Please find below useful information, signposting you to support and raising awareness of current safeguarding topics. It is key to remember that safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility.

Safer Internet Day – 7th February 2023 – Safer Internet Day 2023 will take place on the 7th of February 2023, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online.

Parent Zone link – It is likely that our young people will be spending additional time online to communicate, socialise and play and it is vital that they are able to keep themselves safe online. Parent Zone are the experts in digital family life. They provide support and information to parents, children and schools, working globally to help families to navigate the internet safely and confidently. www.parents.parentzone.org.uk

​The Dangers of Gasha Studio – The NSPCC and the Police have recently shared concerns with us about a game called Gasha Studio (Anime dress up). During the game, users can choose avatars and create scenarios. Recently, a parent found a concerning screenshot on her child’s phone, which depicted a small female child character – she had labelled her ‘abused child’ – and a featureless adult labelled ‘abuser’. They appear to be in a dungeon of some kind, and the adult is holding an unknown object. The most recent reviews refer to content that includes references to child abuse, suicide, bullying and murder. Parents to be vigilant please.

Kooth – is a web-based confidential support service available to young people that provides a safe and secure means of accessing mental health and well-being support by speaking to one of the online counsellors, and/or engaging in the Kooth community which provides a range of online therapeutic support tools. Click here

Happymaps – This is a brilliant website with advice on all sorts of mental health and well-being areas, covering all age groups. Click here

St Giles Hospice – Some of our young people who have experienced bereavement have benefitted from the advice and support from St Giles Hospice. Click here

The following provides some online help and support:

Child Bereavement – Click here

Health for Teens – A website supported by the NHS on a wide range of topics from anger management and anxiety to relationships and sexual health Click here

Domestic Abuse support Click here

Mens Advice Line Click here 

If you are concerned about a child or young person in Staffordshire and want to speak to someone, please contact the Safeguarding First Response Team on 0800 1313 126 and give as much information as you can.

Parents can also access confidential support and advice through Childline on 0800 1111 via 1-2-1 chat between 7.30 am and 3.30 pm every day.

You may be aware from the media that there is a national increase in cases of Strep A and Scarlet Fever and we have received information from the Department of Health, which is attached for your information.  This details signs of symptoms of Scarlet Fever and Invasive Strep A (IGAS).  There are also links below which provide further information.

We would like to ask parents to support us in preventing the spread of viruses by reminding their child to maintain good hygiene practices including:

• washing hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap & water are not available
• wash your hands as soon as you get home
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately & wash your hands afterwards

Links for further information:

NHS – Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

This is a programme run by the Digital Poverty Alliance  ( DPA) in conjunction with Curry’s Ltd. It works like this:-

• When customers spend money with Curry’s they are asked if they would like to “round up* the amount, with the extra going to this charity.
• The Charity pays for laptops for young people (up to 16yrs.) whose families can’t afford to buy a computer of any sort.
• The laptop comes with programmes etc. ready to use and tech back up form Curry’s.

There is a very simple application form which would only take a few minutes to complete. It needs to be “verified” by a responsible person who must know the child in a professional capacity such as teacher, librarian, social worker, or accredited money adviser. The paper form is then posted to DPA who make the decision. There is no requirement to “make the case”.

There is no further involvement or input to the process and there is NO guarantee that an application will be successful and NO appeal.

For more information go to  https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/tech4families/

Curry’s were surprised at how many people were contributing and could already be giving away about 100 per week. Staffordshire is one of only a handful of areas benefiting from this programme at the moment”.

Stay Safe during the Summer Months – it’s going to be a warm one this year!

Please take 5 minutes to read the information regarding water safety for you and your family.

Drowning Prevention Week 

Open Water Safety 

Safety on our Waterways

Safety at the beach 

Water Safety Signs 

Reservoir Safety 

TikTok is a social networking app that replaced the popular Musical.ly app when it went offline in 2017. Know as Douyin in China, it gives users the ability to watch and create short clips of up to 60 seconds.  For more information on What TikTok is and how to keep your child safe – click here:

With Bonfire night fast approaching, a teenager is warning people to stay safe after he lost half a finger while playing with fireworks.

To watch the video, see the link below:

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/hard-hitting-video-shows-how-13788921

There is concern locally about the use of edibles by a small number of young people, which has resulted in some requiring medical assistance. Catch-22 have provided an information booklet about edibles, and how to support children and young people who may have access to
them.

To access this information document for parents, please click here.

Flu can be a very unpleasant illness causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness. This can last several days or more.

The flu vaccine is offered free to all year 7 to year 11 secondary school-aged young people.

For more information on the flu vaccine for young people, please click here.

The consent form for the flu vaccine can be found in the documents list on this page.