(Source: Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2023, pages 7 and 8)

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children – defined for the purposes of this guidance as:

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.

The Guardian has published a news story exploring offenders’ use of social networks, including Facebook Messenger and Meta Pay, to purchase child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court documents and interviews with former Meta moderators suggest how the networks can be used to facilitate child sexual abuse and exploitation with some payments for CSAM going undetected and unreported. 

Read the news story:How Facebook Messenger and Meta Pay are used to buy child sexual abuse material

Ofcom have published three new research reports on online harms as part of their series on the protection of children online. The reports cover: understanding pathways to online violent content amongst children; experiences of children encountering online content promoting eating disorders, self harm and suicide; and key attributes and experiences of cyberbullying among children in the UK. The reports are also available in Welsh.

Read the reports:Protection of children online, research

The All Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has published a new report on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the process of recovery for children affected by ACEs. The report discusses topics including: the identification and classification of ACEs; the impact of ACEs on the life course; risk factors; protection, intervention and mitigation against ACEs; social and economic inequality and the cycle of adversity; and the role of the Government.

Read the press release (PDF):Government must unlock the trauma trap
Download the report (PDF):Adverse Childhood Experiences: roads to recovery 

The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology  have updated their non-statutory guidance for schools in England on responding to incidents involving the sharing of nude and semi-nude images. It is aimed at Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) and senior leaders in educational settings in England. The document includes guidance on: risk assessing incidents; safeguarding and supporting children and young people; handling devices and imagery; recording incidents; and providing education on the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes. 

Read the guidance:Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people

Sadly, examples of online abuse are not unusual. For school staff it can be extremely distressing when pupils are involved in the creation of fake accounts, online stalking or writing insulting or intimidating messages and posts. When these incidents happen, the Professionals’ Online Safety Helpline (0344 381 4772) can be very helpful in dealing with this material and can expedite getting it removed from view.

Now, the Professionals’ Online Safety Helpline (SWGfL) and partners, UK Safer Internet Centre, have published their guidance in document form. 

The guidance can be downloaded here: https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/how-to-respond-to-the-online-sexual-harassment-of-school/college-staff/

The Professionals Online Safety Helpline is open from 10am – 4pm on weekdays on 0344 381 4772. More information can be found here: https://swgfl.org.uk/helplines/professionals-online-safety-helpline/

The DFE are introducing new non-statutory guidance on PE to ensure girls and boys from all backgrounds have equal access to sport and can enjoy PE for 2 hours a week

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sports-in-schools

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/huge-regional-variation-in-support-from-childrens-social-services-for-some-of-englands-most-vulnerable-children-new-report-shows/

In December 2023 the DfE published a long-awaited update to the statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (WTTSC). On 23rd February 2024, an update was published. 

The webpage which hosts the latest version of Working Together to Safeguard  Children describes the changes as follows: 
Last updated 23 February 2024

• Page 26, paragraph 48: amended the wording used to describe lead safeguarding partners
• Page 42: corrected the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel email address.
• Page 161: updated the glossary definition of ‘safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children’ to match that on pg 7 to 8
• Page 167: linked to the latest version of ‘Good practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability’.

UPDATED Statutory definition of safeguarding (Source: Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2023, pages 7 and 8)
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children – defined for the purposes of this guidance as:

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.

You can download the latest copy of Working Together to Safeguard Children here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children–2

Although aimed at social care colleagues, DSLs will find the Children’s Social Care National Framework of interest and information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-social-care-national-framework

By the age of 12, 97% of children own a mobile phone, but the use of mobile phones in school can lead to distractions, disruption and can increase the risk of online bullying. 

Many schools have already introduced rules which prohibit the use of phones at school, to help children focus on their education, and the friends and staff around them. 

Full article can be found here