0-25 VCS Forum Newsletter -8th May 2024
If you work with children, young people and families within Dorset, we have all the latest news and updates for you.
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*** Dates for your diary! ***
** The 0-25 VCS Forum are delighted to be able to offer you the following training, spaces will be limited so please ensure you book early. Wednesday 15th May - Dragonfly Training - this training is kindly offered to our members free of charge and will be delivered by: Andreas Cosma, ICEP DVA Worker, Paragon Dorset, The YOU Trust
- What is abuse? why is it hard to leave? the effects of domestic violence, legal definitions, how you can help. This training will also cover stalking, harassment and aspects of the law - you can find out more here: https://paragonteam.org.uk/dragonfly-project/
The workshops are perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about domestic violence and how they can help.
THIS TRAINING IS NOW FULLY BOOKED, but if you would like to be added to the waiting list, please drop me an email
This will be held online via Teams from 10-1 – information and joining instructions will be sent by email following your booking. If you have any questions, please do get in touch. We look forward to seeing you there.
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** Tuesday 11th June - face to face training (Dorchester)
We invite you to join us for our next face to face training event taking place on Tuesday 11th June at 10.30 – How to Recognise Loan Sharks and Help to Support the Families You Work With. This training will be held face to face in Dorchester, further details will follow once you have booked. We will be joined by Lin Fisher, Leads in Awareness, Intelligence, Support & Education south region, from the England Illegal Money Lending Team – you can find out more about their work here: Home - Stop Loan Sharks
This training will help you identify people that might be in the grasp of a loan shark, and effectively refer them to us, this bespoke training explains what a loan shark is and how to spot a victim. We also offer follow-up sessions that look at aspects of our work in greater detail.
If you are working with the victim of a loan shark we will come to meet them. They can remain anonymous if they prefer, and no pressure will be put on them to give details they don’t want to. By meeting us face to face we find we can reassure people and gain their trust, making them more likely to engage and access our support.
Book your place here: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DLVY
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!
* Monday 1st July 2024 - face to face training with Liz Davies of The Colourworks Foundation - this workshop will give an introduction to the colour model of behaviours - booking will open very soon - watch this space!
* Monday 15th July 2024 - 0-25 VCS Forum General Meeting - we will be going out on the road! Watch this space for more details coming soon!
* Tuesday 15th October 2024 - 0-25 VCS Forum General Meeting (face to face)(n.b. this date replaces the 8th October as previously noted)
* Monday 10th February 2025 - 0-25 VCS Forum General Meeting (face to face)
*** KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE EVENTS AND TRAINING COMING SOON! ***
** Strategic Alliance Summer Conference 2024 Fri, 28 Jun Were pleased to be able to invite colleagues from across our partnership to celebrate the progress against our Children, Young People & Families' Plan & look to the future as we continue to work together in improving outcomes with our communities.
We'd be delighted if you could join us & some of our young people, co-hosting the summer conferences this year,
at Weymouth College for a day filled with insightful sessions, engaging speakers, and networking opportunities. This in person event is an opportunity for our partnership to come together. Don't miss out on this opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals and gain valuable knowledge.
Reserve your spot now and be part of this exciting event! Book your place to join us at Weymouth College on Fri, 28 Jun 2024 09:30 - 15:30 BST
** Chesil Youth Pride - SAVE THE DATE - Saturday 29 June 2024!! The ethos of the day is to create a safe space for our LGBTQ+ community, the event is co-designed with them and for them. The theme is Intersectionality they have chosen the tag line “See Me” age range 0-25. Our LGBTQ+ young people are also working on a Safe Space Charter with the Youth Voice Team.
Event details: Weymouth College – stall holders to set up from 10am, event starts at 12. Expression of Interests for stalls or to be a marshal will be out in the next 2 weeks. Stall holders will be providing details of how their service can support young people “a journey through childhood” and will be willing to gain feedback from young people on what else they would like from services. We would hope stall holders will also provide an engaging activity. There is a strong music theme, to create a Pride Village festival vibe – led by Dorset Music Hub. Primary Pride will have its own area for the littler ones. There will be quiet spaces for those that need them. Food is being provided by college catering students. A parade will take place from the college starting at approximately 4pm and end at the Pavilion where a celebration with music will close the event by around 6pm.Young people will be safely dispersed, we are very pleased that the Will Does bus is again lending support this year. We would like to see future years, led by young people planned and designed by them in full. We are preparing an information pack on the timelines of how the event is achieved with the hope that it can be community led #chesilyouthpride
Further information will be available shortly but if you have any questions and want to get involved contact chesillocality@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
** Building Brighter Futures: Speaking Up for Babies Conference - Tuesday 11th June - 9-12 - Engage in community-wide discussions to empower confident advocacy for infants across all sectors. Together, let's shape policies, plans, and services for brighter future. Our line up includes a captivating keynote speech by Vivian Allen, the founder of DorPIP. Engage in a "Fireside Chat" with our panellists as they explore strategies for supporting infant mental health and shaping the future of policies and services, plus an interactive Q+A session. Our event aims to brings together professionals to engage in community and sector-wide discussions to empower confident advocacy for infants. Together, let's shape policies, plans, and services for brighter future for the youngest members of our society. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals. Secure your spot today! Find out more and book your free tickets here: Building Brighter Futures; Speaking up for Babies Conference Tickets, Tue 11 Jun 2024 at 09:00 | Eventbrite
** DorPip
invite you and your team to join them at Bournemouth University for the
Building Brighter Futures: Speaking up for Babies Conference. This promises to
be an insightful day where we'll engage in community-wide discussions to
empower confident advocacy for infants across all sectors. Date:
11th June 2024 Time:
9am – 12pm Location:
Bournemouth University This
event aims to bring together professionals, academics, students, volunteers,and
parents in discussions to shape policies, plans, and services for
unborn children and infants with an aim to create a brighter future
for our emerging generations Dorset. Babies
are the most vulnerable members of our society, yet they often lack a
visibility and voice in the shaping of policies, plans, and services that
directly affect their long-term educational achievement, economic prosperity,
health, and well-being. By affectively advocating for babies across all
sectors, we can work together to establish the foundations necessary for
lifelong health and well-being. We can all contribute to mitigate
long-term challenges faced by many of our children. Investing in babies today
means investing in the future of Dorset, socially and economically. Our
aim is to co-produce and then initiate a Dorset wide Infant Mental
Health strategy at the Building Brighter Futures Conference, to ensure
that our emerging generations are equipped to take advantage of all life has to
offer, and can become healthy, confident individuals who positively contribute
to the community, economy, and the world at large. The
format is discussion based, with opening remarks from Vivian Allen, the founder
of Dorset Parent Infant Partnership, followed by a "Fireside Chat"
with our esteemed panellists from family law, public health, local
government, and parents as we explore together the strategies for
supporting infant mental health and challenges in shaping the future of
policies and services. There will also be an interactive Q+A session where you
can engage directly with our speakers and help to co-produce an IMH
strategy for Dorset. Please
Secure your spot today and be a part of this important conversation. RSVP now
via Eventbrite to ensure your place at the conference.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-brighter-futures-speaking-up-for-babies-conference-tickets-872392277787
For information and updates from the Dorset Council Children's Services Local Alliance Groups follow this link: 0-25 VCS Forum Meetings & Minutes (dorsetyouth.com)
** The NSPCC has published a news story on physical punishment which calls for equal protection from physical abuse for children. Findings from a YouGov poll of 3,559 adults in England show: 60% think physical punishment has a negative impact on a child’s mental health; and 55% think physical punishment weakens the relationship between parent and child. Childline data also shows that in 2023/24, Childline delivered 717 counselling sessions to children with concerns about physical punishment.
Read the news story: Give children equal protection from physical abuse
** The UK Safer Internet Centre has developed an online safety resource alongside the Childnet Youth Advisory Board. The interactive resource “Reliability Online” helps to teach children about what they can trust when they are online and covers risks such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated imagery, scams, and body image. It is aimed at young people aged 13 to 16-years-old, but can be adapted for use with older or younger learners. Access the resource: New interactive learning resource from Childnet looking at reliability online
** The National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued an alert to schools across the UK about financially motivated sexual extortion or 'sextortion'. This type of blackmail involves a person being forced into paying money or meeting another financial demand, following a threat to release nude or semi-nude photos of them. The alert explains how to spot signs of this type of abuse and support affected children. Guidance is also included to share with parents and carers. Read the news story: NCA issues urgent warning about ‘sextortion’ Download the alert: Financially motivated sexual extortion: an alert for education settings
** The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has developed a resource to help support self-regulation and executive function in early childhood. The resource sets out five approaches for early educators to help children with their thoughts, actions, and emotional responses. The approaches include: creating and navigating challenge; teaching self-monitoring and self-awareness; and creating a community of collaborative learners - Teaching children self-awareness of their feelings and actions supports early development
** Fairy-tale Competition 2024 - Dear creative minds of Dorset, Are you ready to wield the power of storytelling against the cunning wolves of fraud? We invite you to embark on a magical journey of words, where your pen becomes a sword, and your fairy tale becomes a shield against the deceptions lurking in the shadows. Dorset Police has launched this competition to encourage the public to create stories to help prevent people from falling victim to fraudsters. The aim is to encourage conversations about fraudulent behaviour and help prevent people from unknowingly sharing personal details or banking information with criminals – find out more here: Fairy-tale Competition (mysaferdorset.com)
** 🌈⛅May 2024 Space Youth Project newsletter (mailchi.mp)
** New round of grant funding set to benefit Dorset communities and businesses - following the success of the first round of Dorset Council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grants, round 2 is now open and will close on Sunday 30th June - community groups and organisations can apply for grants between £1000 and £15,000 find out more - New round of grant funding set to benefit Dorset communities and businesses - Dorset Council
** KIND2MIND - Mental health challenges affect a large proportion of the population – many of which go unseen or unsaid.
Kind²Mind seeks to support charities offering valuable services to address, prevent, research, treat, campaign and raise awareness about mental health as part of their work - find out more here: Kind2Mind – The Big Give
** The Schroder Charity Trust - One-off grants, generally for under £5,000, are available for UK registered charities working in the areas of the arts and culture, communities, education and young people, environment and conservation, the elderly, health and heritage. Projects can take place in the UK or overseas. Applications can be made at any time - see more here: Schroder Charity Trust
** FAO Headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: The next Dorset-wide DSL Forums will be held on Monday 10th June at 10am-12pm and Wednesday 12th June at 1pm-3pm – You will receive invites for both sessions but these sessions will be exactly the same, so there is only a request to attend one. These sessions are open to all Safeguarding Leaders across your setting, so DSLs and DDSLs are all welcome. We will share an agenda closer to the sessions but if there is anything specific you would like us to consider covering in these Forums, please email us on - SafeguardingAndStandardsAdvisors@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
** Please share with any suitable staff and teams that you work with and encourage them to take up this fantastic resource.
If you or your colleagues do have any issues accessing this information or find that the guidance is not clear, please get in touch and we will try to find a way to ensure you can access this learning.
Family Hub - Workforce Development
Families Hubs are not just about buildings, although the locations where families can find help are important, their success lies in having an amazing team of people who are committed to helping Dorset's children and families. Everyone who works in and from the Family Hub network are viewed as part of the Family Hub workforce. To support those staff in their roles, we have developed some Family Hub Learning resources.
Family Hub - E-learning Course
This 20-minute course serves as an introduction to Family Hubs and is an indispensable resource for anyone involved in the Family Hub Workforce.
Those with access to Dorset Council’s Learning Hub can complete this course here: Dorset Council Family Hubs E-module.
External partners with a learning management system can access the E-learning unit there. For those without this option but still interested in accessing the e-learning, access to Dorset Council’s Learning Hub can be granted by completing this form: Access Request Form.
Family Hubs Workforce Knowledge Space SharePoint Site
For staff regularly interacting with families seeking further information and guidance on the service areas provided through Family Hubs, there is a SharePoint site available. This site includes helpful information and links on Family Hubs, along with links to available training for those whose work is related to Family Hubs.
External users must request access, providing their name, role, and organisation. Additionally, they need to set up a Microsoft account if they haven't already done so. This can be done here: Microsoft account Sign In or Create Your Account Today – Microsoft.
FROM: Max Simmonds, Communications & Information Officer, Commissioning, Dorset Council – Tel: 01305 228440
** DorPip - Sherborne Infant Massage - fully funded 6 week course suitable for children aged 6 weeks onwards (not crawling) hosted by IAIM certified instructors - find out more and book here: Infant Massage | Dorpip
**The 0-25 Knowledge Hub is part of our 0-25 VCS Forum and highlights our wonderful voluntary and community sector. It is for anyone working with and for children, young people and their families in Dorset. Check out the site here and make sure your organisation and service is included 0-25 Knowledge Hub Homepage (dorsetyouth.com) if you are not listed, contact us to ensure details of your service in Dorset are available
FINANCIAL WELLBEING IN DORSET USEFUL LINKS
Money Charity Financial Capability Workshops
Financial Education Money Workshops for Schools & Colleges (themoneycharity.org.uk)
Guidance on Financial Capability in Schools from Money Advice and Pensions Service
Financial education in schools | Money and Pensions Service (maps.org.uk)
Emergency Local Assistance Fund
Emergency local assistance fund - Dorset Council
Household Support Fund
Household Support Fund - Dorset Council
Bridport Citizens Advice Energy Advice Funding – Third Party Referral Form (NOT TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS Of THE PUBLIC)
https://citizensadvicedorset.org.uk/third-party-referral-form
Family Lives Newsletter April 2024 (mailchi.mp) - includes articles on Supporting your teen during exam time, free online parenting courses, advice on starting primary school and parenting when you have a mental health condition.
PDSCP APRIL 2024 – Discover your essential news and training links inside (mailchi.mp) - highlights include PDSCP Training, Professionals survey - Dorset and BCP - Safe Lives, Public Health Approach, The CASS Review final report published nd DfE Call for Evidence: Safeguarding Children in Schools, Colleges and Alternative Provision.
**If you are working within the VCS in Dorset with or for children, young people and families and would like to your job vacancies and volunteering opportunities, email the details and we will add them here free - 0-25vcs@dorsetyouth.com
**Are you able to give some time as a Mentor to young people in Dorset? To improve the lives of care experienced young people aged 18-25. As a mentor, you will provide 2-4 hours a month offering guidance, encouragement and a positive listening ear to help them overcome challenges, set goals and help them build a brighter future. Mentors are provided with support to achieve an optional University Certificate.
On 9th May 6pm we will ahve a information evening to tell you more about the mentor role, come and join us to find out more about how to be a Mentor for Care Leavers.email: lillymarkwell@dorsetyouth.com to sign up or ask questions.
Vacancies & Voluntary Opportunities (dorsetyouth.com)
YOUTH CLUB SUPPORT
**Sturminster Marshall youth Club- is looking for a pool table, board games and some big cushions or beans bags to create a chill area at the youth club. If you have anything you could donate Please get in touch via clubsupport@dorsetyouth.com
**NYA are very pleased to introduce the strategic priorities for 2024-2029. Titled Enabling great youth work to happen, Our strategy for youth work in every place and space, our five-year strategy sets out our bold ambitions to build back the youth work sector. To find our more watch this short video. Or visit their website here Our strategy - National Youth Agency (nya.org.uk)
** L2 Safeguarding Training & Online Safety- There are still a few space son the next L2 Safeguarding training ran by Dorset Youth. happening Saturday 11th May at Loders Youth Club. to find out ore details and to book on please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e...
** Youth Work Traiing Day with Dorset Youth & Dorset Council- Please see below a poster which confirms the training that will be available at the next youth work training day (on Saturday 29th June) bookings will open on EventBrite on Friday 17th May.
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
** Young Leaders programme- we are looking for youth clubs in the Weymouth, Portland & Dorchester area who have a few young people aged 13+ who would like to take part in the young leaders programme during the May half term (exact dates will be confirmed once numbers have been confirmed). This will include 2 days of fun training learning leadership skills and how to help out and support their youth club. They can then gain certificates for the voluntary hours they complete over the year. If you club is interested please get in touch via clubsupport@dorsetyouth.com