Useful Resources & Guidance

Click here to visit the Children and Young People’s Strategic Alliance Flourish pages to view the Flourish outcomes framework and strategy.

Free Workshops - The Impact Of Drugs And Alcohol On Adults And Young People  - 3rd June 2024 Read this flyer for more information on how to book.

The Matthew Project: Unity have produced the following leaflets to help raise awareness of the support they offer to young people and their families on tackling drug and alcohol issues.

For more information on drugs you can also visit the Talk to Frank website.

Check out our Early Help page for more information.

Further information can be found at the Norfolk Early Help website.

Click here to view the Early Years safeguarding flowcharts.

Parental conflict is very common and effects many families and revolves around the everyday challenges families face, this could be around money, parenting styles, housework, etc.

It is important to know that not all conflict is a concern. There are two different types of conflict, constructive and destructive conflict. Conflict will occur for parents who are together, separated, or separating. 

Parental Conflict has been identified to have significant negative impact on children’s mental health and long-term life chances, from evidence and research developed by institutions such as Department Work and Pensions and Early Intervention Foundation.

Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk is designed to deliver comprehensive training for professionals working with families, so they can identify the early signs and indicators of:

  • Constructive and destructive parental conflict between parents
  • The difference between parental conflict and domestic abuse
  • The impact parental conflict has on children
  • How professionals can work with the family to support them
  • A practical and resourceful toolkit for professionals to use working with families

If you’re a professional and want to learn more, please follow the NSCP link below to book on to our training.

https://norfolklscp.org.uk/nscp-training-booking

This will offer you to book on to our three different training opportunities available for you to access for free:

Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk Introduction Workshop

The Introduction Awareness Workshop 1 hour training. This workshop will offer an overview of the objectives above. After completing the training, you will receive a toolkit with a wide range of practical resources, which will be available for you to use to support your intervention of reducing parental conflict for families.

Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk, One Plus One Practitioner Training

One Plus One is an evidenced-based digital specialist intervention programme. Within this package there are three areas of support available:

Me, you, and Baby too, is designed to raise awareness of the impact a parent’s relationship can have on their baby and help to prepare parents to understand what changes can/will happen within their relationship, this is to support parents to develop their communication skills to resolve conflict constructively.

Getting it Right for Children, is designed to raise parents’ awareness and understanding of how they are putting their child in the middle of their conflict, help parents to develop positive communication skills, and support parents to co-operate and work out solutions together.

Arguing Better, is designed to help parents manage their stress and communicate with one another in ways that are helpful to their relationship and their children.

This will support raising awareness in how stress can impact on relationships and parental conflict on children, increasing parents’ capacity to cope with stress, supporting parents to develop positive communication strategies to deal with conflict.

Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk, The Difference Between Parental Conflict and Domestic Abuse.

Parental Conflict is different to Domestic Abuse, and Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk is now offering a 2-and-a-half-hour workshop learning about this. This workshop will provide information and guidance between the two areas, how to approach families around appreciative inquiry conversations about their relationship, and how you can support families and their children. You will be provided with a practical toolkit on parental conflict and domestic abuse, and where to get additional support if needed.

To access any of these training sessions, please book via the NSCP or contact Roxanne McDowell, Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk Coordinator directly for bespoke training workshops, roxanne.mcdowell@norfolk.gov.uk.

In addition to our training offer we also have a platform on Just One Norfolk, where parents can access support without having any involvement from supportive services, here is the link:

https://www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/emotional-health/parental-emotional-health/every-relationship-matters-in-norfolk/

Every Relationship Matters in Norfolk believes in parenting support. We are delivering Triple P specialist intervention programme.

The Triple P Family Transitions parenting programme, is for parents who are divorced, separated, or separating. Parents will learn new ideas, techniques, and strategies to help them through the day-to-day challenges we all face in life. These ideas can help them cope with stress, anger, and change, resolve conflict, and communicate better with their ex-partner.

If you would like a request form/and or more information about the Triple P programme please contact Roxanne McDowell, roxanne.mcdowell@norfolk.gov.uk

For useful videos around parental conflict please see:

See it Differently at https://www.seeitdifferently.org/ have some useful videos which show how a child experiences conflict, and what their parents can do differently.

Family hubs can provide information, advice, and guidance to families as soon as there is a worry. They can help any family with a child or young person up to 19–years-old (25 for young people with a special educational need and/or disability).

They can also help with the worries adults may have, such as finances and mental health, which may impact on children.

There is also a Start for Life offer which provides support to parents and carers from a child’s conception until their second birthday.

Recent NSPCC research and emerging data from the NSCP and Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary highlights the scale of Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) in children and young people and the patchy, uncoordinated response to addressing it.

Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) and Norfolk Youth Justice Service (NYJS) have formed a partnership to deliver a Norfolk response to addressing HSB. The HSB project aims to create a skilled workforce, confident in assessing and intervening across all levels of HSB in children and young people.

The HSB project will be providing a range of training in relation to HSB from improving basic skills in recognising HSB to specialist bespoke training for professionals working with more complex cases.

Professionals will also be able to seek consultations in respect of any child under 18 living in Norfolk and Waveney where there are concerns or worries about HSB.

For further information or a case consultation, please contact the HSB team via email at hsbproject@norfolk.gov.uk

Some useful new web pages which have been launched by The Harmful Sexual Behaviour team. The team’s specialists in psychology and harmful sexual behaviour are skilled at all levels of intervention. The new webpages, which have sections for young people, parents and carers, and professionals, can be found here and aim to help the transition into more digital ways of working and provide a useful resource for professionals.

Stop It Now – Harmful Sexual Behaviour Prevention Toolkit

There is a new national initiative called Shelf Help available in all of Norfolk’s public libraries to support young people 13-18 and their friends and families if they are dealing with mental health issues and to raise awareness of common issues, including advice and information about issues like anxiety, stress and OCD, and difficult experiences like bullying, body image and exams. More information.

Useful websites and resources on online safety when supporting children and young people:

 UK Safer Internet Centre

https://saferinternet.org.uk

Provides awareness and support to children and young people, parents and carers, and the children’s workforce. The centre also coordinates Safer Internet Day across the UK. It has a helpline to support professionals working with children.

Professionals Online Safety Helpline - 0344 3814772 or  helpline@saferinternet.org.uk

CEOP-Child Exploitation and Online Protection

http://www.ceop.gov.uk

The homepage for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Provides information on staying safe online, offenders that the police are looking for and also provides a facility to report abusive contact.

Childnet

https://childnet.com

A charity who helps make the internet a safer place for children and young people. There are top tips, games, and online safety advice to help you get the best out of the internet and stay safe online. For online safety advice professionals can call 020 7639 6967 or email info@childnet.com

Thinkuknow.co.uk

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

This website, developed by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, provides information for young people on how to stay safe online.

 Get Safe Online

http://www.getsafeonline.org

Provides advice on online safety, and has specific sections aimed at parents, educators and young people.

Internet Watch Foundation

http://www.iwf.org.uk

Provides information on policy and legislation regarding internet safety. Provides a facility for reporting illegal internet content.

Internet Matters

https://www.internetmatters.org

Supports parents and professionals with all aspects of children’s digital well-being. Includes numerous guides and resources sorted by age from pre-school through to teenagers.

NSPCC-Keeping Children Safe Online Webpage

Keeping children safe online | NSPCC

SWGfL

https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/checklists/

Downloadable Social Media Checklists which set out how to go through profile settings and apply a checklist to help keep you safe online.

The Online Safety Act 2023

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/online-safety-ofcom-role-and-what-it-means-for-you

Online Safety Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)

Ofcom-Report ‘Research into risk factors that may lead children to harm online’ 2022

Research into risk factors that may lead children to harm online (ofcom.org.uk)

Understanding how to keep children safe online - Ofcom

 Action Against Terrorism-ACT

Report possible terrorist or extremist activity – Action Counters Terrorism

If online material is found which promotes terrorism or extremism this can be reported to ACT. A report can be made online.

 True Vision

Report a hate crime - True Vision (report-it.org.uk)

If online content incites hatred this can be reported online.

Tips on supporting different aged children with online safety:

Supporting Birth to-5 years

Supporting preschoolers online (0-5s) | Internet Matters (youtube.com)

Early years online safety resources - Internet Matters

Supporting to 5-7 year olds:

Digital safety at a glance - 5-7-year-olds (internetmatters.org)

Supporting young children 6-10’s years:

Supporting young children (6 -10s) online | Internet Matters (youtube.com)

Internet-Matters-Age-Guide-6-10s-Jan23.pdf (internetmatters.org)

Supporting 8–10-year-olds:

Digital safety at a glance: 8-10-year-olds (internetmatters.org)

Supporting pre-teens Supporting pre-teens (11 - 13s):

Supporting pre-teens (11 - 13s) online | Internet Matters (youtube.com)

Internet-Matters-Age-Guide-11-13-Jan23.pdf (internetmatters.org)

Supporting teens 14 plus:

Supporting teens (14+) online | Internet Matters (youtube.com)

Internet-Matters-Age-Guide-14plus-Jan23.pdf (internetmatters.org)

Below is guidance that will assist you in deciding whether a Prevent referral is appropriate and to help you make that referral if you deem that it is. The quick reference guide gives an overview whilst the Prevent Referral and Channel Guidance document provides more in depth explanation. The referral form itself provides notes to assist with completing it.

PREVENT training for NCC employees can be found on the Learning Hub.

Further information, relevant local and national documentation and Prevent resources.

Private Fostering is an arrangement whereby a child under the age of 16 (or 18 if the child has a disability) S.66 Children Act 1989 moves to live with someone for 28 days or more – who does not hold Parental Responsibility or is not a parent or a close relative. The Children Act 1989 gives Children’s Services professionals a legal duty to safeguard the wellbeing of Privately Fostered children.

If you are a Professional working within a Children’s Services Locality Team, with a child who is already allocated (active case) please refer directly to the Fostering and Recruitment Team by completing a Private Fostering Notification on LCS.

Otherwise, contact: Norfolk CADS Children’s Advice and Duty Service (Monday to Friday 8:00am to 8:00pm) 0344 800 8021.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted risks posed to babies, with nationally a significant rise in reports of children who suffered non-accidental injuries (NAIs). Norfolk itself has considered several Rapid Reviews on babies since March 2020 and published Serious Case Reviews on pre-verbal/non-mobile babies in the last two years.

The Protecting Babies strategy aims to challenge how we have, as a system, been protecting unborn and infants, help us understand if risks are exacerbated due to both lockdown and the potential long-term effects of the pandemic and look at the systemic actions we need to take to address and resolve these.

The questions we need to ask ourselves:

  • Are we predicting risk and intervening early enough?
  • Do we understand and are we responding to risks posed by COVID?
  • Are our policies still effective?
  • Are we, as a wider system, aware of and discussing at every contact the risk to babies of stressors within the family?

The strategy has four themes or workstreams:

1. Preventing Non Accidental Injuries: Building on a trauma informed approach, we will support staff to have safe and challenging conversations with families and each other to ensure practice is baby focused and risk sensible. There will be specific focus on: respectful scepticism (“thinking the unthinkable”); professional challenge and deference; and giving voice to the baby’s lived experience of care.

Dr Richard Allen, Designated Doctor Safeguarding Children in Norfolk, recently presented on the role of paediatricians in safeguarding medical examinations. You can view this presentation below.

2. Unborn babies: We will develop practice to better safeguard unborn children and address risks posed by concealed or denied pregnancy. The definition of neglect incorporates risks posed in utero and we will have transparent and challenging conversations with parents and each other to address reasons why a pregnancy may be concealed/denied, including the impact that this could have on unborn children.

3. Safer Sleeping: We will provide the training, tools and resources to families and staff from across the partnership to ensure that safer sleeping messages are delivered to and understood by families with new born babies.

4. All Babies Cry: We will provide training, tools and resources to families and staff from across the partnership to ensure that all professionals and the wider community are aware of how to support parents who experience increased stress and anxiety with clear communications under the banner of ‘All Babies Cry’.

Protecting Babies Strategy

All Babies Cry

  • Click here to visit the Just One Norfolk website for more information on the All Babies Cry Campaign.

Safer Sleeping

Useful Resources

  • Me, You and Baby Too is an online programme designed to help expectant and new parents cope better with the relationship changes they may experience when a baby arrives. There is also an accompanying professional guide.
  • Parent’s Emotional Health Advice & Support – Emotional health shouldn’t only be focused around children and young people – visit Just One Norfolk today for advice and support on parental wellbeing.

For any families needing help and advice with their baby, they can call 0300 300 0123, text 07520 631 590 or visit JustOneNorfolk.nhs.uk.

What is a young carer?

  • A young carer is a person under 18 who provides practical and/or emotional support for another person, usually a family member because of a health condition. They may be providing care for a parent, grandparent or guardian, or helping their parents care for another child in the family.
  • The person they care for may have a disability, a long-term or temporary physical or mental illness, or have issues with substance misuse.
  • There are over 5000 Young Carers in Norfolk but many are ‘hidden’ because they do not realise they are a young carer. This may be because they consider it simply is ‘how life is’, or because of fears of stigma/other people becoming involved in their situation.
  • Being a young carer can have a significant impact on their physical and mental health, educational attainment and their transition into adulthood.

What support is available for young carers?

Norfolk County Council have commissioned a specialist support service for young carers and their families across Norfolk, looking after the needs of the young carer themselves, as well as the whole family. The Young Carers & Family Service is a partnership of voluntary sector organisations, young carer groups and youth work providers. The partners are:

• The Benjamin Foundation
• Caring Together
• GYGYC
• Holt Youth Project
• MTM Youth Services
• Suffolk Family Carers
• Voluntary Norfolk
• West Norfolk Carers

Young carers or any member of their family can ask for support directly, or a professional such as a teacher, youth worker or GP, can make a referral on their behalf. Call the Carers Matter Norfolk Advice Line if you are seeking or would like to discuss support for yourself or for someone else. It is FREE to call and advisors are available 7 days a week. 0800 083 1148 You can also make an online referral at www.youngcarersmatternorfolk.org

You will find more details about the Young Carers service, the partners and other young carers groups and support available, including information about Young Carers Needs Assessments and Young Adult Carer Transition Assessments in this Sources of Young Carers Support in Norfolk which has been prepared by Caring Together and their Norfolk Young Carers Forum project.