Our Spotlight Feature profiles innovative practice from our network members to celebrate their work and share learning on the different ways in which Contextual Safeguarding can be applied. This month we hear from Sophie Whitehouse (Early Help and Wellbeing Lead) and Madeleine Tester (Contextual Safeguarding Coordinator) from Adur & Worthing Councils, a lower-tier local authority. Over the past four years Adur & Worthing Councils have been embedding Contextual Safeguarding approaches working closely with schools, community and voluntary organisations, the police and other council departments to map out and respond to concerns of extra-familial harm within peer groups and in public spaces. For example, they have set up a monthly multi-agency Peer Group Conference which allows partners to refer in groups and locations. They are also working with planning to incorporate considerations to adolescent safeguarding into new planning development projects.
Find out more about Madeleine and Sophie below and check out the fantastic resources they are have developed, including:
- A podcast
- A case study on location-based safeguarding
- A Park Audit tool for recording observation on how young people interact with the landscape and environment of local parks, and flag any areas of concern, inspired by the Contextual Safeguarding neighbourhood assessment resource
- A ‘Trigger Plan’ and ‘Problem Solving Template’ outlining a communities partnership response to serious incidents involving young people
- A hotspot area register for mapping out key contacts, agencies and community groups who are involved in a specific area and/or may need to be made aware of any safeguarding concerns in this area.
If you would like to find out more, please contact sophie.whitehouse@adur-worthing.gov.uk or madeleine.tester@adur-worthing.gov.uk
To nominate yourself or a colleague for a Spotlight Feature, please email delphine.peace@durham.ac.uk
Meet Madeleine
I am the Contextual Safeguarding Coordinator for Adur & Worthing Councils. My role involves looking at the areas locally where young people are spending time, what they are doing in those spaces and whether there are any risks attached to the area. I work with lots of different agencies to make our open spaces safer for our young people; this means I often gather and share a lot of information with key partners, and act as a central point of contact.
Meet Sophie
I am the Early Help and Wellbeing Lead for Adur and Worthing Councils. I am the lead for reducing harm caused to communities - this covers child exploitation, youth violence, anti social behaviour, modern slavery and radicalisation. I have been working within local government and the criminal justice system for 25 years.
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Contextual Safeguarding in a lower-tier authoritySophie Whitehouse (Early Help and Wellbeing Lead) and Madeleine Tester (Contextual Safeguarding Coordinator) from Adur & Worthing Councils share how they have been embedding Contextual Safeguarding approaches with a range of community partners to map out and respond to concerns of extra-familial harm within peer groups and in public spaces. -
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Case study: Location-based safeguarding in a lower tier authorityA case study from Adur & Worthing Councils' Safer Communities Team sharing how safety and community guardianship was created in a local area in which safeguarding concerns were identified. -
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Park Audit TemplateA tool for recording observation on how young people interact with the landscape and environment of local parks, and flag any areas of concern. -
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Safer Communities Partnership response to serious incidents involving young peopleAdur & Worthing Councils’ Safer Communities Team has developed a ‘Trigger Plan’ and ‘Problem Solving Template’ to ensure that, when a serious incident occurs in a public location involving young people, they can promptly react as a partnership. -
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Hotspot Area Register ExemplarAn exemplar register for mapping out key contacts, agencies and community groups who are involved in a specific area and/or may need to be made aware of any safeguarding concerns in this area.
