Open Forum Events invite you to join us at the Safeguarding Children conference. This conference will highlight new developments and address some of the challenges to ensure our children are kept safe from harm and their welfare protected.
The agenda will feature expert speakers in child welfare and protection and is designed to bring together all stakeholders for a day of information sharing, discussion and networking to ensure children receive the best possible outcomes and maximise achievements.
The UK Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as: ‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.
Each organisation or agency, involved with, or working with children, have a statutory duty to have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. However, ensuring the welfare, rights and safety of children and young people is everybody’s responsibility.
The IICSA will provide an update to the ongoing work of the Inquiry and a review of the victim and survivor voices that have been at the heart of the work of the Inquiry since it began in 2015.
Anna is Partnership Manager for the Tackling Child Exploitation (TCE) Support Programme, which is a Department for Education funded consortium programme led by Research in Practice with The Children’s Society and the University of Bedfordshire. Since 2019, the programme has been supporting local areas across England to improve strategic responses to child exploitation and extra-familial harm. The programme takes an evidence-informed approach, drawing on research, practice wisdom and expertise by experience to offer high support and high challenge to support local partnership tackle child exploitation and extra-familial harm. As Partnership Manager Anna has overall responsibility for leading the programme. Prior to leading the TCE programme Anna worked for the NSPCC, developing its national approach to CSE and leading work with local, place-based, partnerships to achieve system-level change designed to prevent sexual abuse. Anna has also worked for both local and central government, leading early intervention, prevention and targeted support services. Anna is a qualified Social Worker with an early practice background in youth offending and youth inclusion and support work.
This presentation will focus on the importance of working in partnership models to tackle child exploitation, covering:
Kenny Gibson is the Head of Safeguarding for NHS England and NHS Improvement, overseeing several portfolios including Child Sexual Exploitation, Female Genital Mutilation and Looked After Children. Kenny has held various operational, management and strategic posts in both community and public health but always with nursing at the heart of these roles.
Kenny represents all clinicians and carers who resolutely and professionally deal with such matters as:
Justine Skeats, Lead Safeguarding Officer, Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) (confirmed)
Russel Knight, Head of Engagement, IICSA (confirmed)
Anna Racher, Partnership Manager, Research in Practice (confirmed)
Kenny Gibson, National Head of Safeguarding, NHS England and NHS Improvement (confirmed)
This presentation will explore the factors that drive children and young people’s behaviour, and how we can promote digital literacy, digital resilience and wellbeing so they can thrive online and offline.
Dr Sangeet Bhullar is the founder of WISE KIDS, a non-profit company which empower young people, families, communities and professionals to develop their digital literacy and expertise, sense of agency and wellbeing so that they can thrive in a connected world. She believes that online access, digital citizenship education a (which promotes agency and empowered online participation) and wellbeing are vital if society is truly to harness the benefits of a connected and kinder world. Sangeet has developed and delivering training programmes, led research projects, written guidance, advised schools, youth organisations and other stakeholders in the UK, Singapore and Malaysia. She is a member the Welsh Government Digital Inclusion Management Board and a Board member of Wikimedia UK. She can be found on Twitter as @sangeet
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities attempts to raise public awareness, improve policy and establish best practice in relation to safeguarding in faith settings - relevant to any community of faith, belief or religion. Faith communities play a significant part in the life of many children and their families across the UK. This presents both a great opportunity to engage with children in the context of their families like no other organisation, group or network as well as placing a significant responsibility upon them to do this well in their efforts to safeguard those children. This keynote explores: what are the key challenges for faith communities in this level of involvement in children's lives? What contribution can we expect to see faith communities making to the overall multi-agency safeguarding effort? What lessons can we learn from where faith communities have failed to protect children?
Justin Humphreys has over 30 years experience working with children and families. He is CEO at the safeguarding charity thirtyone:eight, Chair of the Christian Forum for Safeguarding and Principal Advisor to the APPG on Safeguarding in Faith Communities (for whom thirtyone:eight act as the secretariat).
The presentation will give an important introduction and overview of the complexities of sibling sexual abuse, the discussion will include:
Dr Sangeet Bhullar, Founder and Executive Director, WISE Kids (confirmed)
Justin Humphreys, Chief Executive, Thirtyone;eight (confirmed)
Amy Adams, Project Officer on the RCEW sibling sexual abuse project , Rape Crisis England and Wales (confirmed)
Miriam will be sharing a case study which is an example of good multi-agency working between colleagues in education, children’s social care, police, health and LADOs in three local authorities. This is a case study regarding a self-employed nanny who sexually abused eleven children in six different families across two local authorities. It will outline the timeline of events and actions taken by each agency to safeguard the children. We will then move into reflections around the childhood experiences of the offender and their presentation at the time of offending. The session will conclude with a discussion around practice dilemmas and sharing learning.
Miriam Williams, Local Authority Designated Officer, West Sussex County Council (confirmed)
Tim McDougall, National Professional Advisor for Children and Young People, Care Quality Commission (CQC) (Confirmed)
Jacqueline Rogers, Transition Lead Nurse, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (Confirmed)
Pendulum Hotel & Manchester Conference Centre is the ideal solution when searching for conference venues in Manchester. Top-of-the-range conference suites, 3 star value hotel accommodation, delicious dining and friendly service are the ideal components for a successful conference or event in the heart of the city centre.
The 18 conference rooms are decked out with all the mod cons including state-of-the-art AV technology, projectors and screens, free Wi-Fi and flip charts. Our clients cover the whole spectrum and include government organisations, trade unions, large corporate companies, non-profit organisations, health and education sectors and small to medium-sized businesses.
From the get-go we strive for excellence in everything we do and our dedicated team of conference professionals go all out to make sure your conference, event or exhibition runs like clockwork.
14-19 Partnership Teams
Academics and Researchers
Director/Heads Adoption and Fostering Agencies
Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinators
Asylum and Immigration Officers
CAFCASS
Care Leavers Champions
Central Government Departments and Agencies
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practitioners
Child and Educational Psychologists
Child Protection and Safeguarding Teams
Child Protection Officers
Children’s Health Service Professionals
Children’s Services Officers
Heads of Children’s Trusts and Children’s Centres
Commissioning Managers
Community and Voluntary Organisations
Community Development Managers
Director/Heads Connexions and Jobcentre Plus
Director/Heads Corporate Parenting Boards
Designated Nurses and Health Advisors for Children in Care
Director/Heads Local Education Authorities
Director/Heads Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards
Director/Heads Local, Regional and National Health Services
Director/Heads Looked After/Children in Care Teams
Director/Heads NEET Strategy Teams
Director/Heads Permanency Teams
Director/Heads Regional Adoption Agencies
Director/Heads Welfare Rights Organisations
Directors/Heads of Children and Young People’s Services
Domestic Violence Co-ordinators
Director/Heads Drug and Alcohol Action Teams
Early Years and Childcare Practitioners
Education and Welfare Officers
Education Providers
Director/Heads Employment and Training Services
Families Services Officers
Family Intervention Project Workers
Family Pathfinder Workers
Family Placement Teams
Family Support and Outreach Team Leads
Heads of Children’s Strategy
Members of Health and Wellbeing Boards
Director/Heads Homelessness Teams
Director/Heads Housing Service Providers
Local Authority Officers and Councillors
Looked-After Children Team Managers
Members of Police and Fire Service
Mental Health Practitioners
Post Adoption Support Services Leads
Psychotherapists
Residential Children’s Home Managers
School Nurses and Health Visitors
Schools, Colleges and Further Education Providers
Social Workers and Social Services Officers
Director/Heads Supported Housing Teams
Teachers and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators
Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinators
Third Sector Representatives
Youth Inclusion Teams
Youth Workers and Youth Offending Teams
