Stay up to date with the latest news relating to safeguarding children and young people in York.
Read our recent news:
Published 5 December 2024.
The CYSCP has updated their Child Exploitation Guidance for 2024 to 2026.
Published 2 December 2024.
Read the following updated protocols:
Please note: these downloads may not be accessible to users of assistive techology. Request these documents in an accessible format.
Published 26 November 2024.
North Yorkshire and City of York local authority areas have agreed that any notification of a child or young person who was a Care Leaver (up to the age of 24) at the time of their death will be reported via CDOP. All agencies and practitioners who work in either local authority areas and are or become aware of the death of a care leaver up to the age of 24 then you are responsible for completing the Child Death Form.
Read more about the Death of a Care Leaver Process. We also have a one minute guide on the Death of a Care Leaver Process.
Published 26 November 2024.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe, in partnership with local organisations, has launched an online survey to gather the public’s views on Violence Against Women and Girls, and how we can make a real difference to people’s lives across North Yorkshire and York.
Violence Against Women and Girls refers to any act of violence or abuse that disproportionately affects women or girls and is usually perpetrated by men, including but not limited to domestic abuse, stalking, sexual violence, abuse or exploitation. However, we recognise that men and boys, transgender and non-binary people can also be victims of these crimes, and that women can also be perpetrators.
Although we'll use the term ‘Violence Against Women and Girls’ throughout this survey, we welcome responses from anyone – every gender, every age and every situation – to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to have their views represented.
This new survey seeks to understand the difference we have made to-date since a Joint Strategy to Address Violence Against Women and Girls was launched in June 2022, and if there is anything else the public think should be done locally to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls. We would also like to hear about your specific experiences of violence or abuse, and in particular, the type of response and support you received if you have reported what happened, in order to ensure your views and personal experiences remain central to shaping and driving our local projects and activities.
More information on what Commissioner Zoë and local statutory partners are doing to address violence against women and girls in North Yorkshire and York can be found on the Commissioner’s website.
The Violence Against Women and Girls survey is anonymous and will be reviewed at least every 6 months by the Strategic Governance Board.
Published 26 November 2024.
The Children’s Commissioner has launched the biggest ever survey of schools and colleges in England, to capture up-to-date information about children’s experiences of school and to drive improvements in how they receive support.
All mainstream, special schools, alternative providers, and colleges in England will be required to answer questions relating to support and resources offered to pupils and their families, the staff roles and responsibilities at school, and the characteristics and vulnerabilities of pupils. Take part in the Children's Commissioner: The School Survey 2024.
Published 26 November 2024.
This training session is an opportunity for professionals to learn more about York Carers Centre, and the support available for unpaid carers across the city.
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 that you want to attend. Book a place on the Identifying and supporting carers: introducing York Carers Centre course. Managers can book places for members of their team using the ‘allocate place for team’ option.
Published 26 November 2024.
The Young Carers Covenant was launched on Young Carers Action Day in May. It's a series of 10 outcomes that young people with caring responsibilities from across the UK have highlighted as being key to improving their lives.
The Covenant was developed by young carers working with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Carers.
Signing up to the Covenant shows your support for young carers and young adult carers and your commitment to doing what you can to help make these outcomes a reality.
Both individuals and organisations can sign the Covenant and signatories pledge to take practical and meaningful action to support young carers and young adult carers so they can have the same life opportunities as other children and young people.
Sign up to the The Young Carers Covenant.
Published 26 November 2024.
A number of training sessions are scheduled for January to April 2025. Book a place on the Prevent training.
Training will include:
Further training sessions will be added throughout the year. Find out more about Prevent training.
Published 26 November 2024.
The North East Prevent monthly newsletter is produced by the Prevent Education Coordinator working for DfE, Christopher Sybenga.
This free resource supports educational providers to be Prevent compliant for OFSTED inspections. The newsletter highlights free courses delivered by Department for Education, free Prevent resources and linked articles. In addition it highlights related media articles within the North East.
As a school or provider feel free to sign up to the Prevent Newsletter.
Published 26 November 2024.
Earlier this year the City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership held a Development Day which was attended by senior leaders at our relevant agencies.
Young people attended this Development Day and delivered a powerful presentation on the impact of language when working with children and young people.
Senior leaders committed to producing a multi-agency pledge for all partners.
The Voice and Involvement Sub-Group has subsequently prioritised this and developed a ‘language pledge.'
We would encourage all our partners to commit to this pledge, and share and discuss within your meetings.
Published 8 November 2024.
Baby Week is coming to York for the first time this November. The national initiative, Thursday 14 November to Wednesday 20 November 2024, celebrates services working with young families and raises awareness of the importance of early childhood.
As a host city, York will celebrate the work of local maternity and early years services, helping to give every baby the best start in life. Parents and carers across the city will be able to find out more about the amazing range of services available to young children and their families, and take part in local events and activities including storytime, stay and play events and a nearly new sale of children’s toys and clothes.
A reminder that the CYSCP also has a dedicated section of the website which contains resources for professionals in relation to babies and pregnancy.
Published 8 November 2024.
Anti-Bullying Week is observed every year in the third week of November. This year it is held from Monday 11 November to Friday 15 November 2024.
Recognizing that bullying has a long-term effect on the victim’s mental health and quality of life, the holiday seeks to combat bullying by encouraging a zero-tolerance policy. Schools and communities can set up systems to eradicate bullying and build a safe community that welcomes everyone with open arms.
Anti-Bullying Week takes place in the UK and involves thousands of schools, coordinating with hundreds of volunteers at the student and teaching levels.
This year’s theme is ‘Choose Respect’. The Anti-Bullying Alliance website has further information.
Published 21 October 2024.
National Adoption Week showcases adoption journeys and family structures of all kinds. City of York Council and One Adoption North and Humber, the regional adoption agency for York, North Yorkshire and the Humber, are supporting this year’s National Adoption Week (Monday 21 to Sunday 27 October 2024).
This year, the You Can Adopt campaign is highlighting adoption journeys and family structures of all kinds, including the people who have played an important role – from social workers and birth families, to foster carers and grandparents.
By raising awareness of modern adoption and showcasing the diversity of adoptive families today, the campaign shows that the journey to a family is not always a traditional one. This is reflected in new data commissioned for National Adoption Week, which shows in Yorkshire and the Humber that 66% of people say there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ family and 51% come from a ‘non-traditional’ family structure themselves.
The latest data from England shows there has been a 22% increase in the number of children with a plan for adoption who are not yet matched with an adoptive family. With fewer potential adopters coming forward (which is believed to be a result of the cost-of-living crisis), children of all ages are facing delays of over 18 months to find their forever home. In the North and Humber region there are 46 children waiting for their forever home, with more than 50% of those being in groups of brothers and sisters.
To mark the week, a new film has been created featuring adoptive families onboard a train, reflecting on their journeys and the people who have been, and continue to be, part of it. Just like all families, adoptive families come in all shapes and sizes and go through ups, downs and detours during their journey. What makes every adoption journey unique is the people who are part of that experience, forming the ‘village’ which supports the family.
If you would like to learn more about adoption, One Adoption North and Humber will be holding an online adoption information event on Wednesday 23 October between 6pm and 7pm, where the adoption team and an adoptive parent will be on hand to answer your questions. Book your place on the online adoption information event or telephone: 0345 305 2576 for more information.
Published 18 October 2024.
The following 2 services from Yormind are open for referrals.
Young peoples support groups. A 6 week early intervention project to support young people through a mix of art media ranging from sculpture and watercolours to collage and painting.
They also offer an opportunity to connect with others.
For young people aged 11 to 18 who are experiencing mental health challenges. Please make referrals by October 31 2024 for the first group. If you require further information on this initiative email: [email protected]. Other group dates will be advertised via our website, so please keep an eye out!
A mental health drop-in for young people aged 14 to 21 (up to 25 if you have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
It exists them to understand how to manage their mental health, help them find an appropriate service for them in York or as a safe space where they can feel listened to.
Mondays outreach drop-in from 4.00pm to 7.00pm. From 1 July these will be held at Tang Hall Explore Library. On Thursdays these will be Home drop-ins from 4.00pm to 7.00pm. The home drop-in will be at York Mind Highcliffe House.
If you would like further information regarding YorChoice email: [email protected].
Further information about either services is available on the Yormind website.
There are a number of different ways young people can get involved in the development of services and bettering the system.
On the voice and involvement section of Yormind we'll use this space to showcase what young people have created through corproduction and how to get involved in shaping services and changing the system to help and support other young people. This might be in a specific area that you are interested in or more widely about services and support.
Published 18 October 2024.
As part of York’s Neurodiversity Project, City of York Council are pleased to offer a range of free webinars hosted by the ADHD Foundation Charity.
These 3-hour, live support sessions, are designed to help education practitioners in York to understand and support neurodiverse children and young people.
From understanding and supporting neurodiversity in early childhood and primary school settings to navigating attachment and trauma, and addressing the unique challenges faced by neurodiverse students in secondary schools.
They will offer insights and practical strategies for educators, caregivers, and professionals.
The sessions are open to all practitioners working with children and young people in York or supporting York based schools and Early Years providers.
They will not be recorded so please book your place so you don’t miss out!
Attend the:
Book your tickets for the York’s Neurodiversity Project webinars you'd like to attend.
Published 18 October 2024.
HMP Askham Grange are hosting a networking event on the Thursday 14 November 2024.
The Family and Significant Other team support, help to maintain and develop prisoners’ relationships with family, significant others, and friends, by using a range of methods and interventions.
Supporting prisoners’ relationships outside of prison is considered to help prevent reoffending and reduce intergenerational crime.
Prisoners, their family and significant others, all internal and external staff, and service providers are encouraged to work in partnership and share good practice, to enhance opportunities for prisoners to develop or enhance positive relationships.
This service can include physical, digital, and other forms of communications such as phone calls and letters.
HMP Askham Grange are wanting to showcase how they achieve this in a custodial setting, and invite you to attend and see the work they do, but also to give you the opportunity to network with other agencies that work with those in custody.
You can book tickets for the HMP Askham Grange Networking Event online. To be able to book a ticket you'll need to use the password FSO24. If you would like further information contact the FSO team via email: [email protected].
Published 18 October 2024.
This training session is an opportunity for professionals to learn more about York Carers Centre, and the support available for unpaid carers across the city.
To book, go to the identifying and supporting carers: introducing York Carers Centre - Training Session course page on MyLO and click ‘access this course’ at the top of the page and then ‘sign up’ next to the date that you want to attend. Managers can book places for members of their team using the ‘allocate place for team’ option.
Published 18 October 2024.
Due to popular demand, another Early Help launch event has now been arranged for: Friday 15 November from 9.00am to 12.30pm in the Hudson Room, West Offices.
At this launch event, we will set out City of York’s vision for Early Help, detailing the levels of needs for families and responses by professionals, our shared priorities for children and young people, and how we'll measure our success.
We plan for this to be an interactive session, with multi-agency partners sharing within small groups how Early Help is delivered within their service, with a focus on feedback from families.
To book, go to the Early Help Launch Event course page on MyLO and click ‘access this course’ at the top of the page and then ‘sign up’ next to the date that you want to attend.
Published 18 October 2024.
CYSCP are proud to present a lunchtime learning masterclass for professionals or volunteers working with children and young people in York.
The Voice of The Child Masterclass is being held on 20 November, from midday to 1.00pm.
The focus of the session is the voice of the child and will cover 3 topics, presented by experts working in Children’s Social Care and the York Carer’s Centre:
Gain an understanding of the rights of children and young people, and how these rights shape the way we engage with and support them. We’ll discuss key principles and how to ensure their rights are respected in all aspects of our work and how York is becoming a right-based city.
Learn how the language we use can influence a child’s sense of safety, belonging, and identity. This segment will provide insights on how to use inclusive, respectful language that encourages trust and openness when communicating with children and young people. We will also present the City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership language pledge.
Learn about the unique challenges faced by young carers, how best to support them and how in signing up to the young carer’s covenant, organisations are committed to improving outcomes for young people with caring responsibilities. Understand the importance of recognising young carers' roles and ensuring their voices are heard in the services and support they receive and find out what support the York Carers centre offers.
Book a place on the session online: MyLO - Learning Masterclass: Voice of the Child.
Published 14 October 2024.
North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council continue to throw their collective power behind the effort to tackle hate crime in our area. Together with Jo Coles, the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime, this work is being highlighted during National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024.
Taking place from Saturday 12 October to Saturday 19 October, we're reaching out to vulnerable victims and communities to reinforce our message that there is ‘Help Not Hate’ in North Yorkshire and the City of York. As well as emphasising the importance of reporting hate crime so effective action can be taken against those responsible, we're also promoting a variety of organisations and groups which provide specialist support to victims and their families.
The week is also a prime opportunity for the community partners to come together to develop knowledge and learning about a range of hate crime issues covering race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender including misogyny. A series of online and in-person sessions and events are taking place as part of the programme, with support from partners including:
North Yorkshire Youth Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTP NE) is delivering a session about the role of Prevent in an educational setting to safeguard young people who may be vulnerable to extremist influences and radicalisation. Our Hate Crime and Police Race Action Plan teams are also giving inputs to officer and staff around the force to give an overview of their work and to discuss Black History Month which is ongoing throughout October.
Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Clarke, from North Yorkshire Police, said:
It is truly abhorrent to target hate towards an individual or groups of people because of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender.
"These sinister crimes must never be tolerated by fair and decent societies
"We all have a part to play in tackling it through education, raising public awareness and robust enforcement.
"National Hate Crime Awareness Week is important in helping to bring everyone together to enhance the way we approach these very serious issues.
"We also use it to encourage victims to come forward to report hate crime and reassure them that they can have full confidence in seeking support in North Yorkshire and the City of York."
Cllr Heather Phillips, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services which includes responsibilities for community safety, said:
Our aim is to help make North Yorkshire a safer place for everyone to live and work, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
"This year, alongside our partners, we will be holding a series of webinars and engagement events across the county where we will meet with residents and business owners to provide both advice and reassurance in the hope of getting the message across.
"It is an unfortunate truth that hate crime is not confined to big cities – it can happen anywhere – and so it is important that we all, as members of our communities, come together and show that it will not be tolerated in any form.”
Cllr Anna Baxter, Executive Member for Equality and Inclusion at City of York Council, said:
There is no place in York for hate or discrimination. We welcome everyone living, working and visiting the city whatever their age, whether taking part in York Pride, arriving as a refugee, standing alongside disabled people, following one or no faith.
"Sadly, we know that hate occurs and that is unacceptable. We all have a part to play learning more about it, standing up to it and taking action against it. Please take part this important week and join our stand against this crime.”
Jo Coles, the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime, said:
Whether it takes place on a screen or in the street, hate crime and intolerance of difference, has no place in York and North Yorkshire.
"As I have over the last three months since I was appointed by David Skaith, the Mayor of York & North Yorkshire, I will continue to meet those who have experienced hate in their communities to ensure our police and fire services uphold the law and can effectively challenge and, where necessary, prosecute hate crime so that everyone who lives, visits, and works in York and North Yorkshire feels safe.”
If you're a victim of hate crime or you have information that could help protect others, make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website. The website also includes detailed guidance about hate crime support services. You can also make a report by telephone: 101.
Always telephone: 999 if an emergency response is required to deal with an immediate threat.
These charities, groups and organisations can offer support, advice and ways to report the incident without having to talk directly to the police:
Published 7 October 2024.
Private Fostering Week will take place from Monday 18 November to Friday 22 November 2024. The aim of this week is to raise awareness of private fostering. Presentations and Drop-Ins will take place during the week which can be booked onto via the link below. Delegates can attend either a presentation or a drop-in, or both.
Presentations:
The aim of the presentation is to raise awareness of private fostering. We'll achieve this by discussing the definition of private fostering, exploring differing scenarios to put the definition in practice, and feeling confident in your responsibilities when you identify a private fostering arrangement.
Jess Markwart, Head of Service for MASH, Assessment and Targeted Intervention for Children’s Social Care will share her experience and expertise of Private Fostering, linking the procedures to frontline practice. Jess will talk about some of the lessons learnt through the death of Victoria Climbié and how the subsequent Laming Report prompted a strengthening of the legal framework around private fostering.
We hope to inspire professionals to feel confident in recognising private fostering arrangements, know what to do and how to support children and young people in these arrangements.
Drop-ins:
In addition to the presentations, we're also running a “drop-in” style session where there will be the opportunity to ask questions and receive expert advice and guidance and hear about cases studies from social workers who have experience working with children and young people who have been in private fostering arrangements.
The target audience for these events are all professionals working in York.
To book you'll need to log into MyLO and click access this course at the top of the course page and then ‘sign up’ next to the dates that you want to attend.
If you’d like to know more about these sessions or private fostering in general, email: [email protected] or [email protected].
Partners can also find out more about private fostering and access resources on the CYSCP Website.
Published 7 October 2024.
2 free PREVENT Training sessions are now available for multi-agency partners to book into.
The target audience of this training is the Multi-agency staff in the Adults and Children Workforce.
Tuesday 21 October 2024 – Radicalisation and Prevent: identification of risk.
This Prevent awareness session will support staff to identify potential signs and indicators of radicalisation, and provide an overview of legislation, the Prevent duty, and the local context and risks.
Friday 8 November 2024 - Radicalisation and Prevent: management of risk.
This Prevent session will support staff to recognise and respond to concerns regarding radicalisation. This includes how to manage and report concerns, local referral pathways and Channel Panel arrangements. The content will be presented by Police and Heads of Service.
Book to attend the PREVENT training sessions.
Published 7 October 2024.
Thursday 10 October is World Mental Health Day, a day that reminds us to talk about mental health and show everyone that mental health matters. York has a range of support options for anyone struggling with their mental health:
Published 23 September 2024.
Updated guidance for Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs) of the multi-agency response to children who are victims of domestic abuse was released earlier this month.
JTAI is an inspection of the local area arrangements and how leaders, managers and practitioners work together across the local authority, police, health providers and partner services to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
The partnership are currently updating the guidance and documentation in relation to domestic abuse now that the guidance framework has been published and details of these will be shared in the newsletter once these are published on the CYSCP website.
In the meantime, a reminder that the following information is available on the CYSCP website:
Published 20 September 2024.
NSPCC would like to invite you to the launch of the “It’s Not Love” digital resources, designed to help support teachers and professionals working with young people aged 12 to 14 years of age explore healthy and unhealthy friendships and relationships.
The digital resources were developed in partnership with the NSPCC and York St John University and are based on the “It’s Not Love” play and workshop, a theatre in education piece that seeks to prevent harmful sexual behaviours and coercive control that may lead to adult domestic violence and abuse in intimate partner relationships. Thanks to the “Give it to Get it” campaign, supported by the Together for Childhood site in Grimsby, the play with accompanying workshop successfully toured secondary schools across Yorkshire and Northeast Lincolnshire.
Now, as a further legacy of that healthy relationships campaign, these new digital resources on the NSPCC Learning website have been developed to support professionals across the UK. The new digital resources include powerful character films, comprehensive lesson activities and support for teachers detailing links to the curriculum. The event will be held on Wednesday October 2024 at 5.00pm until 6.30pm at York St John University. Register your free place at the NSPCC event.
Published 20 September 2024.
Everyone who comes into contact with children and young people through sport or physical activity has a responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. This includes coaches, officials, paid staff and volunteers. Your club or organisation may also have someone in a named child protection role with a specific responsibility for safeguarding – perhaps a designated safeguarding lead or welfare officer. Find further information and resources about safeguarding in sport.
Published 20 September 2024.
Laura Hodgson, Partnerships Manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service would like to invite you to an online event at 9.30am on Friday 11 October to learn more about the Prevention, Early Intervention and Safeguarding team.
This short introductory session will explain some of the different work they are involved with which you may not have considered and give you the opportunity to ask questions and identify future ways of working together.
You can attend the Teams meeting with Laura by Meeting ID: 350 441 314 813 Passcode: 9uuVty
Published 20 September 2024.
There are around one million young carers aged 17 or under in the UK and there are a further 600,000 young adult carers aged 18 to 25.
Caring for a family member can have a huge impact on a child's mental health and wellbeing, as well as their ability to learn and future life chances. Shockingly, 50,000 young carers are spending as many as 50 hours a week on their caring role. Many young carers feel they are missing out on large parts of their childhood and education. Others feel overwhelmed by the level of responsibility.
The Carers Trust introduced the Young Carers Covenant which is a UK-wide commitment to young carers aged 5 to 18 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25. It sets out 10 key outcomes that young carers from across the UK have said are key to improving their lives. It was drawn up by the Carers Trust and members of the Young Carers Alliance. By signing the covenant, your organisation has the chance to collaborate with others to create meaningful change. Any organisation or individual in a position to take action to help achieve these outcomes is urged to sign up to the Covenant.
Published 17 September 2024.
Change Grow Live (CGL) will be sharing information on York Drug and Alcohol Service, including Aspire, the new community rehab programme, and The Gate, the young people’s service.
The CGL York Stakeholder event will be on Friday 4 October, from midday to 3.00pm at West Offices, Station Rise, YO1 6GA.
It will be an opportunity to connect with fellow stakeholders and learn more about future plans.
Don't miss out on this chance to engage with key members of the team and share your ideas and feedback.
Book your place online: CGL York Stakeholder event.
Please share the booking link with colleagues across York, and particularly with team leaders who can cascade information after attending the event.