Key topic areas covered include: Communities, Safeguarding and Workforce & Leadership.

Everton Free School Crime Prevention Initiatives

Stephen Baker, the principal of Everton Free School and Football College, and Assistant Head Andrew Pearl, are pioneering new strategies to address behavioural challenges and criminal exploitation among vulnerable youth in Liverpool. Their innovative approach integrates multi-agency collaboration and focuses on understanding and meeting the underlying needs of at-risk students.

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Heightened Cyber Threat on the Voluntary Sector: Blackbaud Case

The current cyber threat to the voluntary sector in the UK remains significant, with a diverse range of threats facing these organisations. Recent reports indicate that approximately 14% of UK charities have experienced cybercrime in the past year. The Blackbaud data breach in 2020 underscored the critical importance of cyber security in the public sector.

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The Road to Online Safety Regulation: Safeguarding Children Against Sexual Harms

A significant number of children aged 8-11 have social media profiles, with TikTok being especially popular. The study found that even younger children, some as young as three, are exposed to social media content, although this may involve watching videos with others rather than having their own accounts. This article covers some the negative impacts of this uptake including grooming and misogyny, as well as preventative measures.

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Invisible Children: Barnardo’s Explores the Cost of Living Impact

The cost of living crisis has far-reaching impacts on vulnerable communities, particularly children at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation. Recent research conducted by Barnardo’s, a leading child welfare organisation, delves into the troubling connections between financial hardship and child exploitation. Jess Edwards, the Senior Policy Advisor for Childhood Harm at Barnardo's, recently presented these findings at our National County Lines, Gangs and Violence Conference.

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Online Safety in Education: Safeguarding in the Digital Age

As technology becomes an integral part of education, ensuring online safety for students is increasingly important. The digital age offers vast educational opportunities, but it also poses significant risks, including cyberbullying, data breaches, and exposure to inappropriate content.

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Government Update: The Illegal Migration Act 2023

The Illegal Migration Act changes the law so that those who arrive in the UK illegally will not be able to stay here. This update provides an overview of the key points of the act, highlighting which sections are in force now and what this means for those seeking asylum in the UK.

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Working with Local Stakeholders to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation

An estimated 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused. In this video, Barnardos break down safeguarding systems to highlight the complexities of exploitation and how systems can seem overwhelming for young people. Building upon this, they address the importance of working together to meet children’s needs and improve services.

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Co-producing Volunteer Safeguarding Procedures with Service Users

Increasingly UK charities are facing the need to manage and escalate numerous safeguarding concerns for both staff and service users. In this video, Touchstone share the importance of co-producing safeguarding procedures with service users to ensure all resources are accessible and that the procedures meet any needs they have.

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Providing Staff with Hybrid Working Opportunities to Increase Productivity and Wellbeing 

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has revealed that 53% of voluntary sector organisations have ‘hard-to-fill’ vacancies. In this video Lisa Freshwater, the Director of Organisational Effectiveness at Blood Cancer UK discusses the positive impact hybrid and flexible working has on workforce wellbeing.

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Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse in Later Life

2.4 million adults were recorded as victims of domestic abuse in the year ending 2022. In this video, Carrie Bower, the Safeguarding Manager and Domestic Abuse Lead at AgeUK discusses the lack of awareness in society regarding domestic abuse in later life and how a greater understanding can better safeguard older victims of domestic abuse.

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Developing and Implementing a Robust Volunteer Strategy

A robust volunteer strategy is crucial for any organisation within the voluntary sector, to both maintain the needs of the organisation and volunteer motivations. In this video, Andy Broomhead from Diabetes UK gives guidance and advice to organisations seeking to adapt and improve their volunteer strategies.

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Providing Person-Centred Support to Prevent Tenants from Experiencing Homelessness

According to Hightown Housing Association, only 22-24% of housing association lettings go to homeless households. In this video, David Bogle from HHA discusses how Homes for Cathy works to improve the homelessness housing system through various campaigns and heightened support for tenants.

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