Welcome to the 10th edition of the SSCP Business Unit communication update! We thought it would be better, rather than sending several separate e-mails that we try and combine them all together into an easily digestible update. Please take a moment once you have finished reading to share this update with your colleagues and that you can sign up to the SSCP mailing list through the website.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contents
- UK Emergency alert service test: keeping you safe
- Joint Family Reviews published
- Prevent Training
- Steer Clear - New delivery model
- Shropshire Early Help Newsletter
- 'Championing Race Equality in Mental Health Services' - Opportunity to join Midland Partnership Foundation Trust's Lived Experience Advisory Group
- Joint Training
- West Mercia Police Fraud Bulletin - August 2025
- Partners in Care & Health Webinar on Sexual Exploitation and Safeguarding Adults
- Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service "Look and Refer" training
- Understanding your Child Groups: Sleep Tight and Parenting Help and Support line group details
- Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway: Webinar and Training dates
- Have you got something you want to share?
______________________________________________________________________________________
UK Emergency alert service test: keeping you safe
On Sunday 7 September a nationwide test of the UK’s emergency alert service will take place. For 10 seconds, your phone will vibrate and there will be a loud siren sound.
If you have a phone hidden from an abuser, you should turn this alarm off to keep you safe.
To opt out, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Severe alerts’ and ‘Emergency alerts’. On some devices, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off ‘Extreme threats’, ‘Severe threats’ and ‘Show amber alerts’.
If the above changes don’t work, you should contact your device manufacturer.
Refuge’s tech team put together short videos explaining how to turn alerts off:
· iPhone
· Android
___________________________________________________________________________________
Joint Family Reviews published
The Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and Safeguarding Adult Reviews for Family A and Family B have now been published on the SSCP website here. Please ensure that you disseminate the learning to your teams.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prevent Training
Shropshire Channel Panel have asked that professionals in Shropshire ensure that they have completed Prevent training as soon as possible. Prevent is part of the Home Office led CONTEST strategy designed to stop people becoming Terrorists – you can find more information on the SSCP website
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Steer Clear – New Delivery Model
As summer is coming to a close and term begins, The Children’s Society wanted to update you on Steer Clear’s new delivery model as of September 2025. If you think it would be useful for one of the Steer Clear team to do an input to explain the service in more detail with your teams, please contact Rachel Barry.
Criteria:
· 10-17yrs across all areas in West Mercia
· Offered to YPs who are on the periphery of becoming involved/further involved in knife crime. i.e. showing an interest in knives, hanging around associates known to carry or YP who has been carrying a knife
· YP must have no knife crime related offences OR will be NFA’d if Steer Clear take the YP on (although please make this clear on a referral form so I’m aware!)
· We are able to work with YPS who are LAC, who have SGOs and social workers etc
· Other offences or bail – please get directly in contact to discuss first
121 support:
· The Society have 121 practitioners across West Mercia who will work with YP for up to 6 months.
· Topics which will be covered: dangers and consequences of carrying knives, developing self-regulatory skills, online harms/accessing violent content and building positive/healthy relationships.
· Practitioners will also support them into sustainable diversionary activities funded by The Children’s Society.
Referral Link: Steer Clear | The Children's Society
Group Work:
Ahead of the next academic year the Society are looking to make some tweaks to some group workshop delivery to ensure they can offer more in-depth and more intensive intervention.
- 4 weeks intervention delivered in school (1x50min session per week).
- Topics which will be covered: risks/consequences of knife crime, the law on knife crime, hearing from somebody with lived experience, online harms, emotional regulation, resolving conflict
- The Society are aiming to deliver this to young people in groups of approx. 8-10 young people who are at risk of becoming involved in knife crime (i.e. are associated with other people who may carry, involved in ASB etc, but have not carried a knife themselves).
- Level of risk in these groups are generally very low. We would advise that young people who may be further involved in knife crime/would benefit from longer-term intervention go through our referral pathway for 121 support (up to 6 months)
Please get in touch with Rachel Barry directly for school groups you wish to refer.
Parent & Professional Support:
This is not a part of the core offer, but the Society understand there may be groups of parents/professionals in schools and communities who would be keen to understand how to hold trauma-informed conversations with their children about knife crime. Therefore, the Society are happy to facilitate training if this is something of interest.
They can offer sessions in school/community which cover the following:
- Discussing why young people may choose to carry a knife
- Understanding the teenage brain in relation to knife crime
- Practical measures that could be actioned if a knife is found in the home – i.e. reporting/locations of knife bins
- Local signposting
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shropshire Early Help Newsletter
For the latest version of the Early Help newsletter please follow this link – Early Help Newsletter August 2025.
______________________________________________________________________________________
‘Championing Race Equality in Mental Health Services’ - Opportunity to join Midland Partnership Foundation Trust’s Lived Experience Advisory Group
‘If you are passionate about influencing your local mental health services, walk with us on this journey and join our diverse, supportive and inclusive Lived Experience Advisory Group
We welcome people (of any age) who are:
· Service users or carers
· From a racially or ethnically minoritised community
The Trust want to better the needs of your communities by inviting you to share what matters to you, whether this is something that works well or any challenges you have experienced.
No prior knowledge is necessary - your lived experience is what matters, and the Trust provide all the support you need
The next meeting is on Thursday the 25th of September from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
If you are interested in joining us or want more information, please contact Fiona Burns - fiona.burns@mpft.nhs.uk
Here are the details of the next and future meetings and a link to the Trust’s form:
· Thursday 25th September from 4.00pm - 6.00pm
· Monday 27th October from 12.00pm - 2.00pm
· Friday 28th November from 9.00am - 10.30am
· Wednesday 17th December from 12.00pm to 2.00pm
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Joint Training
The following courses have been announced by Joint Training – follow the links for more information and to book your place:
· Mental Health First Aid (YOUTH) Aware
· Introduction to Sexual Violence / Abuse
· Safeguarding Adult Awareness
· Safeguarding Children and Young People for Managers
· Children’s Exploitation Pathway
· Domestic Abuse: Empower and Protect
· Substance Misuse and Young People
___________________________________________________________________________________
West Mercia Police Fraud Bulletin – August 2025
West Mercia Police have released the August edition of the monthly Fraud Bulletin – you can find it on the SSCP website along with other information on Financial Abuse and Exploitation.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Partners in Care & Health Webinar on Sexual Exploitation and Safeguarding Adults
The PCH Safeguarding Team have scheduled a Sexual Exploitation & Safeguarding Adults webinar to take place in September.
Partners in Care & Health webinar on Sexual Exploitation & Safeguarding Adults – Thursday 25 September – 10:00am -12:00pm
This Webinar seeks to highlight opportunities and challenges in safeguarding adults who experience sexual exploitation.
Speakers draw on casework, experience, and research, providing examples of services, partnership working and tools to support practice.
Speakers:
Marie Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer of Aspirations
Amy McKenny – Strategic Commissioning Officer (Drug & Alcohol), Southend-on-Sea City Council
Gavin Butler Principal Social Worker. Cheshire West and Chester Adult Social Services and Co-chair of the Adults Principal Social Worker
Dr Alison Gardner, Nottingham University
Lisa Smith, Research in Practice
Kerry Cooke, Newcastle Adult Social Services Safeguarding Adults Manager, SPOC Adult Exploitation concerns within Adult Social Care.
To register, please click the link below:
https://lgaevents.local.gov.uk/lga/2676/home
______________________________________________________________________________________
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service “Look and Refer” training
Shropshire Fire and Rescue service have now released some new training dates for "Look and Refer" This training is designed with professionals in mind. There are 3 upcoming sessions and the links to book your place are below.
We have 3 upcoming sessions. Below are links to book onto our session via Eventbrite:
Information about the session:
Join Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service for an engaging session with their Prevention Team focused on identifying fire risks in the homes visited by professionals.
Who is it for?
This free training is designed for anyone who visits, supports or cares for people in their own home, including:
· Care professionals
· Volunteer groups
· Partner agency professionals
What we cover:
· The main causes of accidental house fires.
· Factors that increase someone’s risk of having a house fire.
· Cover the importance of home fire escape plans.
· Services provided by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
· Introduce the Online Home Fire Safety Check Tool
This is a great opportunity to boost your awareness, ask questions, speak to other professionals, and gain practical tips to keep vulnerable individuals safe from fire.
Any questions or difficulties booking onto the session, please e-mail safeandwell@shropshirefire.gov.uk
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Understanding Your Child Groups, Sleep Tight Groups and Parenting Help and Support Line details
The Parenting Teams have released several posters relating to Understanding Your Child Groups, Sleep Tight Groups and Parenting Help and Support Line details. You can find the posters on the SSCP website – could you please share with anyone who you may feel benefit from this.
For more information please contact the team directly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway - Webinar and Training Dates
The following training courses have been released by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse – you can sign up via the links below.
29/09/2025 (12:00-13:00) – Harmful sexual behaviour in online contexts.
· This webinar is suitable for all professionals working with children and young people.
16/10/2025 (15:00-16:00) – Online offending: supporting families following arrest of a parent
· This webinar is primarily for social work practitioners, but it may also be useful for any professional whose role may involve contact with children or families, including those in social care, health (primary care, mental health, accident and emergency, midwifery, health visiting, sexual health), police, adoption services, fostering services, schools and any other relevant services in contact with children, young people, parent(s) or carer(s).
05/11/2025 (10:30-11:30) Responding effectively to sibling sexual abuse and behaviour
· This webinar is for any professional whose role may involve contact with children or families, including those in social care, health (primary care, mental health, accident and emergency, midwifery, health visiting, sexual health), police, Youth Justice, adoption services, fostering services, schools and any other relevant services in contact with children, young people, parent(s) or carer(s).
20/11/2025 (10:30-12:00) Using supervision and team meetings to improve the response to child sexual abuse
· This webinar is for those who supervise or manage other staff or have responsibility for the development of others. We ask that, where possible, before the webinar you have attended or watched the recording of the following 3 webinars by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse
o The child sexual abuse response pathway
o Signs and indicators of child sexual abuse
o Communicating with children about child sexual abuse
The link to watch can be found here: Child Sexual Abuse
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have you got something you want to share?
If there is anything that you would like included the Business Unit newsletter going forward, or something you think should be linked to or shared on the website, then please let us know by e-mailing SSCPBusinessunit@shropshire.gov.uk and please include “Newsletter” or “Website” in the subject of the e-mail.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for reading and please take a moment to complete the below form on how we can improve both the newsletter, the website or how we communicate with Partners.
Or you can follow the link here. Please also consider taking a moment to give us any feedback you can on the SSCP website and remember that you can join the SSCP mailing list via the website.
The SSCP Business Unit