Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership Newsletter
April 2021
Stress Awareness Month 2021
Stress Awareness Month has been held every April, since 1992.
During this annual thirty day period, health care professionals and health promotion experts across the country will join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. Please see here for more information from the Stress Management Society.
DRIVE Perpetrator Programme
The DRIVE Perpetrator Programme, which is delivered by Hampton Trust, is a partnership initiative between Dorset Police, Office of the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, BCP Council and Dorset Council. DRIVE is a forward-thinking perpetrator intervention programme which addresses high-risk, high-harm perpetrators of domestic abuse. It challenges and supports perpetrators to change and works with partner agencies to disrupt abuse and protect victims.
How does it work?
Referrals are made via Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and High-Risk Domestic Abuse (HRDA) panel to the DRIVE perpetrator panel.
The DRIVE Perpetrator Panel assess cases for suitability to join the programme.
Those deemed suitable receive intensive one-to-one work and case management. DRIVE works with the perpetrator to challenge and support changes in attitudes, beliefs and behaviour, and often addresses additional needs that stand in the way of the change process, such as mental health, substance misuse and housing needs.
A co-ordinated multi-agency response is put in place to disrupt opportunities for perpetrators to continue their abuse, and also identifies and reduces risk.
Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) support for the victim/survivor to ensure joined up working and safety.
The first DRIVE Panel took place on 24 March and bought together representatives from policing, adult and child social services, housing, drug and alcohol services, probation and health to provide a rounded view of each case discussed.
Dorset Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya said: “We need to change the narrative around domestic abuse and stop asking victims why they didn’t leave and start asking perpetrators why they didn’t stop. That’s exactly what the DRIVE programme does.
“Dorset Police is committed to delivering an outstanding service to the people of Dorset, particularly those who are most vulnerable. This programme will not only deliver rehabilitation and real behavioural change for domestic abuse offenders, but also the justice that victims so rightly deserve.”
NSPCC Case Reviews Update
The NSPCC has added six case reviews to their collection this month featuring a number of issues including infant deaths, shaking, runaway adolescents and interagency cooperation.
Childhood Food Allergy Awareness Week
(20th - 25th April 2021)
Food Allergy Awareness Week is fast approaching and this year the topic will be on childhood food allergy, with a focus on the weaning journey for parents of babies with food allergies. Allergy UK have launched a new Weaning Support Pack full of comprehensive and up to date advice on how to wean a food allergic child, along with a whole suite of useful tools to help parents and families along their weaning journey. They also have a resource for weaning recipes, to provide some inspiration.
Sam - In too deep
'Sam' - in too deep is a hard hitting short film, available on YouTube, which highlights the dangers of County Lines drug gangs to young people in Dorset.
It is the true story of 'Sam' (name changed) who was a vulnerable Dorset child, was being bullied at school and became embroiled with a County Lines drug gang, culminating in his death. Please do be aware that this is an emotional watch and, although the child's name has been changed within the film, his real life image does appear at the end as a still picture.
This film is supported by George Streatfield (High Sheriff of Dorset 2020-21), Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Bournemouth University and Future Roots.
Hidden Men: Learning from Case Reviews
Men play a very important role in children’s lives and have a great influence on the children they care for. Despite this, they can be ignored by professionals who sometimes focus almost exclusively on the quality of care children receive from their mothers and female carers.
From the NSPCC analysis of these case reviews, two categories of ‘hidden’ men emerged:
men who posed a risk to the child, which resulted in them suffering harm
men, for example estranged fathers, who were capable of protecting and nurturing the child but were overlooked by professionals.
This briefing is based on case reviews published since 2008, which highlighted the issue of professionals not identifying and/or assessing key men, such as fathers and mother's partners, involved in the care of children who died or suffered harm.
SACPA Virtual Conference: Learning from the IICSA investigation into residential school settings
There is an upcoming series of Sacpa (the Safeguarding and Child Protection Association)-led events that address important and relevant themes, especially in light of the recent headlines highlighted by the Everyone’s Invited website and invitation for anonymous digital disclosures and survivor testimonials.
Sacpa and its parent organisation, BSA Group, were already committed to making a change to how disclosures were managed by members, and to promoting a safe environment for survivors to come forward and be heard, helping us all to make our sectors and organisations safer for everyone. These recent developments only reinforce that and, as such, SACPA would like to highlight this upcoming series of events that are now of particular relevance.
Whilst the recent headlines relate specifically to the UK and have focused in particular on secondary and tertiary education, we believe there is no organisation working with young people that would not benefit from a greater understanding of the subject matter addressed in the training below.
Stress Awareness Month 2021
DRIVE Perpetrator Programme
Childhood Food Allergy Awareness Week
Sam - In too deep 
Hidden Men: Learning from Case Reviews
