SVPP Newsletter 23
SVPP Newsletter Issue 23
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
Annual Report 2024/2025
SVPP holds a statutory responsibility to produce an annual report into the effectiveness and quality of multi-agency safeguarding practice. The report allows the partnership to report its activities for the previous financial year. Please see the 2024/25 report published here.
You will detail of our progress against our partnership priorities, plus what we intend to do this year before the priorities are reviewed.
Wiltshire Published Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) SAR Norman
Safeguarding Adult Review ‘Norman’ was published on 24th September. This review was commissioned by the SVPP following the death of a 79yr old man with frontal lobe dementia who died after he fell from a window in his care home in July 2022.
This review clearly identified learning for all and the SVPP fully support the findings of this Review. 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 was postponed and will now take place in January 2026. If you would like to join this meeting and haven’t had any correspondence, please email SVPP@Wiltshire.gov.uk
Senior Partners Meeting
The Senior Partners meeting took place in October and involved senior leaders to meet with the members of the SVPP Executive. This meeting takes place twice a year and invites go out to senior leaders across partner agencies.
The meeting discussed the annual report, case review activity and learning, how we are shifting our approach on tracking learning and impact of case reviews and considered possible future partnership priorities.
Adult Social Care webinar update
Wiltshire Council’s Adult Social Care webinar, held on 7 October 2025, brought together residents, carers, and professionals to hear directly from service leaders about improvements in care, safeguarding, and support. Cllr Gordon King, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, opened the session by reflecting on recent Adult Social Care roadshows across Wiltshire, which provided valuable insights into what matters most to local communities. A key voice in the webinar was Emma Legg, Corporate Director for Care and Wellbeing, who emphasised the importance of listening to lived experience and continuing to improve services following a positive Care Quality Commission rating. She highlighted the council’s commitment to co-production and ongoing development, ensuring services remain responsive and person-centred. Emma Townsend, Interim Director of Adult Social Care, introduced the “Understand, Explore and Prepare” guide, designed to help individuals and carers navigate adult social care, prepare for assessments, and access community support. The guide aims to reduce anxiety and improve clarity for those waiting for assessments. The webinar also highlighted enhanced support for unpaid carers through voluntary sector partnerships, offering tailored advice, social activities, respite options, and carers assessments. Margaret Ndlovu, Head of Safeguarding and Prevention, outlined the work of the Advice and Contact Team, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), and the Prevention and Wellbeing Team, all of which play a vital role in early intervention and safeguarding. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) was showcased as a growing tool for promoting independence and safety through digital devices. Caroline Bowen, Head of WholeLife Pathway, shared improvements in the transition from children’s to adult services, including multi-agency planning, co-produced services shaped by lived experience, and the introduction of a transitions passport to support young people and families. You can watch the webinar and the question and answer session here Adult Social Care Webinar with Q&A session
Fostering at Wiltshire Council have a new film, ‘The Run’ which was created in collaboration with over 90 local authority fostering services. It tells the story of Tom, an 11-year-old boy. His need to run away from danger, from a chaotic home life and to reach school in time for breakfast club because he’s hungry - this is contrasted with his passion for running as a sport.
To watch this short film please click here.
Please help support fostering by sharing this film widely within your agencies.
Community Partners information is vital in supporting the police in building a picture of what is happening in our communities. The information you have or have received can be consolidated into wider intelligence, and can easily be shared via the form at Community Partners information sharing form | Wiltshire Police. This doesn’t replace your safeguarding procedures and should not be used to report a crime – full details on the police webpage.
Safety advice on use of emollient creams
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue have issued safety advice for the use of emollient creams.
Please see further details and information video here.
Amesbury Baby Bank has been created to help parents/ families in need of extra support. No questions asked! They have a stock of baby & children clothes, nappies and other essentials.
Please follow their facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C7AXGJB4u/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Upcoming campaigns and dates for the diary
SVPP Safeguarding Week 17th – 21st November 2025
SVPP will be hosting their annual Safeguarding Week again this November. A week of free webinars to raise awareness of safeguarding and partnership working. Events will be delivered by local practitioners and are open to all staff working with adults, children, and families.
Webinars already confirmed include:
- Children and Young People – Domestic Abuse and Healthy Relationships
- Self-Neglect and Carers
- Good practice in Early Family Help
- Exploring Cannabis Use and Its Impact on Parenting Capacity
- GRTB Cultural Awareness Training
- Learning From Case Reviews
….and many, many more.
Please see the full programme and booking information here: Wiltshire Safeguarding Vulnerable People Partnership (SVPP) - Safeguarding Week 2025
Safer Action Business Week - with various council-led activities including illegal tobacco enforcement and media engagement. Salisbury Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) launch on Monday November 10th from 10am-12pm. We know that business crime and anti-social behaviour have a significant impact on individual businesses and the wider community. The Salisbury BCRP is a collaborative initiative between the OPCC, Salisbury BID, Wiltshire Police, and local authorities. This partnership is designed to support businesses in tackling crime, improving safety, and fostering a thriving local economy. By being part of the Salisbury BCRP, businesses will benefit from:
- Real-time intelligence sharing to help prevent and respond to incidents.
- Access to crime prevention resources and training.
- A unified voice advocating for business needs in policing and community safety.
- Stronger connections with neighbouring businesses, police, and local authorities.
- Support for staff safety and wellbeing.
Once the Salisbury BCRP is established, the aim is to create further BCRPs in towns across the county under the wider umbrella of the Wiltshire and Swindon Business Crime Reduction Partnership. To find out more about the Salisbury BCRP, or how a BCRP could look in your town, please click here
Interfaith Week 9-16 November. The theme this year is: ‘Community: Together We Serve’. Celebrating the diversity and faith of UK in the UK. For more information please visit the website here.
Antibullying Week 10th-14th November. The theme this year is: ‘Power For Good’. For more information please visit their website here.
Alcohol awareness, Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) training
The Connect Substance Use Service is offering an Alcohol awareness, Identification and Brief Advice training session.
Date/Time of the training: Tuesday 25th November 2025, 09:30-12:00 (Microsoft Teams)
The training aims to:
- Increase awareness of the effects, harms and risks of alcohol use
- Provide an overview of the national and local impact of problematic alcohol use
- Help identify signs and symptoms of problematic alcohol use
- Build confidence in delivering brief interventions with individuals - the kind of conversations professionals can have to reduce harm from alcohol and encourage engagement and treatment
- Share guidance on how and when to refer someone to the Connect service
To book your place, please email jon.amor@turning-point.co.uk
Free Smoke Champions Training
Please see details below for the free Smokefree Champions Training which is available to anyone working with Wiltshire residents in the community.
Each interactive session typically lasts one hour and covers the following key areas:
- A brief overview of smoking prevalence both nationally and locally, and the inequalities in Wiltshire
- How to have a lifesaving conversation around quitting smoking in under 30 seconds, including signposting to appropriate support services
- Vaping: separating facts from myths
- How to access resources to share with people who want to stop smoking
- Additional training opportunities and reliable sources of information
- This training can be delivered online via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:
- 18th November 2025 - 14:00-15:00
- 25th November - 10:30-11:30
- 7th January 2026 - 14:00-15:00
- 21st January 2026 - 10:00-11:00
If you, or any stakeholders you work with, would be interested, please email abbie.cross@wiltshire.gov.uk
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
- 11.2025 – Prevent: Extremist Ideology – Islamist (Open to anyone who has already attended the Prevent Awareness course)
- 12.2025 – Working Together: A Shared Responsibility
- 12.2025 – Prevent: Extremist Ideology - Extreme Right-Wing (Open to anyone who has already attended the Prevent Awareness course)
- 12.2025 – Specialist Advanced Practitioner Training (Non-Education Settings)
- 12.2025 – Ways of Writing workshop
- 12.2025 – Child Exploitation and County Lines Awareness Training
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. New modules have recently been added. Please select the ‘Learning’ tile, then ‘Available Learning’ on your Virtual College account.
SVPP Safeguarding Week Catch-Up modules and Webinars
SVPP hosted their annual Safeguarding Week in November 2024. Many of the webinars were recorded and a copy of the presentation slides has been made available for most. To access these, please select the ‘Learning’ tile on your Virtual College account. For further information, please visit the SVPP Website. Many other recorded webinars are available to view, including Cannabis Tool and Guidance, Multi-Agency Thresholds for Safeguarding Children and Case Learning Reviews. Please see the full list here.