Coronavirus York Updates; 2nd June 2020

No more deaths

No more coronavirus hospital deaths have been reported this week. The total across the York and Scarborough hospitals remains at 210.

Safeguarding support for children updated and improved

Another step to further improve support for children and young people across the City of York has been taken.

Over 600 professionals from City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local health organisations have helped update guidance which extends the city’s coordinated approach to safeguarding.

This threshold document clearly sets out for all agencies consistent safeguarding assessment levels, at what point early help or intervention for a child or its family is needed, and the level or intensity of that help or intervention.

Published by City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership, the guidance builds on cross-city work already underway by York’s multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) which was set up in July 2019.

Reporting concerns about the neglect or abuse of a child is now done through the MASH and the updated contact details are:

Anyone who is concerned about the welfare of a child should contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 01904 551900, Monday to Friday, 08:30-17:00, or you can email them at: mash@york.gov.uk
For out of office hours, weekends and on public holidays you can contact the emergency duty team (EDT) on 01609 780780 or email: edt@northyorks.gov.uk
Referrals can also be made online at https://www.saferchildrenyork.org.uk/concerned-about-a-child-or-young-person.htm
If a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm call the police on 999.

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York chosen to lead on national safeguarding children arrangements

York has been chosen as one of only 17 areas of the country to trial new safeguarding arrangements for children and young people.

The Government has introduced a new guidance around safeguarding children this month, which sets new legal requirements for Children at risk of abuse or neglect to be protected through improved partnerships between local police, councils and health services.

York has been chosen as an ‘early adopter’ under the new guidance: an area which will work with the National Children’s Bureau to implement new local safeguarding arrangements before they are established across the rest of the country.

The 17 areas will develop new and innovative approaches to set up partnership safeguarding processes and share best practice with other areas, before they adopt new arrangements in the next 12 months.

The work of City of York Safeguarding Children Board was assessed as ‘Outstanding’ in an independent review by Ofsted in December 2016.

The focus of York’s work as an early adopter will be to fully engage schools with the new safeguarding arrangements. This will build on and extend the existing strong partnership between the city’s schools and the Safeguarding Children Board. Schools play an important role in keeping children safe and the work being undertaken will ensure that they remain central to the city’s safeguarding arrangements.

Simon Westwood, chair of City of York’s Safeguarding Children Board, said: “I’m really pleased that York has been chosen to help shape the future safeguarding children arrangements in this country. It’s testament to the hard work and dedication of all the organisations who have worked together tirelessly over a number of years to help protect children and young people across the city.”

Safeguarding Week 2018 in York

From the 25 to the 29 June, York will be promoting Safeguarding Week 2018, organised by the Safeguarding Adults Board and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board in collaboration with a variety of local organisations. This is an opportunity to raise awareness and share in a city wide conversation about the work of safeguarding partnerships across the region and the prevention of dangers concerning vulnerable individuals in the 21st century.

This year the Safeguarding Adults Board. and City of York Council have chosen to focus awareness on financial abuse. Over the course of the week, there will be a variety of opportunities to learn about available support and preventative measures you can take at events across the city and via our social media channels.

Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health said:
“It is so important for all of us to educate ourselves as to the risks of financial scams and the realities of financial abuse. Safeguarding Week is an opportunity to inform our residents of how to protect themselves and their loved ones from the devastating effects of this kind of abuse and to safeguard the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Financial abuse can show itself in a multitude of ways; from financial control within a relationship, to the targeting of vulnerable individuals from organised crime groups in the form of financial scams. It is important to stay informed and educated in order to notice when something doesn’t look quite right.

The month of June also marks Scam Awareness month, an annual opportunity to both raise public awareness and stand against crimes and predatory practices which impact the lives of millions across the country.

Visit citizensadvice.org.uk for more information and resources on preventing, spotting and reporting scams. (more…)

York makes safeguarding everybody’s business

Helping everybody understand that safeguarding is their business is a line-up of events from the York partners joining in national Safeguarding Week from 9-13 October.

The Safeguarding Boards for Adults and Children and Safer York Partnership along with partners such as City of York Council, York Hospital, CVS, domestic abuse experts IDAS, North Yorkshire Police and The Retreat have published a programme of activities and seminars to help put the safeguarding of children and adults firmly at the fore of residents’ and professionals’ minds.

Mindfulness courses and ‘Confident parent, confident child’ and ‘Fit food, fit kids’ classes from York Learning are available from the council and will be promoted during the week.

The NHS Trust’s children and adult safeguarding teams will be on hand at York Hospital throughout the week to chat and meet visitors’, staff and patients alike.
Two introductory courses on safeguarding adults, plus a chance to ask questions on adults at risk, will take place on 11 October at the Gateway Centre, Front Street, Acomb, and on 13 October at Tang Hall Community Centre from 2-4:30pm. Please book a place with Penny.hutchinson@york.gov.uk
Nelli’s Cafe at New Earswick Methodist Church will host a drop-in question and answer session with the chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board Kevin McAleese on 11 October from 10am-12noon.
Come and chat about the ‘Strength and Wellbeing’ display in North Yorkshire Police’s mobile depot in Parliament Street on 11 October – when council staff will join them – and on 13 October from 9am-4pm.
IDAS will run a workshop on healthy relationships for practitioners working with children and adults on 11 October.
On the same day York CVS will run a seminar on the lasting effects of grooming which is open for workers in the voluntary sector, before holding its first ever parents’ forum run by its nursery team.
The Retreat is offering adult social services practitioners a seminar on safeguarding covering positive risk taking, partnership working and promoting positive wellbeing.

Among the social media activities by partners will be signposting services such as social prescribing which can support strength and wellbeing.

The full programme of events for Safeguarding Week is at: www.safeguardingadultsyork.org.uk
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Children’s safety in York under review

York’s 44,000 children are “safe” according to an independent report being considered by the Council next week

The annual report of the Safeguarding Children Board is likely to receive more attention than may have been usual in the past following issues arising in South Yorkshire

The report says that the number of looked after children in the city has fallen steadily in 2014- 15 from 226 at the start of the year to 195 by the end. 124 children were on a formal child protection plan at the year end. 82% of children in care felt that they were “really safe” at home.

Fewer children now live in (relative) poverty in the City than a year ago.

Other issues considered by the board included; neglect, Child Sexual Exploitation, domestic abuse, school absenteeism and female genital mutilation.

The summary report can be read by clicking here