The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast

Do we feel skilled up enough to analyse bias in the safeguarding response in 2023? Where does it leave us in terms of our duty to safeguard the most vulnerable people in society if we are answering this question with a 'no'? If we start a review without being explicit about exactly what we are looking for we know this weakness will permeate throughout & impact on quality. How do we do this well wh...

The cost of living crisis has hit the headlines & affects us all. But some are working from a very different baseline. What we learn when we listen to their voice illuminates how much we all take for granted. How do we support in a way that avoids imposing a solution we decide is best & offer what broadens choice or empowers this service user? When we are committed to coproduction how do we show h...

What is needed in reviews in 2023? Today I'm sharing my thoughts on what we have been seeing & how I think we can improve. I will speak to the SILP Formula and clarify what I think a review with an Appreciative Focus can look like. I'm outlining the reviewer competency framework we have developed & how it applies to all review professionals.   I'm also sharing from experience in terms of the learn...

How do you avoid creating frustration for a family member or significant other who contributes to your review? The starting point is being conscious at every stage of the process. But the details are important. How late is too late to speak with the perpetrator? Who would you speak to first? Today's episode allows you to access the thoughts & principles that work in 2023 with all the choices we ha...

Are you ready to discuss the topic that is guaranteed to feature in every review you will undertake? This might be where you are highlighting multi agency collaboration as strong practice or considering where & how it could improved In today's episode I'm joined by Nick Frost who will share his ideas, including those based on a communities of practice model. This episode will be useful whether you...

How do you avoid the inevitable sense of overwhelm that pervades at the start of a thematic review? In this workshop we consider methodologies that enable the review to maintain its focus on the high level ideas.   There are other challenges around these reviews remaining inclusive & to bring them to conclusion in a timely way. Today's episode allows you to access a summary of the workshop I offer...

The show is back for season 3 & I am feeling energised & uplifted following ther success of season 2. The pressure is on to improve. So herein lies my challenge. Speaking of challenges, it goes without saying that 2023 will bring unique ones for our sector. So let's dig in & learn more. Listen in if you work in the world of Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews or Domesti...

There's no possible way forward than to be inspired by this episode. Have we normalised there being several review process which flow from a single incident? Meet Liane James, who embarked on a 5 year project to change this. Listen in if you work in the worked of Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews or Domestic Homicide Reviews and download the FREE pdf guide 'Quality Re...

Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews which analyse practice whose aim is to protect children from exploitation are called upon to make no assumptions. This dynamic & fast changing landscape is different to what it was only a year or so ago. Those who are vulnerable to exploitation, service design & the impact of pandemic restrictions have all played a part. There's no room for stereotypes. We can't...

Whether you are conducting a Child Safeguarding Practice Review, a Safeguarding Adults Review or a Domestic Homicide Review, the themes you encounter are likely to have arisen in a previous review. You may be dealing with themes encountered in the same local area. Is this a reflection on the professionalism of the sector? Does it mean reviews are a waste of time? How do national & local lessons in...

Reviews with an appreciative focus incorporate 3 intertwining strands from a variety of established theoretical & practical backgrounds. These are embedded within 4 pillars of an appreciative review. The model we have adopted in SILP reviews can be found in the link below. An appreciative focus can be applied to Domestic Homicide Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews or Safeguarding Adults...

The Key Findings from Analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews analysed 124 DHRs reviewed by the Home Office in the 12 months from October 2019.  Today's episode allows you to access the workshop with Gaynor & Davina, 2 of the authors.   This episode is important listening whether you work in the world of Domestic Homicide Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews or Safeguarding Adults Reviews. D...

Balancing the budget whilst ensuring the quality of reviews is a challenge for any commissioner of reviews. In this conversation with Robin Harper-Coulson, ex Business Manager of a Safeguarding Children Partnership, we learn more about one partnership whose journey includes the full range of experiences. Listen in to hear how an unhelpful review led one partnership on the journey to find quality &...

Relatively few review recommendations are aimed at organisational leaders. But they have the power to create change just as the frontline do. If we ignore this, we are missing part of the puzzle.   Creating a culture of confidence & support for professionals to tackle the challenges of safeguarding is worth investing in. So I suggest this conversation will be useful for anyone who works in the wor...

The stereotypes surrounding safeguarding professionals are never helpful. But they are brought into sharper focus after a high profile. The way leaders react makes such a difference. Then the media's response will shape the way the public sees the sector. Is this all just inevitable, or do we each have a part to play? The conversation is worthy of a listen for anyone who works in the world of safe...

Dive in this week if you are ready for a conversation that will make you think. What happens when we look at the individuals we work with through a new lens? Without labels & baggage, removing all the bias & predetermined views we might formulate when we look at their records. This approach isn't only for what we do in the day job. It applies all the time, but most of us don't see it as relevant f...

Now here's a golden opportunity to hear in detail exactly what a partnership does when they make a clear decision to put the practitioner at the heart of their learning activity. How do you prioritise learning from strengths without leaving behind what needs to change? What difference does it make when a chair practices active listening compared to the one who over steers? We leave no stone unturn...

Have you ever read a headline in mainstream media reporting on social workers having done a good job? If you haven't, my next question is 'how does this impact on how those professionals FEEL? I suspect this can be applied more widely to safeguarding professionals in general. This was the conversation that began with reviews then expanded into social work & the media & social work world wide. We t...

Join me for this conversation if you are open to be challenged about how you think about older people & growing older. Mervyn offers us his thoughts about a society in which stereotyped ageist assumptions abound. A topic so close to my heart, Mervyn's comments were more than enough to fuel me to continue to question & challenge what I hear, see & think. Are you ready to do the same? Whatever your...

The requirement for a stronger perpetrator focus, more robust legislation about coercive control, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme & non fatal strangulation becoming a stand alone offence. These & other important changes are becoming embedded & the action required on the ground is unprecedented. The conversation I will share with you covers the changes & how the sector is managing it, how t...

The essential, inescapable question we have to ask ourselves & be held accountable for. Are you ready? The conversation I will share with you is an eye opener. A wake up call, in a good way. It's a more gentle form of challenge than you might think, so don't be afraid. Trust me. You can dive in. Listen in to reflect with us about recommendations about training, polices & procedures, how to formula...

This episode provides an opportunity for you to listen in to a very special discussion which went deeper and into some of the far reaches of engaging with families in reviews. You will hear what happened when  a group of professionals who care deeply about honest, trauma informed family engagement aired some forthright, vulnerable, points. Acknowledging there are no absolutes, there are sometimes...

It's with much excitement that I am bringing to you the first episode of Season 2 of my podcast. You will notice some changes that come with this trailer including a change of name from the SILP School podcast to the Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast. This really shows how I am looking to go to the next level in this season. A more focused name, guests who will not only give great lea...

In this episode we have an opportunity to gain insight into what happens when a team of professionals from a partnership attend SILP training. 2 & a half years on, Margaret Tench shares with me the experience of her & her colleagues, including the challenges they have faced. Margaret also shares her advice for any team considering building reviewer capacity from with the partnership. Have you unde...

SILP works in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews & Domestic Homicide Reviews. There are many differences of approach, but the principles I share in this episode work across all 3 types of review. Creating this episode was important for me. It got me thinking. Thus, wherever you are on your practitioner engagement journey it's worth a listen. Download the pdf below for...