The Preventing Child Abuse Conference 2025: A Proactive Approach to Safeguarding and Prevention
Past and Present Supporters Include:
Overview:
Cases of child abuse continue to grow in the UK. Around 107,000 exploitation offences were reported in 2022, a 7.6% increase compared to 2021 and nearly quadruple the figure from 10 years ago. Moreover, evidence suggests many offences of exploitation against children go unreported. In the previous three years, the government has introduced the Online Safety Bill (2023) to support authorities in tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation, however:
- An estimated 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused (NSPCC, 2024)
- There were over 61,000 police-recorded offences related to emotional abuse in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022/23 (NSPCC, 2024)
- Two thirds (68%) of local authorities, and four in ten (39%) Police and Crime Commissioners have not commissioned any child sexual, criminal or combined exploitation services in the past 12 months (Barnardo’s, 2024)
Join us at the 2025 Preventing Child Abuse Conference: A Proactive Approach to Prevention and Safeguarding to hear the latest updates and guidance on preventing child abuse. Engage with a broad collection of prevention and safeguarding strategies that seek to combat the rise of abuse, especially online. You will also have the opportunity to network with senior colleagues from across the public and voluntary sector to discuss challenges you face in protecting children from harm and exploitation.
Why Attend:
✓ Hear high-level keynotes on the latest updates and guidance on combating child exploitation
✓ Gain practical insights into identifying victims, creating effective referral pathways, and engaging with parents and carers
✓ Engage with senior colleagues from across the sector to discuss strategies for keeping children safe from abuse while online
✓ Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Keynote: Latest Government Updates on Child Abuse Prevention
- Considering the latest child safeguarding priorities of the new government
- Outlining the latest updates from the implementation of the Online Safety Act (2023)
- Considering how the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has shaped safeguarding policies
- Implementing a practical system of prevention that includes Primary Prevention, Secondary Prevention and Tertiary Prevention strategies
- Insights into the latest funding and resources available for initiatives working to tackle child exploitation
Keynote: Lived Experience: Amplifying the Voices of Survivors
- Empowering victims of child abuse to speak openly about their experience and collaborate to develop recovery pathways and support plans
- Embedding the lived experience of child abuse survivors into policy and practise to create a positive impact in survivor outcomes
- Reframing debates and discussions of child abuse away from the perpetrators and towards the voices of victims to increase their visibility
- Insights into the barriers to access which prevent some children from speaking out and accessing support services
- Outlining good practise in supporting victims, such as, trauma informed practice, transitional safeguarding and complex safeguarding
Karen Garland, Research and Policy Officer, Marie Collins Foundation (CONFIRMED)
Megan Hinton, Victim and Survivor Advocate, Marie Collins Foundation (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Grooming and Abuse
- Identifying the current deficiencies in supporting vulnerable children, such as the lack of effective support available for high-risk children during school holidays
- Highlighting why disclosures of child sexual abuse to a responsible adult did not always lead to action being taken
- Updates on the introduction of mandatory reporting duty and the implication for children’s services in England
- Interrogating the conditions in which children do not report sexual abuse that they have either witnessed or been subjected to and reducing this vulnerability
Case Study: Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
- Outlining the updated 2024 definition of extremism from the, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and how this impact Prevent duty responsibilities
- Highlighting the various processes of radicalisation that can be used by individuals online
- Considering the various factors that can make a young person more vulnerable and impressionable to radicalisation
- Underscoring the policies and procedures organisations with safeguarding responsibilities should be following to prevent radicalisation
- Promoting positive messages of tolerance and community cohesion to facilitate anti-extremist environments and conditions
Rachel Murray, Prevent Education Officer, Kent and Medway Prevent Team (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Supporting Young People’s Mental Health Online
- Outlining the specific content that children can be exposed to that could cause them harm, specifically, pro-suicide, pro-self-harm and pro-eating disorder
- Describing how positive online content can support young people with encouraging and supportive advice
- Considering how social media algorithms influence what young people see online and limiting their exposure to negative content
- Insights into how children feel when seeing negative online content, especially when they are already experiencing low self-esteem or worrying thoughts related to body image and mental health
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Multi-Agency Approaches to Combatting Child Abuse
- Supporting effective partnership working across different local contexts; providing a common language and framework to better respond to child abuse and extra-familial harm
- Emphasising the importance of information sharing and collaboration between agencies so that professionals can fully understand any risks a child may be exposed to and take appropriate action to keep them safe
- Prioritising children’s care by making informed decisions that are reached by supporting and challenging each other in an environment that has positive working relationships and good communication
- Monitoring the impact of multi-agency work on children in local areas and working with other agencies to evaluate and improve practice
Key Supporter Session
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking
This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in safeguarding roles to protect children from abuse. We encourage you to share how you are currently working in partnership to increase awareness of child abuse, focus on the lived experience of survivors and discuss your most up-to-date safeguarding initiatives. Take this time to share your experiences and network with senior colleagues.
Comfort Break
Keynote: The Role of Local Authorities in Tackling Child Abuse and Exploitation
- Outlining the key responsibilities local authorities have in safeguarding
- Ensuring that local multi-agency strategies and systems are in place so that children being exploited or at risk of exploitation get a timely response
- Identifying children who could be at risk of exploitation, such as children in care/care leavers, unaccompanied migrant children and abusive family environments
- Confirming that local authorities have a good understanding of the lived experiences of victims/survivors in their area, specific locations causing concern and the particular periods when children are more at risk
Case Study: Implementing Practical Proactive Safeguarding Strategies to Prevent Child Abuse
- Outlining the recommendations from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
- Ensuring practitioners can fulfil their roles and responsibilities in identifying and responding to child sexual abuse by reviewing and updating initial training, early career and ongoing professional development
- Identifying clear safeguarding pathways that supports practitioners that are first identified through investigation, assessment and the provision of help
- Ensuring there is a multi-agency approach to child abuse in the family setting
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Previous Speakers
Sarah Bright
Online Safety Principal
CSA-Ofcom
Jessica Edwards
Senior Policy Advisor
Childhood Harms
Tom McNeil
Assistant PCC
West Midlands Police
Julie Hague
Safeguarding License Manager
Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership
Testimonials
“Knowledgable speakers and interesting discussion points. Great online platform and lots of learning to take away”
“Excellent day with very thought provoking speakers”
“Amazing conference with a range of excellent speakers offering unique insight into the ways in which we can tackle CSE as well as the challenges that we face in this journey.”
“Really insightful conference on CSAE, brought to life by powerful survivor testimonials.”
Why You Should Attend
✓ Hear high-level keynotes on the latest updates and guidance on combating child exploitation
✓ Gain practical insights into identifying victims, creating effective referral pathways, and engaging with parents and carers
✓ Engage with senior colleagues from across the sector to discuss strategies for keeping children safe from abuse while online
✓ Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend?
| Job Title Examples | Organisation Examples |
| Teachers | Police |
| Designated Safeguarding Officers | Schools |
| Social Workers | LEA’s |
| Prevent Officers | Hospices |
| Online Safety Co-Ordinator’s | NHS |
| Strategic Analysts | Children Support Charities |
| Head of Safeguarding | Children Safeguarding Partnerships |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Voluntary Sector
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact Chris Mott today at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here and we will contact you.
Benefits of partnering with us include:
- Brand awareness: Be seen by a highly targeted and engaged audience before, during, and after the conference.
- Lead generation: Meet the decision-makers and influencers responsible for making purchasing decisions on cyber security and data protection.
- Thought leadership: Position your organisation and experts as thought leaders and the ‘go to’ experts.
- Networking: Make valuable connections with potential new customers and partners across government and the wider public sector
- Grow your business: Reach decision makers in a single event on just one day and in one location (with no travel/accommodation required), saving you time and money.
- Gain valuable insights: Hear the latest from key stakeholders in government, and across the public and voluntary sectors.
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
For more information and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris Mott at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here
