NSPCC Learning Podcast

In this podcast episode, staff from the NSPCC Scotland hub discuss an emotional resilience programme they developed and delivered across seven primary schools in Govan, Glasgow. The discussion covers what emotional resilience is and why it is important; the benefits of running an emotional resilience programme; and how practitioners can be trauma-informed when delivering emotional resilience work.  You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakers   Jennifer Dixon is a Team Manager at the NSPCC Scotland National Hub.   Jo Grace is a Children’s Services Practitioner with the NSPCC in Scotland.   Prajapa Seneviratne is a Research and Evaluation Officer at the NSPCC in Scotland.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode   > Read the implementation evaluation report of the Emotional Resilience programme in Govan’s primary schools   > Take our Mental health and wellbeing safeguarding in education trainingIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

In 2015, Professor Carlene Firmin coined the term ‘contextual safeguarding’ to describe an approach to safeguarding young people that looks at additional ‘contexts’ for harm outside of the family home and beyond the control of a child’s parents and carers.In this podcast episode, we speak to Carlene about the concept of contextual safeguarding and how practitioners can incorporate contextual safeguarding practices into their work with children and families.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersProfessor Carlene Firmin MBE is a Professor of Social Work and Director of the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University. She is also Co-Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Social Work, co-convener of a special interest group on Social Work and Adolescents for the European Social Work Research Association, a Global Ashoka Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Churchill Fellowship Advisory Council, and an Associate of Strathclyde University’s Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice. Her book, Contextual Safeguarding and Child Protection: Rewriting the Rules, won the Routledge Prize for a Sociology Monograph in 2020.Shirley Maginley is a Senior Consultant in the NSPCC’s Professional Learning Services, with over 20 years’ experience supporting professionals and organisations across sectors to strengthen their knowledge, policy and practice in keeping children safe. She draws on her experience in youth and community development to help organisations improve their safeguarding arrangements and create safer environments for children and young people across diverse settings.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Visit the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding website > Access further contextual safeguarding resources, including resources on context weighting, safety mapping and safety summitsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

Men can be both survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse, and both experiences present distinct safeguarding challenges.Drawing on practice experience from the NSPCC Helpline and Childline, this podcast episode centres on male experiences of domestic abuse. You’ll learn about the challenges of working with male perpetrators of domestic abuse, the barriers that male survivors of abuse face when coming forward, and the effects of domestic abuse on parent-child relationships.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersEmily Harrison is a Domestic Practice Advisor on the NSPCC Helpline, with extensive experience in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector. Her roles include service management, Specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), Chair of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), and member of the Domestic Abuse Scrutiny Committee. She has also provided training for first responders, equipping them with the skills to support those affected by domestic abuse effectively.Adrian Somerville has been Helpline Practice Manager with the NSPCC for six years. Before this, he was a NSPCC Helpline Practitioner for over five years. Adrian is a qualified and accredited Counsellor, currently providing support to children and young adults in relation to anxiety and self-esteem issues. He has also previously worked with male survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse.Cormac Nolan is a Service Head with Childline. He holds responsibility for certain Childline bases delivering the live service as well as for the Childline website and social media.Stephen Pilling is a Helpline Practitioner at the NSPCC. Before joining the NSPCC, worked as a Group Leader in residential settings, supporting both adults and children with additional needs and disabilities.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Learn more about protecting children from domestic abuse> Learn how the NSPCC Helpline’s Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors support children and families experiencing domestic abuse Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

This podcast episode is hosted by the NSPCC’s Local Services Director Karen Squillino, who is also chair of the wellbeing and safeguarding committee for Lift Schools. She spoke to Jill Fuller, Head of Safeguarding for Lift Schools and Habib Hussain, who is Lift Schools’ regional DSL for London and the south.The conversation covered: the safeguarding roles and responsibilities of a multi-academy trust the importance of DSLs sharing their experiences to support each other how to ensure DSLs are continuously learning and adapting to new safeguarding challenges the benefits and challenges of Lift Schools’ regional approach. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersKaren Squillino has over 30 years safeguarding and child protection experience. She has been with the NSPCC since 2011 and currently serves as the Director of Local Services. In addition to her role at the NSPCC, Karen is a trustee at Lift Schools, where she chairs the Wellbeing & Safeguarding Committee.Jill Fuller is the Head of Safeguarding for Lift Schools with responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive safeguarding strategy across a network of 57 schools, monitoring and supporting safeguarding practices and contributing to the overall educational vision. Her experience spans education, children's social care and multi-agency partners, leading workforce transformation projects and driving rapid performance improvements in children's services.Habib Hussain has been in education for 21 years and spent 20 years in Lift Aylward. He is currently Deputy Head at Lift New Rickstones and Regional DSL for London and the South, working alongside 11 primary, secondary and special schools. Habib offers support and guidance to all the schools in his region and ensures they are compliant in all aspects of safeguarding and driving rapid performance. 📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Find out more about Lift Schools> Take our designated safeguarding lead training Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Online sexual extortion can be financially motivated sexual extortion and blackmail using both real and AI generated images of boys and young males. Although this is not a new issue the National Crime Agency and the NSPCC has seen an increase in the last two years of boys experiencing online sexual extortion.In this podcast episode, the NSPCC's Danielle Harris, Childline manager, discusses online sexual extortion with Marie Smith, who oversees the CEOP education programme based within the National Crime Agency.The discussion covered: what online sexual extortion is how to spot the signs how to support boys who are experiencing online sexual extortion how to report real and AI generated images. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersDanielle Harris is the NSPCC's Childline Team Manager. Danielle has been part of the Childline family since 2018, starting out on the night service and moving up to Senior Supervisor before taking on their current role as Childline Team Manager.Marie Smith is a Senior Manager who oversees the CEOP education programme that's based within the National Crime Agency.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> View the CEOP alert for education settings on financially motivated sexual extortion> Find out more about the Childline Behind the Screen campaign, raising awareness of the sexual coerced extortion of boys> Read the CEOP financially motivated sexual extortion guidance for parents and carers> Share Childline’s page for young people about trusting others online> Find out more about Report Remove> Read the UK government guidance on responding to incidents of sharing nudesIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Child criminal exploitation (CCE) is a form of child abuse where a child or young person is forced or coerced to engage in criminal activity or commit any type of crime.In this episode, the NSPCC Helpline’s Service Head, Denise Ellis spoke to Tara Mellowes who is a Detective Constable in the exploitation team with Leicestershire Police. The discussion covered: what CCE is and the different forms it can take why children can be targets for CCE signs of CCE that professionals working with children should look out for why early intervention is so important and what that may look like how the police can respond to CCE. The episode was recorded in January 2025. Since then, the Crime and Policing Bill has been introduced into Parliament, which would introduce a new specific criminal offence of child criminal exploitation. This would target the adult as the primary offender in causing harm to the child by exploiting them to commit criminal activity.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersDenise Ellis is the service head for the NSPCC Helpline and has almost 43 years’ experience of working with children and families. She previously worked for Manchester Safeguarding Unit and currently delivers training to professionals on identifying the signs of child criminal exploitation.DC Tara Mellowes joined Leicestershire Police in 2020 and works in the field of child criminal exploitation helping vulnerable young people caught up in county lines. She is passionate about helping shape how we respond to and tackle child criminal exploitation and is proud to have been part of Leicestershire Police’s first prosecutions against CCE offenders.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Learn more about Childline> Find out more about the NSPCC Helpline> Take our elearning course on county lines > Learn more about county lines> Find out more about child criminal exploitation Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Research by For Baby's Sake suggests that domestic abuse was a factor in almost 50,000 babies a year being referred to children's social care in England between 2021 and 2023. Our NSPCC Helpline domestic abuse project lead, Paddi Vint, spoke with Lauren Seager-Smith, CEO of the For Baby's Sake Trust, about this research and what we can learn from it.They offered insight into the importance of services for pregnant families and babies being able to identify concerns and provide support. The discussion covered the difficulties with working out exactly how many babies are impacted by domestic abuse, blockers to parents seeking support and how important accurate language is to reduce shame and stigma around domestic abuse.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersLauren Seager-Smith is the CEO of The For Baby's Sake Trust, pioneering trauma-informed and therapeutic support to break cycles of domestic abuse and give babies the best start in life. Lauren is an experienced charity leader, with previous roles as CEO of Kidscape and the National Coordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance. Lauren is a regular media spokesperson specialising in domestic abuse, online safety, and bullying. Lauren has held numerous board positions and currently serves on the Action for Children England Committee. Lauren is an Associate of the Institute of Responsible Leadership (IRL). Paddi Vint is a Quality and Development Manager overseeing the NSPCC Helpline domestic abuse project. She has been with the NSPCC in Belfast for over five years, joining as a Helpline practitioner and then working as a practice manager.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Read the For Baby’s Sake research revealing almost 50,000 babies are referred to children’s social care in England with domestic abuse as a factor> Watch the Channel 4 report on For Baby’s Sake’s research> Find out more about For Baby’s Sake> Learn more about protecting children from domestic abuse> Find out why domestic abuse is so prevalent during pregnancy with this For Baby’s Sake articleIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Mental health difficulties can have a big impact on parents’ ability to provide responsive care for their babies, especially if parents aren't getting the support they need. Black mothers are disproportionately affected by mental health difficulties and are less likely to receive adequate perinatal mental health support. In January 2025, Alexis Golden and Chi Mumbi from the NSPCC’s Pregnancy in Mind service spoke to Sandra Igwe Founder and Chief Executive at The Motherhood Group about the experiences of Black mothers and the importance of providing inclusive support for maternal mental health.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersAlexis Golden has been with the NSPCC since 2022 and is a Project Development Manager. She develops evidence-based services for families within the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect in the Early Years Theme. Recently, she led the redevelopment of the Pregnancy in Mind service. With a background in education and early childhood development, Alexis is passionate about the wellbeing of children and young people and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion.Sandra Igwe is a trailblazing thought leader in Black maternal health, TEDx speaker, and founder of The Motherhood Group and Blackmums. She leverages community engagement, technology and advocacy to improve outcomes for Black mothers. Sandra is Co-Chair of the National Inquiry into Racial Injustice in Maternity Care, a Trustee of Birthrights Charity, and author of 'My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System'. Her work has been recognized by Vogue UK and Forbes as an 'Influential Woman of the Year', and she has received the National Lottery Game Changer Award and Santander Social Entrepreneur of the Year.Chi Mumbi is a Children’s Services Practitioner and Social Worker at the London and South East Hub and is the Lead Practitioner for Pregnancy in Mind. Chi is passionate about the intersection of perinatal mental health and race.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Learn more about The Motherhood Group> Find out more about Pregnancy in Mind> View the full list of Pregnancy in Mind delivery locations on the NSPCC website Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

At the end of 2024, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national review exploring the challenges in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment. They also published their annual report for 2023-24, which covers the Panel’s work from April 2023 to March 2024.This is the second half of our discussion with Annie Hudson, the Chair of the Panel, and Jenny Coles, a Panel member, about what these reports mean for anyone working with children and young people.In this episode, you’ll hear about how the Panel translates the learning from its reports into improvements to safeguarding practice.If you haven't done so already, listen to part one, covering the findings of the two reports.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersAnnie Hudson is the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. A social worker by profession, Annie has held a range of practice, leadership and academic posts, including Strategic Director of Children’s Services for Lambeth London Borough Council and Director of Children’s Services for Bristol City Council.Jenny Coles has been a member of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel since December 2021. Jenny is a qualified social worker and has been a senior manager in local authority children’s services since 1997. Jenny was the President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services from April 2020 to April 2021.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Read our CASPAR briefing summarising the National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment> Read our CASPAR briefing summarising the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel annual report 2023/24> View our full collection of CASPAR briefings, including those covering previous Panel annual reports> Read our CASPAR briefing on the national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star HobsonIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

At the end of 2024, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national review exploring the challenges in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment. They also published their annual report for 2023-24, which covers the Panel’s work from April 2023 to March 2024. In January 2025, we spoke to Annie Hudson, the Chair of the Panel, and Jenny Coles, a Panel member, about what these reports mean for anyone working with children and young people. In the first half of the discussion, you’ll learn about the findings from the two reports. Part two covers how the Panel translates the learning from its reports into improvements to safeguarding practice. Listen to part two. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers Annie Hudson is the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. A social worker by profession, Annie has held a range of practice, leadership and academic posts, including Strategic Director of Children’s Services for Lambeth London Borough Council and Director of Children’s Services for Bristol City Council. Jenny Coles has been a member of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel since December 2021. Jenny is a qualified social worker and has been a senior manager in local authority children’s services since 1997. Jenny was the President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services from April 2020 to April 2021. 📚 Resources mentioned in this episode  > Read our CASPAR briefing summarising the National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment  > Read our CASPAR briefing summarising the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel annual report 2023/24  > View our full collection of CASPAR briefings, including those covering previous Panel annual reports  > Read our CASPAR briefing on the national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

The online world is constantly changing, and young people are often more informed about online trends than adults. Young people are equipped with their own knowledge and understanding of what they need to know and do to stay safe online. It’s important to listen to their thoughts and opinions, and try to incorporate their voice into your online safety work. In this podcast episode, you’ll hear from Will and Zara, two young people from the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth Group. They provide an insight into what life online is like for them, what makes them feel safe online and what online safety topics they’d like to learn more about. The discussion touches on a wide range of topics, including moderation, privacy settings, algorithms, generative AI and online misinformation.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersWill and Zara are members of the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth, a group of young people aged 13-17 who help advise the NSPCC and the wider online safety sector on how to help children have safe and happy experiences online.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Access all of NSPCC Learning’s free online safety resources > Take our highly-rated online safety elearning course > Read our new research report on the impact of Generative AI on children’s safety  > Find out more about the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth and read their manifestofor changeIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

Mental health is as important to a child’s safety as their physical health; mental health issues can sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues. By recognising when a child is struggling with their mental health, and intervening to provide appropriate support, professionals working with children can help prevent mental health problems from escalating into crisis. A mental health first aid kit is one tool that can be used to help. The kit contains a selection of resources to help young people manage their mental health if they’re struggling, such as ways to distract oneself, relax or calm down, and pointers to further support. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about the mental health first aid kit and how you can use it with the young people you work with.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakers Gawain Griffiths is a Practitioner in the Childline Online Services team. He works to develop resources and content for the Childline website to help and empower young people using the Childline service. Alice and Douglas are members of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change. They meet monthly to discuss issues they care about, giving young people the chance to shape and influence the NSPCC’s work and ensure the young people’s voices are heard both inside and outside the organisation. Mental health is one of the priority areas in the board’s 2023-25 manifesto.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode  > Access the Childline mental health first aid kit resource  > Find out more about child mental health  > View Childline’s mental health information page for young people  > Learn more about promoting mental health and wellbeing  > Take our mental health and wellbeing safeguarding course Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

The voices of people with lived experience of child sexual abuse play an important role in understanding how to respond to and prevent this form of abuse. Conducting participatory work with victims and survivors can move the conversation around CSA forward and create positive change. In this episode, you’ll learn about the benefits of involving victim-survivors including the impact of an IICSA Changemaker event in which victims and survivors shared their testimonies with policy-makers; the importance of creating a comprehensive risk register and safety plans; how to create a safe and inclusive environment for participants; and what to do to support victims and survivors after the participatory work is complete. The IICSA Changemakers are a group who want to amplify the voices of people with lived experience of child sexual abuse and ensure that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) remains an important moment for child protection.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakers Peter Wanless (he/him) was Chief Executive of the NSPCC from 2013 to 2024, during which time he also chaired the IICSA Changemakers group. Before this, Peter ran the Big Lottery Fund for 5 years and worked as a Director at the Department for Education. In the 2021 New Year’s Honours, Peter was awarded a knighthood for services to Children, to Young People and to the Charitable Sector. Clare Kelly (she/her) is the Head of Programmes for the IICSA Changemakers and has previously worked for the NSPCC as an Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs. She has a 15-year background in policing and the criminal justice system, holding the role of Chief Executive Officer for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Bedfordshire and running a charity focused on supporting vulnerable victims and witnesses of crime. Denise Pringle (she/her) is the Adult Survivor Participation Manager for the IICSA Changemakers. She has spent her career advocating and working alongside survivors in the wider abuse & and violence sector. In 2024, she was invited to deliver training at UNWomenUk on best practice. She has also provided expert consultancy to the NHS, UK and international police forces, FTSE 100 organisations, and the UK government.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode  > Find out more about the IICSA Changemakers  > Listen to our podcast series on the IICSA final report  > Learn more about protecting children from sexual abuse  > Read our Why Language Matters blog on the use of the term 'victim' in relation to child protection Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

We speak to Anne Longfield, the Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, about what needs to be done to improve the safeguarding support available to teenagers in the UK, the topic of her new book Young Lives, Big Ambitions.In the interview, Anne explains some of the problems facing vulnerable teenagers, and presents the solutions she would implement to give every young person the best chance to succeed in life.View the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers Anne Longfield CBE has spent the last three decades working to improve the life chances of children, particularly the most vulnerable. She has recently founded and become Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives. From March 2015 to February 2021 she was Children’s Commissioner for England. Wesley Powley-Baker is a Safeguarding Manager within the NSPCC’s Safeguarding Unit. He is responsible for supporting the development of high-quality safeguarding practice and providing professional expertise in matters relating to safeguarding and social work practice.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode > Find out more about Anne’s book, Young Lives, Big Ambitions> Read our Learning from case reviews briefing on teenagers  > Learn more about keeping 16- to 25-year-olds safe from abuse with our elearning course Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 

Being exposed to domestic abuse is a form of child abuse and children don't need to be directly involved for this to be the case. They may have seen or heard or experienced the effects of domestic abuse in the family and this can have a big impact on their behaviour, development, education and wellbeing. In this podcast episode, experts from the NSPCC Helpline and Childline talk about that potential impact, as well as how you can spot the signs of domestic abuse and support children who are affected.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers Paddi Vint is a Quality and Development Manager overseeing the NSPCC Helpline domestic abuse project. She has been with the NSPCC in Belfast for over five years, joining as a Helpline practitioner and then working as a practice manager. Cormac Nolan is a Service Head with Childline. He holds responsibility for certain Childline bases delivering the live service as well as for the Childline website and social media. Joanne Walsh is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor with a background as a senior family support worker and local authority domestic abuse champion. 📚 Resources mentioned in this episode  > Learn more about Childline  > Find out more about the NSPCC Helpline  > Get more information about domestic abuse  > Read about healthy and unhealthy relationships on the Childline website  > Learn more about multi-agency workingIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Safe and effective sex and relationships education (SRE) plays a vital role in preventing abuse. However, teaching SRE can be challenging. According to a 2022 NASUWT and NSPCC survey, 46% of teachers say they don’t feel confident teaching sex and relationships education.In this podcast episode, actor and Childline ambassador Natalie Dormer is joined by two teachers to talk about what it's like to teach sex and relationships in secondary schools. They discuss the challenges teachers may face when teaching SRE, as well as practical solutions to these problems.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakers Natalie Dormer is a British film, TV and stage actor and producer — her acting credits include Game of Thrones, The Tudors and The Hunger Games. Natalie is a passionate champion and advocate of children's rights.  She is a longstanding supporter of the work of Childline, which is a life-changing service provided by the NSPCC. Natalie's support of the charity over many years culminated with her being appointed as the NSPCC's Ambassador for Childline in 2019 and in 2024 Natalie was made an Honorary Member of the NSPCC's Council.Pete Basham is a science teacher and form tutor in a state-funded secondary school who also delivers the school's RSE programme. Sarah Oakes is director of performing arts at an independent prep school in Dorset and head of RSE, delivering the curriculum to her form as well as overseeing it for the whole school.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode > Find out more about our Talk Relationships service> Learn more about our Talk Relationships elearning courses > Learn more about how to take a whole-school approach to teaching SRE> Read 'We have to educate ourselves', a report on how young people are learning about relationships, sex and sexuality> More information about our Report Remove tool> Advice for parents and carers from nspcc.org.uk on how to talk to children about relationships, sex and consentIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

It is important for social workers to consider the voice of the child — their experiences, their worries and their wants — when undertaking their work, particularly when conducting assessments. This improves professionals’ abilities to act in the child’s best interest. In this episode, three consultant social workers from the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice team discuss: what we mean by ‘the voice of the child’ and why it is important; how to effectively capture the voice of the child and what barriers might get in the way of this; how to make use of the child’s voice in practical work, including in meetings, assessments, interventions and record keeping.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersJulian Fabian has been a qualified Social Worker for more than 26 years. He is currently Consultant Social Worker in the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice Team with a remit of quality assurance and practice improvement. Emily Waddington is a Supervisor in the Childline Service. Prior to this role, Emily has worked as a Consultant Social Worker at the NSPCC and in the Assessment and MASH teams in the Local Authority. Emily’s main areas of interest include systemic and reflective practice which is underpinned by a desire for continuous practice improvement. Damien Fitzpatrick is a NSPCC Consultant Social Worker based in the Service Quality and Practice Team. His role involves quality assurance of direct practice through a safeguarding lens, pre-post inspection support, supporting the development and implementation of practice standards and guidance. Prior to joining the NSPCC, Damien practiced in the local authority for 12 years in a number of different roles. 📚 Related resources> Find out what case reviews highlight about the voice of the child  > Listen to our podcast episode on pre-birth assessments  > Learn more about what makes a good assessment with our ten practice points> Discover other NSPCC Learning resources for social workersIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Language and communication barriers faced by d/Deaf children and young people can manifest in a way that increases safeguarding risk. It's important that there are professionals who can understand and communicate with a child or young person if they need to report or disclose any issues they are experiencing. In this podcast episode, a panel of experts from the Social Workers with Deaf Children and Professionals Working Group explore how the differing language and communication needs of d/Deaf children can affect their safety and the child protection support they receive.📺 A fully accessible video version of this podcast is available on the NSPCC Learning YouTube channel. 📺You can also read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers  Shirley Wilson MBE is the NSPCC's Senior Consultant on Deaf & Disabled Children and Young People and Professional Service Delivery Chair of the Social Workers with Deaf children and professionals group.Jo Hornsby is a Social Worker in the Disabled Children and Young People’s Team in Suffolk and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group.Professor Alys Young is Head of Social Work at the University of Manchester and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group. Tim Richardson is the Provider Collaborative Lead on the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership Children and Young People’s Mental Health Strategic Plan and a member of the Social Workers with Deaf Children group.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Read the full Guidance for Safeguarding Partners in England - Deaf Children, Young People and their Families document (PDF)> Learn more about safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people> Read our learning from case reviews briefing on d/Deaf children and children who have disabilities> Take our training course on safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people in EnglandIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Education is a vital part of ensuring children get the best possible start in life, and there can be safeguarding implications for children who are absent from school. If children miss school, the ability that schools have to offer them the support they need is compromised. And missing school may be an indicator of broader child protection concerns.In this podcast episode, experts from the NSPCC and Childline discuss the potential causes for this, and what schools can do to address the problem. You’ll also hear two secondary school students share their thoughts on how the stresses and strains of school life can affect attendance.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersJanet Hinton is the NSPCC's Strategic Service Manager for Schools, working on the delivery of a range of NSPCC programmes for schools, including Speak out, Stay safe. Kelly Burnett joined the NSPCC in May 2021, as a Supervisor as the Childline Liverpool Base. Kelly is responsible for the management of staff and volunteers, training staff, and making safeguarding decisions on shifts. John Anderton joined the NSPCC in 2008 as a Childline Supervisor, after serving two years as a volunteer. John is currently practice champion at Childline's Birmingham base, supporting and guiding Childline counsellors on shifts. The NSPCC Young People's Board for Change is a cohort of young people who steer, advice and influence the NSPCC on issues that affect children and young people in the UK, ensuring that children and young people’s opinions and ideas are considered within the strategic direction of the organisation.📚 Related resources> Learn more about Childline > Find out more about our Building Connections service > Take our Safeguarding training for schools, academies and colleges course > View our other safeguarding resources for schools> Learn more about protecting children from county linesIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Pre-birth assessments help social work professionals to identify strengths, needs, risks and protective factors in the lives of expectant families. They play an important role in safeguarding babies; effective pre-birth assessments can ensure that families get the support they need before issues escalate.In this podcast episode, In this podcast episode, Sophie Bell, Associate Head of Development at the NSPCC, talks to Anna Squirrell and Nina Bell, social work practitioners working in children’s social care in Blackburn with Darwen. The two experts discuss the practicalities of conducting effective pre-birth assessments, including what good practice looks like, what challenges might arise, and how tools such as Graded Care Profile 2 Antenatal can help with assessments.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersSophie Bell joined the NSPCC in 2010, moving into the role of Associate Head of Development in 2022. Sophie heads up the portfolio of projects and services in the Prevention of Abuse & Neglect in the Early Years Theme, managing the development and implementation of evidence-based support for families. Anna Squirrell has worked in children’s social care in Blackburn with Darwen for over 25 years. Anna has spent time working in different departments including the fostering team and residential homes with young people team. Passionate about early intervention and getting the right help to the families at the right time, Anna joined the Pre-Birth Team seven years ago as a family support worker, and now manages a team of seven practitioners.Nina Bell is a children’s social care practitioner working in the Pre-Birth Team in Blackburn with Darwen. 📚 Related resources> Find out more about the Graded Care Profile 2 Antenatal (GCP2A) assessment tool> Read our Learning from case reviews briefing on assessments> Learn more about attachment and child development> Read our Learning from case reviews briefing on the early years sectorIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

The criminal and civil justice systems play an important role in the way the State responds to child sexual abuse. However, many of IICSA’s investigations featured details of inadequate responses from the police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts.The final episode of the series looks at how the IICSA recommendations might improve victims and survivors’ experiences of the criminal justice system. Areas covered include policing, the courtroom experience and access to advocacy, and reforms to the Victims’ Code. You’ll also hear about the proposed changes to the available schemes of compensation and redress.> Read the podcast transcriptAbout the speakersIan Critchley is the National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Child Protection, Abuse and Investigation, a role he has held for three years. Ian’s role is to enhance and develop the police service in its prevention and response to child abuse working with Chief Constables, the College of Policing and statutory and charitable partners across the country. Ian was also formerly the Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.Simon Bailey is a member of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. Simon was a police officer for 35 years, the last 8 as the Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary. Simon was also the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection.Tomi Ogundele is a Child Protection Lawyer at the NSPCC.Further resources> Learn more about children and the law> Read the UK Government's press release on establishing a redress scheme for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse> Read the Victims' Code and supporting public information materialsAbout the seriesThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Being online is an integral part of children’s lives, but it can expose them to risks, including sexual abuse. The past five years has seen a proliferation in child sexual abuse material online, and IICSA’s investigations into the problem found that law enforcement is struggling to keep pace.In this episode of Recommendations for Change, we explore the scale of the online abuse problem and how the IICSA recommendations and the new Online Safety Act seek to tackle the issue. The episode covers the importance of implementing online protections for children and what professionals can do to keep children safe online. You’ll also learn how law enforcement responds to online-facilitated CSA.> Read the podcast transcriptAbout the speakersSusie Hargreaves is the Chief Executive of the Internet Watch Foundation. She is a member of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command Strategic Governance Group and an Executive Board member of the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS).Ian Critchley is the National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Child Protection, Abuse and Investigation, a role he has held for three years. Ian’s role is to enhance and develop the police service in its prevention and response to child abuse working with Chief Constables, the College of Policing and statutory and charitable partners across the country. Ian was also formerly the Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.Further resources> Read the IICSA investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation facilitated by the internet> Read the latest Internet Watch Foundation annual report> Learn more about online safety with our introductory elearning course> Read our article about what the Online Safety Act means for professionals> Find out more about how young people can use the Report Remove tool to take down nudes shared onlineAbout the seriesThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Many children enter care because they have been abused or neglected. IICSA found that, rather than being protected, many vulnerable children who entered care were subject to further abuse.This episode of Recommendations for Change looks at the IICSA findings relating to children in care. How did institutions fail to protect looked after children, and what changes – through IICSA or other reform – need to be made to improve the care system for young people and keep them safer in future? This episode also covers the mandatory reporting recommendation made in the final IICSA report.> Read the podcast transcriptAbout the speakersClaire Sands is an Associate Head in the NSPCC’s Research and Evidence team. She manages research projects across all areas of NSPCC work and runs the NSPCC Research and Ethics Committee.Matt Forde is Partnerships and Development Director at the NSPCC. He leads services for children that the NSPCC delivers in partnership with other organisations and communities across the UK and Channel Islands.Chloe Meaney is an HR Safeguarding Consultant with the NSPCC, she works nationally across a diverse range of sectors as well as providing internal advice and support, looking at HR policy, procedure and practice through a safeguarding lens.Patricia Cannon is a Children’s Solicitor and Partner at national firm Simpson Millar Solicitors. She specialises in the representation of children and young people in care proceedings before the Family Court.David Pritchard is the Registrar and Director of Regulation at Social Care Wales, which is responsible for regulation of the social care workforce in Wales.  Over 60,000 social care professionals are registered with Social Care Wales, including domiciliary and care home workers, social workers and managers. Before joining Social Care Wales, David was a senior official at the Welsh Government where he led the development of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act.Further resources> Read IICSA's research report into child sexual abuse in children's homes and residential care> View the NSPCC Learning information page on looked after children> Read the latest Working together to safeguarding children statutory guidance> Learn more about safer recruitment> Take our safer recruitment training course> Read our CASPAR briefing on the UK Government plans to reform children's social care in England> Listen to our podcast episode on what's next for children's social care in EnglandAbout the seriesThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Gathering and analysing data plays a key role in understanding the extent of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA and CSE). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final report suggests one of the reasons that the true scale of CSA in the UK is not fully understood is poor data collection.In the second episode of our series looking at the IICSA final report, we explore the topic of data. You’ll learn how data can help professionals to prevent and respond to CSA, and what the existing data and evidence is telling us about the scale of CSA in the UK. We also cover how the introduction of a single core dataset in the UK will improve data collection.> Read the podcast transcriptAbout the speakersLisa McCrindle is Assistant Director in Policy, Communications and Strategic Influence at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre). She’s an experienced public policy and communications leader, researcher and evaluator with over 20 years’ experience working in public policy across the children and young people’s agenda.Kelly Agudelo is Head of Analysis at the National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP).Further resources> Read the CSA Centre's latest trends in data report> Read the VKPP's National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Crimes Report 2022> Read the NSPCC Learning briefing on some of the issues to consider when looking at child abuse statisticsAbout the seriesThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

Recommendations for Change is a new five-part podcast series from NSPCC Learning, exploring the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final recommendations. The series breaks down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse.This first episode of the series provides the background to the Inquiry. You will learn why IICSA was set up, how the NSPCC contributed to the Inquiry, and why it’s so important for professionals working with children to be aware of the Inquiry and its findings. The episode also covers how the Inquiry engaged with victims and survivors of CSA, including the set-up of the Truth Project.> Read the podcast transcriptAbout the speakersPeter Wanless is Chief Executive of the NSPCC. Peter joined as Chief Executive in 2013, after running the Big Lottery Fund for 5 years. Before this he worked as a Director at the Department of Education. In the 2021 New Year’s Honours, Peter was awarded a knighthood for services to Children, to Young People and to the Charitable Sector.Lisa McCrindle is Assistant Director in Policy, Communications and Strategic Influence at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre). She’s an experienced public policy and communications leader, researcher and evaluator with over 20 years’ experience working in public policy across the children and young people’s agenda.Dr Maria Neophytou is the Director of Strategy and Knowledge at the NSPCC, joining in 2020 from Impetus, where she was Acting CEO. Maria has worked on strategy, public policy and research in the children’s sector for over fifteen years, exploring how we can harness evidence in aid of social change. She gained her PhD at Cambridge University, where her research was on gender equality and international relations.Further resources> Read the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final report> Read the CASPAR summary of the IICSA final report, and the government responses to the recommendations made> View the CSA Centre's 'Key messages from research' series> Access other practice resources from the CSA Centre> Learn more about child sexual abuseAbout the seriesThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report in October 2022. The report was a comprehensive examination of institutional failings to protect children from sexual abuse, demonstrating the need for a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse (CSA) is tackled. The report highlighted 20 key recommendations that would contribute towards this change.This five-part podcast series explores these recommendations in more detail. A range of experts from both inside and outside of the NSPCC will break down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The series is a useful introduction to the Inquiry for anyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people.Intro/outro music is This Too Shall Pass by Scott Buckley

The first 1001 days of a child’s life are crucial for their development and wellbeing. Having access to caring relationships and support networks can help a child’s brain develop in a healthy way.New parents who experience adversity, such as domestic abuse, may need additional help to build these support networks for their child.This is the second half of a two-part podcast discussion focusing on For Baby’s Sake, a service which provides therapeutic and trauma-informed support to expectant parents who have experienced domestic abuse.You'll hear from Ged Docherty, a Team Manager at For Baby’s Sake Blackpool, and Colin Smy, Development Manager at Blackpool Better Start. In this half of the discussion, Colin and Ged will talk about why it's so important to involve fathers in early intervention, and how service practitioners can engage fathers in their services.If you haven't done so already, you can listen to part one here.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersColin Smy is Development Manager at Blackpool Better Start. Blackpool Better Start is a 10-year National Lottery funded programme to transform services in the town and change childhoods through lived experience, science, and evidence. The Centre for Early Child Development is the research and development hub of Blackpool Better Start, and provides a whole systems approach to delivering universal services, early help, and specialist support.Ged Docherty is Team Manager at For Baby’s Sake. For Baby’s Sake is a programme for expectant parents that takes a whole-family approach, starting in pregnancy and dealing with the entire cycle and history of domestic abuse, identifying and directly addressing the trauma or traumas that lie at the heart of the problem.📚 Related resources> Find out more about For Baby’s Sake> Find out more about Blackpool Better Start> Learn more about how childhood trauma affects child brain development> Take the NSPCC’s elearning course on trauma and child brain development> Take the NSPCC’s safeguarding elearning course for anyone working with under 1s and families in the antenatal or postnatal periodIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

The first 1001 days of a child’s life are crucial for their development and wellbeing. Having access to caring relationships and support networks can help a child’s brain develop in a healthy way.New parents who experience adversity, such as domestic abuse, may need additional help to build these support networks for their child. This is the first part in a two-part podcast discussion focusing on For Baby’s Sake, a service which provides therapeutic and trauma-informed support to expectant parents who have experienced domestic abuse. You'll hear from Ged Docherty, a Team Manager at For Baby’s Sake Blackpool, and Colin Smy, Development Manager at Blackpool Better Start. The discussion explores how early intervention services can support families through adversity and give babies the best start in life.Part two is available here.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersColin Smy is Development Manager at Blackpool Better Start. Blackpool Better Start is a 10-year National Lottery funded programme to transform services in the town and change childhoods through lived experience, science, and evidence. The Centre for Early Child Development is the research and development hub of Blackpool Better Start, and provides a whole systems approach to delivering universal services, early help, and specialist support.Ged Docherty is Team Manager at For Baby’s Sake. For Baby’s Sake is a programme for expectant parents that takes a whole-family approach, starting in pregnancy and dealing with the entire cycle and history of domestic abuse, identifying and directly addressing the trauma or traumas that lie at the heart of the problem.📚 Related resources> Find out more about For Baby’s Sake> Find out more about Blackpool Better Start> Learn more about how childhood trauma affects child brain development> Take the NSPCC’s elearning course on trauma and child brain development> Take the NSPCC’s safeguarding elearning course for anyone working with under 1s and families in the antenatal or postnatal periodIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Evidence plays an important role in social work practice. Knowledge gained from research and practical experience should be used to ensure decisions about safety and risk are well-informed and ethical.In this podcast episode, a panel of experts from the NSPCC discuss how social workers can build and maintain an evidence base to support their work.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersJulian Fabian is a Consultant Social Worker with the NSPCC. He works across all their direct services for children in the areas of quality assurance, practice improvement, and training.Gurpreet Dosanjh-Bhatt is a Consultant Social Worker with the NSPCC looking at audit and review practice standards. She previously worked in the NSPCC as a children's services practitioner.Holly Bentley is the Knowledge Manager within the NSPCC's Library and Information Service, producing written content on safeguarding and child protection for professionals.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Find out more about the NSPCC Library and Information Service> Search the national case review repository> Browse the collection of learning from case reviews briefings> Browse the collection of CASPAR briefings on important safeguarding topics> Take the NSPCC's learning from case reviews training course> Subscribe to CASPAR, our safeguarding child protection email newsletter > View the social work Professional Capabilities Framework on the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) website > Listen to the Let's Talk Social Work podcast from BASW The websites for Research in Practice and Foundations (a merger of the Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children's Social Care) also have a range of resources relating to social work evidence. Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

This is the second in a two-part series looking at the future of children’s social care in England. Listen to the first episode, an interview with Josh MacAlister, here.Earlier this year, the UK government published its vision for the reform of children's social care in England: Stable homes built on love.The strategy sets out a number of proposals to family support and early help services, including the rollout of new multi-disciplinary family help teams to provide earlier support to families so they don't reach crisis point.In this podcast episode three experts from the NSPCC consider what the government’s proposals might look like in practice.The discussion covered: the planned reforms to family support and early help services what new multi-disciplinary family help teams might look like the benefits and challenges of taking a family-first approach to social care the importance of developing meaningful relationships with families and considering lived experience changes to social care workforce roles, including the introduction of a new lead child protection practitioner role barriers to implementing reform, and how they might affect the day-to-day work of social care professionals. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersMatt Forde is Partnerships and Development Director at the NSPCC, for services across the UK that work in partnership with communities and professionals. These include place-based projects and specialist partnerships for the most vulnerable children and families. Matt joined the NSPCC from local authority children’s services in 2010 as National Head for Scotland and took up his current role in 2020.Rachael Holdcroft is a Strategic Services Manager overseeing the delivery of the Together for Childhood project in Stoke on Trent; a 10 year project which focuses on preventing Child Sexual Abuse. Rachael has been in this role with the NSPCC for 18 months following a 20 year career working with children and families in Local Authorities and the Private Sector.Eavan Mckay is a Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the NSPCC. Prior to joining the NSPCC, Eavan worked in education, first as an English teacher, then as a middle leader in schools with curriculum and safeguarding responsibilities, then at the education charity The Literacy Pirates where she led education intervention and engagement programmes for children. Eavan has also held Policy and Public Affairs Officer roles at JDRF and London Councils.📚 Related resources> Early help and early intervention> Why language matters: what is meant by 'early help' > News: The government's plans to reform children's social care in England> Government plans to reform children's social care England: CASPAR briefing (2023) > The independent review of children's social care final report: CASPAR briefing (2022) > The case for change: independent review of children's social care in England: CASPAR briefing (2021)Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

This is the first in a two-part series looking at the future of children’s social care in England. Earlier this year, the UK government published its vision for the reform of children's social care in England: 'Stable homes, built on love'. The Independent Review of Children's Social Care in England, which published its final report in May 2022, provided a cornerstone for this strategy. The review was chaired by Josh MacAlister and aimed to produce recommendations for a social care system that puts lifelong loving relationships at the heart of the care system and acts decisively in response to abuse.In this podcast episode, Abigail Gill, the NSPCC’s Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs, sat down with Josh to talk about the review and what still needs to be done to meet its aims.The discussion covered: the story of the Care Review and what problems it was trying to address how the review captured the voices and lived experiences of children, young people and adults that have received the help or support of a social worker, or who have been looked after problems found with the social care system and how these negatively impact safeguarding and child protection the reforms and recommendations proposed by the review to address these problems how to implement reform and create positive future change in collaboration with professionals. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersJosh MacAlister is the Executive Chair of Foundations, the What Works Centre for Children and Families. He is also Co-founder and Chair of SHiFT. He chaired the Independent Review of Children's Social Care between March 2021 and May 2022.Abigail Gill is the Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the NSPCC. She works across a number of policy areas, including children's social care, place-based approaches, early help and early intervention, poverty, and neglect.📚 Related resources> Stable Homes, Built on Love: Implementation Strategy and Consultation> News: The government’s plans to reform children’s social care in England> Government plans to reform children's social care in England: CASPAR briefing> The independent review of children’s social care final report: CASPAR briefingIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse can have a detrimental effect on a child's mental, physical and economic wellbeing. By recognising when an employee or colleague is experiencing domestic abuse, professionals working in any sector can help keep children safe.In this podcast episode, domestic abuse experts from the NSPCC Helpline discuss what you can do to support and safeguard colleagues who experience domestic abuse.The discussion covered: why a workplace domestic abuse policy is good practice to support non-abusing parents and their children what should be included in a workplace domestic abuse policy the potential indicators of domestic abuse the barriers that people may experience when they take steps to speak to their employer about domestic abuse what managers can do to support colleagues experiencing domestic abuse or other safeguarding concerns. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakersPaddi Vint is a Quality and Development Manager overseeing a three-year domestic abuse project supported by the COVID-19 Support Fund. She has been with the NSPCC in Belfast for five years, joining as a helpline practitioner and then working as a practice manager.Sarah Clarke is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor with a background as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) specialising in high risk and complex needs within refuge.Emily Harrison is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor with a background as an IDVA specialising in high risk and complex needs within police services.Joanne Walsh is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor with a background as a senior family support worker and local authority domestic abuse champion.📚 Related resources> Learn more about domestic abuse> Read our learning from case reviews briefing on domestic abuse> Listen to our podcast episode about why domestic abuse is a child protection issue> Listen to our podcast episode about the NSPCC Helpline's Domestic Abuse Practice AdvisorsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Report Remove is an online tool that under-18s can use to report nude images or videos of themselves that have been shared online, to see if they can be removed from the internet. Developed by experts from Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, the tool provides a child-centred and non-judgemental approach to image removal.Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about why a tool like Report Remove is needed, how the tool works, and how you can signpost young people to the tool as part of your response to incidents of sharing nudes.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersSamantha Firth has been involved with Childline since 2006. With a background in child development and training, she was initially a volunteer Childline counsellor, becoming a Childline counselling supervisor in 2013 and then moving into the Childline Online Service in 2020.Zara is a Senior Content Analyst who has worked at the Internet Watch Foundation for over nine years. She spends each working day assessing online images and videos of children suffering sexual abuse and removing them from the Internet.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Find out more about the Report Remove tool and download accompanying print-outs> Watch an introductory video for professionals on how Report Remove works> Access the Report Remove tool on the Childline website > Take the Managing incidents of sharing nudes elearning course to learn more about the topicIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Mental health problems can impact on all aspects of a child’s life, and in some cases can lead to safeguarding and child protection concerns. Education professionals are in a good position to look out for children’s mental health, promote their wellbeing and help prevent any mental health problems from escalating into more serious concerns.This episode examines what education professionals can do to build a positive mental health culture in schools, recognise when young people are struggling with their mental heath and respond appropriately if those struggles escalate into safeguarding concerns.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersSharon Cole is the Head of Safeguarding at Place2Be, a UK-wide children’s mental health charity providing a whole-school approach to supporting children and their families with mental health in schools. She previously worked as a manager of a large multi-disciplinary team supporting schools in Hackney and was involved in setting up the area's first Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).Stefania Nicotra has worked on the Childline Helpline for over 10 years; in her current role, she is accountable for the live day-to-day running of the service through a duty system that ensures resources across the UK are utilised and coordinated effectively, to deliver a high standard safeguarding service to as many children and young people as possible.📚 Related resources> Learn more about children's mental health > Learn more about Place2Be> Access the Childline resources on mental health, to be used by children and young people> Take the NSPCC Learning mental health safeguarding in education elearning courseIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Together for Childhood (TfC), the NSPCC's place-based approach to prevent child abuse and neglect, was launched almost five years ago.   Listen to Pat Branigan, Assistant Director for Together for Childhood, talk to the panel of development managers from all four TfC sites about the benefits of a place-based and community-focused approach to preventing child abuse and neglect.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. About Together for ChildhoodTogether for Childhood was a place-based approach that aimed to strengthen the way local communities and organisations work together to keep children safe from abuse. It ran from 2017 to 2026 in four towns and cities across the UK - Grimsby, Glasgow (Govan), Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent.💬 About the speakersPat Branigan is the Assistant Director for Together for Childhood at the NSPCC. In addition to this, he’s an anthropologist with a background in public health and has led research into sensitive sexual health topics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.Shelley Shaw is the Development Manager for Together for Childhood Plymouth and has worked in the team since early 2018.Bernie Taylor has been involved in Together for Childhood for five years, initially as a research and evaluation officer and subsequently Development Manager for Together for Childhood Grimsby.Jennie Hammond is a Development Manager for the NSPCC and leads on the development and implementation of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Plan through the Together for Childhood programme in Stoke-on-Trent.Di Porter is a Development Manager for the NSPCC at Together for Childhood Govan in Glasgow.📚 Related resources> Find out more about the Together for Childhood programme> Learn more about child abuse and neglect > View our other resources for voluntary and community groupsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

In this episode, we hear from Dr Helen Beckett and Dr Debbie Allnock, two researchers from the Safer Young Lives Research Centre (SYLRC), who worked on a study looking at adolescents’ experiences of sexual abuse and how this has affected their mental health and wellbeing. The discussion covers the purpose of the study, the importance of listening to and learning from young people, and the ‘six pillars’ of an effective response to adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersDr Helen Beckett is Director of the Safer Young Lives Research Centre and a Reader in Child Protection and Children’s Rights at the University of Bedfordshire. She has 25 years’ experience of undertaking applied social research, across academia and the voluntary and statutory sectors. She holds particular expertise in researching sexual harm and related adolescent safeguarding issues, and in ethically engaging children and young people in such research.Dr Debbie Allnock is a Senior Research Fellow at the Safer Young Lives Research Centre, part-seconded to the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme within Norfolk Constabulary. She has undertaken a wide range of research on issues of social justice within the US and the UK, where she has taken a specific focus on the field of child protection and safeguarding. She has particular expertise in CSA disclosure and service provision and policing and criminal justice responses to child and adult harm.Chloe Gill is a Senior Research and Evaluation Officer at the NSPCC. Over the last nine years Chloe has carried out exploratory and evaluation research focusing on Childline, the NSPCC Helpline, children’s social care, sexuality and relationships education, and child safety online. Chloe has supported the joint NSPCC and ESRC research grants programme since 2017, helping disseminate findings to NSPCC’s internal and external audiences.📚 Related resources> Read the full Safer Young Lives Research Centre report> Read more about what child sexual abuse is and how to respond to protect children from this form of abuse> Learn more about supporting children and young people’s mental healthIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Listen to Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe who work on our harmful sexual behaviour service talk about the effects of sibling sexual abuse on children and families; how to provide whole-family support; the impact of family dynamics and contributing factors to harmful sexual behaviour being displayed. This episode touches on our practitioners’ experiences of working directly with children and families. Although all experiences are generalised, they could be upsetting for some, and may cause distress. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersKaty Tomkinson is a qualified social worker who has worked at the NSPCC for over five years. She has undertaken assessments of therapeutic need and provided therapeutic interventions for young people who have been sexually harmed.Rowan Wolfe has worked at the NSPCC for fifteen and a half years as a qualified social worker. She has worked with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour by undertaking assessments and providing therapeutic interventions.📚 Related resources> Browse our resources and research about harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to our episode on direct work with children displaying HSB> Play our episode on planning therapeutic sessions for children displaying HSBIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

In this podcast episode, Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe, who deliver our HSB service, talk about: what denial and shame might look like in children and young people the physical signs and non-verbal cues that children might display when talking about their experiences building trusting relationships and using therapeutic and trauma-informed approaches exercises for practitioners to help understand children’s lived experiences and explore feelings of shame and denial the impact on children of parents or carers experiencing denial techniques for working with a child or young person when they are fixed in their denial. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersKaty Tomkinson is a qualified social worker who has worked at the NSPCC for over five years. She has undertaken assessments of therapeutic need and provided therapeutic interventions for young people who have been sexually harmed.Rowan Wolfe has worked at the NSPCC for fifteen and a half years as a qualified social worker. She has worked with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour by undertaking assessments and providing therapeutic interventions.📚 Related resources> See our resources and research about harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to our episode on direct work with children displaying HSB> Play our episode on planning therapeutic sessions for children displaying HSBIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSPCC's national helpline saw a 35%  increase in contacts about domestic abuse.1 In response to these rising figures, the NSPCC secured funding from the COVID-19 Support Fund to launch a three-year domestic abuse project and extend the capacity of the helpline to support contacts who have experienced domestic abuse. This project included the appointment of two Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors, Lisa Begley and Naomi Hawthorne.In this episode, Lisa and Naomi speak to the NSPCC’s Quality and Development Manager, Paddi Vint. They discussed the risk factors and indicators of domestic abuse, and their work in ensuring all NSPCC Helpline staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support children and families who are experiencing domestic abuse.Topics covered include: holistic support provided to callers of the Helpline how experiencing domestic abuse can affect children and young people how helpline practitioners are trained to safeguard children and young people from any further emotional harm. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersPaddi Vint is a Quality and Development Manager overseeing a three-year domestic abuse project supported by the COVID-19 Support Fund. She has been with the NSPCC in Belfast for five years, joining as a helpline practitioner and then working as a practice manager.Lisa Begley is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor for the NSPCC Helpline. Lisa has worked within the field of domestic abuse for over 13 years, in a range of frontline, training, and management roles within Women’s Aid in Northern Ireland. Lisa has been trained as a panel member for Domestic Homicide Reviews and represented Women's Aid at MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences).Naomi Hawthorne is a Domestic Abuse Practice Advisor for the NSPCC Helpline. Before joining the NSPCC, Naomi worked in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector for over 10 years in a range of frontline, training, consultancy and management roles.📚 Related resources> Learn more about how you can protect children from domestic abuse> Read our learning from case reviews briefing on domestic abuse> Listen to our episode on why domestic abuse is a child protection issueIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Neglect is a form of child abuse that can have serious and long-lasting effects on a child’s life, but it can be difficult to recognise.In the second episode in this two-part podcast series exploring what can be done to support children and families experiencing neglect, Dawn Hodson, the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect, Mandi Tambourini-Moore, a family support worker for Liverpool Children’s Services, Lisa Shannon, the Graded Care Coordinator from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Sharon Graham, an Early Help Manager at Shropshire Council discuss: why neglect happens the importance of keeping children at the forefront when working with families what can be done to support parents or carers when there is neglect how practitioners use Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) alongside other resources the importance of early intervention. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersDawn Hodson is the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect. She has led on the development and research of several evidence-informed assessments and interventions in relation to neglect, including the only authorised update to the Graded Care Profile. Her work on implementation has led the way for the GCP2 to be adopted in over 90 areas in the UK.Amanda (Mandi) Tambourini-Moore has over 25 years' of experience working with children and young people in child development, youth and play work, and targeted services. Mandi currently works as a Family Support Worker at Liverpool Children’s Services, where she is also the ‘GCP2 champion’, promoting the use of GCP2 to support families to fully understand neglect and improve the lives of children experiencing neglect.Lisa Shannon started her career as an early years practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in that field. Lisa was also a family worker for 13 years. She is currently a Graded Care Coordinator for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.Sharon Graham is an Early Help Manager within Children’s Services at Shropshire Council and has a lead role around the prevention of neglect. Sharon has over 17 years experience of supporting vulnerable families and 11 years experience of managing Early Intervention services.📚 Related resources> Read more about protecting children from neglect> Learn more about Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2)> Read our case study evaluation of GCP2> See our range of child protection resourcesIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Neglect is a form of child abuse that can have serious and long-lasting effects on a child’s life, but it can be difficult to recognise. In the first episode, Dawn Hodson, the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect, Mandi Tambourini-Moore, a family support worker for Liverpool Children’s Services, Lisa Shannon, the Graded Care Coordinator from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Sharon Graham, an Early Help Manager at Shropshire Council discuss: what neglect is and some of the harder to spot signs of neglect the difficulties and challenges when conducting assessments issues and challenges that arise in relation to children’s age and stage; covering early years, adolescence and additional needs. what they’ve learnt from their experiences and what they find works when supporting families. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersDawn Hodson is the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect. She has led on the development and research of several evidence-informed assessments and interventions in relation to neglect, including the only authorised update to the Graded Care Profile. Her work on implementation has led the way for the GCP2 to be adopted in over 90 areas in the UK.Amanda (Mandi) Tambourini-Moore has over 25 years' of experience working with children and young people in child development, youth and play work, and targeted services. Mandi currently works as a Family Support Worker at Liverpool Children’s Services, where she is also the ‘GCP2 champion’, promoting the use of GCP2 to support families to fully understand neglect and improve the lives of children experiencing neglect.Lisa Shannon started her career as an early years practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in that field. Lisa was also a family worker for 13 years. She is currently a Graded Care Coordinator for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.Sharon Graham is an Early Help Manager within Children’s Services at Shropshire Council and has a lead role around the prevention of neglect. Sharon has over 17 years experience of supporting vulnerable families and 11 years experience of managing Early Intervention services.📚 Related resources> Read more about protecting children from neglect> Learn more about Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2)> Read our case study evaluation of GCP2> See our range of child protection resourcesIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

TA-HSB is when children and young people use the internet or technology such as mobile phones to engage in sexual activity that may be harmful to themselves or others.Listen to Pat Branigan, the NSPCC’s Associate Head of Development, Emma Hodgson, an NSPCC development social worker and Carol Carson from the AIM Project discuss: the prevalence and different forms of TA-HSB the NSPCC's research into this area the challenges for professionals around the fast-paced nature of technology resources available to help develop confidence in managing incidents of TA-HSB. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersPat Branigan is the Associate Head of Development at the NSPCC and leads the charity’s response to child sexual abuse with a focus on preventing harmful sexual behaviour displayed by children and young people. In addition to this, he’s an anthropologist with a background in public health and has led research into sensitive sexual health topics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.Emma Hodgson, a qualified social worker, has worked for the NSPCC for the past 16 years and is a part of the NSPCC/AIM development group that has produced guidance on HSB and technology. Her current role as a Development Social Worker involves developing and delivering HSB and child sexual abuse training and facilitating workshops for professionals working with children and families.Carol Carson is an independent social work consultant with 30 years’ experience in safeguarding children and is the manager of The AIM Project. She has 25 years specialising in assessing and working with children and adolescents with harmful sexual behaviours. This includes writing several books on the subject.📚 Related resources> See our resources and research about harmful sexual behaviour> Read more about Hackett's continuum> Have a look at our research on the prevalence of TA-HSB> Listen to the first episode in this series on direct work with children> Listen to the second episode in this series on planning therapeutic sessions> Find out more about the AIM Project> Learn more about the TA-HSB guidance training courseIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Continuing on from episode 43, social workers and children’s practitioners, Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe, talk about planning therapeutic sessions and assessing children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour.You’ll learn more about: preparing therapeutic session plans and helping children explore their life experiences through the use of timelines, family trees and cartoons addressing sensitive topics such as sex and HSB, and exploring children and young people’s understanding around consent. This episode touches on our practitioners' experiences of working directly with children and young people. Although all experiences are generalised, they could be upsetting for some, and may cause distress.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersKaty Tomkinson is a qualified social worker who has worked at the NSPCC for over five years. She has undertaken assessments of therapeutic need and provided therapeutic interventions for young people who have been sexually harmed.Rowan Wolfe has worked at the NSPCC for fifteen and a half years as a qualified social worker. She has worked with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour by undertaking assessments and providing therapeutic interventions.📚 Related resources> Browse our resources for understanding, preventing and responding to harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to the first episode in this series on direct work with children> Listen to the third episode in the series on technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to our episode about harmful sexual behaviour in schoolsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Hear NSPCC practitioners talk about conducting therapeutic sessions with children and young people and understanding how to manage incidents of harmful sexual behaviour.You'll hear us discuss: creating safe spaces in therapeutic session and using different techniques and strategies providing clarity around confidentiality and safeguarding when working with children and young people managing expectations of assessments their own experiences of working with children and young people. This episode touches on our practitioners’ experiences of working directly with children and families. Although all experiences are generalised, they could be upsetting for some, and may cause distress. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersKaty Tomkinson is a qualified social worker who has worked at the NSPCC for over five years. She has undertaken assessments of therapeutic need and provided therapeutic interventions for young people who have been sexually harmed.Rowan Wolfe has worked at the NSPCC for fifteen and a half years as a qualified social worker. She has worked with children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour by undertaking assessments and providing therapeutic interventions.📚 Related resources> See our resources for understanding, preventing and managing incidents of harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to the second episode in the series on planning therapeutic sessions> Listen to the third episode in the series on technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour> Listen to our episode about harmful sexual behaviour in schoolsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

We spoke to Jahnine Davis, co-founder of Listen Up, about her work into exploring the lack of representation of Black girls’ experiences in research and child sexual abuse services, including suggestions to help improve practice.Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant with the NSPCC, and Jahnine discuss: why the experiences of Black girls are missing from research and the impact on policy and practice key findings from Jahnine’s research, including the experiences of participants learning to improve practice and research Jahnine’s experience as a Black woman embarking on this work. This episode contains quotes from research participants about their experiences which might be upsetting and cause distress. If you need further support, please contact the NSPCC helpline or visit the Childline website.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersJahnine Davis, a PhD researcher, has over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector and is recognised nationally as a leader in the field of intersectionality, adultification and safeguarding Black children and young people.Ineke Houtenbos is an experienced child protection professional with over 21 years’ experience and has provided training and consultancy on anti-racism awareness and anti-racist practice. She is a Senior Training and Development Consultant for the NSPCC in Northern Ireland.📚 Related resources> Learn more about Listen Up> Read more about preventing child sexual abuse> Browse our research reports and briefingsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

A child or young person’s identity and lived experience can affect how they engage with professionals and services.This episode features Jahnine Davis and Nick Marsh, founders of Listen Up, where we explore intersectionality and its application within safeguarding practice. Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant at the NSPCC, leads the discussion around: what intersectionality is why intersectional thinking is important in safeguarding the impact of not taking an intersectional approach when working with children and young people the challenges in capturing intersectional experiences during assessments how you can apply intersectional understanding to your work and develop your social care practice. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersJahnine Davis, a PhD researcher, has over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector and is recognised nationally as a leader in the field of intersectionality, adultification and safeguarding Black children and young people.Ineke Houtenbos is an experienced child protection professional with over 21 years’ experience and has provided training and consultancy on anti-racism awareness and anti-racist practice. She is a Senior Training and Development Consultant for the NSPCC in Northern Ireland.Nick Marsh is a researcher and social worker with over 20 years’ experience in statutory settings. Nick’s PhD research focuses on child exploitation and social work interventions. Since 2014, Nick’s work has focused on developing strengths-based approaches and turning evidence in to practice. 📚 Related resources> Learn more about Listen Up> See all our safeguarding and child protection resources> Search for more research and resourcesIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

In this episode, we discuss the complexities of domestic abuse and why it is a safeguarding and child protection issue. We talk about the main themes that emerged from our learning from case reviews briefing on domestic abuse and share what we see in practice.Exposure to domestic abuse has a direct impact on children and can affect their physical health and mental wellbeing. Just because it isn’t disclosed, does not mean that a child or family you’re working with isn’t experiencing it.Listen to the episode to: gain an insight into the dynamics of domestic abuse (e.g. how abusive relationships work and patterns of abusive behaviour) understand the effects on children and young people, including how their experiences may be minimised and why professional curiosity is important learn about how you can improve your practice around domestic abuse and reduce risks to children. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.This episode was supported by the COVID-19 Support Fund.💬 About the speakersNikki Vasco is a chartered library and information professional and has experience working directly with vulnerable children and young people. She has worked in the NSPCC’s Library and Information Service for five years, developing written content about child protection for NSPCC Learning.Paddi Vint is a Quality and Development Manager overseeing a three year domestic abuse project supported by the COVID-19 Support Fund. She has been with the NSPCC in Belfast for five years, joining as a helpline practitioner and then working as a practice manager.📚 Related resources> Learn more about how you can protect children from domestic abuse> Read our learning from case reviews briefing on domestic abuse> Listen to our episode on how our service helps children recover from domestic abuseIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

The internet can be a useful resource for children and young people to learn, access educational materials and stay in touch with friends and family.Now more than ever, young people are using tablets, laptops and mobile phones to interact with others, especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But with this comes an increased risk of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), bullying and grooming, which can affect children outside of the online world.We invited practitioners from our InCtrl service, a preventative group-work programme, to talk about creating safer online experiences, building digital resilience and encouraging positive behaviour online. Listen to the episode to find out about: developing InCtrl and how we've delivered the service virtually during the pandemic the risks and concerns related to the online world and how these can be prevented the importance of involving parents and carers when it comes to online safety how we’ve listened to children and young people’s views and built on this learning. Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersNicola McConnell is a Senior Evaluation Officer at the NSPCC, with over 20 years of experience in evaluating health and social care services for children and families. She has contributed towards a range of evaluations across different topic areas, such as child protection, domestic abuse and preventing child abuse, and recently published an implementation evaluation of the InCtrl service.Gurpreet Dosanjh is a Team Manager based at the NSPCC’s Coventry service centre and has 10 years of social work experience working with vulnerable children and families. She has been a practitioner for four years within the NSPCC and has worked for various services, including the InCtrl service.Lucy O’Callaghan is a Children’s Services Practitioner and was involved in the adaptation of the InCtrl programme for virtual delivery. She has worked across a number of NSPCC services in the last seven years, on topics ranging from sexual abuse to harmful sexual behaviour and child sexual exploitation.Theresa Park is a qualified social worker with over 20 years of experience of working within the children’s services sector. She is currently a Development and Impact Manager at the NSPCC and leads on building an evidence base of what works in child welfare and protection.📚 Related resources> Learn more about the InCtrl service> View all our online safety resources> Find out how you can protect children from grooming> See more information about preventing child sexual exploitation onlineIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Volunteers play an important role in helping to engage vulnerable families in a service and can provide ongoing peer support on a one-to-one basis. We commissioned a review that explores current research evidence on involving volunteers in delivering services to support families and examine the outcomes for parents, children and volunteers.In this episode, we’re joined by the authors of the review, Dr. Louca-Mai Brady and Berni Graham, as well as Dr Georgia Hyde-Dryden, who is a part of the NSPCC’s Development and Impact Team. You’ll hear us discuss the key findings and best practices identified from the literature review, including: how we undertook the research the services volunteers provided to families and how this work was carried out challenges that need to be considered when involving volunteers in service delivery the evidence on volunteer support to families how the NSPCC will use this research to inform future opportunities.  Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersDr Louca-Mai Brady is a researcher, trainer and consultant who has worked in the voluntary and public sector and academia. She has particular interests and expertise in qualitative and participative research methods, research with children and young people, disability and health and social care. She also holds a part-time role as a Senior Research Fellow at NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, UCL.Berni Graham is an independent social researcher and evaluator. Most of her work relates to children, young people and families and services run for them by UK public sector and voluntary and community sector agencies. Her research and evaluation typically explores life challenges such as poverty, disability and access to support, and framing these in a policy or practice context to help improve services.Dr Georgia Hyde-Dryden is a Development Researcher for the NSPCC’s Development and Impact team. She is involved in a range of research and insights projects to inform the organisation’s evidence-based service development. Prior to joining us three years ago, she was a Research Associate at the Centre for Child and Family Research at Loughborough University where she was involved in research and evaluation with a primary focus on looked after children, care leavers and children on the edge of care.📚 Related resources> Discover volunteering opportunities at the NSPCC> Find out how we can help you with community needs or campaigns> Explore all our services for children and families> See our COVID-19 information and resources for voluntary and community groupsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

The past nine months has been difficult for everyone. Lockdowns, social distancing measures and local restrictions meant that adults working with children had to change the way they operate. But how have we adapted and how has COVID impacted on the NSPCC’s priorities? In this episode, we reflect on the past nine months with our CEO, Peter Wanless, discussing the issues and challenges children and young people are facing; what child protection and safeguarding themes have emerged; delivering services for children and families remotely.This episode covers: the issues and challenges children and young people are facing what child protection and safeguarding themes have emerged experiences of delivering services for children and families remotely how we’ve worked with partners to ensure their employees are confident in recognising possible signs of abuse our work to increase awareness of the NSPCC helpline for adults and ensuring Childline is still there for children during this time. View the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakerPeter Wanless joined as Chief Executive of the NSPCC in 2013, after running the Big Lottery Fund for five years. Before this, he worked as a Director at the Department for Education. As Chief Executive, Peter is advancing the NSPCC's vision to end child cruelty in the UK.📚 Related resources> Browse our COVID-19 safeguarding resources to support your work> Access our 'It's your call' safeguarding awareness courseIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Listen to the episode to hear key learning from the research and how it’ll help develop practice; why we’ve adapted our service delivery models; what families, practitioners, facilitators and external partners think about the changes; and how the voice of the child was captured.Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersMichelle Maybury is a project manager at the NSPCC with a key responsibility for all the services currently within our Scale-Up portfolio, including Baby Steps. She has worked in a variety of roles focussed on supporting our development and delivery of services to children and families across the UK and Channel Islands.Julia Mayes is the Baby Steps Implementation Manager at the NSPCC and has over 10 years of experience working in services for children and families. She has worked across various roles in the NSPCC’s service development and impact programme, with a particular focus on services designed to support relationships between parents and infants.Dr Aisling McElearney is Senior Development Researcher and leads research and insights projects within the Development and Impact team at the NSPCC. Before joining the NSPCC 17 years ago, she worked as a teacher and has since then been involved in engaging the voices of children, families and professionals in developing services and evaluating the impact of services.Meredith Russ is the Programme Lead for Baby Steps in Wiltshire. She has facilitated Baby Steps courses in the past and took on her new role this summer. Previously she has worked as a community midwife and most recently holds a safeguarding caseload.📚 Related resources> View the key findings from the implementation evaluation of the Baby Steps serviceIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros