Safeguarding Practice Weeks

In October 2023 the Isle of Wight Safeguarding Children Partnership and Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership held their inaugural Safeguarding Children Week. The aim of the week was to enable all individuals working with children and families to feel confident in identifying the signs of abuse and neglect and to know how to record and respond to safeguarding concerns.

This week aimed to address the need for a different approach to learning from both national and Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews [LCSPRs].

LCSPRs provide valuable, in-depth insights into serious safeguarding cases, where a child has been seriously harmed or died and abuse or neglect is known or suspected. The reviews provide ‘a window on the system’ of multi-agency safeguarding practice. Find out more about learning reviews here (iow.gov.uk/learning-reviews).

The week highlighted the recurring themes or ‘perennial practice challenges’ from both national and local reviews. 

These recurring issues cut across case reviews and auditing and include themes related, but not limited, to parent-oriented issues (such as domestic abuse, mental health and substance misuse), young carers, family engagement, information sharing / exchange and professional curiosity. 

Recognising, understanding and responding to these perennial challenges is essential for effective multi agency safeguarding practice.

But understanding perennial challenges is only the first step. The true impact comes from applying this learning to practice. Multi-agency practitioners must actively integrate lessons learned and the tools to support them into their daily practice.

The Learning from Reviews Toolkit (hampshirescp.org.uk), accompanying Safeguarding Theme Overview Pack (PDF) . And additional resources provide practitioners with the information, training and tools to effectively understand and apply learning from reviews to safeguarding children on the Isle of Wight. 

Monday:  Learning from Reviews toolkit and Safeguarding Theme Overview Pack (PDF)
Tuesday: Information exchange and risk and critical thinking (PDF)
Wednesday: Family engagement, honest conversations, and professional curiosity (PDF)
Thursday: Resolution, Disproportionality and Supervision (PDF)
Friday: Myth-busting and agency responsibilities (PDF)

The Isle of Wight Safeguarding Children Partnership and Isle of Wight Domestic Abuse Partnership Board held a joint Safeguarding Practice Week in November 2025 focussing on Safeguarding Children who are Victims of Domestic Abuse. This week highlighted the importance of safeguarding children who are impacted by domestic abuse and focussed on various aspects of multi-agency practice each day, providing valuable resources to support practitioners responding to domestic abuse within families.

In the UK, approximately 1 in 5 children are victims of domestic abuse. It is vital to recognise that these children do not simply ‘witness’ domestic abuse; they are recognised by law as victims in their own right. Domestic abuse can profoundly affect a child's development, behaviour, health, education, and overall wellbeing, with impacts that can last into adulthood.

Monday: Introducing the Isle of Wight Domestic Abuse Referral Pathway [PDF]
Tuesday: Find out more about the support for children and young people [PDF]
Wednesday: Learning and Development opportunities [PDF]
Thursday: Key messages for practice, from the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's review of multi-agency safeguarding and domestic abuse [PDF] .
Friday: Launch of the Safeguarding children and domestic abuse Safeguarding Overview Pack [PDF]. This resource contains useful links to all resources and training available to support multi-agency safeguarding practice.

Throughout Neglect Safeguarding Practice Week (hampshirescp.org.uk), various aspects of multi-agency practice will be explored each day, offering valuable resources and training to support practitioners in their efforts to address neglect within families. There will also be the opportunity to learn more about the shared Hampshire and IOW Neglect Strategy and Toolkit, which has been refreshed and updated to support practitioners in their work to safeguard children.

Monday: Identifying neglect (hampshirescp.org.uk)
Tuesday: The impact of neglect (hampshirescp.org.uk)
Wednesday: Neglect Toolkit live tour and learning and development opportunities (hampshirescp.org.uk)
Thursday: Neglect safeguarding theme overview pack - resources to support with recognising and responding to neglect (hampshirescp.org.uk)
Friday: Practitioner Voice - the impact of neglect practice week (hampshirescp.org.uk)

This week-long event aimed to deepen professional understanding of child sexual abuse, share best practices and enhance safeguarding efforts. Each day focussed on a key theme, supported by practical resources, research insights and interactive learning opportunities.

Monday: Raising awareness [PDF]
Tuesday: Key messages from research [PDF]
Wednesday: Learning and development [PDF]
Thursday: Response pathway [PDF]
Friday: Local and national learning [PDF]

While safeguarding risks are often associated with the home and parenting capacity, children and young people can also face significant risks outside the home – known as extra-familial harm. These risks include exposure to drugs, gangs, youth violence and both sexual and criminal exploitation.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to extra-familial harm as they gain independence, experience increased peer influence and undergo physical, emotional and cognitive changes that can heighten risk-taking behaviours.

To address these complex challenges, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) Safeguarding Children Partnerships will be hosting a  Child Exploitation Safeguarding Practice Week  from  13-17 October 2025. This weeklong initiative is aimed at multi-agency professionals working with children and families across the four local authority areas.

Each day will focus on different aspects of multi-agency practice in tackling child exploitation, offering valuable resources, training, and learning opportunities.

Monday: What is and how to identify child exploitation and extra-familial Harm [PDF]
Tuesday: What tools are available for practitioners [PDF]
Wednesday: Learning and Development to support professionals in becoming more familiar with the information, tools and resources available
Thursday: Modern slavery, trafficking and the National Referral Mechanism [PDF]
Friday: Local Resources [PDF]