Past Safeguarding Forums

Past Safeguarding Forums

The Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Board has held five online Forums since November 2021. Each event looked at different safeguarding issues and how we can work together to improve outcomes for children and vulnerable adults. 

5. Understanding the impact of trauma: considerations for those working to safeguard children and adults

The Safeguarding Forum introduced the audience to what trauma is and how it can create a barrier in accessing and engaging with services. It looked at trauma in different life stages and implications for trauma informed practice across agencies. The presentations given are below:

• What is trauma? – ‘An overview of Trauma Informed Practice’ - Dr Warren Larkin, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Visiting Professor University of Sunderland
• Trauma in the Early Years (0-5 years) - Dr Amelia White and Abby Vines, Educational Psychologists, Bracknell Forest Council
• Understanding and supporting young hearts (children aged 5-13 years) - Tracy Head – SEMH & Inclusion Team Manager and Fiona Marshall – Behaviour Support Specialist Teacher
• Adolescents and young adults – using trauma informed principles.- Steve Bailey, Head of Service: Youth Justice, Bracknell Forest Council
• Thinking about trauma and older people - Dr Emma Barnett Clinical Psychologist Bracknell Older People’s Mental Health Team
• Vicarious trauma and resilience in staff - Dr Estelle Moore, Head of Psychological Services, West London NHS Trust

4. Safeguarding: Supporting People / Avoiding Assumptions

This Safeguarding Forum, held on 11 July 2023,  focused on how people interact with the services available to them and the assumptions that can sometimes be made by the professionals working with them. Here is a copy of the presentations given:

• Unconscious Bias - what we need to be aware of - Kate Spreadbury (Independent Lead Reviewer)
• Early Help - the Bracknell Forest approach - Early Help Team from Bracknell Forest Council
• Supporting residents through the Financial Hardship Forum - Sarah Walker the Social Justice Lead from Kerith revive /Chair of Financial Hardship Forum
• Public Health Social Prescribing Service - The  Bracknell Forest Public Health Team plus the Summer Activities Programme 
• Transitioning from child to adult services - Brian Boxall, BF Safeguarding Board Independent Chair

3. Cost of Living - 22 November 2022

The cost-of-living crisis is expected to increase safeguarding risks to vulnerable children and adults with the problem getting worse this winter. Therefore, the Safeguarding Boards across East Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough) hosted an on-line Safeguarding Forum to look at how we can help to prevent the detrimental impact and identify what support is available to help those that need it.  Here is a copy of the presentations given:

• County Lines and Exploitation by Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit
  • Interview with a drug dealer
• Domestic Abuse and Cost-of-Living Crisis by The DASH charity
• Cost-of-Living: An East Berkshire Perspective by Citizen's Advice East Berkshire
• Understanding and Responding to Self-Harm by CAMHS Rapid Response Team
• Safeguarding Support for Cost-of-Living Crisis by Healthwatch East Berkshire
• Learning from case reviews:
  • Bracknell Forest
  • Slough
  • Windsor and Maidenhead

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2. Raising Awareness of Hidden Harm and Support for Carers - 8 June 2022

This online event helped attendees learn about hidden harm for families living with dementia, child to parent abuse and those struggling with substance misuse and hoarding issues.  There was also information about carers and where help is available.  Presentations from the Forum can be accessed below:

• Hidden harm in families living with dementia, Mari Longworth and Vicki Brown, Bracknell Older People's Mental Health Services (CMHT OA)
• Child to Parent Abuse, Michelle John, PEGS
• Hidden Harm: Substance Misuse, Sundeep Saundh, Drugs and Alcohol Service
• Hoarding Disorder, Darci Hellend, Safeguarding Support Officer, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Charlotte Rolfe, Silva Homes
• Introduction to Healthwatch, Nick Durman, Healthwatch
• Support for carers in Bracknell Forest, Chris Taylor, Signal for carers 
• Young Carers in Bracknell Forest, Darren Berry, Senior Youth Worker, Bracknell Forest Council
• Who's in Charge? Programme, Kirsty Richardson and Elly Wrighton, Children’s Social Care, Bracknell Forest Council

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1. Raising awareness of safeguarding and how to recognise and report abuse - 17 November 2021

A number of speakers highlighted local safeguarding issues, why awareness in the community is so important and how to foster a positive safeguarding culture.  We shared what can be learned from local case studies and how we can work together to improve outcomes for children and vulnerable adults. Presentations from the day included:

Session 1: Raising awareness of safeguarding and reaching all communities
Safeguarding in Early Help
Safeguarding People in Adult Social Care
Children in mental health crisis at Frimley Health sites
Hospital Navigator Scheme

Session 3 and 4: Supporting the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS) and Introducing the new self-assessment tool
Supporting the CVS and the self-assessment tool

Session 5: Why safeguarding and learning together is important
ASC case study on risk framework
CSC case study

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Other useful resources

We have two videos which raise the importance of safeguarding from health and Bracknell Islamic Cultural Society (BICS)

Our self-assessment tool has been designed to help organisations look at their safeguarding responsibilities in a proportionate response.  The four areas should be considered alongside the multi-agency guidance for adults and children's that details the procedures and practice standards for safeguarding across Berkshire.

There is also further guidance 'Too Important to Get Wrong' to accompany the tool. 

Our Safeguarding Children Cue Card provides details for practitioners on how to protect children and young people.