BASPCAN CONFERENCES in 2007 – an overview
2007 has seen a very successful year for BASPCAN events around the UK.
The first event of the year was a joint event with the newly formed South West branch in Taunton entitled ‘Safeguarding Requirements: Safe Recruitment Through to Safe Working Practices and Managing Staff Allegations Safely’ attended by 74 delegates.
London City University was the venue for ‘The Management and Prevention of Self Harm and Suicide in Young People’. Catherine McCloughlin- Chair of the National Inquiry of Self Harm opened the day with an overview of the UK Inquiry into self-harm in Young People and outlined the approach that was taken to gathering data, reviewed the literature and considered the evidence on effective treatments.
A 2 day seminar held in The Friars, Aylesford based on Faith Communities and the Abuse of Children was a repeat of a previous seminar held at St Deniols, North Wales. A group of 30 attended the event where discussions and presentations were based on case work examples. This day has proved so successful that BASPCAN is repeating the event in Edinburgh in January 2008. (see enclosed booking form).
The 26th AGM was held in Glasgow in October and the 4 2007 Research Grant awardees presented their projects. The dayheld at the Thistle Hotel in central Glasgow, was a very low cost day aimed at helping all professionals develop a confidence in working together constructively using good evidence-base.The day was entitled ‘Research and Clinical Practice Myths and Reality” . Adam Ingram, MSP, Minister for Children and Early Years, Scottish Executive gave the Opening Address. and Dr Alison Kemp, Paul Tudor and Dr Chris Hobbs were the key note speakers:
Dr Alison Kemp, Director Welsh Child Protection Systematic Review Group
Dr Kemp outlined what a systematic review is, and the benefits and limitations of the evidence-base. She worked through some examples and list areas where evidence is sound and helps in decision-making.
Paul Tudor- Independent Advisor
Paul Tudor shared some of his findings and case studies from his involvement in over 40 Serious Case Reviews.
Dr Chris Hobbs- Consultant Paediatrician
Based on his research, Chris Hobbs found that in many cases where children have died, there were considerable areas of neglect. He used this to explore ways in which agencies can better work together
The conference 'Invisible Children' held on 1 November at the Camden Centre, reflected on some of the issues identified in the Victoria Climbié case 7 years ago, especially the factors that contributed to her relative invisibility to agencies in the UK The conference examined Religious & cultural factors - including the historical and conceptual backdrop to contemporary understandings of child protection, Trafficking and migration - especially those cases in which children are deliberately hidden from the authorities to exploit them for financial and/or sexual gain, and Domestic and other violence - where the voice of the child is buried beneath a multiplicity of adult agendas and concerns.
Keynote presentations included:
Victoria Climbié Foundation UK - Mor Dioum, Director
The Awaken Project-Blackpool - Neil Fowler and Andy Shackleton
Barnardo’s SEone Service & Croydon -Libby Fry and Joan Semeonoff
British Agency for Adoption and Fostering - Savita De Sousa
Railway Children, London – Andy McCullough
AFRUCA - Oumoe Gueye
A conference entitled 'Safeguarding Children in a Changing Landscape' held in Belfast in November, considered some of the significant changes occurring within the systems for safeguarding children. Speakers addressed issues relating to the introduction and roll out of Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England; the operation of the case management/serious case review process in Northern Ireland; the systems for the identification and management of dangerous adults; and the proposals for information-sharing between professionals relating to at-risk families.
Dr Eileen Munro, London School of Economics
Dr Helen Buckley, Child Research Development Centre, Dublin
Dr Trevor Spratt, Queens University Belfast
Sue Woolmore, NSPCC
Diane Hampshire, Leeds Primary Care Trust
Gary Mullan, N.I. Police Force
'Whatever Happened to Child Sexual Abuse? - 20 years on from Cleveland' was held in London on 29 November 2007This event provided an opportunity to consider the dilemmas and issues we now face in relation to child sexual abuse 20 years on from Cleveland.
The morning explored the past and present circumstances, and attempted to explain the dramatic decline in child sexual abuse referrals in recent years. The later part of the morning included a panel discussion between legal, medical, the police and social care contributions with opportunities for a wider debate with delegates. The afternoon reflected on emerging challenges over the next decade.
Speakers included Professor Jan Horwath, Beatrix Campbell, Professor Liz Kelly, Dr Chris Hobbs, David Spicer , John Fox, Dr Jean Price, Julie Crossan, Dr Michael Flood, Gordon Jack and Christopher Cloke.