It takes just 20 images for sophisticated AI tools to create a realistic profile of someone, or even a 30-second video," he said. “But it’s not just images that can be used, social media posts also reveal sensitive information such as location data and key life moments, that can effectively be used to create an online profile for children long before they’re old enough to consent to it.
“Oversharing by parents can lead to numerous problems for the child in the future, including digital records that can be extremely difficult and painful to remove, leading to mental anguish, negative reputations and harm to others," he added.
The professor warned that many cloud storage services, such as Google Drive and Photos, were using personal information in ways many parents are unaware of.
Parents have been advised to think about what they are sharing; ensure their personal moments are held using secure storage; read the small print and set their privacy and security settings; be aware of phishing scams; and be aware of free public wi-fi.
They have also been asked to set clear ground rules with their children; use parental controls, filters in search engines, antivirus software; and model healthy online habits.
Parenting in the age of TikTok, AI and Instagram
With the recent drama Adolescence sparking national conversations about teenagers and tech, many parents are reflecting on their own family’s relationship with social media. Place2Be have provided three expert-backed resources to help parents/carers raise confident, connected kids in a digital word.
- Social media for primary aged children - includes information about what's safe, what's not, and how to set age appropriate boundaries. Tips to help younger children enjoy the digital world.
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18. Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse - Free Webinars & Resources to Support Practice
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Communicating with Children Guide The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre) has published the new edition of their popular guide titled "Communicating with Children". This provides essential new guidance on how to support children with a variety of different communication needs so professionals can provide all children with the opportunity to communicate about what has happened to them. Click here to find out more and download the guide. Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway
Last year's National review into child sexual abuse in the family environment recommended the use of a national pathway, to "promote greater consistency and quality in multi-agency practice in identification and response to child sexual abuse" - the CSA Centre's Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway can help do exactly that. The step-by-step Response Pathway is designed to support and empower professionals to learn more about the role they, and their colleagues, can play to best protect and support children. Click here to open and use the Response Pathway on the CSA Centre website. FREE Webinars
The Centre of Expertise also have a number of free webinars available throughout 2025, from helping with research, consultation events, to free practice guidance. To find out more about the FREE upcoming webinars please click here. Other FREE Resources
Also available to access on the CSA website, is a range of practice resources. These can be utilised by professionals to identify, respond and support children who have been sexually abused. The resources include:
- Signs and indicators of child sexual abuse
- Communicating with children
- Supporting parents and carers
- Sibling sexual abuse and behaviour
- Managing risk and trauma after online sexual offending
- Resources for education settings
- Using supervision and team meetings
- Medical examinations and more!
Please click here to take a look and access the resources you need. |
19. Top Safety Tips for Families this May
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The Child Accident Prevention Trust have published the following safety tips for families this May. Calling all professionals - where possible please share this important information with any parents/carers that you work with. Magnets
New data has shown around 300 children were admitted to A&E in a single year after swallowing magnets, with one in ten requiring life-saving operations. CAPT have created a new information page and downloadable poster explaining the risks and simple things families can do to keep their children safe. Please click here to find out more.
Button Batteries
Button batteries can badly hurt or kill a small child. If they swallow one and its gets stuck in their food pipe it can burn through the tissues and cause life-altering injuries or death. However, far too many parents simply don't know about the dangers or the wide range of products powered by them. Click here to learn more about the dangers and access CAPT's button battery resources. Are your windows open?
As the weather starts to get warmer it will be great to open windows and let the fresh air in. But toddlers and young children are at greatest risk of falling out and suffering serious injuries. Partly because their heads are heavy compared with their body so they can easily topple. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to keep them safe. Click here to learn more. Is your garden child-friendly?
Are you lucky enough to have a garden? Or can your child play in the garden of family or friends? Outdoor play is a great way to burn off energy but there are some things to watch out for to keep children safe from serious injury. So, click here to access some top tips to make your garden a safer place to play. Swim safe this summer
It’s scary to think about but drowning doesn’t happen like it does in the movies. A drowning child doesn’t splash about or cry for help. They slip quietly under the water, often unnoticed. But, once you understand how and where drowning happens, there are things you can do to prevent it. Click here to download CAPT's free fact sheet for top tips. Are you excited for BBQ season?
BBQ season will soon be upon us and we can’t wait to enjoy eating outside again. Just remember a BBQ and the ground underneath it can stay hot enough to cause a serious burn for a long time after it’s been used.
So, stay alert and keep children well away from the cooking area until it’s completely cooled. Be burns aware, click here to find out more.
Save the date: Child Safety Week 2025
Child Safety Week 2025 takes place Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th June, with this years theme being Safety is for sharing.
Please see below for resources that are available to support you with any events you have planned to promote Child Safety Week.
Fresh on the CAPT website you'll find:
- Parent Pack - Get the latest version of CAPT's parent pack with top tips to share with your communities. Includes our freshly updated fact sheet on burns prevention and first aid.
- Display pack - Bring your Child Safety Week displays to life with CAPT's colourful posters. Includes their brand new Child Safety Week poster for 2025.
- Logo - Add the We support Child Safety Week logo to your website and emails.
- Social media pack - Sharing CAPT'S posts throughout the week is an easy win. If you want to get your social sorted in advance, this is the pack for you.
- Information Pack - Your guide to the theme, what’s available and why your involvement is so important. Includes simple ways you can share this Child Safety Week.
To find out more and access a whole range of child accident prevention resources please visit the CAPT website. |
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 child criminal exploitation, child sexual abuse, children who have complex health needs and non-accidental injury. Please click here to read the reviews.
County Lines
NSPCC Learning has launched a new elearning course on safeguarding children and young people from county lines and exploitation. The course aims to support professionals with: understanding risks and vulnerability factors; identifying the risk factors within families; recognising, responding to and reporting concerns; and supporting children and young people. The price of this training is £25.
Take the course: County Lines training
Staff and volunteer behaviour: low-level concerns
NSPCC Learning has published a new webpage on responding to low-level concerns about staff or volunteers. The page covers the steps organisations should take when dealing with concerns about the behaviour of an adult in the organisation. It outlines what low-level concerns are, the importance of developing effective organisational policies and procedures, and how to report, record and review low-level concerns.
Visit the page: Responding to low-level concerns about staff or volunteers
Child Wellbeing: Exam and Revision Stress
The NSPCC has published a news story on children experiencing exam and revision stress. Data from Childline counselling sessions between April 2024 and March 2025 highlighted key themes including: feeling under pressure to do well; struggling to balance revision and other parts of life; and losing sleep over revision, exams and the idea of failing. The news story includes advice to help young people during this period.
Read the news story: Rise in calls to Childline about exam and revision stress during the exam period last year
NSPCC Report on Housing: Leaning from Case Reviews
The NSPCC have published a report summarising key issues and learning for improved child safeguarding practice for housing services and providers. The briefing sets out learning from a sample of case reviews published by local safeguarding partnerships between 2020 and 2023 where practice issues related to housing were identified.
Case reviews highlighted that housing professionals sometimes struggled to identify safeguarding concerns and recognise how families’ living circumstances can interact with other harms children may be experiencing. They also identified that the role of housing was sometimes overlooked in multi-agency conversations.
Download the briefing: Housing: learning from case reviews
Maternal Mental Health
Research in Practice has published three videos on maternal mental health and pre-birth work. The videos look at the needs, including mental health challenges, that parents involved in pre-birth work commonly present with; the importance of embedding trauma-informed approaches in pre-birth practice; and the impact of a policy change around separation at birth on families in one local area.
Watch the videos: Supporting maternal mental health in pre-birth work
Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing Guidance
The NSPCC has published guidance on promoting children's mental health and wellbeing and learn how you can talk to children about their mental health and help keep them safe.
Read the guidance: Promoting mental health and wellbeing |
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