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Welcome to the NYSCP February 2024 edition of our e-bulletin
Welcome to the February edition of the NYSCP e-bulletin. This month’s edition is jam packed with information and resources for partners. Our key theme this month is internet safety as we promote Safer Internet Day on 6th February. Whilst every day should be safer internet day; the 6th February is an international event and annual celebration to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, especially children and young People. You can support the day by following the links below to access resources and don’t forget to follow us on social media to like and share posts. Our bulletin this month also highlights some upcoming free training available to partners, a key update in relation to sharing of intelligence, a new NHS initiate; Better Health Start for Life ‘Little Moments Together’ Campaign and 10 top tips for sharing information to safeguard children.
Finally, another key date for February is Time to Talk day on 1st February 2024. Time to talk day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. The more conversations we have about mental health the better life is for everyone (young people and adults). Talking about mental health isn’t always easy and sometimes it’s even harder to say how you really feel. But a conversation has the power to change lives. You’ll find lots of resources and activities on the Time to Talk day website, so get involved and start the conversation!
We look forward to seeing you for the March edition of our Bulletin which will focus on Child Exploitation and contextual safeguarding. As always, if there are any specific themes or resources you would like us to share, please contact us via email nyscp@northyorks.gov.uk
Kathryn Morrison, Policy and Development Officer (NYSCP)
Jump to…
- Do your PART
- Internet Safety week resources:
- Safer Internet Day: Advice pages for parents and carers:
- Snapchat resource: A guide for professionals
- Digital playgrounds: Children’s views on video gaming
- Game Safe Festival – NSPCC
- Free training for partners:
- NYSCP Masterclasses:
- Online Anti-bullying training (Anti Bullying Alliance)
- #Look Closer Programme of Learning:
- Mental Health e-learning Module:
- Start for Life: ‘Little Moments Together’
- Information sharing to safeguard Children:
- Police Briefing: Community Intelligence
- Pace reveals new identity, Ivison Trust
- Just a Kiss
- Introductory guide to Misogyny and Incel sub-culture
- Renew HG1 YP
- Child Safety
How to get involved for Safer Internet Day!
Safer Internet Day, which will take place on February 6th, 2024, with the theme ”Inspiring change? Making a difference, managing influence and navigating change online.”
Internet Safety week resources:
The UK Safer Internet Centre has recently released an exclusive collection of short films tailored for Safer Internet Day 2024, designed to captivate and educate children and young people aged 3 to 18 years old. These films serve as starters for meaningful conversations, making them perfect for educators and professionals eager to participate in Safer Internet Day activities across various environments such as schools, nurseries, youth groups, libraries, and beyond.
Complementing the Safer Internet Day education packs, these films have been created to enhance the overall learning journey
Films – UK Safer Internet Centre
Free Safer Internet Day 2024 education resources available
To support Safer Internet Day, education resources have been created for schools, youth groups, police services, libraries, and others.
These free resources are tailored for 3 – 18-year-olds and include activities such as interactive stories, worksheets, group discussions, and assemblies, with options for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
Free Safer Internet Day 2024 Education Resources now live – UK Safer Internet Centre
Safer Internet Day: Advice pages for parents and carers:
Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to focus on online safety with your child, whatever their age.
This year’s theme is all about change and influence online and we have created a range of pages to help you talk about these issues and ideas with your child, no matter how much time you have and, in an age-appropriate way.
They look to answer some of the key questions parents may have this Safer Internet Day:
- Things change so fast online, it’s hard to keep up with what my child is doing.
- My child keeps asking to play a game, or download an app that I don’t know about, what can I do?
- My child is asking for a new device and I’m not sure they are ready for one.
- I’m not sure if the content my child is watching is a good influence on them, what can I do?
- What does an influence do and how can they affect children’s behaviour?
- My child is keen to share content and make a change online. How can I help them achieve this safely?
- How to make a report online.
Gifted A New Device This Christmas?
The gift of technology at Christmas is often one that is popular amongst many. Providing access to the online world, you can enjoy chatting with friends and discovering new games, however, have you taken the necessary steps to ensure its secure?
Visit the Ineqe safety centre: Our Safety Centre where you will discover information on setting up parental controls, privacy settings, safety measures and much more.
Snapchat resource: A guide for professionals
As Snapchat continues to be a theme across North Yorkshire (and nationally) for young people at risk. Our Contextual Safeguarding Officer, Gemma Ohr has put together a fantastic guide: Snapchat a guide for professionals. The resource includes:
- What is Snapchat (including Snap Maps and My Eyes only)
- AI on Snapchat
- Adding friends
- Parental Controls
- Safety advice
Digital playgrounds: Children’s views on video gaming
Part of the statutory role of the Children’s Commissioner is to consider the views and interests of children. Both are important parts of my role, but sometimes they can be in competition. Listening to children is a principle I hold incredibly tight, but I can see that listening uncritically to children’s view on certain issues – like appropriate bedtimes! – may not be in their interests. Gaming is one of those area where I fear children’s views and interests may be in competition.
The findings that I publish today show that children generally do not see games as a significant cause of harm to their health and wellbeing, although children were more concerned about the impact of multi-player games and girls were less positive than boys.
However, that does not mean that we should not ward against the very real harms that can go along with gaming for some children. As the qualitative reanalysis of data from The Big Ask survey shows, children have conflicting feelings about games – seeing them as a fun hobby that they value, but also expressing wariness about the addictive nature of games and other associated harms.
“Video games are a big factor contributing to unfulfillment as from a young age children can become addicted and deluded into believing they can become famous gamers which in result will lead to them wasting valuable time to learn, read and exercise.” – Boy, 13, The Big Ask.
Children have a right to play, which extends to the digital playgrounds of video games. Gaming can be a positive activity through which children find community and learn new skills. I hope they will also have a lot of fun!
“Being able to play more computer games and having more fun.” – Boy, 8, The Big Ask.
My ambition is that children are safe to play wherever they are – in their local park or in a gaming lobby with their friends. I will continue to look into the issues of harms for children that come from gaming, and how these are reflected in the implementation of the Online Safety Act.
CC A4 HEADER (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
Game Safe Festival – NSPCC
From the 5th – 11th of February 2024 at 16:00 to 17:00 the NSPCC will be collaborating with developers, platforms, industry bodies, esports and influencers to play and act for a better way to game. As part of the Game Safe Festival, the NSPCC is encouraging those working with children and young people within the education sector to have conversations about online gaming.
On the 8th of February from 16:00 to 17:00 the NSPCC under the auspices of the Game Safe Festival, will be hosting a free webinar aimed at helping you understand how young people game online, discover what tools and resources are available to support safe play and how to help them stay safe.
To book your place on this webinar please go to: https://ww1.emma-live.com/GameSafe/purchase_tickets For further information about the Game Safe Festival go to: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/charity-events/game-safe-festival/
Free training for partners:
Training Calendar: Spring 2024
NYC Children and Families’ Service, along with partner agencies, are again offering free, virtual courses on a range of topics related to early help and safeguarding. These courses start on 1st February and run throughout the Spring term. They are open to anyone in North Yorkshire who works with children, young people and families.
Please see the attached programme for course details and the booking procedure via NY Education Services.
NYSCP Masterclasses:
- 7th February 2024 12:00 – Learning from LADO cases
- 20th March 2024 12:00 – Multi Agency and Child Exploitation Strategy Launch (look out for further training events to highlight Child Exploitation Awareness Day that week)
- 17th April 2024 12:00 – Launch of #AskMe campaign
Further details can be found on the NYSCP training page: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Online Anti-bullying training (Anti Bullying Alliance)
The Anti-Bullying Alliance is a coalition of organisations and individuals that are united against bullying. The Alliance has developed free CPD-certified anti-bullying online training for anyone that works with children and young people, topics include:
- 10 principles to reduce bullying
- Cyberbullying (Online bullying)
- Bullying and Difference
- Bullying and SEN/disability
- Young Carers and Bullying
- All Different, All Equal: Preventing and Responding to Appearance Targeted Bullying
The training can be found here: https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/free-cpd-online-training
The training has been added to our website, which also shares a large variety of free e-learning packages on various safeguarding themes. NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
#Look Closer Programme of Learning:
We are pleased to share details of the Children’s Society’s upcoming #LookCloser Programme of Learning events for February and March 2024, all of which are free of charge.
Learning sessions taking place April onwards will be confirmed soon and you can expect to see topics such as Financial Exploitation, Anti-Racist Practice to Tackle Child Exploitation, Gendered Assumptions in Tackling Exploitation, plus many more.
#LookCloser is a partnership campaign between The Children’s Society, the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre and the British Transport Police aiming to raise awareness of child exploitation and abuse and to encourage the public and businesses to better identify and report concerns. The campaign also seeks to challenge assumptions and victim stereotypes, highlighting that child exploitation can happen anywhere, and any young person can be a victim.
NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Mental Health e-learning Module:
The National Autistic Society have a new e-learning module launching in January 2024, aimed at professionals and parents who are supporting autistic young people aged 13 to 18. The module will be a guide to the mental health experiences and needs of autistic teenagers. It will be free to access throughout 2024.
Register your interest to be the first to know when the module launches. Mental health module register your interest (autism.org.uk)
Start for Life: ‘Little Moments Together’
On 15th January the Department for Education (DfE), in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), launched the Better Health Start for Life ‘Little Moments Together’ Campaign. The campaign aims to educate parents and carers about the importance of brain development in the first five years of a child’s life, and the crucial role they play as parents and carers, with advice and tips available on the Start for Life website.
By focusing on behaviours that can easily be integrated into their busy daily routines, the Little Moments Together campaign aims to illustrate a ‘way of being’ to parents and carers, showing them that sharing simple, child-led ‘serve and return’ moments together throughout the day has a big impact.
A range of downloadable resources are available on the Campaign Resource Centre which you can download, including:
- Partner Activation Pack with campaign overview, key messages, tips and support for partners when delivering interventions and links to supporting tools and resources.
- Social Media Toolkit with post, copy and content calendar.
- Posters, including ready to use, localisable versions and empty belly for partners to add local service information.
- Digital screens for use on TV screens and other digital displays in locations such as GP surgeries, Family Hubs, outdoor settings etc.
- Web banners to use across owned digital channels.
Information sharing to safeguard Children:
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a helpful 10-step guide to safeguarding children or young people at risk of harm.
A 10-step guide to sharing information to safeguard children | ICO
This is a 10-step guide on data protection considerations when sharing personal information for child safeguarding purposes. It aims to help you feel confident about sharing information when you need to safeguard a child or young person at risk of harm.
It does not tell you how to safeguard children and young people, but it does give you practical advice on data protection as part of the safeguarding process.
Police Briefing: Community Intelligence
**For internal awareness and to share with partners you work with **
We are pleased to announce North Yorkshire Police can now accept online reports from partners via our website. These will be directed to the Force Control Room (FCR) and dealt with just like a 101 call. In the case of partner intelligence, this will route directly to the Intelligence Unit from our website.
This service offers you (our partners) the opportunity to submit forms through a standardised format, used by a growing number of Police forces across England and Wales. There is no need to wait on the phone. Accessible on computers, tablets and mobile the forms make it easier to share details from your systems. They are structured around the details we need to act quickly and keep people safe.
These services are for agencies and partners of the police, they aren’t for public use.
In an emergency you should still use 999.
What can you report online?
The forms available for wider partners include:
1. Missing Persons (including returned persons and further information)
2. Request police help with a Mental Health Act Assessment
3. Request police help with a Welfare Check
4. Community Partner Intelligence (goes directly to the intelligence unit)
On submission you will receive an immediate email receipt and reference number.
Partners can access the Community Partnership Intelligence form at the following website: Community partnership intelligence | North Yorkshire Police, by scanning the QR code below or visiting the North Yorkshire safeguarding Children Partnership Website: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk) an updated guide has also been included.
Pace reveals new identity, Ivison Trust
We are excited to officially announce that we will be changing our name from Pace (Parents Against Child Exploitation) to Ivison Trust.
Following consultations with staff, supporters and beneficiaries we found that our name was becoming a barrier.
Our support is available for every family and their care givers whether they are parents, carers or grandparents and it is so important that our inclusivity is synonymous with our visual identity.
Lindsay Dalton, Chief Executive said:
“Our pioneering founder, Irene Ivison fought for the rights of exploited children following the tragic murder of her daughter Fiona. Honouring the memory of Irene and Fiona with the Ivison Trust name and our new identity brings into focus our guiding purpose to keep children safe from exploitation and fight to improve the systems that exist to protect them.
Symbolising both Fiona and Irene in our logo celebrates the strength and love between a parent and her child because that will always be at the heart of our work. They stand strong together in our identity, because we know exploiters will do everything, they can to break that bond and Ivison Trust will do everything we can to protect and rebuild it.”
We have been working with agency Design Project to develop the new name and brand for the last 12 months. The new brand has been designed to reflect the strength of parents and carers living with child exploitation and the critical need to protect every child from this form of abuse.
Irene Ivison, 1946 – 2000
“To love and care for people is a great strength. It is the only answer to the problems in today’s society.
At the same time we have to speak out against what is wrong. Each of us in our own way an influence others by our actions.
About Ivison Trust
Ivison Trust (formerly Pace) is a national charity working to keep children safe from exploitation by supporting their parents, disrupting the offenders and working in partnership with police and family services. We also train professionals to support affected children and their parents using a trauma-informed, family-centric approach.
Ivison Trust seeks to:
- Enable parents and carers to safeguard and stop their children being exploited.
- Provide evidence and specialist advice in order to demonstrate to partners that parents and carers have an essential safeguarding role.
- Work with parents and partners to disrupt and bring exploiters to justice.
- Influence national and local policy and practice to reflect the active safeguarding role of parents and the impact on families of child exploitation.
- Sustain long term change by training partners in the active role of parents and carers safeguarding their children
Find out more about the work of Ivison Trust in North Yorkshire here: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
Just a Kiss
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Office have put together a short film. Just a Kiss follows the story of a young university fresher who, having met a man on a night out, becomes the victim of stalking. The film chronicles how stalking can quickly escalate and impact the lives of victims and displays the perspective of friends and family. The video can be viewed at Just a Kiss – Episodes – Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire (northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk)
Introductory guide to Misogyny and Incel sub-culture:
This 90-minute session will be broken into two parts. The first part, presented by Sergeant Amanda Hanusch-Moore, will look at Misogyny, its meaning and its impact not just on women and girls but on society as a whole. The second part, presented by Sergeant Ben Hallewell will focus on Incel sub-culture, its deep-rooted misogynistic beliefs as well as other extreme cultural views and its links to terrorist acts and behaviours.
The session will be held on Thursday 18th April 10:30 – 12:00 via Teams. There are limited spaces available to book onto this session please click onto the QR code below:
Renew HG1 YP
Renew HG1 YP is a referred service specifically designed to support young people in School Years 7, 8 and 9 who:
- Lack self-confidence
- Are anxious
- Find it hard to make friends
- Feel uncomfortable in a social environment
- Often express feelings of loneliness
- Have low self-esteem
- Struggle with their mental or emotional wellbeing
Further information can be found on their website.
Child Safety
The Office for Product Safety and Standards have released some new resources on blind cord safety, these and other safety resources can be found online.
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