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Parents & Carers

As a parent, carer or trusted adult, you play an important role in protecting children from abuse and neglect and helping children to grow up into confident, healthy and happy adults.

Most children generally enjoy happy childhood experiences within their own family. Unfortunately for some, this is not the case. During difficult family times, everyone must do the best they can to protect children from harm.

Here you will find information on keeping children and young people safe and where you can go when you need further information or support.

What do you if you’re worried about a child 

Parental Support services

  • Parental support resources – From the Royal Borough of Greenwich
  • Mindful Mums – offers free groups for women to learn more about looking after themselves, staying emotionally well, and developing confidence and social connections during pregnancy and in the first year after birth
  • Dad.info – A community of men championing fatherhood and exploring what it is to be a dad in twenty-first century Britain. Features latest news, things to help you along the way and online and offline support
  • Disabled Parents’ Network – A national organisation that provides support, information and advice to disabled parents and their families

Bullying

Visit Kidscape’s website. Kidscape provide children, families, carers and professionals with advice, training and practical tools to prevent bullying and protect young lives.

Visit the GOV.UK website for information and advice on bullying and the law in relation to bullying in schools.

United Response have developed an easy to read leaflet on bullying for children and young people. This can be found on the children and young people page.

Children & Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Skybadger contains accessible information on disability rights and the law in relation to children with SEND.

The NSPCC and The National Autistic Society have joined forces and developed an autism-specific version of the popular resource, PANTS. This version of the Underwear Rule provides parents of children on autism the spectrum with additional guidance on how they can keep them safe from abuse. Click here to be redirected.  The site also contains easy read documents on the underwear rule for children and young people with learning disabilities.

ARC have developed an easy read booklet for people with a learning disability, families and carers. It is a booklet for people to share and go through together and talk about. This booklet talks about a type of Disability Hate Crime called ‘Mate Crime’ – which means that sometimes friends are fake.  Friend-or-Fake-Booklet.

Please also see the Hate Crime Reporting Book.

‘Unprotected, Overprotected: meeting the needs of young people with learning disabilities who experience, or are at risk of, sexual exploitation’ is a report written in 2015. The easy read  version of this report is available here: Unprotected Overprotected Easy Read.

Coping with Crying
Speak to someone if you need support such as your family, friends, Midwife, GP or Health Visitor.
For more advice and support in relation to copying with crying, visit our Keeping Babies Safe webpage.

Disciplining your Child
Discipline is important to help our children grow into well-balanced and responsible people. View the GSCP Disciplining your Child leaflet for more information.

Gangs, youth crime and antisocial behaviour 

Read about Royal Greenwich’s approach to tackling youth crime here.

Visit the NSPCC webpage for information and advice in relation to gangs and young people.

Family Lives provides information and advice on how to recognise a gang and how to protect children from them.

Money Mules/”Squares” 

“Squares” is the name given to a way of grooming young people for the purpose of money laundering. Young people are either asked to set up new bank accounts, steal bank cards – including their parents, or use their existing accounts for individuals to deposit large amounts of money accumulated through gang related criminal activity. They promise to pay the young people money in return and either request them to withdraw the cash or the account is used for fraudulent activities. Money is then not paid as promised or the young account holders are taking the money for themselves which is leading to violent incidents and threats of harm.

Anyone allowing criminal funds to go through their bank account is facilitating criminal activity and committing Money Laundering, an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

View the Money Sense, Money Mules Factsheet and information from the Metropolitan Police for further information and how you can identify the signs.

If you are concerned that a young person is a victim or perpetrator of “squares” please make a referral to Children’s Services MASH Team on 020 8921 3172 or mash-referrals@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

Radicalisation

The Royal Borough of Greenwich strategic oversight of the Prevent Programme. Prevent looks to support and safeguard young people and adults from the risk of radicalisation.

For more information on the function of Prevent in Royal Borough Of Greenwich please see the Greenwich council web page.

Counter Terrorism Policing have launched a safeguarding website www.actearly.uk. The website aims to increase awareness with concerned family and friends of where to go for further information and support. You can also find lots of help, advice and resources on the government endorsed Educate Against hate website.

Thes sites raise awareness and understanding of the signs of radicalisation, increases understanding and confidence of the referral process, and develops trust and confidence in the safeguarding role of the police.

Family and friends know when somethings not right. It can feel scary to think someone close could be heading down a path towards extremism. However, it is family and friends who are best placed to spot concerning behaviour at an early stage and can help the person they care about get the support they may need to move away from extremism.

In addition to the launch of the website, a new national Prevent advice helpline has been set-up and is operated by specially trained Prevent Officers whose focus will be on providing reassurance and practical advice, in confidence, to concerned friends and families. The helpline is now live on 0800 011 3764.

 

Safer Sleep for Babies

Sleeping on a sofa with your baby increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by up to 50 times. Visit our Keeping Babies Safe webpage for more information.

 

Sexual Health

Visit the Greenwich Sexual Health (GSH) website which is a one stop website. GSH can help you with any of the following: Information about STIs (sexually transmitted infections), chlamydia test and treatment, gonorrhoea test and treatment, HIV test, getting hold of free condoms, booking abortion appointments, obtaining the morning after pill free of charge, contraception advice and information, and locating your nearest sexual health walk-in clinic in Greenwich. GSH offers a wealth of advice to Greenwich residents on all matters relating to sexual health.

Radicalisation

The Royal Borough of Greenwich strategic oversight of the Prevent Programme. Prevent looks to support and safeguard young people and adults from the risk of radicalisation.

For more information on the function of Prevent in Royal Borough Of Greenwich please see the Greenwich council web page.

Counter Terrorism Policing have launched a safeguarding website www.actearly.uk. The website aims to increase awareness with concerned family and friends of where to go for further information and support. You can also find lots of help, advice and resources on the government endorsed Educate Against hate website.

The sites raise awareness and understanding of the signs of radicalisation, increases understanding and confidence of the referral process, and develops trust and confidence in the safeguarding role of the police.

Family and friends know when somethings not right. It can feel scary to think someone close could be heading down a path towards extremism. However, it is family and friends who are best placed to spot concerning behaviour at an early stage and can help the person they care about get the support they may need to move away from extremism.

In addition to the launch of the website, a new national Prevent advice helpline has been set-up and is operated by specially trained Prevent Officers whose focus will be on providing reassurance and practical advice, in confidence, to concerned friends and families. The helpline is now live on 0800 011 3764.

 

Sexual Exploitation

Download a factsheet on sexual exploitation here.

 

Sexual Abuse

Download the NSPCC’s guide to keeping children safe from sexual abuse here.

 

Domestic Abuse

Visit the National Domestic Violence Helpline here: http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk/

Visit Men’s Advice Line here: http://www.mensadviceline.org.uk

Visit Women’s Aid here: http://womensaid.org.uk

 

Female Genital Mutilation 

Visit the government website here: https://www.gov.uk/female-genital-mutilation-help-advice

Read more about FGM here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-genital-mutilation-resource-pack/female-genital-mutilation-resource-pack

Visit Petal here: http://petals.coventry.ac.uk

 

Missing

Find out more about missing by reading the GSCP Missing guidance.

 

Private Fostering 

Find out more information about private fostering here. 

 

Self Harm 

Find out more information about self harm here.