Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership Newsletter
February 2021
Coronavirus Helpline for Parents and Carers
Dorset Council’s Educational Psychology Service has set-up a helpline to support those who are worried about their child or teenager during the lockdown.
Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Early Help, said: "Our COVID helpline is here to support parents and carers so they can help their children cope with the lockdown. If you live in the Dorset Council area and are concerned about how your child is managing and you need someone to talk to, please ring us."
Domestic Abuse and MARAC Training
BCP Council are running an online interactive course for all Adult Social Care, Children's Social Care and Independent Sector staff, that will explore the issue of Domestic Abuse. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the issue and explore methods of responding to it including MARAC. This training also covers local referrals and MARAC process.
There is a £40 charge for non BCP employees.
This session will be run virtually, due to the inability to run face-to-face courses, and can be accessed at work or from home.
Listening to Children and Young People in our care
Please help us gather the voices of children and young people in our care by supporting them to complete this year’s survey. Matt Chislett, Service Manager for Corporate Parenting and Permanence, has explained that we want to listen, value and act on their voices to help us improve our offer. Dorset’s Care Leaver Forum and in Care Council have designed two service satisfaction surveys to help us do this:
We have become aware of an alarming mobile game called 'Cunch Line Chronicles', which simulates running a county lines operation and is available via iPhone and Android app stores.
There are concerns regarding the general content/influence of this game, and it's potential for grooming, and possible recruitment, with an in-game chat feature.
It may be worthwhile to make parents and carers aware of this apps existence and the possible dangers. Please see the National Online Safety website for more information.
Home Learning: Resources for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Dorset Council have produced this useful list of online support for children, young people and parents/carers, which may be useful to share with your families.
There is a whole host of helpful information for people of all ages, which includes:
Headspace
The Smiling Mind
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Park Yoga
See it Differently - Listening Room
Dorset CAMHS
Wellbeing Tips for Families
Young Minds
Dorset Mind Your Health
Chat Health
Kooth
Child Mind Institute
Gratitude Journal
Insight Timer
NSPCC Guidance
Action for Children - Parent Talk
This month Action for Children are celebrating supporting more than 500,000 parents with their Parent Talk service, since it began in 2018, and being awarded the Helplines Partnership Quality Assurance accreditation. Parent Talk is a free, confidential online service for parents and carers of 0-19 year olds.
There are hundreds of articles to browse, on everything to do with parenting, plus the opportunity to chat online with one of their trained parenting coaches for down-to-earth parenting advice you can trust. It's all free and no topic is too big, too small or too embarrassing!
The Modern Slavery Act 2015 statutory defence: A call for evidence
This is a very informative review, particularly the specific recommendation to Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships.
NSPCC Learning: Free Talk to Me Tool
NSPCC Learning has launched a free 3D interactive tool to help adults, who work or volunteer with children, navigate difficult conversations about abuse.
access simulated scenarios and interact with fictional child characters.
learn how to respond to the children and build their trust to help them talk about their experiences to successfully complete each sceanrio.
build knowledge and confidence to talk to children about abuse.
The sceanrios are based in a school setting and focus on domestic and sexual abuse. Access to 'Talk to Me' is free for anyone until December 2021 and the simulations can be revisited as many times as you like.
Domestic Abuse Strategy Survey
BCP Council are currently seeking feedback on a new Domestic Abuse Strategy survey and are keen for as many local residents to complete this as possible. As well as asking safeguarding practitioners to encourage support service users and residents to respond, practitioners are also welcome to complete the survey. The closing date is 7th March 2021.
If you have any information you would like to share in future newsletters, please contact the team at pan-dorsetscp@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Coronavirus Helpline for Parents and Carers
Domestic Abuse and MARAC Training
Listening to Children and Young People in our care
'Cunch Line Chronicles' App Game 
Domestic Abuse Strategy Survey
