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August City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership Newsletter

The City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report has now been published and is available on the Partnership website.

This Annual Report demonstrates the work undertaken by the Partnership from April 1 2024 to March 31 2025 including real examples where the multi-agency safeguarding children partnership has made real difference and impact to children, young people and their families within the City of York.

I would encourage you to read our Annual Report and share it with your colleagues and professionals.

In addition, our Independent Scrutineer has also produced her Independent Scrutineers Report which provides a summary of her key findings. This is also available on the same webpage.

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Earlier this year a thematic review was commissioned by England’s Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel to explore how race, racism and racial bias influence how professionals identify, understand and respond to the safeguarding needs of Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children and their families. The report is called “It’s Silent”: Race, racism and safeguarding children.

The report’s findings and recommendations were taken from an analysis of a sample of 40 rapid reviews and 14 Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPRs) of incidents that took place between January 2022 and March 2024, and it involved Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.

The report produced recommendations for practitioners and safeguarding children partnerships. As a result of this report and its recommendations, the City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership (CYSCP) would like to understand further how confident professionals are when working with families from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete and we would be grateful if you could complete it by Friday 26 September 2025.

Equality and Diversity Survey

Please share the survey with professionals within your agencies for completion.

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This year’s global theme, set by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’, with the powerful call to action: ‘Start the Conversation’.

A supporter pack has been created to help you speak openly, safely and compassionately about suicide - not just on 10 September, but every day.

Access to the World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 Asset Pack is available via Google Drive.

Suicide is still the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. Yet for too long, stigma and silence have made it harder to reach those in crisis. It’s time to change the narrative - to speak out, to share hope, and to show that no one has to struggle alone.

At PAPYRUS, we’re here for life. Every week, thousands of young people and those who care for them reach out to HOPELINE247- our free, confidential suicide prevention helpline. Many of these contacts happen late at night, in moments of isolation and fear. But they are met with compassion, safety planning, and most of all, hope. By joining us this WSPD, you’re becoming part of a growing community determined to smash the stigma around suicide and create real, lasting change.

Inside this pack, you’ll find everything you need to get involved. However, you choose to take part, thank you for standing with us.

Together, we can change the narrative on suicide and offer hope to those who need it most.

Further information is available on the PAPYRUS website.

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As York Carers Centre marks 30 years of being a charity, we are inviting unpaid carers from across York to join us for a special evening of reflection, reconnection, and celebration.

Join us on Thursday 18 September for a special event that brings together our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a celebration of 30 years of supporting unpaid carers.

The evening runs from 5.15pm to 6.30pm, followed by informal networking. We’ll be meeting at Friends Meeting House, Friargate which is a fully accessible venue in central York.

Sharron Smith, Chief Executive of York Carers Centre, who has been with the charity for 25 of its 30 years, said:

This is more than just an AGM. It’s a chance to celebrate the thousands of lives touched by our work over the years, and to reconnect with the incredible people we’ve met along the way.

"Whether you’re a carer we’ve supported, a professional, a former colleague, or even a young carer who’s now grown up - we would love to see you again.”

The evening will feature reflections and stories from former staff members and key milestones and memorable moments from the past 30 years.

We’ll also share our vision for the future and how we plan to continue supporting unpaid carers in the years ahead.

Buffet food and refreshments will be provided, and everyone who has been involved in our journey is warmly welcomed.

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SEND Central has been chosen as the name for York’s new city hub for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The name was put forward by local young person, Kaden, in a competition to think of a name, and was chosen because it highlights how the hub will be the central point for all information, advice and support relating to SEND in York.

Further information is available on the City of York Council website.

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The NHS’s top midwife, Kate Brintworth, is urging newly eligible pregnant mothers that “now is the time to act” and get the Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to protect their baby ahead of this winter.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of infant mortality around the world and a main cause of child hospitalisations every year, with almost 7,000 bed days taken up by children with RSV last winter in England (6,815 from 25 November 2024 to 30 March 2025).

View the full article for further information.

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The National Emergency Alert test will be going ahead on 7 September 2025.

This may pose a risk to those in abusive relationships who have an emergency phone.

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NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) 2025 updates to the statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance for schools and colleges in England, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE).

The guidance is currently for information only and will come into force in September 2025. The CASPAR briefing covers: changes to the list of content risks under online safety; additional information on alternative provision guidance; and the DfE’s ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ becoming statutory guidance.

Read the CASPAR briefing (NSPCC).

Read the keeping children safe in education guidance (GOV.UK).

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NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising the latest updates to the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework for England. It combines and summarises the guidance for childminders and for group and school-based providers. Updated or new content for 2025 includes: safeguarding policies and procedures; whistleblowing; child absences; references; staff-to-child ratios; safer eating; and toilets and intimate hygiene.

The 2025 edition of the framework replaces the 2024 version and is effective from 01 September 2025.

Read the CASPAR briefing (NSPCC).

Access the Early Years Foundation Framework (GOV.UK).

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The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated statutory guidance for schools in England on relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education.

Revisions to the statutory guidance include an increased focus on: online safety in relation to emerging technologies such as AI and tackling misogyny and the influence of harmful online communities and influencers.

The guidance also introduces guiding principles to support schools with developing a curriculum on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). The guidance will come into force on 01 September 2026.

Read the relationships and sex education guidance (GOV.UK).

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The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have created guidance for professionals working with children and young people on understanding and responding to artificial intelligence (AI) generated child sexual abuse material.

The guide aims to enable education practitioners to: stay informed about the ways AI can be misused to create child sexual abuse imagery; understand the law and legal implications of AI-child sexual abuse material; provide an effective response through step-by-step guidance on how to respond to incidents; and provide support for victims.

Tailored versions of the guidance are available for each UK nation.

Download the AI generated child sexual abuse guides (IWF).

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SWGfL have recently launched a pilot of the Family Smart Start project, developed in partnership with the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI).

Family Smart Start is an engaging unboxing experience designed to help families navigate the use and safe setup of a child’s first smartphone.

This pilot aims to encourage open conversations around digital safety while providing easy-to-follow guidance for parents and carers on setting up parental controls, an essential step as children begin to explore smartphones and the digital world around them.

Inspired by the popular format of online ‘unboxing’ videos, participants across the UK have received their Family Smart Start boxes, containing interactive materials and guidance. The experience is further enhanced through our dedicated website.

The unboxing format creates an exciting and curiosity-driven experience for children, allowing them to explore something new alongside their families, making digital safety education more engaging and approachable.

See further information about the Empowering Safe and Effective Smartphone Use pilot (SWGfL).

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The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report exploring the use of unregistered alternative provision (AP) for educating children who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education.

Unregistered AP settings are not registered with the Department for Education or regulated by Ofsted, with examples including one-on-one tuition, therapeutic provision and vocational courses.

The report explores definitions and different types of unregistered AP; characteristics of children in unregistered AP; and the views of children, families and professionals.

Read the Children’s Commissioner report (Children's Commissioner).

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Residents are being invited to help shape the new Anti-Poverty Strategy with a new public consultation being launched.

The strategy will help the council work with partners and communities to tackle the route causes of poverty, reduce inequality and support those most at risk across York.

See further information on the consultation and to access the consultation on the City of York council website.

The consultation is open until Monday 29 September.

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The City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership E-Learning Training is changing.

From Autumn Term 2025, a new Safeguarding Children E-Learning package will be available. Our current e-learning package has been reviewed and updated and a brand new course has been produced.

The costs will remain the same for those organisations who are charged.

Further information regarding costs is available on the partnership website.

It is planned for our old training portal to be discontinued.

If you have a certificate from your past e-learning training, please download and save to your computer.

Additionally, if you would like to view any of our e-learning presentations these won’t be available once the training portal is discontinued so make time over the Summer to access these free training sessions!

Information in relation to accessing the new course will be communicated in due course. In the meantime if you have any queries please email: [email protected]

A reminder that the Partnership also offer free face to face training as follows:

Families First Partnership Briefing

Target audience: This briefing is relevant to all statutory, non-statutory and voluntary agencies who work with children in York.

Course outline: This briefing will provide an overview of the national vision for the reforms of Children’s Services. The purpose of the session is to share a summary of the national expectations of the Families First Programme including:

  • Family Help
  • Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams
  • Family Group Decision Making

There will be an opportunity to ask questions and understand how these reforms will be developed locally.

Dates:

  • Tuesday 2 September, 11.00am to midday, MS Teams
  • Friday 19 September, 9.30am to 10.30am, MS Teams

To book, go to the course page on MyLO and click ‘access this course’ at the top of the page and then ‘sign up’ next to the date.

Managers can book places for members of their team using the ‘allocate place for team’ option.

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Hate Crime Awareness Week will soon be upon us and to promote the valuable work that continues to progress across North Yorkshire, a Hate Crime Conference is being held at the Priory Street Centre in York on Wednesday 15th October 2025.

There are some wonderful guest speakers lined up to present to you on the day and the conference will offer attendees the opportunity to shape the York and North Yorkshire Hate Crime work landscape moving forward. A full agenda will be circulated nearer the date.

If you have any questions about the event, contact Lesley Gray on email: [email protected].

If you have any building or parking access requirements, please let Lesley know.

The nearest car park can be found on Nunnery Lane.

The nearest bus stops are located outside York Railway Station, which is a 5 minute walk from the venue.

Book to attend the Hate Crime Conference 2025

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Brightsparks is proud to offer Resilience Triple P, a new, fully funded* 8-week programme supporting families of children aged 6 to 12 who live in York and have experienced bullying or difficulties with peer relationships.

Resilience Triple P is an evidence-based programme designed to give children and their parents practical skills to manage bullying and build positive peer relationships. Over 8 interactive sessions, families work together to boost confidence, emotional resilience, and social skills in a safe, supportive environment.

What to Expect:

  • 4 Parent Sessions: Learn positive, supportive strategies to help your child thrive.
  • 4 Child Sessions (with parents present): Build social confidence and learn practical ways to manage peer challenges.
  • Game-Based Learning: Interactive activities that help children explore resilience in a fun way.
  • Sibling-Friendly Environment: Siblings aged 6 and over are welcome to join in!

Session Overview:

  • Location: The Gateway Centre, Front Street, Acomb, YO24 3BZ
  • Time and date: 4.00pm to 6.30pm from Thursday 25 September 2025 - weekly sessions until 20 November, with a break for October half term
  • Cost: Free - Fully funded by City of York Council (pilot scheme, limited spaces)

Places are limited, find out more and sign up online.

Please contact Katie at Brightsparks if you require any more information on email: [email protected].

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Wednesday 10 September:- World Suicide Prevention Day.

Take the opportunity to be part of the PAPYRUS campaign.

Monday 22 to Sunday 28 September: International Week of Deaf People.

Monday 22 to Friday 26 September: ICON Week.

A reminder that messages around ICON and all resources for professionals in relation to babies and pregnancy are available on the partnership website:

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Newsletter sign-up

Please let your colleagues know they can sign up now to receive our newsletter.

If anyone has any items for newsletters going forward, please let us know on email: [email protected].