Newsletter 24
SVPP Newsletter Issue 24
Welcome to the Wiltshire SVPP’s e-newsletter bringing you the latest news and updates from the SVPP, including the Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership (CSP).
News in Brief
Wiltshire Published Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) SAR Olive
Safeguarding Adult Review ‘Olive’ was published on 11th November. ‘Olive’ was placed in a care home where she sustained multiple injuries whilst receiving care. Concerns raised by her family led to safeguarding enquiries, a move to a nursing home and ultimately the commissioning of this SAR.
This review highlights the importance of seeing the whole picture, not just isolated incidents. It calls for curiosity, collaboration and compassion in safeguarding practice. The SVPP fully support the findings of this Review and the learning from this review will inform practitioners and improve future safeguarding practice.
The SAR Report and accompanying resources such as a recorded presentation from the author and 7 minute briefing can be found here.
SVPP Stakeholder Network Meeting
The Stakeholder Network Meeting is open to anyone working with children and young people, families and adults with care and support needs in Wiltshire and who would like to know more about the work of the SVPP. This will be taking place on 20th January 1-3pm. If you would like to join this meeting and haven’t had any correspondence, please email SVPP@Wiltshire.gov.uk
Safeguarding Week 2025
Over the week 18 sessions were delivered by a range of professionals, with 334 attendances recorded over the week. A huge thank you to all of our presenters for putting in the time to prepare the sessions, many of which are now available to ‘catch up’ via our Virtual College Platform – just search SGW 2025 in the available learning search bar, and to everyone who attended and asked questions – we hope you found it useful.
Any feedback on the week is welcome via SVPPTraining@wiltshire.gov.uk
COM Networks Briefing
COM networks are one of the most significant emerging threats facing children and young people. National Crime Agency Com groups are online networks of individuals who carry out serious, high-harm offences including child sexual abuse, serious violence, cybercrime (referred to as cyber Com), and extremism. Com groups are dynamic and often overlap across these threats, although not every case will involve all. This briefing will cover:
- The scale, complexity and invisibility of this online harm.
- How these networks are linked to:
- Sextortion, coercion, and image-based violence.
- Socially excluded boys being drawn into offending pathways.
- Indicators practitioners may already be seeing, but not yet connecting.
The session will be facilitated by Rob Richardson, Senior Manager – CSA – Threat Leadership, National Crime Agency. Detective Superintendent Joe Garrity, Wiltshire Police will also provide a brief update on the local perspective. This briefing will be relevant for all professionals working with children/young people, families and adults at risk in Swindon and Wiltshire. The session is online and free to attend. Date/time: Online: 1000-1130 Wednesday 21st January 2026 Booking your place: Click on this link Com Network Booking form
If you have any questions, please contact Swindon Safeguarding Partnership via email: safeguardingpartnership@swindon.gov.uk
Private fostering - caring for somebody else’s child
Every year thousands of children are left in the care of people who are not close relatives for extended periods of time. Although this is done by private arrangement, legally the parent and the carer must notify the local authority where the child is going to live so that the local authority can ensure that the child is being properly looked after. Many privately fostered children do not receive the services and protection they are entitled to because they are not known to the local authority. It is the responsibility of everyone working with children and families to make sure the local authority has been notified of any private fostering arrangement.
Wiltshire Council would like to reduce the number of children in un-notified private fostering arrangements across the county, please help raise awareness of this important issue.
The ways you can help are:
- Displaying the enclosed poster on your community noticeboard
- Telling Wiltshire Council about any young people you believe to be in private fostering arrangements. You can notify the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) by calling 0300 456 0108 or email: integratedfrontdoor@wiltshire.gov.uk
- Forward this email and information to your colleagues
- Put information from this letter/leaflets on your own website or in a newsletter
Your understanding of this issue can make a big difference to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in Wiltshire. If you wish to find out more please visit Wiltshire Council’s website or call the Kinship & Fostering team on 01225 716510 and ask to speak with Kinship Duty.
GRT DA Training
The training provided by Julian House links Domestic Abuse awareness and understanding in the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities also touching on similarities in the Honor Based Abuse area. This is online training via Teams and is around 90 minutes in duration.
Please feel free to share this information with anyone that may be interested.
8/1/26 10-11.30am please see link here
22/1/2026 10-11.30am please see link here
On Monday 13th October 2025 BSW Mental health response Vehicle (MHRV) went live.
This provides fast and effective care for those experiencing a mental health emergency and will work 7 days a week covering 1400-0200hours. The purpose of the resource is to ensure people experiencing a mental health emergency receive the right support in the right place while also reducing the pressure on frontline colleague who are attending mental health incidents.
Key Benefits of the MHRV:
- Reducing admissions to ED
- Releasing of DCA back to service other 999 calls
- A calm, safe space for on-scene assessment and support
- Specialist care tailored to the individual need and recovery
- Access to mental health patient records to better inform care
- Available to all Ages of Patients including children and young people
Safer Sleep in Winter
We know that the colder months can be difficult for families. The cost of living and concerns about heating bills and trying to keep your home warm, keeping draughts out and keeping your baby warm can be worrying. The recommended room temperature is 16-20 degrees, this may be difficult to maintain in the colder months. It can be tempting to wrap your baby up to keep them warm, however we know that overheating a baby increases the chances of SUDI. Research shows babies are better to be cooler than too hot.
Things to consider for your baby and their sleep space during the colder months:
- Sleep your baby in the feet-to-foot position
- If you use blankets - use lightweight and not thick, fleecy or padded blankets or duvets
- If you are using a baby sleeping bag, don’t add extra blankets on top
- Babies’ heads are an important way for them to lose heat if they need to so remove hats when inside
For further information and support on safe sleep, bedding and bedsharing in the colder months, please visit The Lullaby Trust.
Upcoming campaigns and dates for the diary
Drink and drug driving during the Christmas period
Alcohol and drug drivers put other people’s lives at risk.
- Government data reveals that between 290 and 320 people are killed annually in vehicle collisions involving drivers over the legal alcohol limit.
- Approximately 1 in 5 fatal road collisions involve a driver or rider impaired by alcohol or drugs.
- Between 2014 and 2023, drug-driving fatalities rose 164%: from 47 deaths up to 124.
- For the same dates, overall collisions attributed to drug driving increased by 170%, from 684 up to 1,853 in 2023.
- In 2024, drug-driving convictions rose by 13.5% to nearly 27,000, compared to the previous year, showing increases in both incidents and enforcement.
- The most commonly detected drugs in deceased drivers are cocaine and cannabis, with younger adults (20-29) most often affected.
Give information 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online: Drink and drug driving | Crimestoppers
Dry January 2026
Dry January is a chance to be alcohol-free for 31 days from the 1st to the 31st of January 2026. From better sleep and a mental health boost, to saving money and time - there's a whole lot to gain from this challenge. For more information on the benefits or to download the Try Dry app and daily motivational emails please visit the Alcohol Change website here.
Please visit our social media platform here, follow, like and share to help safeguard and protect the most vulnerable in our community together.
SVPP Training and Learning Events
Did you know the SVPP offers a range of free e-learning courses? Modules include Child and Adult Exploitation, Self-Neglect, Learning from Case Reviews, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and E- Safety. To book any SVPP training courses including e-learning, click here
The SVPP have some courses coming up which still have places available:
SVPP Courses – Availability
- 12.2025 – Ways of Writing workshop
- 01.2026 – Prevent Awareness
- 01.2026 – Domestic Abuse Training
- 01.2026 – Child Exploitation and County Lines Awareness Training
- 01.2026 – Prevent: Extremist Ideology – Overview Course (Open to anyone who has already attended the Prevent Awareness course)
All courses are available to book via your Virtual College account. For full course descriptions, charging details and further booking information, please visit the SVPP website Learning Hub.
E-Learning
SVPP offer a range of safeguarding e-learning modules which can be accessed at your convenience. Please select the ‘Learning’ tile, then ‘Available Learning’ on your Virtual College account.
SVPP Safeguarding Week Catch-Up’s
SVPP Safeguarding Week took place in November. This was s a week of free webinars to raise awareness of safeguarding and partnership working and included sessions relevant to all staff working with adults, children, and families.
Many of the webinars were recorded and are available for viewing via Virtual College. Please visit the Safeguarding Week 2025 page on our website for more information.