newsletter-winter-2012-13

Protective Behaviours NEWSLETTER

01273 411613 training@safety-net.org.uk www.safety-net.org.uk

Edition 6 Winter 2012/13 A Safety Awareness Programme to promote safety and well-being for children, young people and families Welcome to the Protective Behaviours Newsletter for the South East Our aim is to share information, practice and ideas about Protective Behaviours.

Free PB training sessions are still available for anyone working with children & young people see our website for more details.

It’s been a really busy year for protective behaviours in Brighton. Trainings as part of health visitor and social worker teams transformation programme is continuing and will be completed in April this year. Feedback so far has been really positive, particularly regarding the workbook and we would really appreciate those who have done the training to complete the survey monkey evaluation when they receive it.

Other teams who work closely with social workers and health visitors are also receiving PB training.

For example learning mentors and family intervention coaches, which means that there’s much better integrated work being achieved as far as PB is concerned.

Protective Behaviours Network Meetings The network meetings are a perfect opportunity to get together and share ideas and practice around Protective Behaviours. Details of our next meeting: Thursday March 21st Time: 10.00 – 1.00 with lunch provided Venue: Central Brighton TBC To book a place, please go to the following link: http://pbnetworkmar13.eventbrite.co.uk/

Feeling Good, Feeling Safe The Feeling Good Feeling Safe groups (PBs for parents) are continuing to be rolled out to all the children centres across the city. Hangleton and Hollingbury CCs completed successful courses at the end of the year whilst Moulsecoomb and Tarner CCs are running them regularly.

See our website for clips from the Feeling Good Feeling Safe film. Anybody wanting a copy of the DVD can contact us A new website has started for anybody who uses protective behaviours, there‘s a directory of trainers and a forum share ideas and resources: www.pbpeople.org.uk

Synergy Over the summer we adapted the FGFS course for Synergy, a creative drop in group for mental health service users, with very positive feedback, more evidence that PBs is suitable to a wide range of settings and issues. And an opportunity for some great art work.

Protective Behaviours NEWSLETTER Edition 6 Winter 2012/13 page 2

Safety Awareness Programme to promote safety and well-being for children, young people and families Participation Safety Calendars to go to 4070 families in the city The theme of Safety Net’s 2013 calendar is ‘Children’s Voices’, which explores the safety issues identified by children and young people who have taken part in consultation activities over the last 3 years.

“Too often younger children are not included when considering the voice of the child, which is why we have particularly focused our work around 8 – 13 year olds. We have been working with people, from commissioners to local councillors and residents, in neighbourhood meetings to make sure that their voices are heard”. Terri Fletcher, Director of Safety Net. Participation Worker Emma Lacey, who has been carrying out the consultation work said “It has been a brilliant and busy 3 years. Our calendar for 2013 is packed with views and advice written by children and young people. It is hoped that it will prompt families to talk about children’s safety worries and what can be done to help them to feel and be safe.

The 4070 “Safety Rocks” Calendars have been distributed to families via Children Centres and Primary schools across Brighton and Hove. In addition to this Safety Net have free Safety Posters to give away to local families, schools and youth groups. Please contact them on 01273 411613 or email emma.lacey@safety-net.org.uk if you would like to place an order.

On Thursday 22nd November 2012 the children and young people’s team held their annual event which this year was called The Safety Bug Ball. Approximately 160 children and young people from primary and secondary schools around Brighton & Hove and 40 adults (including Brighton and Hove’s Mayor Bill Randall and local councillors Sue Shanks, Gill Mitchell and Andrew Wealls) attended the event at the King Alfred’s Ballroom. The bug theme continued inside with a glorious bug garden, everyone wearing bug deely boppers and many of the Safety Net team dressed up in bug garms.

This year we had an Olympian theme with gold, silver and bronze awards being given to groups and individuals for their engagement with child safety.

The group winner of the bronze award was Downs Junior School who have thrown themselves in with full enthusiasm. The silver award went to Somerhill Primary School who have been having SNAP trainings for some time and had buddy trainings recently – the school and Silvie Arnone have been very enthusiastic! The gold award went to St Andrews who have taken up children’s safety wholeheartedly, rolling out protective behaviours across their year six, with 60 playground buddies, having delivery of personal safety days and SNAP sessions regularly – they really are a child safety conscious school.

The individual bronze award went to Bethany Waite who has recently become a member of the children’s board. Silver went to Joseph Mitchell from Somerhill Juniors School for being a true friend and buddy, and the gold was won by Richard Wooton from Longhill Secondary School for the leaps and bounds he has made in confidence.

Finally we gave out awards to people we felt deserved the title of Safety Ambassador – these were bronze to Claire Wheeler who has supported her daughter and other members of the children’s board to get to their meetings by providing lifts, silver went to Cllr Andrew Wealls for the great work he has done with Emma at St Andrews in helping to make their local community safer and finally the gold went to Hanna Parsons, a long term member of the children’s board for all the effort and time she has put in to support the safety of other children and young people in the city.