Latest News - Children

CoramBAAF Private Fostering Awareness Day - 5th November 2025

Greater Manchester Programme of Learning Events: Tackling Exploitation

We are thrilled to invite you to join the latest Programme of Learning Events on Exploitation, organised by the Greater Manchester Complex Safeguarding Hub in collaboration with partners. 

Running from 10-14 November and 17-21 November, this year’s programme features contributions from a range of subject-matter experts covering a wide range of topics related to exploitation, including emerging trends and cross-cutting themes. There will be a particular focus on recent developments in Child Sexual Exploitation and online harms.  

Monday 10th November 

10am - 11:30am - Operation Wild - A case study into how children are exploited on County Lines - a case study on a complex investigation into drug supply and child exploitation that balanced strong enforcement with a trauma-informed, child-centred approach.

12pm - 1pm - Creating Safe Foundations: Autism-Informed Puberty and Relationship Information for Autistic Girls - Exploring the development of Growing Up: A Guide to Female Puberty for Autistic People, with a focus on how it supports understanding of personal boundaries, consent, and safe relationships in the context of CSE.

2pm - 3 pm - Responding to Online Sexual Abuse - The child’s online vulnerability is often exploited by those who look at doing harm. This session will explore considerations that a practitioner needs to factor in to any interventions as well as highlighting some of the new threats children are being abused through.

Tuesday 11^th November

12pm - 1 pm - Izzat means everything: South Asian Women's Experience of Alcohol Use - Drawing on qualitative research with 48 South Asian women and one of the speakers’ lived experience, this session will explore how gendered double standards, family dynamics, and systemic barriers influence alcohol use and help-seeking.

1pm - 2pm - From Likes to Lines: Social Media and Child Exploitation - In this input, Paul will demonstrate how social media is used to glorify and normalise gang county lines activity using coded messaging, music and online networks as well as detail ‘life on a line’ from the view of a child’s social media using case studies from his work.

Wednesday 12^th November

10am - 11am - Recent evolutions in online CSA offending: An exploration of offender adoption of emerging technologies and the emergence of sadistic online extortion groups - The presentation will discuss CSA offender adoption of VR and AI technologies, including misuse of Large language Models. It will highlight that this is a mainstream issue and not relegated to the dark web.

2.30pm - 4.30pm - Sexually Harmful Behaviour in Education Contexts - This session focuses on supporting professionals to understand and respond effectively to children displaying harmful sexual behaviour. Using the CSA Centre’s Safety Planning in Education Guide, it aims to build confidence in recognising underlying causes, addressing behaviours constructively, and helping children communicate about their experiences.

Thursday 13th November 

1pm - 2pm - Working with Further Education (FE) settings in Safeguarding Young People from Exploitation - This session, led by Steve Baguley at NWG, will explore how Further Education (FE) settings can play a transformative role in safeguarding young people aged 16-25 through a Transitional Safeguarding approach, drawing on national learning and practice insights. 

Friday 14^th November

10am - 12pm - Online Offending: Supporting Families Following the Arrest of a Parent - This guide supports professionals working with families where a parent or carer is under investigation for accessing child sexual abuse material online. Drawing on research and expert guidance, it aims to help professionals manage the complex emotional impact on families and support them towards understanding, healing, and recovery.

12pm - 1pm - Relational Practice in Education - Changing lives through making connections - Lynsey Burridge, Trafford Virtual School Head, will explore the transformative impact of education for vulnerable pupils and share how Virtual Schools and the Trafford Belong Programme support attachment-aware and trauma-informed practice.

Monday 17^th November

10am - 11am - National County Lines Coordination Centre - An introduction to the County Lines model of drug supply - In this session Detective Inspector Adam Norton will provide an overview of the County Lines model of drugs supply, the types of exploitation of children and vulnerable adults involved in County Lines, emerging themes and trends and resources that are available for safeguarding professionals.

11am - 12pm - Facilitating Constructive Dialogues with Boys and Young Men - the ‘Why’ and the How with Michael Conroy - This webinar will set out the case for doing intentional work with boys and young men, to foster their optimum personal and social development, in a time of increasing challenge and risk.

1pm - 2pm - Child Centred Policing in Schools - Local youth services and GMP have created a Child Centred Policing (CCP) Youth Voice Forum to strengthen relationships between young people and the police. In Tameside, this includes a schools-based initiative that engages students to share their experiences, challenge negative perceptions, and build trust with officers.

Tuesday 18^th November

10am - 12pm - #LookCloser: Safeguarding transgender young people from exploitation - This session by The Children’s Society will explore how barriers in society, including discrimination, can lead to us failing to protect transgender (trans) and non-binary young people from exploitation and harm, and what we can do to overcome these in our practice and in our systems.

2.30pm - 3.30pm - Police Youth Voice Work in Bury - A summary of the approaches used by Bury GMP in partnership with Bury Youth Service to enhance the role of young people in shaping the work of the police.

Wednesday 19^th November

10am - 11am - See us Hear Us - See Us Hear Us is a powerful short film that confronts the realities of institutional racism and the criminal exploitation of young Black and Brown boys in the UK.

1pm - 3pm - The Children's Society: Building Positive Relationships with Children and Young People - TCS's new resource 'building positive relationships with children and young people' which focuses on a trauma-informed and child-centred approach will create the foundation for the session.

3pm - 4pm - Reflecting on the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Implications for Practice, Guidance and Policy - This presentation and Q&A will reflect on the findings of the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and its significance for practice, guidance and policy relevant to new CCE legislation.

Friday 21^st November

10am - 12pm - Beyond Trauma Theory: Practical strategies for embedding trauma informed practices - Developed by the Barnardo's Central Trauma Informed Practice Team, this course will help you to translate core trauma informed principles into actionable strategies for creating supportive and responsive environments.

2pm - 3pm - The NRM (National Referral Mechanism) and transition into adulthood - this sessions will guide participants through steps to consider how to support young people transitioning to adulthood who have experienced exploitation and modern slavery in their childhood.

Bury Young Carers

Bury Children's Services have renewed their young carers offer.

Below are some useful links:

• Leaflet for Young Carers: YC leaflet 2025
• Young Carers Self-Assessment Document: https://www.bury.gov.uk/asset-library/young-carers-self-assessment.docx
• Young Carers Toolkit for Professionals: https://www.bury.gov.uk/asset-library/young-carers-toolkit-professionals.docx

Alongside this, this web page has more information on Bury’s Early Help Offer: Early Help - Bury Council alongside a dedicated inbox: Bury Young Carers BuryYoungCarers@bury.gov.uk – please note this is for queries and not referrals, which should be sent instead via the MASH.

Essential Parent - App

Trusted health and parenting information written by experts at your fingertips. A copy of the poster has been provided alongside this newsletter to access the QR codes. This application provides helpful support for families and as professionals, this new initiative requires your support to boost its awareness with Bury families. It is available in over 75 languages and features information and guidance across children’s development.

Safer Sleeping Toolkit

The following short video has been created to support and raise awareness for professionals working with families with additional vulnerabilities (such as substance misuse, domestic abuse and mental health concerns) around Burys Safer Sleeping Toolkit. This covers Burys bespoke toolkit, which has been adapted from the Lullaby Trust's Safer Sleep message, to give tailored information and consideration to where additional vulnerabilities are present for families.