Welcome Wendy Guest - Safety Net Protective Behaviours ESCC Conference Working Together to Keep Children Safer 1

An overall understanding of the Protective Behaviours programme as a framework for staff and clients to stay safe An experience of some of the content within the training Information about the 2 day training in ESCC Aims for this Session Working Together to Keep Children Safer2

Confidentiality Challenge ideas rather than the person Value the contribution of others Take turns and participate Keep yourself safe Group Agreement Working Together to Keep Children Safer 3

Is a living skills and personal safety programme. It is about the right to feel safe and the right to talk about times when we feel unsafe. It is a process that can be used to help people to feel and keep safe in different situations by developing a range of safety tools and skills Protective Behaviours Working Together to Keep Children Safer4

We All have the right to feel safe all of the time The two themes Working Together to Keep Children Safer 5 We can talk with someone about anything even if it’s awful or small

History and Overview Safety & Wellbeing Feeling Safe/Unsafe Early Warning Signs Having Adventures Problem-solving Protective Action Support Networks Working Together to Keep Children Safer6

“We can’t expect children and young people to deal with a situation of considerable stress or risk unless we have laid a foundation of core safety skills” (Dr Stephen Briers) The core skills are:- 1.Emotional Literacy 2.Assertiveness 3.Problem-Solving 4.Social Capital Core Skills for improving outcomes for children & young people Working Together to Keep Children Safer7

Information & skills based vs behavioural techniques Transferable skills Rights and empowerment For sexual abuse prevention, specific information rather than abstract concepts Are reinforced by an active network of informed, supportive adults Dr Stephen Briers (2008) ;Child Abuse Review (1994,1997) NSVRC, (2011) Safety & Abuse Prevention Programmes: key lessons Working Together to Keep Children Safer 8

1.RESILIENCE: emphasis on awareness and management of feelings, building self-esteem and well-being, problem-solving skills and social connections 2.RIGHTS & Responsibilities: programme explores our own and societal values, awareness of our rights and assertive responses; 3.RISK & Safety: developing awareness of safety, empowering people to make safer choices, deal with difficult situations and recognise and manage risk; includes specific abuse prevention tools Core elements of the PB Process Working Together to Keep Children Safer 9

Understand the theory and framework of Protective Behaviours by exploring its two key themes Develop increased safety awareness skills for staff and clients and identify how risk taking fits within this model Demonstrate improved knowledge and skills in working with children and families to help them develop their safety awareness and protection skills Build a toolbox of strategies and resources for use with children, young people and families Protective Behaviours 2 day training Working Together to Keep Children Safer10

Protective Behaviours Problem-solving: Feelings-Thinking-Behaviour Theme 1: We all have the right to feel safe all the time Theme 2: We can talk with someone about anything, even if it feels awful or small The context to safety: Unwritten Rules 7 PB Strategies Language of Safety Persistence Risking on Purpose One Step RemovedProtective InterruptionNetwork Review Theme Reinforcement

o Protective Behaviours training delivered as part of the Transformation Programme to 175 health visitors, early years visitors and children’s social work staff o 1:1 resources developed for social work teams o Feeling Good, Feeling Safe group work programme for parents rolled out to Children’s Centres across the city o Feeling Good Feeling Safe is now being rolled out in B&H schools as part of PHSE o General PB training Programme available to all CYP and families workforce The Brighton & Hove experience Working Together to Keep Children Safer 12

49 parents took part in FGFS groups over the period of 1 year 73% of participants showed an improvement in feeling that they had skills to keep themselves and their children safe 67% showed a significant improvement in their ability to cope with difficult situations and emotions and talk about feelings 59% found it easier to recognise when they felt unsafe and showed improvements in relationships within their family Feeling Good Feeling Safe Groups Working Together to Keep Children Safer 13

“ being able to talk freely with my son and controlling my anger, really makes me feel happy and safe” “ I enjoyed the course, it has given me confidence and understanding about being safe and keeping my children safe” Feedback from Children’s Centre staff indicates that the FGFS course was a useful stepping stone for parents to access other more formal parenting courses and in some cases moved parents out of child protection procedures Feeling Good Feeling Safe Groups Working Together to Keep Children Safer 14

1.Safeguarding Agenda 2.Children’s Rights Agenda – UN Convention of the Rights of the Child 3.Healthy Child Programme DOH 4.Emotional Literacy Programmes – SEAL, PHSE Early Years Foundation Stage P. B. ’s Links to….. Working Together to Keep Children Safer 15

What comes to mind when you think about SAFETY? SAFETY Working Together to Keep Children Safer16

Theme 1 – Developing Safety Awareness Working Together to Keep Children Safer17 “We All Have the Right to Feel Safe all of the Time”

Theme 1 – Developing Safety Awareness Working Together to Keep Children Safer18  Write about or draw a place that is special and safe for you  It can be real or imaginary  If you can’t think of one for yourself - imagine one for someone else  What is it about this place that makes you feel so safe are there any particular colours,sounds, smells, textures or even tastes?

Safety Continuum Safety = Choice + Control + Time Limit

Early Warning Signs or Uh oh Feelings Why might someone ignore their early Warning Signs?

Feelings - The F Word “If we train children to be aware of their emotions then they are much more likely to be able to deal with situations in a positive way. Empathy is a crucial source of information about the world and is consistently linked to better social adjustment outcomes for children” Stephen Briers Clinical Psychologist Working Together to Keep Children Safer21

Feelings - The F Word EXERCISE: In pairs, using the Blob feelings picture again. Which Blob do you feel like now? Which blob will enjoy life most? Working Together to Keep Children Safer22

Choosing Safely Feelings are Feelings Behaviour is a choice We can use our thinking to influence both Working Together to Keep Children Safer23

“There is Nothing so Awful that we can’t talk with Someone about it” Theme 2 Developing Support Networks Working Together to Keep Children Safer24

Key elements in being able to confide in someone:  Having space and time to build relationship with an adult  Having confidence in themselves and feeling safe to speak  Trust in the adult  Retaining some control of the situation (Action for Children 2014) Making it safer to talk Working Together to Keep Children Safer25

Feeling Good Feeling Safe Programme Outcomes Working Together to Keep Children Safer 26r  Healthy family relationships, Improved emotional literacy, Improved safety awareness & ability to keep safe. Supportive networks, Increased ability in assertiveness and problem solving Pre course questionnaire to establish where client is before the start of the course. Post course questionnaire to record show any changes that have occurred.

3/7/14 PB Trainings coming up in East Sussex 27 3/29 January /19 March 2015 Future dates in 2015/16 to be confirmed