Children’s MARS Board Communication
Upcoming Training
Drug Trends and Substance Misuse – local updates and offer to young people 15 May 2025 via MS Teams 2pm – 3pm
This bitesize course will enable you recognise potential signs and symptoms of substance misuse, including any possible immediate risk that this poses to both the individual and those around them. You will be able to recognise what drugs look like, the effects of drugs and alcohol and understand the treatment options available locally.
The content of this course will vary according to current local trends and the impact of seasonal drug use.
Child Protection Masterclass 16 May 2025 at The Baths Hall 9.30am – 16.30pm
This course will develop an awareness of professional’s responsibilities to safeguard children and the key processes that underpin this.
Participants will:
• understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children
• understand the role and remit of the Children’s MARS Board
• understand how you apply statutory guidance
• understand the importance of information sharing and interagency
working
• understand private fostering
• understand the principles of Working Together to safeguard children
NEW! National Referral mechanism (NRM) awareness training and how to make an effective referral whilst identifying exploitation. – 29 May 2025 – 1pm – 3pm – MS Teams
Learning Outcomes:
- What is Child Exploitation and how this links into the umbrella term “Modern Day Slavery”
- The types of exploitation and how a child or vulnerable adult can benefit from having an NRM
- What is an NRM? What it means to the child
- How to make a referral and how to write an effective NRM referral
- Stages through the process and decision
- What support the Child Exploitation Intervention Team can offer
Child Exploitation and Harm Outside the Home – 20 May 2025 – 9am – 12pm – Church Square House
Participants will:
• gain an understanding of what Child Criminal and Child Sexual Exploitation is
• understand the County Lines model and the local approach to Risk Outside the Home
• be able to identify the vulnerabilities and risk factors for children
• understand the local picture and themes arising
• consider your role in reducing the risk to children
NEW! Working with cultural and economic diversity and safeguarding children – 3 June 2025 – 1.30pm – 5pm
Course aims:
- Explore the challenges and opportunities of working with children and families from a range of different cultural, religious, ethnic and economic backgrounds
- Explore different cultural and religious belief systems and child care practices within different groups, the impact of these on parenting and the protective factors that may be associated with these
- Recognise the impact of discrimination on children and families from particular cultural and economic groups
- Consider personal attitudes and beliefs and how these may impact on interventions with families whose backgrounds are different to your own and multi-agency working
- Developed skills in distinguishing between cultural practices that are not harmful to children and those that are
- Developed a basic awareness of a range of practices that are specific to certain communities which may be harmful to children including: corporal punishment
NEW! What is Trauma Therapy? – 11 June 2025 – 10.00am – 12.30pm – Church Square House
Objectives
• Develop a clear understanding of trauma therapy
• Gain knowledge of the variety of approaches within trauma therapy
• Understanding therapy from a families perspective
• Identify when trauma therapy is not suitable or safe
• Recognise when a referral is required for specialist provision (The Kite Project)
Who is the training for?
All professionals working with children, young people and families who have previously attended ARC training
Please note sessions are available to all, but please ensure the suitability of the course for your role before booking a place.
To book a place on one of the above courses please fill in the below form and return to mars@northlincs.gov.uk
Shine a Light Areas 2025/26
The Children’s MARS Board have recently agreed our shine a light areas of focus for 2025/26.
There are specific areas of focus in which the Children’s MARS Board wish to ‘shine a light’ on and to maintain oversight of to ensure there is focused partnership action, system change and robust practice to contribute to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and families.
The ‘shine a light’ areas of focus for 2025/26 will be:
- Transitions to adulthood
- Domestic abuse and the impact on children
- Voice
- Neglect
- Child Sexual Abuse
As well as our specific ‘shine a light’ areas of focus, the Children’s MARS Board adopts a ‘right to roam’ approach and as such, will maintain a line of sight on Assurance around care leaver offer, Reforms, for example, Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Harm Outside the Home. As part of this, to orientate ‘line of sight’ activity, the Children’s MARS Board will take account of performance, practice wisdom and voice and experiences on wider emerging need and harm.
For further information regarding our Shine a Light Areas, please visit our website here.
Online Safety for Children
Ofcom has published the final version of its Protection of Children Codes and Guidance which will apply to providers of online services and platforms likely to be used by UK children. For further information please view the following policy statement: Statement: Protecting children from harms online – Ofcom
The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a new report on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), focusing on nudification tools and the risks to children posed by sexually explicit deepfake technology. Further information can be found in the following report: “One day this could happen to me” – Children, nudification tools and sexually explicit deepfakes | Children’s Commissioner for England
Further information on keeping children and young people safe online can be found on the NCPCC webpage here: Keeping children safe online | NSPCC
Children’s MARS eWorkbooks
Did you know that the Children’s MARS Board offer a variety of FREE eWorkbooks for professionals across the partnership. Upon completion a certificate will be issued by the Children’s MARS Team. Please share with your service.
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