National Child Protection Guidance Briefing Nov 2021 

Glasgow’s Citywide Forum and Glasgow Child Protection Committee hosted an online briefing event on the new National Child Protection Guidance on 10th November.

The National Guidance describes the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with children, young people and their families in Scotland. It sets out how agencies should work together with children, young people, parents, families and communities to protect children from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Karen Frew, Glasgow’s Senior Public Protection Officer  and Maxine Hawthorn, vice-chair of the Citywide Forum Steering Group and third sector representative on Glasgow’s Child Protection Committee,  provided an overview of the new updated guidance and led an informative Q&A  discussion with attendees.

Read the National Child Protection Guidance here

Read the key summary notes from the discussion City Wide Forum_National CP Guidance Briefing Note.

National Care Service Response Oct 2021

We are pleased to have to opportunity to respond to this consultation.

We support the ideas contained in the Independent Review of Care Services (the Feeley Review) and we think that they are also relevant to children’s services.

However, we are concerned about the proposed extension of the scope of the National Service on two fronts; first that children’s services will be marginalised due to the need to focus on urgent reform of the adult care sector. Second, we would like to see far more consultation with children, young people, and families, and the third sector organisations who support them.

The tone and language used to describe social care in this consultation is welcome – but with a strong focus on structures, restructuring and process, there is a real risk that we lose the essence of and vision in the Feeley Review. The emphasis must be on cultural transformation, including more collaborative approaches to planning, commissioning and procuring social care support services

Read the full response here Glasgow Citywide Forum NCS Response Nov 21

March 2019 – Neglect Summit

Speakers from the Citywide Forum contributed to the Child Protection Committee’s recent summit on tackling child neglect. Isobel Lawson, CEO of Stepping Stones for Families, and Karen McFadzean, manager of the Action For Children North Glasgow Family Support Centre, presented examples of their work which demonstrate the contribution that the third sector can make to protecting children and improving overall family wellbeing.

The summit also included input from academics on the links between child neglect and poverty and discussion of the learning from a recent Significant Case Review.

The Citywide Forum’s Steering Group meets every 6 weeks and consists of the following members:

• Sharon Colvin (3D Drumchapel)
• Maxine Hawthorne (Aberlour)
• Michelle King (Aberlour)
• Liann Weir (Action for Children)
• Eddie Kane (Barnardo’s)
• Alison McIntyre (Barnardo’s)
• Robert Leitch (Blue Triangle)
• Lindsay Muir (Blue Triangle)*
• Diane Bate (Bridging the Gap)
• Linda Jardine (Children 1st)
• Fiona Carmichael (Early Years Scotland)
• Laura Lennon (Geeza Break)
• Hannah Fletcher (Glasgow East Women’s Aid)
• Nikki O’Hara (Home Start Glasgow North)
• Colette Boyle (Home Start Glasgow South)
• Sam Eccles (Impact Arts)
• Lynsey Smith (Includem)
• Lee Anthony (One Parent Families Scotland)
• Jackie Tolland (Parent Network Scotland)
• Daniel Jarrett (Place2Be)
• Lynsay Mackay (Quarriers)
• Sean Morrow (Rosemount Lifelong Learning)
• Joanne Aitken (Scottish Association for Mental Health)
• Lyndsay McDonald (Scottish Association for Mental Health)*
• Mary Ramsay  (Scottish Childminding Association)
• Esther Muchena (Scottish Refugee Council)
• Isobel Lawson (Stepping Stones for Families)
• Gwen Galbraith (With Kids)
• Kirstine Simpson (With Kids)*
• Kirsteen Montgomery (Action for Children)*

*Alternates

The Citywide Forum has the following sub-groups/networks, all of which are open to anyone working in the third sector in Glasgow with interest in the topic.

• Family Support
• The Family Support network were involved in developing the Glasgow HSCP Family Support Strategy and ensuring that the voices of families helped to shape the strategy. They also worked with the GCVS Everyone’s Children Team to map the provision of Family Support services in the city. This mapping is being updated in 2022.

• The group also carried out a survey to help identify and compare trends, and gain an insight into organisations’ training and procedure surrounding domestic abuse work. Over 130 survey responses were received from third sector staff working in a wide range of organisations. Read the full report Third Sector Domestic Abuse Survey 2021 Response Analysis (1)

• Children and Young People’s Mental Health
• In 2021, the Citywide Forum’s Children and Young People Mental Health Network, supported by GCVS, carried out a survey to map the extent of third sector mental health and wellbeing services to children, young people and families across Glasgow. The survey identified 122 different third sector mental health and wellbeing services for children, young people and families. It also highlighted the gaps in provision and the concerns about rising levels of depression and anxiety among young people.  The survey report has now been published and can be accessed here.

• Child Poverty

• The Third Sector Child Poverty Network reports into the GCHSCP Challenge Poverty Partnership group, which looks at child poverty issues strategically across the city. The group evolved from a series of events hosted by GCVS Everyone’s Children team and CPAG in Scotland.  The report from the third event, and links to the two previous events are in the link below.

  Overview of GCVS Child Poverty event 21st Feb 2021

  The network provides a space for collaboration and partnership working to share learning and problem solve issues related to child poverty. Recent meetings have discussed fuel poverty, food poverty and poverty-related equalities issues.

  If you are interested in joining any of the networks, please email  at everyoneschildren@gcvs.org.uk

   

   

Glasgow City Integrated Children’s Services Plan 2020-2023

Glasgow Family Support Strategy 2020-2023

Assessment of Care Toolkit

Networking Events

The Citywide Forum, supported by the Everyone’s Children team, hold networking events in the  each of the three localities  –  North West, North East and South – at least once a year. These provide an opportunity for local councillors and staff working in health, social care and education to meet up with third sector organisations who provide services for children, young people and families. The events have been extremely successful, allowing a variety of statutory partners to make connections for potential partnership working with the third sector in their local area.