COVID-19 – next stage of roadmap

The Prime Minister has today (17/07) announced and published the next chapter in the plan to rebuild, which covers topics such as progress on vaccines and treatments, local lockdown powers, enforcement, face coverings, Test & Trace and more.

The full document can be found on the GOV.UK website.

You can also find the latest COVID-19 guidance and FAQs here. Please note that this guidance applies to England only.

Home Office news and campaigns

Victoria Atkins visit to Barnardo’s

On Tuesday (14/07), the Safeguarding Minister, Victoria Atkins, joined a virtual conversation with young people supported by Barnardo’s.

The young people shared their thoughts and experiences of lockdown with the Minister and discussed children’s safety online.

Stakeholder news and campaigns 

The Children’s Society guidance pages

The Children’s Society, in partnership with Action for Children and Women’s Aid, have produced two guidance sheets which give practical advice to young people experiencing domestic abuse in their homes or within their own relationships.

Both pages use young person friendly language to define domestic abuse and teenage relationship abuse, give examples of common signs to look out for and advice about who to talk to if they are experiencing either form of abuse. They also give advice for friends or family who are worried about another young person.

NCA-CEOP online blackmail education resource

NCA-CEOP have launched a new resource which aims to help 15-18-year olds identify characteristics of blackmail online, understand the impact it can have, and how they access help if they experience it.

The resource is a structured one-hour session designed to be delivered by professionals in schools/colleges, youth groups etc. It has been informed by the latest research, intelligence from the NCA and engagement with young people and professionals.

All Online Blackmail resources for professionals can be downloaded from the Thinkuknow resources page and there is also information and content for parents and carers.

Parent Zone hub

Parent Zone have launched a new Parent Hub, with the aim of enabling families to enjoy safer and more positive experiences online over the summer, in partnership with the Be Internet Legends campaign.

There is support available for families in the form of a regular parent newsletter about the latest resources, downloadable activities and weekly livestream sessions to help provide expert advice for parents and carers on online safety and digital resilience.

Action For Children Parent Talk hub

Action For Children has new online resources for parents of children aged 0-19. As well as articles covering common issues parents might experience, there’s a confidential 1:1 chat service with experienced parenting staff available.

For more information, visit the Parent Talk website.

Respect and Drive webchat service launch

The Respect Phoneline in partnership with Drive, has launched a webchat service to provide advice for professionals working with perpetrators of domestic abuse during COVID-19 and beyond.

The advice is available to all professionals, including:

·    probation officers,

·    social workers,

·    mental health and health care professionals,

·    domestic violence advisors,

·    police officers,

·    other professionals.

An adviser will help respond to urgent questions about working with perpetrators of domestic abuse, particularly where the perpetrators in question are high-harm and high-risk.

The webchat is available to offer free support and guidance every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday between the hours of 10am-12pm and 2-4pm. If you need this service outside of these times or want to find out more information about the service, please email [email protected].

The webchat can be accessed on both the Respect website and the Drive website.