Safeguarding Children Week June 2023

The Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Partnership is holding its fourth annual Safeguarding Children Awareness Week 12 – 18 June 2023.

Safeguarding really is ‘everyone’s business’ and it is a responsibility we all share here in Rochdale.

The principle focus of the week will be on continuing to raise awareness of child neglect.

Child neglect is a key priority for us all in Rochdale; it is one of the main reasons for a child or young person being on a Child Protection Plan in the borough and the effects of neglect on children and young people can be devastating.

In January 2023, RBSCP launched a new strategy and toolkit. We would encourage anyone to view the new resources here and consider how they might embed the ideas of early help, critical thinking and reducing the impact of child neglect into their everyday practice.

In the first 6 months of 2023 over 250 practitioners from children social care, NHS, GMP, education and many more of our local partners have attended RBSCP briefing events to learn more about the new strategy and toolkit. The feedback from these professionals has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the aims RBSCP are seeking to embed in our borough. Each giving a commitment to act early when identifying neglectful behaviors to reduce the long term impact on children. 

During safeguarding children week,  RBSCP will be providing information to both the public and professionals on a range of RBSCP safeguarding priorities. Scroll down to find all the resources that will be available during the week. We will also be running a survey to see how professionals have started the process of using the new child neglect resources within their places of work. The survey will be available from 12th June and can be accessed here. 

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If you are a child or young person who is worried that you, or one of your friends, is suffering from neglect it is important you know what to do. Click on the picture to find out more information of the signs to look out for and what you can do to find help. You need to know that it is not your fault if something is happening and it is important that you tell someone that you trust. It is your right to live a life free from harm and neglect.

The RBSCP website has lots of safeguarding information and we post on Facebook and Twitter. Other websites like Childline or the NSPCC also have information to help understand what to do if you are worried about your wellbeing and safety.

Did you know RBSCP had a YouTube page? Our videos aim to give members of the public and practitioners a wide range of information about how to keep people safe from harm and abuse. The video below aims to provide information on who the RBSCP is, what we do and what you can do if you are worried a child is being abused or neglected.

For our local practitioners.

RBSCP safeguarding children week will be launched on 12^th June via a video from our Independent Chair, Amanda Clarke, who will encourage everyone to get involved as safeguarding is everyone's business. Use #SafeguardingChildrenWeek to highlight the borough's excellent safeguarding practice.

The RBSCP children safeguarding day of training is the 13^th June. Access to all multi-agency training can be booked here. The day of training is focused on:

Over the course of the week RBSCP will be posting information regarding our boroughs safeguarding priorities for children and young people. You can download a child neglect full resource pack here which contains information to share with colleagues and help to embed the new child neglect strategy within your organisation, Our Youtube page has a child neglect series to help explain why a new strategy was developed, the primary aims and a practical guide to using the new screening tool.

We will also be connecting practitioners with important learning recommendations from local child safeguarding practice reviews and recently published 7 minute briefings. New 7 minute briefings include adolescent neglect and the importance of correct language. All learning can be accessed below.

• Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
• 7 minute briefings 

If you have any concerns that a child is being harmed or abused or is at risk of harm or abuse, call Rochdale Children’s Social Care on 0300 303 0440. If someone is in immediate danger contact the Police on 999