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Faith Groups

Warwickshire Safeguarding work in partnership with community faith groups in Coventry and Warwickshire, raising awareness of safeguarding amongst different faith groups.

Safeguarding in Sport

Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire (CSW) Sport is committed to promoting the safety and welfare of children and young people engaged in sporting activities across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire. It aims to contribute to safeguarding children and young people by:

  • Meeting the requirements of the Standards for Safeguarding and Protection of Children in Sport (CPSU 2002)
  • Implementing and demonstrating best safeguarding practice when staff, volunteers or others are providing services, activities and programmes for children and young people
  • Working with partners to establish and implement agreed, consistent minimum safeguarding standards for sporting activities across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire
  • Requiring those individuals or organisations that are funded or commissioned to provide any service for children and young people to effectively address safeguarding requirements
  • Maximising it’s influence to promote safeguarding practice and principles within its wider partnership roles and relationships

Think Active (Formally CSW Sport), in partnership with Sport England, NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Local Safeguarding Partnerships in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire have developed a set of "Keeping Sport Safe! Guides":

  • A guide for Children and Young People
  • A guide for parents and carers
  • A guide for sports coaches and leaders
  • A guide for sports clubs

All these guides are available from Think Active (Formally CSW Sport).

Private Fostering

What is Private Fostering?

Private fostering is an arrangement made by parent(s) (or someone with parental responsibility for the child) for someone who is not a close relative*, to care for their child for a period of more than 28 days.  It applies to children under the age of 16, or 18 if disabled.

A young person may choose to live elsewhere.  If they are under 16 (18 if disabled) and living with someone who is not a close relative*, for more than 28 days, this is also private fostering.

The local authority has a legal responsibility to assess and monitor private fostering arrangements.

A private foster carer is not someone who has been formally asked by the local authority to look after someone else’s child.

*A close relative is a grandparent, aunt, uncle, step-parent, brother or sister.

Organising a Private Fostering Arrangement

If you are planning on asking someone other than a close relative to care for your child, you must inform Warwickshire Children and Families Front Door (Front Door) 6 weeks before the arrangement begins.  If you have been unable to plan for it and circumstances mean that someone other than a close relative will be caring for your child, you must inform Warwickshire Front Door within 48 hours of the care starting.

Warwickshire Social Care has a legal duty to ensure all children are cared for appropriately.  This includes safeguarding and promoting the welfare of privately fostered children.  Social Care can offer advice for parents, carers and children in respect of private fostering as well as assessing private fostering placements.

In a private fostering arrangement, parents retain parental responsibility.  This means that parents make decisions and choices for the child such as where they are educated, medical treatment and travelling abroad.  The private foster carer cannot make these decisions and cannot change a child’s name.

A Social Worker will be allocated to support you, your child and the private foster carers with the process giving you more information.

What should I do next?

Contact Warwickshire Front Door on 01926 414144 to give details of the child, yourself and the prospective carers.  A Social Worker from the private fostering team will visit you, your child and the private foster carers to assess the arrangement.  This includes considering the:

  • suitability of private foster carers and others in the household
  • suitability of the accommodation
  • the length of time the child will live there
  • the wishes and feelings of the child
  • the health and education needs of the child
  • the contact arrangements  between you and your child
  • support to complete an agreement between parent(s) and private foster carers to address the above and consider the financial arrangements

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), local authority, GP and OFSTED checks are completed on the private foster carers.  Others aged over 16 living in the private foster carers household will be subject to DBS checks.  Following the assessment, a decision is made in respect of the suitability of the placement. Notification of the decision will be sent to the parent(s) and the private foster carers.

Information for Parents/Carers

There may be times as a parent or carer when you need help, advice or information when caring for your child.  This page provides links to other local or national websites where you can access further information on a number of subjects.  It also gives advice for when children's social care or other agencies are involved with your family.  If you require further information on a subject which we have not covered, please let us know by Contact Us.

In Warwickshire, the Family Information Service provide a free information and signposting service for families with children and young people aged 0 – 25, as well as people working with families in Warwickshire.  The Family Information Service covers a wider range of family related topics such as childcare, mediation and contact, divorce and separation, finance, health, bullying, support groups and parenting support.  To contact the Family Information Service:

Telephone: 01926 742274 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To access the website, click here.

Child Protection Conference
If someone is concerned about your child they may report their concern to the local authority Children’s Services who will look into it and may contact you to see how they can help support you and your child’s needs.  A Child Protection Conference is a meeting that follows if the Social Worker is still worried that your child/children is/are at risk of being harmed.  Several leaflets have been produced for parents providing further information about a Child Protection Conference which can be accessed by clicking on the links below:
Child Protection Conferences - Guide for Parents
Going to a Child Protection Conference - a Guide for Young People
Complaints Guide for Children & Young People - Child Protection Conferences
Complaints Guide for Parents/Carers/Guardians - Child Protection Conferences
ICPC Agenda Booklet
RCPC Agenda Booklet

Other sources of information for parents and carers
Child death - Information for parent, families and carers leaflet.pdf
Action for children - support for parents
NSPCC - Postive Parenting 

Helping Your Child Stay Safe Online

The digital world is constantly changing. Many children now own or have access to a smartphone, tablet, laptop/PC and games consoles, each linking to the internet. Schools work with children raising awareness and understanding of how to use the internet safely. As parents and carers, it is also important to know how to encourage children to stay safe online or where to go if and when further advice is needed.

There are organisations that provide parents and carers with lots of information, guidance and helpful tools, raising awareness of how to keep your child safe. Recommended websites are noted below.

You can also find additional resources and information within the 'I am a child/young person' section of this website. Included are links to websites which have been designed with children in mind, providing useful information and age-related activity based resources.

 

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/dark-web-explained/

A short video has been developed for parents and carers to better their understanding of the dark web and feel equipped to talk to a young person about it should the need arise.  A British Sign Language version is also avaiable. 


https://www.brook.org.uk/topics/staying-safe-online/
Providing information and advice to help keep children safe online.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers
Tips, advice, guides and resources to help parents and carers keep their children safe online.


www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/
Cyberbullying is any type of bullying that takes place online or through smartphones and tablets and can have an impact on a child's well-being. This website provides information about the different types of bullying and gives tips and advice to reduce the risk of experiencing bullying as well as ways to get help.


https://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/sexual-abuse-learning-programme.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pp-learning&dm_i=48W7,ZQ57,3E0RPW,4H519,1 -
An online child sexual abuse and exploitation awareness learning programme for parents and carers.

www.somethingsnotright.co.uk/online-exploitation/
Providing information for parents and carers about online exploitation.


https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Support and tips to help you keep children safe online.

https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/ 
Step by step guides to help parents to set up the right controls and privacy settings on the networks, gadgets, apps, and sites children use to give them a safer online experience.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers 
Tips, advice, guides and resources to help parents keep their children safe online.

 

Latest News

Keep up to date with the latest safeguarding news.


Safeguarding Adults News

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Safeguarding Briefings

Click below for the latest briefings from Warwickshire Safeguarding!

7-Minute Briefings
Lessons Learned Briefings
Quarterly News Bulletin

Working in Partnership With

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Contact Us

Warwickshire Safeguarding 
Warwickshire County Council
Shire Hall
Market Place
Warwick
CV34 4RL

Tel:
Adults/Children's: 01926 410410

 

Safeguarding Children

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