Adolescent safeguarding tops the agenda at Leeds conference

Issued on behalf of the Leeds Safeguarding Children Board

People who work with children, young people and families across the city are coming together this week to discuss the important issue of safeguarding adolescents.

The Leeds Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has organised their fifth annual conference with support from partner agencies, including Leeds City Council, the NHS, West Yorkshire Police and the probation service.

The conference which will be hosted by Dr Mark Peel, the independent chair of the LSCB, will take place on Wednesday 29 June at the Rose Bowl, Leeds Beckett University, Portland Crescent.

Making sure older children and teenagers are safe is a concern both regionally and nationally and next month’s conference will help practitioners, who work with children and families across the city, explore these themes and understand how Leeds as a city is working to tackle these issues.

The conference aims to help delegates understand more about the risks and challenges faced by young people as well as what influences them. It will help to identify ways in which practitioners can recognise what support adolescents need and how best to help them.

Dr Mark Peel, independent chair of the Leeds Safeguarding Children Board said:

“It is so important that those people who work with children and young people understand the importance of safeguarding adolescents. It can be such a difficult age, with many different influences and challenges to face that getting the right support from professionals can often be vital.

“We want to help practitioners ensure they are well equipped to help those who are at risk and offer the support and guidance they need. This conference brings together experts from across the health and social care professions and offers practical and useful advice, which delegates can take away and put into practice in their own roles.”

Delegates will hear from a series of distinguished key note speakers including Professor Mike Stein, Research Professor in Social Policy Research at York University. For the past 30 years Professor Stein has been researching the problems and challenges faced by young people leaving care, and the experiences of vulnerable young people, including young people running away from home and care and maltreated and neglected teenagers.

Professor Stein’s presentation will explore why teenage neglect is an important issue; what it is and are the causes and consequences are. He will also help delegates understand how they can intervene to assist neglected teenagers.

Also speaking will be Zoe Lodrick a specialist in sexualised trauma who has over 22 years’ experience of providing psychotherapy to women and men who have experienced rape, sexual assault and/or childhood sexual abuse. She also provides training and consultation to professionals who work with survivors of sexualised traumas. Zoe will provide delegates with insight into the psychology that underpins sexual exploitation. Considering the ‘who’, the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind sexual exploitation.

Also sharing her expertise at the conference will be Dez Holmes, the director at Research in Practice. Dez has experience in managing and coordinating integrated early intervention services to families as well as lecturing in social work. Dez’s frontline experience is largely within youth offending services whilst her research experience is focussed on participative action with vulnerable groups. Dez will explain how safeguarding adolescents is often distinct from safeguarding younger children and will make recommendations for a more adolescent-centred and resilience-focused approach to addressing risk.

The delegates will also hear directly from young people who have had some involvement with Leeds Youth Offending Service about why it is important to include young people in the safeguarding process.

Delegates will be able to choose from a broad selection of workshops on the day, which include:

• Consent and Adolescent Relationships

• Putting Families at the Centre of Decision Making

• Female Genital Mutilation

• The clients’ views of engaging with the Family Nurse Partnership

• The mental health of children & young people in Leeds schools

• Supporting young people experiencing domestic violence and abuse

• Person centred planning and promoting the voice of young people

• Missing Teenagers

• Teen trendz – led by the student LSCB

• Safeguarding and preparation for adulthood for young people with disabilities.

• CSE and young people’s rights to autonomy and safety -where’s the balance?