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Case Studies

Below are some of our recent client testimonials.

St Vincent de Paul Society
We have been working with The Society for nearly a year to make them a safer organisation. We provide a vast range of safeguarding consultancy and training at all levels. This includes the writing and publication of a policy and a series of procedures for both safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and establishing safeguarding structures including the introduction of safeguarding champions and named safeguarding leads. We have a long term training strategy including a cascade model through the safeguarding champions to deliver training to all levels including for example children’s camps, Board of Trustees, employed staff and volunteers.

In order to understand the Christian ethos and the ideological work of the Society we have taken time to familiarise ourselves with all aspects of the Society’s work. Visiting those in need and sitting side by side with them remains the core work of the Society. Regular visiting and personal care, with relationships based on trust and friendship are what gives the SVP its unique character. We have attended National and local SVP meetings, visiting SVP Special Projects (e.g. residential homes, soup runs and children’s camps) and the most significant part, ‘Conference’ activity, in order obtain the fullest perspective of the organisation’s Safeguarding requirements.

The Society has nearly 35,000 members who visit the needy in a wide range of settings (e.g. home, residential home, hospitals and prisons) to provide support, care and help in day to day living. The Safeguarding structure concentrates on the needs of its largest group, the members, which has been designed to mirror the ‘Vincentian’ way of approaching Justice issues, i.e. by dealing with the issues from the ‘bottom up’ not from the ‘top down’

Our involvement so far includes:
  • Writing Safeguarding Policy and Procedures for all members and Special Projects
  • Advice on SVP Safer Recruitment Policies
  • Developed SVP Safeguarding structure e.g. Designated Safeguarding Roles
  • Provide Consultancy Safeguarding advice.
  • Provide an Independent voice on the SVP Safeguarding Implementation group.
  • Provide an Independent link between the Society and its umbrella organisation the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS).
  • Design and deliver a ‘Train the Trainers’ Safeguarding course for Children’s Camp Leaders
  • Design and deliver Safeguarding Training course to Children’s Camp Leaders/Safeguarding Officers, Board Members.
  • Design and deliver training for Safeguarding Officers and Named Safeguarding Leads
  • Written and developed and began to embed the role and responsibilities of Safeguarding Officers and Named Safeguarding Leads
  • Design Children’s Camps Resource Pack
  • Provide Safeguarding items/updates for SVP newsletters/publications
  • Identify natural links between Safeguarding and Health and Safety to prevent duplication for members.
  • Audit/ support visits to monitor compliance of Safeguarding Procedures.
  • Advice to Youth SVP on Face book management
  • Introduced the concept of Safeguarding Posters
  • Designed a project safeguarding self audit and assessment tool with a view to offering support visits
Lancashire NHS Trust
Safeguarding Children Induction E-learning Module
Written and designed in partnership with the Trust’s Safeguarding Unit – to be implemented as an induction module as part of the training pathway.

Training Framework / Pathway
The aim of the training framework is to introduce blended learning and a tiered strategic approach to safeguarding children training for the Trust. We are working with the safeguarding unit to enable the Trust to reduce their delivery of basic safeguarding children training and have produced a bespoke e-learning package to replace this element. Allowing the basic awareness to be replaced with blended learning enables the safeguarding unit to train at a higher level with a more refined target audience – ensuring the needs of the wider workforce are met and good practice is shared at higher level.

Safeguarding Champions Training
A new training package designed and co-delivered with the safeguarding unit. This is a rolling integrated programme covering: induction; supervision; recording of information; roles and responsibilities of a safeguarding champion; clear definition of role; up-to-date information on policy; sharing good practice and experiences. This is facilitated in a creative workshop format which enables group learning and circular feedback into the safeguarding champion meetings and/or safeguarding committee.

Training methods include interactive reflection, celebrating examples of good practice, anchoring the value of safeguarding champion, creating confidence in the role and creating Socio Drama scenarios to explore whole organisation perspectives.

Management Safeguarding Children Training
A new training package designed and co-delivered with the safeguarding unit. This covers the following areas of responding to safeguarding issues; roles and responsibilities of a manger in relation to safeguarding children; supporting staff / supporting the service user; how, why and where the safeguarding children agenda sits within other frameworks both locally and nationally; thinking outside the box for safeguarding children.

The design and delivery of these new programmes are flexible and open to the needs of the workforce in relation to serious incidents, serious case reviews and safeguarding action plans.

Target audience: modern matrons, CMHT managers, substance misuse service team managers, psychology managers, operational service managers and directors.
Blackpool Council Safeguarding Adults Team
To ensure compliance with forthcoming government legislation to put Safeguarding Adults Boards on a statutory footing we have been commissioned to design and deliver a training course to enable Safeguarding Leads to undertake investigations of Vulnerable Adult abuse in Blackpool.

This training uses dynamic socio drama methods to recreate investigation scenes to enable participants to gain expert skills in identifying abuse, interview planning, interviewing techniques including questioning styles based on Achieving Best Evidence, risk assessment, assessing evidence, interviewing perpetrators and writing final reports. Group process facilitates the design of an Investigative Tool and Checklist to be incorporated into new policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults.
Blackburn with Darwen Council
Foster Care - Children Workforce Development Council Induction Standards Training Programme:
We designed and delivered a training programme to follow the Foster Care Induction Standards:

Standard 1: understand the principles and values essential for fostering children and young people
Standard 2: understand your role as a Foster Carer
Standard 3: understand health and safety, and healthy caring
Standard 4: know how to communicate effectively
Standard 5: understand the development of children and young people
Standard 6: safeguard children and young people (keep them safe from harm)
Standard 7: develop yourself

Strategic Framework / Training Pathway
This was a longer term piece of work to link the 3 stages of Foster Care Training, Support and Development. The Training Programme outlined above is stage 2 – we were commissioned to link this course to stage 1 Pre-approval and stage 3 Foster Carer Development. Initially it was to be presented into a report format that conveys a plan. Long term it was designed to serve a number of purposes:
  • Provide a template for administration tasks for booking venues, allocating trainers, up-dating materials etc.
  • Good Practice as outline by the CWDC such as tailoring learning and training to foster carers needs; ensuring accessibility; ensuring attendance and uptake of training; ensure flexibility and provide support and resource and capacity issues.
  • A template and document for a sustainable annual training calendar
  • Be provided in a word document that can be used for translating into a formative and understandable publicity tool for foster carers to access training and development for example; leaflets, diagrams, pictorial information, posters, booklets, etc.
Manchester City Council - Common Assessment Framework Training
The delivery of the CAF Training as outlined with the national agenda and national training programme. We deliver the training to a multi-agency audience to enable the participants to undertake the CAF process. This includes: the assessment process, the lead professional roles and responsibilities, information sharing and integrated working.
5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust
Drama Presentation for the Launch of Domestic Abuse Policy
We wrote a Socio Drama in a forum theatre style for audience participation to engage and increase awareness of the effect and impact of domestic abuse on children. The characters were played by health practitioners and it was narrated and facilitated by Athena. It was designed to encourage the audience to explore wider implications of practice in relation to domestic abuse and child protection, enabling them to learn and to analyse their practice to act as a change agent.

Throughout the production the audience were encouraged to share common group experiences or knowledge of domestic abuse which gave energy to the learning and cognitive processes. The scenes facilitated a variety of sculpts in silence and the use of narrative theory.

Training of Care Co-ordinators on Safeguarding Children and ECC
The course was designed with local specialist safeguarding children leads. It was produced using evidenced based materials sourced from the Royal College of Psychiatry Reports, National Clinical Standards as outlined in the 5 Boroughs Partnership 6th draft Safeguarding Children – Child protection Training Strategy and Framework; the Every Child Matters (Department for Schools, Children and Families) training materials; and research from Children’s Needs and Parenting Capacity (Cleaver, et al 199).

Delegates had the opportunity to explore key principles of safeguarding children and effective care co-ordination in a supportive, safe and enjoyable environment. This is a two year programme.
Hynburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service
Delivering a number of Safeguarding courses to the voluntary sector over the course of the year. We are delivering the following courses: Common Assessment Framework; Child Protection Level Two; Contact Point/ISA/Police Databases; Working with Hard to Reach Groups; E Safety; Safeguarding Children Level Three; Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Level Two.
Accent Housing - Safeguarding Training Programme
Writing new policy and procedures for Safeguarding and undertaking a bespoke training package for managers covering the following areas: legal and historical context of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults; categories and their definitions, signs and symptoms of child abuse; categories and their definitions of vulnerable adult abuse; what to do if you’re worried a child or adult is being abused; Accent Housing’s new policy and procedures for both safeguarding children and vulnerable adults; understanding of safer practice.
Safeguarding Children E-Academy - Virtual College Ltd
We provided independent consultancy for the Safeguarding Children E-Academy. This work has included regular attendance and participation in National Advisory Panel meetings. We have provided information for the writing of storyboards for e-learning modules. We have provided consultancy for reviewing, modifying and updating of e-learning modules. We were specifically commissioned to develop documentation for mapping Strategic Frameworks for Legislation, Guidance and Key Initiatives including lists for strategic relationships.

Commissioned to design and map documents as visual marketing and information tools for potential and existing customers (Safeguarding Children E-Academy Members)

E-Learning Pathway – This framework maps target audiences (based upon Woking Together to Safeguard Children 2006); Common Core and Induction Standards (Children’s Social Care) against the learning outcomes of each individual module. This will continue to grow as the Safeguarding Children E-Academy offers new modules.

Safeguarding E-Academy Strategic Triangle – Taking the E-Academy into a simple visual explanation for all.
Wrexham County Council
Safeguarding Unit / Multi- Agency Child Protection Case Conference Training

The day was facilitated through practical and creative group work exercises in the context of development and training. (For example the use of role training/role theory and socio drama was used to explore the role of the chair person and the role of each member of a child protection conference pre, during and post conference.). All exercises were based upon theoretical knowledge. Participants were given time for reflection and opportunities to explore interpersonal skills and the complex group dynamics of multi-disciplinary and inter-agency working. The day sought to assist in the role of the chairperson that is crucial to good outcomes for children and young people.

Aims:

  • To explore the role of the chair person of child protection conferences
  • To develop a local framework for chair persons’ preparation to ensure consistency and a shared responsibility
  • To develop core interpersonal skills and understanding of group processes within child protection conferences
  • For the participants to understand the process of ‘group think’ and develop skills to challenge and enhance group thinking for solutions
  • Explore case conferencing and risk measurement.
Blackburn with Darwen – Local Safeguarding Children Board
We have undertaken various pieces of work for this LSCB:

LSCB Induction Pack
To produce all materials, templates and relevant information for a comprehensive induction pack for LSCB board members. This was based upon the outline plan created on the Development Day. Liaised with all members by email, phone and when necessary face to face to gather information and ask them to supply background information. This also included taking the pack from basic word documents and transforming it into a colourful, useful and purposeful induction pack.

Section 11 Audit work
To produced a template (based upon good practice from other LSCBs) for Section 11 Audit to be undertaken for BwD LSCB member organizations. This included a summary report for the LSCB of the audit and recommendations and support for individual agencies. This section 11 audit work was designed to build upon Item 2 of the SAIT from the LSCB development day including areas of lead officers; single agency policy and procedures; clear lines of accountability; training; safer recruitment; the views of children and young people in relation to safeguarding; representation on sub committees.

LSCB Business Plan
This piece of work included writing a 2/3 page summary of the National context (section 3) for the LSCB Business Plan. It also included the production of a working document of the Actions and Priorities (section 6) under the Staying Safe Outcome. It was clearly linked with the local (CYPP) and national context of the key functions of the LSCB.
GMW Mental Health Foundation Trust
Undertaking a scoping exercise and assess training accessed by GMW staff of their Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) Levels 2/3 training. This included the following LSCB areas: Salford, Bolton, Trafford, Manchester, Wigan and Blackburn with Darwen. This was built upon Appendix two of the safeguarding children’s training strategy and included gathering information on which courses have been attended and GMW staff roles of attendance. By taking a sample of each LSCB levels one and two training we conveyed what constitutes competency, knowledge and skills at each of level one and two. This was then aligned to the six levels of the safeguarding children’s training strategy. Findings emphasised key recommendations for GMW to incorporate on to their safeguarding children’s training strategy; for example each competency level could show which courses could be accessed in each LSCB area.

This also clearly identified which elements of the training should be managed and delivered on a single agency or inter-agency basis from the perspective of GMW.
Wigan Music Services (Teachers) Wigan Local Authority
Delivery of Safeguarding Basic Awareness training – half day session.
VSM Europe Dentists North West Denary
Delivery of Safeguarding Basic Awareness training – half day session.
James Street Housing Project - Twin Valley Homes
Designed and delivered a series of workshops for Project Workers at hostel for young people covering the following areas: managing challenging situations, de-escalation/diversion techniques, managing conflict and aggression, risk management, and self strategies.

Workshops were facilitated to foster team spirit and awareness and were delivered using creative methods to challenge perceptions and encourage participants to value their own personal resources.