NWG Exploitation and Transitional Safeguarding - Training

Abuse through exploitation and the harm it causes does not stop when you become 18 but sadly several support and safeguarding services do.

The development of transitional safeguarding provides an opportunity for children and adult safeguarding partnerships to work together to offer an enhanced safeguarding response to this age group.

The term ‘Transitional Safeguarding’ describes an approach where safeguarding systems and services for children and adults are well aligned, fluid and responsive to the dynamic needs of adolescents and young adults.

It is defined by the Department of Health and Social Care as an activity that often falls outside of traditional notions of both ‘transitions’ and ‘safeguarding. Transitional Safeguarding recognises that the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a journey and not an event. It is not a prescribed model, but a person-centred and progressive way of thinking that leads us to a joined-up approach to policy and practice.

Learning outcomes and objectives:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of transitional safeguarding and the benefits

2. Explore key areas for the effective implementation of transitional safeguarding

3. Gain insight from a recent Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR), and understand why a transitional approach is key when working with children and young adults

4. Hear and embed the views of young people around transition into legal adulthood

5. Develop collaborative strategies with partners to support and safeguard young people from abuse and exploitation as they transition into legal adulthood

Who is the course intended for?

All staff who work with young people 15 to 25 years old

Speaker blogs

Steve Baguely - NWG Education and Transition Lead

Steve has a wealth of experience in Children’s Services, at both operational and managerial levels. He has been a Head of Service for Integrated Safeguarding and Early Intervention, as well as leading on the development of integrated services, including health, social care, and education. This included the implementation of locality vulnerable children meetings, which were nationally recognised as good practice by OFSTED and the Local Government Association.

For the past five years, his role as NWG Network Education and Transition Lead has enabled him to work with areas across the country on exploitation, adolescent safeguarding and the transition into adulthood. This work has been across both children and adult partnerships, sharing learning, practice, research, and resources to help inform local responses.

He has authored an NWG Network report “Exploitation It Does Not Stop Because You Turn 18 “and also developed an NWG Network benchmarking tool to support practice working with 16/17-year-olds and the transition into adulthood. He delivers workshops, presentations and training in this area on behalf of the NWG Network.

Recently, Steve has worked with the Children’s Society to develop the Missing Benchmarking tool which has been used by areas across the country. He has also co-authored Making Words Matter to support reflection on the use of language used in exploitation. Additionally, he has also been part of a small multi-agency project group that developed the Transitional Safeguarding Briefing – Bridging the Gap