The recent North East London (NEL) Adolescent Safeguarding Event, held in Waltham Forest, marked the 1-year anniversary of the publication of the Adolescent Safeguarding Handbook. The aim of the event was to bring together the safeguarding partnerships in Northeast London to revisit the 2022 Adolescent Safeguarding handbook and explore ways to integrate the handbook into safeguarding systems.
The event was a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues in the North East and gain valuable insights into their engagement with the AS handbook. Going forward, LIIA will collaborate with partners to make the handbook more accessible and practical as well as adapting the handbook to suit the needs of partners.
Key Discussion Points:
- The Adolescent Safeguarding handbook is considered a helpful resource, however, its length makes it less user friendly. Going forward, there is a need to ensure that the AS handbook is more accessible and digestible for partners.
- A refreshed version of the Adolescent Safeguarding handbook is under development.
- Considering the needs of specific stakeholders and partners will be key when developing a new version of the handbook.
- There is also a need to balance practical input and detailed information.
- The AS handbook’s principles have been adopted by some Local Authorities, serving as a potential entry point for further embedding the handbook internally. Engaging with the principles and glossary of terms was also seen as a potential entry point for other partners. Colleagues at the meeting were encouraged to take the principles and the glossary back to their organisation for discussion.
- To raise the profile of the Adolescent Safeguarding handbook the group discussed ideas for a comms strategy, specifically around engaging frontline workers.
- Data & Insight can be used to better understand adolescent safeguarding. LIIA has a data team that could support with this.