Welcome to Jigsaw, a monthly E-bulletin from
Sunderland Children’s Services for people
working within Attendance, Childcare, Children's
Centres and Extended Schools in Sunderland.
1. News
Sunderland Football
Reading Club Visits Black Cats’ Home
As the premiership draws to a
close for another year one Sunderland children’s
reading group is well underway and has been
celebrating with a trip to the home of their
favourite football team.
As part of the Premier League Reading Stars (PLRS)
programme 40 football mad youngsters and their
families have been exploring Sunderland AFC’s
Stadium of Light.
Click for more details on the
PLRS visit to the Stadium of Light
2. Health News
Identifying Burns on Children
NSPCC has launched a leaflet,
called Thermal Injuries on Children, to help
professionals know the difference between
accidental and intentional burns and scalds on a
child.
Download the
Thermal Injuries on Children leaflet here
Signs of Child Abuse: Guidance
The Physical Signs of Child
Sexual Abuse: An evidence-based review and
guidance for best practice has been published by
the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child
Health (RCPCH).
The RCPCH first published this guidance 1991
(updated 1997), and in 2003 began work to update
the handbook and produce an evidence
based-review of the literature and guidance on
best practice to meet the needs of
paediatricians and other professionals working
in child protection.
For more details on the
Signs of Child Abuse: Guidance publication click
here
Advice on Children's Cough Medicines
In April 2008 the Medicines and
Healthcare Regulatory Agency updated their
advice on over-the-counter cough medicines for
young children, amid fears that they are
dangerous to their health.
The products, including Boots Chesty Cough Syrup
One Year Plus and Asda's Chesty Cough Syrup,
will only be supplied by a pharmacist for use
with older children. A further 50 products
authorised for toddlers will need re-labelling
to warn parents that they are not suitable for
children aged under two.
Click for more
advice on children's cough medicines
3. News from Ofsted
Ofsted Releases Guidance on New Childcare
Register
Ofsted has released details of
who will be exempt from the new national
childcare register once the Early Years
Foundation Stage comes into force.
As of September, all full daycare providers who
look after children aged from birth to five will
have to register on the database.
More information on the
Childcare Register can be found here
4. National News
Children's Play Consultation
The DCSF has launched a
consultation on children’s play, which will lead
to the first national Play Strategy. It has also
announced that children across the country are
to get an extra 3,500 play areas, and 30 local
authorities will get £2m each to build new
adventure playgrounds, as part of £235m
Government investment on children’s play.
Ministers underlined the importance of play and
how it should be taken seriously by every
council in the country and vowed to help tackle
bullying and crime in play areas and other
public spaces, improve road safety and work with
town planners and developers to create more
child friendly public spaces, ending the ‘no
ball games’ culture.
Click for further information on the
Consultation and on
Fair Play: a consultation on the play strategy
New Safeguarding Authority
The Home Office has announced
that the Independent Safeguarding Authority,
which will vet those wishing to work with
children or vulnerable adults, will begin work
in October 2009. The authority was first
established in January after being called for in
the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
More details on the new
Safeguarding Authority can be found here
Children's Plan: The Next Steps
In April 2008 the Secretary of
State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed
Balls announced the next steps in the
implementation of the Children’s Plan. For
details of the individual documents published
click the links below:
Summary of the Children’s Plan Implementation
Pack
Building Brighter Futures: next steps for the
Children’s Workforce
Leading and managing Children’s Services in
England: a national professional development
framework
Updated Every Child Matters Outcomes Framework
Consultation on Statutory guidance for
children's trusts on the duty to cooperate
Developing the Children's Workforce and
Children's Trusts
