Source: Ofsted
Date: 09 December 2020

The government has published findings from a joint targeted area inspection (JTAI) looking at how services – including children’s social care, health services, youth offending services, schools and the police – in six local authority areas in England work together to help children and young people living with mental ill health. Based on inspections carried out between September 2019 and February 2020, the report finds that: more children with mental health needs are getting the right support at the right time; and youth offending teams assessments did not always address children’s mental ill health or make the connection between children’s experiences of abuse and neglect, their mental health and well-being and their offending behaviour.

Read the press release: Joint working improving children’s access to mental health services
Read the report: ‘Feeling heard’: partner agencies working together to make a difference for children with mental ill health (PDF)

Source: Department for Education
Date: 09 December 2020

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated the Working together to safeguard children 2018 statutory guidance for England to include factual changes in relation to information sharing, homelessness duty and references to domestic abuse.

Read the guidance: Statutory guidance: working together to safeguard children

Source: Department for Education
Date: 10 December 2020

The Department for Education (DfE) is consulting on proposed changes to Keeping children safe in education 2020, the statutory guidance that sets out what schools and colleges in England should do and the legal duties with which they must comply to keep children safe. The DfE is also consulting on proposed updates to advice on Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges. The advice sets out what sexual violence and sexual harassment is, how to minimise the risk of it occurring and what to do when it does occur or is alleged to have occurred. The deadline for responses is 4 March 2021.

Read the news story: Keeping children safe in education – schools and colleges – proposed revisions 2021
Read the consultation document: Keeping children safe in education 2021: Government consultation (PDF)
Read the proposed guidance:Keeping children safe in education 2021: proposed statutory guidance for schools and colleges (PDF)
Read the proposed advice:Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges: proposed advice (PDF)

Source: Scottish Government
Date: 07 December 2020

The Scottish Government has published guidance for the safe running of organised activities for children and young people. The guidance is for organised unregulated activities and services provided indoors and outdoors for children and young people that are voluntary, third sector, parent or peer led or for unregulated providers delivering a service or activity directly to children under 18. 

Read the guidance:Coronavirus (COVID-19): organised activities for children

Source: Department for Education
Date: 09 December 2020

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its report covering data from waves 1 to 14 of the local authority survey in England to help understand the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on children’s social care. Figures show that the total number of referrals during Wave 14 (2 – 8 November) was 12% lower than the usual number at that time of year.

Read the news story:Vulnerable children and young people survey
Read the report:Vulnerable children and young people survey: summary of returns waves 1 to 14 (PDF)