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You are here: Home / Campaigns / Safeguarding Week 2019

Safeguarding Week

24th - 28th June

It’s everyone’s business

Find out how you can do your bit to help safeguard those who need it most

West Yorkshire Safeguarding Week

Monday 24th June marks the beginning of Safeguarding Week in West Yorkshire – a time for local communities to come together and explore how we can all do more to protect vulnerable people from harm.

Alongside our regional partners, we believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Spectrum will be kicking off the week by bringing our mobile unit (above) to the Wakefield Cathedral precinct from 9am to 1pm on 24th June, so please drop in to find out more about our services and have a friendly chat about any safeguarding questions. We’ll be joined by a range of local organisations including West Yorkshire Police, Wakefield Council, Young Lives and many more. Together we’ll be sharing information and advice on a range of safeguarding topics, including:

  • Domestic abuse
  • Crime prevention
  • Safeguarding children
  • Drug and alcohol support
  • Sexual health
  • Mental health
  • Housing

In Wakefield, anyone with any safeguarding concerns about a child or a vulnerable adult should call 0345 8 503 503.

Follow us on Twitter @SpectrumCIC to keep up to date with a range of Safeguarding topics.

Useful Contacts

1234

West Yorkshire Police Safeguarding Unit

01924 878398

Wakefield District Social Care Direct

0345 8 503 503

WDDAS Wakefield Domestic Abuse Service

0800 915 1561

NSPCC

0808 800 5000

Samaritans

116 223

Inspiring Recovery

0300 123 1912

Counter Terrorism Hotline

0800 789 321

Don’t forget

If you are worried about someone’s immediate safety, call the Police on 999.

Safeguarding Issues

Domestic violence and abuse

Whether you’re in a long-term relationship or dating someone new, everyone is entitled to a positive, respectful and loving relationship.

Unfortunately domestic violence and abuse is very common and sometimes people don’t realise they are in an abusive relationship. Domestic violence affects both men and women of all ages.

Am I in an unhealthy relationship?

Domestic abuse isn’t just physical violence; if you aren’t allowed to go out with your friends because your partner is too jealous, or if your partner controls your access to money, then you could be in an unhealthy relationship. Financial and emotional abuse are also forms of domestic abuse.

Other signs of an unhealthy relationship can be:

  • When you are not with your partner, they are bombarding you with angry or threatening texts.
  • Your partner tells you what you can and cannot wear.
  • Your partner threatens to have your children taken away from you.
  • Your partner manipulates you and makes you do things that you aren’t comfortable with.

What can I do?

If you are a victim of domestic violence and abuse, or think you know someone who might be, it’s important to know how you can ask for help or report any risks.

The only person to blame for domestic violence is the abuser. Motivating a person to change their behaviour is not the responsibility of anyone else, and no-one should continue to live in an abusive relationship in the hope that their partner will change.

The effects of domestic violence and abuse vary but it’s important that anyone affected by this doesn’t feel that they have to suffer in silence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are worried that your relationship is unhealthy, you can:

  • Tell a family member or a friend you can trust about the abuse
  • Create a safety plan
  • Call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247

Domestic violence affects children

Domestic violence and abuse can have lasting and harmful effects on children – and witnessing domestic violence is a form of child abuse.

Children who see domestic violence and abuse in their home are at risk of other types of abuse too. Children can experience this in lots of different ways. For example, they might:

  • See the abuse.
  • Hear the abuse from another room.
  • See a parent’s injuries or distress afterwards.
  • Get hurt by being nearby or trying to stop the abuse.

If you are in an abusive relationship or know someone who might be, it is important that they are protected from harm.

Safety planning

Having a safety plan can help to protect someone from domestic violence and abuse in the future, and help them to know who to contact if they need help or are planning to leave their relationship.

Anyone affected by domestic violence and abuse can:

  • In an emergency, call the police on 999.
  • Tell a trusted person about the abuse.
  • Tell friends or neighbours about the abuse; ask them to call the police if they hear any violent or angry noises.
  • Consider a number of places they could go if they had to leave suddenly.
  • Pack a bag of essentials, important documents and money, along with important numbers such as helplines and friends. Keep the bag hidden.
  • If planning to leave, try to ensure their partner doesn’t find out.
  • Teach their children how to call 999.
Online grooming

Online grooming is a form of child sexual exploitation where someone builds an emotional connection with a child for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking.

Children and young people can be groomed online or face-to-face, by a stranger or by someone they know – for
example a family member, friend or professional.

Where does online grooming happen?

Online grooming can occur anywhere where a private conversation is being held. Chat facilities give an impression of talking to someone in private, and this can lead to people building up a relationship and confiding in each other.

Groomers target children anywhere with a chat facility, including:

  • Social networking sites (eg. Facebook)
  •  Online dating sites
  • Chatrooms
  •  Skype
  •  Mobile apps such as: WhatsApp, Kik, Snapchat and Tinder
  • Online gaming chats
  • Instant messaging apps

How does online grooming happen?

Communication on the internet is public and perceived as anonymous which can dupe children into a false sense of security. It is important to remember that it is very difficult to verify that the person you are talking to online, is actually who they say they are.

Groomers sometimes use false identities or fake profiles and photos to talk to young people online, sometimes even posing as another child. They manipulate children into trusting them, and then get them to disclose personal information or to take part in activities they would never usually do. A groomer may force a child to:

  • Submit nude pictures or videos online
  • Exchange sexually explicit messages
  • Take part in sexual activities via a webcam or smartphone

Groomers may coerce a child to take part in sexual abuse by threatening to send copies of pictures, videos or conversations to the child’s families or friends.

Signs a child may be being groomed online

  • Child is upset, withdrawn or angry after texting or using the internet.
  • Secretive about who they are interacting with while online or on the phone.
  • Having new phones or devices that you cannot account for.
  • Switching screens off when a parent enters the room.

How parents can protect children from online grooming

  • Keep your computer in a family room or shared space in the house.
  • Encourage your child to tell you if anything online makes them uncomfortable.
  • Use special filtering programmes to block your child from accessing anything inappropriate.
  • Talk to your child about staying safe online and educate them about some of the tricks groomers may use to win their trust.

How children can stay safe online

  • Never give out any personal details to people you do not know.
  • Ensure that your online account privacy settings are set correctly.
  • If a conversation is becoming sexual or threatening, don’t be afraid to cut off all contact from the person and tell a trusted adult straight away.
  • Never share sexual pictures or videos of yourself online, or agree to meet someone you have spoken to online.
Stress

What is stress?

Feeling under extreme emotional or mental pressure and inability to cope with those feelings lead to stress.

Several things can cause stress including relationships, work and money. While stress itself is not an illness; it can affect how you feel, behave, develop your immune system and even how your body works.

Stress can lead to many health and mental conditions such as anxiety, mood swings, heart problems, headaches, muscle tension or pain and dizziness to name a few.

Recognising stress

Instead of adopting unhealthy methods such as drinking or smoking, recognising the signs and symptoms of stress can help you figure out ways to cope.

If you’re not sure what’s causing your stress, keep a diary and make a note of stressful episodes for two-to-four weeks. Then review it to spot the triggers. Things you might want to write down include:

  • the date, time and place of a stressful episode
  • what you were doing
  • who you were with
  • how you felt emotionally
  • what you were thinking
  • what you started doing
  • how you felt physically
  • a stress rating (0-10 where 10 is the most stressed you could ever feel)

You can use the diary to work out what triggers your stress, work out how you operate under pressure and develop better coping mechanisms.

How to cope with stress

Be active

Exercise won’t make your stress disappear but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you to deal with your problems more calmly.

Take control

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it’s a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.

Connect with people

A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

Have some ‘me time’

Here in the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we often don’t spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.

Challenge yourself

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps to build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.

Avoid unhealthy habits

Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. Over the long term, these won’t solve your problems – they’ll just create new ones.

Help other people

There is evidence that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.

If you don’t have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone to cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.

Useful contacts

If you experience stress, anxiety or other mental health problems, there are a number of national organisations which can offer you advice and support, as well as giving you details of local services near you:

Anxiety UK: 0844 477 5774

Mind: 0300 123 3393

Anxiety Alliance: 0845 296 7877

No Panic: 0844 967 4848

OCD Action: 0845 390 623

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  • March 31, 2022 - 8:03 amSpectrum receives Bronze Award for Lived Experience Charter pilot
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  • February 16, 2022 - 4:33 pmSpectrum’s Belinda becomes Nurse Representative

Twitter

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We have lots of roles available in #Hull, #Northumberland, #Humber, #Durham and #Stockon-on-tees.

Find out more at your closest recruitment day here ▶️ http://bit.ly/3N0dyqG

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Set up for tomorrow’s Staff Awards is in full swing! Great to be working with @BigPurplePro again!

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Recent Posts

  • Spectrum ranks 22nd in The Employee Ownership Top 50 of 2022
  • Winners at the NIHR Research Awards!
  • Spectrum’s clinical services rated “Good” in County Durham
  • HMP Holme House Hero Volunteers At The Ukrainian Border
  • Spectrum receives Bronze Award for Lived Experience Charter pilot

Contact

Spectrum Head Office

01924 311400

Wakefield Sexual Health

0800 1214860

Barnsley Sexual Health

0800 0556442

Wigan & Leigh Sexual Health

01942 483188

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