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Free Resource for families in Southend, Essex & Thurrock

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Free Resource for families in Southend, Essex & Thurrock

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https://strmsupport.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ECC-Supporting-Your-Neurodiverse-Child-Oct-2022-v3.pdf

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https://www.basw.co.uk/system/files/resources/fabricated_or_induced_illness_-_a_practice_guide_for_social_workers.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiulajKvfT9AhWZ_rsIHSFvBdAQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2d-jM7UcrrE4cvUiuiBmgS

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LGBT Foundation – A national charity with LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

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A national charity with LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

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Introduction

Welcome to the home of Figuring It Out, South East Essex's new charity for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth. We currently provide monthly peer support sessions at the Forum Library in Southend!

What we do

Figuring It Out provides environments for LGBTQ+ people to be themselves, when sometimes they can't in their day-to-day lives. These statistics from Stonewall's School Report in 2017 show the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ young people in schools. This really highlights why our work is so vital for young people:

64% of trans pupils in schools have experienced bullying over their gender identity

45% of LGBT+ pupils are bullied.

Half of LGBT+ students have heard homophobic slurs 'frequently' and 'often'

Calendar of events

Come along. We're here.

This calendar shows all the events we run or are partnered with. All these are drop-in, so there's no need to contact us ahead of time - just turn up. However, if you have any questions, we are very happy to help - just email us.

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Introduction Welcome to the home of Figuring It Out, South East Essex's new charity for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth. We currently provide monthly peer support sessions at the Forum Library in Southend! What we do Figuring It Out provides environments for LGBTQ+ people to be themselves, when sometimes they can't in their day-to-day lives.

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We are a registered charity (no. 1006244), providing opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in Essex. Our mission is to develop and promote a sustainable, fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people can achieve their full potential.

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Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone,
by email and through Instant Messaging.
Find out more here.

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Introduction

Best practice for protecting LGBTQ+ children and young people

All children and young people have the right to be protected and kept safe from abuse and neglect.

LGBTQ+ children and young people face the same risks as all children and young people, but they are at greater risk of some types of abuse. For example, they might experience homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying or hate crime. They might also be more vulnerable to or at greater risk of sexual abuse, online abuse or sexual exploitation (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016; McGeeney et al, 2017; Xu and Zheng, 2014).

What does LGBTQ+ stand for?

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more. This term covers a broad range of people who have different lived experiences and may be at different stages in exploring their identity. It includes people who are asexual or have differences in sex development (sometimes known as being intersex).

There are a wide variety of terms people might use to describe their sexuality (who they feel attracted to) or their gender identity (their personal, internal perception of their own gender). For example, someone who has a different gender identity from the sex that was registered at their birth might identify as trans or transgender. Other people whose gender identity doesn't sit comfortably with 'boy' or 'girl' might identify as non-binary, agender, gender fluid or genderqueer (Government Equalities Office, 2018).

Children and young people might identify as LGBTQ+ in more than one way, for example they could be gay and transgender. Children who are LGBTQ+ might also have other characteristics that mean they face additional challenges or need extra support, for example being in care, being disabled or being from a Black, Asian or minoritised ethnic group.

Adults who work with LGBTQ+ children and young people need to understand the challenges they might experience and know what action to take to support and help keep them safe.

What does this page cover?

Adversities faced by LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Risk of harm for LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Understanding intersectionality.

Policies and procedures you should have in place.

Best practice for supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Relevant legislation and guidance.

Adversities

Adversities faced by LGBTQ+ children and young people

People's perceptions of, or ideas about, LGBTQ+ young people's identity can make children more vulnerable to negative experiences or interactions. These might include:

experiencing homophobia, biphobia and transphobia (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018; McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; Scottish Government, 2021)

feeling the pressure of sexual and gender norms (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; Scottish Government, 2021)

having to manage their sexual and gender identity across different life areas (for example, coming out at school but not at home) (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018)

feeling isolated or 'different' from their family and friends (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018)

feeling like they can't express their identity because they're worried about people's responses (LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018)

having complicated or negative feelings about their gender identity or sexuality (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018)

experiencing gender dysphoria (NHS, 2021).

"I am transgender but it's so hard living like this when there are so many ignorant people out there. It's really stressing me out and sometimes I wish I wasn't here. I wish people would just accept me for who I am and that I could feel normal"
Childline counselling session with a child, age unknown.
These negative experiences and interactions can impact on all areas of a young person's life.

Family relationships

Some young people who talk to Childline about gender and sexuality also talk about their family relationships. Topics discussed include:

experiencing negative reactions from family members after coming out

being afraid of not being accepted by their family

worrying about not being able to be themselves at home.

"I came out to my parents recently and they were really shocked and shouted at me which really upset me. I feel uncomfortable and I don't like being at home as I am having to constantly hide how I am feeling. I have been going to the LGBT club at school and find it really helpful. It provides a safe space for me to be who I am. I feel I can talk to the teacher who runs the club about my feelings as they are so supportive and understanding"
Childline counselling session with a 13-year-old child.
Homelessness

LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to become homeless than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. This might be because of:

parental rejection

being subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse from family members

family violence

(Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), 2015).

If they are homeless, LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to experience targeted violence and be exposed to sexual exploitation. For example, perpetrators might offer a child a safe space to stay in order to sexually exploit or abuse them (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs' Council, 2018).

Mental health

Puberty can be a distressing and sometimes traumatic time for LGBTQ+ children and young people as their body and hormones start to change. They might start to have new or confusing feelings about their gender or sexuality. This can be particularly distressing if young people don't have anyone to talk about things with or don't feel supported.

Research suggests that LGBTQ+ children and young people might be at higher risk than their non-LGBTQ+ peers of:

self-harm

experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings

anxiety

depression

(McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing, Scottish Trans, Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall Scotland, 2018; Becerra-Culqui, 2018).

Isolation or barriers to speaking out

There are some factors that might mean LGBTQ+ children and young people feel less able to speak out about any worries or negative experiences they're having.

Barriers include:

worrying that telling someone will 'out' them before they're ready

fearing that it will make the bullying or abuse worse

thinking no one will believe them

feeling they are to blame for what they're experiencing

worrying that adults will think their gender identity or sexuality is to blame for their experience of abuse

(Bradlow et al, 2017; The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; Stonewall and Childnet International, 2022).

Young people who are questioning or exploring their sexuality or gender identity might have confusing or difficult feelings. They might worry they will face discrimination if they come out or not feel able to talk to anyone about what they're going through. (Becerra-Culqui et al, 2018).

Risks of harm

Risks of harm

Evidence suggests that LGBTQ+ children and young people might be at increased risk of some forms of harm.

Child sexual exploitation

LGBTQ+ relationships are underrepresented in educational resources and the media (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016). This means there are fewer examples of relevant, healthy relationships available to LGBTQ+ young people. If LGBTQ+ young people are not taught about healthy and unhealthy relationships, it might be easier for an abuser to groom them into believing an abusive relationship is normal.

If LGBTQ+ young people are unable to get information about sex and relationships from school or family, they might seek advice and support from people in adult spaces, such as gay clubs. This is particularly true of young people who live in rural areas or in communities where their gender identity or sexuality is not accepted. Adult spaces don't have the same safeguarding and child protection measures in place as spaces specifically for children. Children might be pressured or coerced into doing something they don't want to do, particularly if they are already isolated and don't have anywhere else to turn for support (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016).

The adults around a child can sometimes assume that it's normal for LGBTQ+ young people to have sex at a younger age as part of exploring their identity. This means the adults might not consider being involved in underage sexual activity as a possible sign of abuse, and do not take appropriate action to protect the child. Similarly, professionals might not always consider the possibility that an adult woman is sexually exploiting a girl (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016).

Online abuse

The internet can be a great place of advice, support and community for young LGBTQ+ people. However, there are also risks associated with using the internet.

LGBTQ+ children might use adult dating apps to meet other LGBTQ+ people, especially if they can't find inclusive offline spaces or communities nearby. These apps are designed for adults and are not moderated in the same way as platforms designed specifically for children. This means the young people using them might encounter sexual content which could be harmful, and are likely to come into contact with adults who are looking for a sexual relationship (Internet Matters, 2021).

"I am really struggling with my emotions. I met someone online and we got on really well. We talked a lot and he knew I was desperate for money so offered to pay me for nudes. I trusted him and really needed the money, so I sent them. I immediately regretted it afterwards and got scared so I have blocked him and deleted everything to do with the account and images. I feel so disgusting and vile about it. I just want to be able to live with myself and not feel constantly guilty. I am ashamed and have learnt a lesson from it and will never let myself be manipulated like this again".
Childline counselling session with a 15-year-old boy
There is some evidence to suggest that LGBTQ+ children and young people are more likely to meet a partner or ask someone out online (McGeeney et al, 2017). The research suggests this could be because young people find it hard to meet other openly LGBTQ+ people in their community, or because they don't want to come out to people in their offline lives (McGeeney et al, 2017). This research also showed that gay and lesbian young people were significantly more likely to meet up with someone offline who they had first met online and who was not who they said they were (McGeeney et al, 2017).

Online grooming could happen to any child or young person. But if an LGBTQ+ child or young person hasn't come out, or feels that their gender identity or sexuality needs to be kept secret, perpetrators can take advantage of this to prevent the child from telling anyone about the relationship or to coerce them into meeting offline without telling anyone else.

Any young person might become involved in sending or receiving sexual photos or messages online. They might do this consensually, or they could feel pressured by their peers or adults. Once an image is shared online, young people have no control over how other people might use it. Some adults online might target LGBTQ+ young people to groom or blackmail them into sending explicit images or videos of themselves (Internet Matters, 2021).

> Find out more about sexting
> Take our Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Children and young people might also encounter non-sexual harmful content on the internet.

They might seek information about a range of LGBTQ+ issues online, particularly if they don't have any other sources of information. While doing so, they might come across inaccurate material, hate comments or content that isn't age appropriate. All of these can cause children distress (Government Equalities Office, 2018; Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

Children might see anti-LGBTQ+ posts or homophobic, biphobic and transphobic comments even if they aren't specifically looking for information about LGBTQ+ issues. These can be distressing whether or not the child or young person is directly being targeted (Internet Matters, 2021).

Bullying

Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying is based on prejudice or negative attitudes about gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people. This can include name calling, using offensive language and negative stereotyping. Bullying can happen anywhere, including at home, at school or online (cyberbullying).

HBT bullying can affect children who have come out as LGBTQ+, who are questioning their gender identity or sexuality or who don't conform to gender stereotypes and are seen as 'different' (Scottish Government, 2021). It might also affect children and young people who have LGBTQ+ family members.

"People in my school bully me. They push me around, hit me and spit at me and call me names. I go to the LGBTQ+ club at school to avoid them, but they follow me and keep shouting names at me. I feel stressed and annoyed and like I am not part of the school or welcomed anymore. I am too scared to tell on the bullies because last time I reported them it made the bullying worse."
Childline counselling session with a 13-year-old child
Some children have reported experiencing HBT bullying, verbal assault and physical assault in school because of their gender identity or sexuality. This can leave them feeling unsafe in school environments (Government Equalities Office, 2018; Ofsted, 2021; Scottish Government, 2021).

Children and young people who experience HBT bullying can be more likely to have suicidal thoughts and feelings, or self-harm (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2017).

Intersectionality

Taking an intersectional approach

LGBTQ+ children, like all children, have diverse identities. As well as experiencing prejudice or bias related to their gender identity or sexuality, they might experience challenges relating to other parts of their identity, such as:

ethnicity

disability

mental health

having been in care

where they live, how much money they have and how much access they have to education.

The way these challenges interact is known as intersectionality.

For example, a child may be growing up in a culture which does not accept their sexuality or gender identity. It can be difficult for children to cope with this and it can have a negative impact on their welfare.

"I'm upset because I came out to my family as transgender and they're refusing to support me. My family are from Pakistan and don't want me to dress in girl's clothes because they say it will bring shame to the family. I've been self-harming and recently the pressure from my family has been so much that I'm feeling suicidal again, I don't know what to do"
Childline counselling session with a transgender girl aged 16. > Listen to our podcast episode on intersectionality in social work practice
Learning for practitioners: understanding the child

When you're working with a child, consider all the factors that might influence their safety and wellbeing. Take the time to get to know them, understand their lived experience and how they might face risks due to how other might perceive their identity.

You could consider creating safe spaces for children who have similar identities and come from the same community. This might help them talk about their experiences and get peer support.
Find out more about: > Safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities > Safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people > Safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) > Looked after children > Child mental health

Policies and procedures

Creating policies and procedures

LGBTQ+ inclusive policies

Your organisation's policies and procedures should set out how you will create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all children and young people.

You should ensure that LGBTQ+ children and young people are fully represented in all your policies and procedures as part of your work to ensure your organisation is fully inclusive.

Think about how you can work collaboratively and make sure you include the views of people in the LGBTQ+ community. How can you engage with the LGBTQ+ adults and children in your organisation so that they feel comfortable?

For example, you should consider how you can support transgender and non-binary children and young people to wear the clothes (e.g uniform or sports kit) and use the toilets and changing rooms that they feel comfortable with. Your policies should reflect that decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all children's safety. You should discuss options with the young person and their parents or carers (as long as this does not put the young person at risk of harm) (Scottish Government, 2021).

It's important to use appropriate language when talking to and about children and young people. You should ask LGBTQ+ children and young people what language they use to describe themselves, and use these terms in your policies and procedures.

You could also create a dedicated policy outlining how you will support LGBTQ+ children and young people specifically.

> Learn more about peer-on-peer sexual abuse
> Read our blog about contextual safeguarding
Safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures

All organisations that work with children and young people need to have a safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures.

This should include your commitment to protect all children regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

You should make sure that your safeguarding and child protection policy recognises the additional risks and vulnerability factors for LGBTQ+ children and young people.

You should complete risk assessments for specific contexts, such as changing rooms, taking into account all safeguarding risks that might be present and taking appropriate action to keep all children safe (Scottish Government, 2021).
> Read more about safeguarding considerations for getting changed at school > Find out more about writing a safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures > Take our introductory safeguarding and child protection courses
Recognising and responding to child protection concerns

All your staff and volunteers should know how to recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's safety and welfare.

Concerns about LGBTQ+ children and young people should be dealt with sensitively, taking into consideration any complicated feelings they might have about their sexuality or gender identity. For example, if a child has been using adult dating apps you need to take immediate steps to keep them safe. But you should also consider the reasons why they might be using those apps.

Make sure children know they can talk to you about anything that's worrying them. Make sure children also know about Childline and how they can contact them for confidential advice and support. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also get support and advice via the Childline website.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.
> Learn more about recognising and responding to abuse > Find out more about how to respond to a disclosure of abuse
Information sharing

If you are worried about a child or young person's safety and welfare you should share this information promptly, following your organisation's safeguarding and child protection procedures.

However, you should be mindful that LGBTQ+ children and young people might not want to come out to everyone in their life. Sharing a child or young person's gender identity or sexuality might put them at extra risk if the person you tell is not supportive.

You could also break a child or young person's trust if you share information about their gender identity or sexuality without their permission, or without letting them know first.

You should only share information about a child or young person's sexuality or gender identity if they give you permission, or if it's relevant to a child protection concern.

For example, you might have to tell someone about a young person's sexuality or gender identity if:

they are experiencing homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying

they are using adult dating apps

there is a concern they might have been groomed or coerced into a sexual relationship

there is a concern they might be experiencing sexual abuse or exploitation

they are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness because their family are unsupportive of their gender identity or sexuality

(Stonewall, 2022).
> Learn more about when to share information about a child

> Learn more about gaining a child's consent to share information

Supporting children and young people

Supporting children and young people

There are a range of ways you can help support and protect the LGBTQ+ children, young people and families you work with.

Understanding a child's lived experience

It's important to remember that any child or young person you're working with could be LGBTQ+, whether or not they have told you about their identity. You should aim to understand the lived experience of every child, the risks that might be present and how that interacts with their life and identity.

Make it clear to the children and young people you work with that you're someone they can talk to about their identity and feel safe with. Be open minded and don't make assumptions about a child's sexuality or gender identity. Always consider how gender identity or sexuality could impact on their life and any risks they might face.

You could ask children and young people their pronouns, chosen name and how they would like to be referred to.

Relationships and sex education

Some young people who are exploring or questioning their sexuality or identity might struggle to accept themselves if they have insufficient knowledge about being LGBTQ+. This can contribute to low wellbeing or mental health issues (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

LGBTQ+ people and families should be reflected throughout the curriculum to help LGBTQ+ children feel safe and included (Scottish Government, 2021). It is important that children and young people are taught about all kinds of relationships, including LGBTQ+ relationships. When having discussions about relationships, make it clear to children and young people that same sex relationships and different gender identities are valid and should be respected. Talk to them about what a healthy relationship looks like, and make sure they know who to talk to if they are ever worried about anything.

Each nation in the UK has guidance on how schools should deliver relationships and sex education.

> Learn more about promoting healthy relationships in school

Children and young people can learn more about gender identity and sexuality on the Childline website.

Parents and carers can find out how to support children who are questioning or exploring their gender identity and sexuality on the NSPCC website.

Mental health

Adults in your organisation should know how to recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's mental health.
> Find out more about how to recognise and respond to children's mental health issues
Think about how your organisation can support LGBTQ+ children and young people who are struggling with their mental health and promote good emotional wellbeing.
> Learn more about how to promote good mental health and wellbeing
LGBTQ+ children and young people may also experience loneliness. Our Building Connections online service provides support from a trained befriender for young people aged up to 19.

> Find out more about Building Connections

There's lots of advice, tips and information about mental health for children and young people on the Childline website.

The NSPCC website has information for parents and carers on how to recognise if a child is struggling with their mental health and how to support them.

Online safety

Your organisation should have an online safety policy that takes into account the additional risks LGBTQ+ children and young people might face online. Staff and volunteers should be able to recognise and respond to any child protection concerns about LGBTQ+ children and young people online.

> Find out more about online safety

> View our e-safety resources for schools

> Take our online safety training

> View our Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Parents and carers can find tips on what they can do to keep children safe online and how to talk to their children about online safety on the NSPCC website.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.

The Childline website has lots of advice and information for children and young people about online safety.

Bullying

Creating an inclusive and safe environment in your organisation can help children and young people learn to respect everyone's identity and reduce bullying.

Using resources that show different types of families can help improve children and young people's behaviour and reduce homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

You should have an anti-bullying statement which sets out your commitment to preventing and tackling bullying and how you will respond to incidents.

Staff and volunteers should challenge gender stereotypes and any kind of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language. Your organisation's behaviour codes should outline your expectations that everyone is treated with respect, both on- and offline.

Make sure children and young people know who in the organisation they can talk to if they are experiencing bullying.
> View our range of anti-bullying resources
The NSPCC website has advice for parents and carers on how to keep children safe from bullying.

Children and young people can find help on the Childline website if they're being bullied.

> Find out more about looked after children

> Find out more about safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

Legislation and guidance

Legislation on safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people

Statutory guidance across the UK highlights the responsibility of those in education, community and care sectors to safeguard all children from all forms of abuse and neglect.

Find out more about the child protection system in:

LGBTQ+ children and young people in the UK are protected under equality legislation.

> Read more about children's rights

Guidance on supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people in schools

Across the UK there is guidance and best practice information on supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people in schools. Organisations in other sectors might also find this helpful.

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on bullying in schools in the UK, which provides information and signposts guidance on how schools can tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying (House of Commons Library, 2020a).

The House of Commons Library has also published a briefing giving an overview of provisions to support transgender children and young people in schools across the UK. It covers the Equality Act 2010, toilet facilities and changing rooms, sports, school uniforms, the curriculum and bullying (House of Commons Library, 2020).

In England, the Department for Education (DfE) has published non-statutory guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010. This provides guidance on how schools should ensure that children and young people aren't discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender reassignment (DfE, 2014).

Ofsted has published a research commentary on teaching about sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. This shares examples of good practice and covers school culture, the curriculum, teaching about sexuality and gender and engaging with parents. It also includes good practice examples from faith schools (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) has published guidance for schools and other education settings on supporting transgender children and young people. This includes information on creating an inclusive environment, the curriculum, bullying and practical considerations such as toilets, changing rooms and uniforms (EA, 2019).

In Scotland, the Scottish Government has published non-statutory guidance for schools on supporting transgender young people. This guidance includes information on:

child protection, confidentiality and information sharing

bullying and safety

language

mental health

the curriculum

a whole-school approach to supporting transgender young people

working with parents and carers

practical considerations such as toilets, physical activity and uniforms

(Scottish Government, 2021).

LGBT inclusive education has been a national requirement for schools in Scotland since 2021. The Scottish Government has created an online toolkit to help teachers embed LGBT learning themes throughout the Scottish curriculum (Scottish Government and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), 2021).

In Wales, Estyn has published guidance on how schools can support LGBTQ+ children and young people and create an inclusive environment (PDF) (Estyn, 2020).

References

References

Albert Kennedy Trust (2015) LGBT youth homelessness: a UK national scoping of cause, prevalence, response, and outcome (PDF). [London]: Albert Kennedy Trust.

Barnardo's and Fox, C. (2016) 'It's not on the radar': the hidden diversity of children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation in England (PDF). Essex: Barnardo's.

Becerra-Culqui, T. et al (2018) Mental health of transgender and gender nonconforming youth compared with their peers. Pediatrics, 141(5).

Bradlow, J. et al (2017) School report: the experiences of lesbian, gay, bi and trans young people in Britain's schools in 2017 (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council (NPSCC) (2018) Supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people at risk of child sexual exploitation: guidance for professionals (PDF). [London]: The Children's Society.

Department for Education (DfE) (2014) Equality Act 2010: advice for schools. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Education Authority (EA) (2019) Guidance for schools, EOSTAS centres and youth service on supporting transgender young people. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Estyn (2020) Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion: good practice in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) learners in schools and colleges (PDF). [Cardiff]: Estyn.

Government Equalities Office (2018) National LGBT survey: research report (PDF). Manchester: Government Equalities Office.

House of Commons Library (2020a) Bullying in UK schools. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

House of Commons Library (2020b) Provisions to support transgender children in schools. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Internet Matters (2021) LGBTQ+: advice for professionals working with LGBTQ+ young people aged 7-18. [Accessed 30/07/2021].

LGBT Health & Wellbeing, Scottish Trans, Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall Scotland (2018) LGBTI populations and mental health inequality (PDF). [Edinburgh]: LGBT Health & Wellbeing.

McDermott, E., Hughes, E. and Rawlings, V. (2018) The social determinants of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth suicidality in England: a mixed methods study. Journal of Public Health, 40(3): e244-e251.

McGeeney, E., Hanson, E., Brook and National Crime Agency (2017) Digital romance: a research project exploring young people's use of technology in their romantic relationships and love lives (PDF). London: National Crime Agency.

NHS (2021) Gender dysphoria. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Ofsted (2021) Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Ofsted and Brown, Chris (2021) Research commentary: teaching about sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Olson, Kristina R. et al (2016) Mental health of transgender children who are supported in their identities. Pediatrics, 137(3): e20153223.

Russell, Stephen T. et al (2018) Chosen name use is linked to reduced depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behaviour among transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63(4): 503-505.

Scottish Government (2021) Supporting transgender young people in schools: guidance for Scottish schools. [Accessed 16/08/2021].

Scottish Government and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) (2021) lgbteducation.scot [Accessed 13/10/2021].

Stonewall (2022) An introduction to supporting LGBT children and young people: a guide for schools, colleges and settings (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Stonewall and Childnet International (2022) Staying safe online: practical strategies to best support all children and young people online, including those who identify as LGBT (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Xu, Yin and Zheng, Yong (2014) Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a meta-analysis. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24(3): 315-331.

Introduction

Best practice for protecting LGBTQ+ children and young people

All children and young people have the right to be protected and kept safe from abuse and neglect.

LGBTQ+ children and young people face the same risks as all children and young people, but they are at greater risk of some types of abuse. For example, they might experience homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying or hate crime. They might also be more vulnerable to or at greater risk of sexual abuse, online abuse or sexual exploitation (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016; McGeeney et al, 2017; Xu and Zheng, 2014).

What does LGBTQ+ stand for?

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more. This term covers a broad range of people who have different lived experiences and may be at different stages in exploring their identity. It includes people who are asexual or have differences in sex development (sometimes known as being intersex).

There are a wide variety of terms people might use to describe their sexuality (who they feel attracted to) or their gender identity (their personal, internal perception of their own gender). For example, someone who has a different gender identity from the sex that was registered at their birth might identify as trans or transgender. Other people whose gender identity doesn't sit comfortably with 'boy' or 'girl' might identify as non-binary, agender, gender fluid or genderqueer (Government Equalities Office, 2018).

Children and young people might identify as LGBTQ+ in more than one way, for example they could be gay and transgender. Children who are LGBTQ+ might also have other characteristics that mean they face additional challenges or need extra support, for example being in care, being disabled or being from a Black, Asian or minoritised ethnic group.

Adults who work with LGBTQ+ children and young people need to understand the challenges they might experience and know what action to take to support and help keep them safe.

What does this page cover?

Adversities faced by LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Risk of harm for LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Understanding intersectionality.

Policies and procedures you should have in place.

Best practice for supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people.

Relevant legislation and guidance.

Adversities

Adversities faced by LGBTQ+ children and young people

People's perceptions of, or ideas about, LGBTQ+ young people's identity can make children more vulnerable to negative experiences or interactions. These might include:

experiencing homophobia, biphobia and transphobia (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018; McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; Scottish Government, 2021)

feeling the pressure of sexual and gender norms (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; Scottish Government, 2021)

having to manage their sexual and gender identity across different life areas (for example, coming out at school but not at home) (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018)

feeling isolated or 'different' from their family and friends (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018)

feeling like they can't express their identity because they're worried about people's responses (LGBT Health & Wellbeing et al, 2018)

having complicated or negative feelings about their gender identity or sexuality (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018)

experiencing gender dysphoria (NHS, 2021).

"I am transgender but it's so hard living like this when there are so many ignorant people out there. It's really stressing me out and sometimes I wish I wasn't here. I wish people would just accept me for who I am and that I could feel normal"
Childline counselling session with a child, age unknown.
These negative experiences and interactions can impact on all areas of a young person's life.

Family relationships

Some young people who talk to Childline about gender and sexuality also talk about their family relationships. Topics discussed include:

experiencing negative reactions from family members after coming out

being afraid of not being accepted by their family

worrying about not being able to be themselves at home.

"I came out to my parents recently and they were really shocked and shouted at me which really upset me. I feel uncomfortable and I don't like being at home as I am having to constantly hide how I am feeling. I have been going to the LGBT club at school and find it really helpful. It provides a safe space for me to be who I am. I feel I can talk to the teacher who runs the club about my feelings as they are so supportive and understanding"
Childline counselling session with a 13-year-old child.
Homelessness

LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to become homeless than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. This might be because of:

parental rejection

being subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse from family members

family violence

(Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), 2015).

If they are homeless, LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to experience targeted violence and be exposed to sexual exploitation. For example, perpetrators might offer a child a safe space to stay in order to sexually exploit or abuse them (The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs' Council, 2018).

Mental health

Puberty can be a distressing and sometimes traumatic time for LGBTQ+ children and young people as their body and hormones start to change. They might start to have new or confusing feelings about their gender or sexuality. This can be particularly distressing if young people don't have anyone to talk about things with or don't feel supported.

Research suggests that LGBTQ+ children and young people might be at higher risk than their non-LGBTQ+ peers of:

self-harm

experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings

anxiety

depression

(McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2018; LGBT Health & Wellbeing, Scottish Trans, Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall Scotland, 2018; Becerra-Culqui, 2018).

Isolation or barriers to speaking out

There are some factors that might mean LGBTQ+ children and young people feel less able to speak out about any worries or negative experiences they're having.

Barriers include:

worrying that telling someone will 'out' them before they're ready

fearing that it will make the bullying or abuse worse

thinking no one will believe them

feeling they are to blame for what they're experiencing

worrying that adults will think their gender identity or sexuality is to blame for their experience of abuse

(Bradlow et al, 2017; The Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council, 2018; Stonewall and Childnet International, 2022).

Young people who are questioning or exploring their sexuality or gender identity might have confusing or difficult feelings. They might worry they will face discrimination if they come out or not feel able to talk to anyone about what they're going through. (Becerra-Culqui et al, 2018).

Risks of harm

Risks of harm

Evidence suggests that LGBTQ+ children and young people might be at increased risk of some forms of harm.

Child sexual exploitation

LGBTQ+ relationships are underrepresented in educational resources and the media (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016). This means there are fewer examples of relevant, healthy relationships available to LGBTQ+ young people. If LGBTQ+ young people are not taught about healthy and unhealthy relationships, it might be easier for an abuser to groom them into believing an abusive relationship is normal.

If LGBTQ+ young people are unable to get information about sex and relationships from school or family, they might seek advice and support from people in adult spaces, such as gay clubs. This is particularly true of young people who live in rural areas or in communities where their gender identity or sexuality is not accepted. Adult spaces don't have the same safeguarding and child protection measures in place as spaces specifically for children. Children might be pressured or coerced into doing something they don't want to do, particularly if they are already isolated and don't have anywhere else to turn for support (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016).

The adults around a child can sometimes assume that it's normal for LGBTQ+ young people to have sex at a younger age as part of exploring their identity. This means the adults might not consider being involved in underage sexual activity as a possible sign of abuse, and do not take appropriate action to protect the child. Similarly, professionals might not always consider the possibility that an adult woman is sexually exploiting a girl (Barnardo's and Fox, 2016).

Online abuse

The internet can be a great place of advice, support and community for young LGBTQ+ people. However, there are also risks associated with using the internet.

LGBTQ+ children might use adult dating apps to meet other LGBTQ+ people, especially if they can't find inclusive offline spaces or communities nearby. These apps are designed for adults and are not moderated in the same way as platforms designed specifically for children. This means the young people using them might encounter sexual content which could be harmful, and are likely to come into contact with adults who are looking for a sexual relationship (Internet Matters, 2021).

"I am really struggling with my emotions. I met someone online and we got on really well. We talked a lot and he knew I was desperate for money so offered to pay me for nudes. I trusted him and really needed the money, so I sent them. I immediately regretted it afterwards and got scared so I have blocked him and deleted everything to do with the account and images. I feel so disgusting and vile about it. I just want to be able to live with myself and not feel constantly guilty. I am ashamed and have learnt a lesson from it and will never let myself be manipulated like this again".
Childline counselling session with a 15-year-old boy
There is some evidence to suggest that LGBTQ+ children and young people are more likely to meet a partner or ask someone out online (McGeeney et al, 2017). The research suggests this could be because young people find it hard to meet other openly LGBTQ+ people in their community, or because they don't want to come out to people in their offline lives (McGeeney et al, 2017). This research also showed that gay and lesbian young people were significantly more likely to meet up with someone offline who they had first met online and who was not who they said they were (McGeeney et al, 2017).

Online grooming could happen to any child or young person. But if an LGBTQ+ child or young person hasn't come out, or feels that their gender identity or sexuality needs to be kept secret, perpetrators can take advantage of this to prevent the child from telling anyone about the relationship or to coerce them into meeting offline without telling anyone else.

Any young person might become involved in sending or receiving sexual photos or messages online. They might do this consensually, or they could feel pressured by their peers or adults. Once an image is shared online, young people have no control over how other people might use it. Some adults online might target LGBTQ+ young people to groom or blackmail them into sending explicit images or videos of themselves (Internet Matters, 2021).

> Find out more about sexting
> Take our Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Children and young people might also encounter non-sexual harmful content on the internet.

They might seek information about a range of LGBTQ+ issues online, particularly if they don't have any other sources of information. While doing so, they might come across inaccurate material, hate comments or content that isn't age appropriate. All of these can cause children distress (Government Equalities Office, 2018; Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

Children might see anti-LGBTQ+ posts or homophobic, biphobic and transphobic comments even if they aren't specifically looking for information about LGBTQ+ issues. These can be distressing whether or not the child or young person is directly being targeted (Internet Matters, 2021).

Bullying

Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying is based on prejudice or negative attitudes about gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people. This can include name calling, using offensive language and negative stereotyping. Bullying can happen anywhere, including at home, at school or online (cyberbullying).

HBT bullying can affect children who have come out as LGBTQ+, who are questioning their gender identity or sexuality or who don't conform to gender stereotypes and are seen as 'different' (Scottish Government, 2021). It might also affect children and young people who have LGBTQ+ family members.

"People in my school bully me. They push me around, hit me and spit at me and call me names. I go to the LGBTQ+ club at school to avoid them, but they follow me and keep shouting names at me. I feel stressed and annoyed and like I am not part of the school or welcomed anymore. I am too scared to tell on the bullies because last time I reported them it made the bullying worse."
Childline counselling session with a 13-year-old child
Some children have reported experiencing HBT bullying, verbal assault and physical assault in school because of their gender identity or sexuality. This can leave them feeling unsafe in school environments (Government Equalities Office, 2018; Ofsted, 2021; Scottish Government, 2021).

Children and young people who experience HBT bullying can be more likely to have suicidal thoughts and feelings, or self-harm (McDermott, Hughes and Rawlings, 2017).

Intersectionality

Taking an intersectional approach

LGBTQ+ children, like all children, have diverse identities. As well as experiencing prejudice or bias related to their gender identity or sexuality, they might experience challenges relating to other parts of their identity, such as:

ethnicity

disability

mental health

having been in care

where they live, how much money they have and how much access they have to education.

The way these challenges interact is known as intersectionality.

For example, a child may be growing up in a culture which does not accept their sexuality or gender identity. It can be difficult for children to cope with this and it can have a negative impact on their welfare.

"I'm upset because I came out to my family as transgender and they're refusing to support me. My family are from Pakistan and don't want me to dress in girl's clothes because they say it will bring shame to the family. I've been self-harming and recently the pressure from my family has been so much that I'm feeling suicidal again, I don't know what to do"
Childline counselling session with a transgender girl aged 16. > Listen to our podcast episode on intersectionality in social work practice
Learning for practitioners: understanding the child

When you're working with a child, consider all the factors that might influence their safety and wellbeing. Take the time to get to know them, understand their lived experience and how they might face risks due to how other might perceive their identity.

You could consider creating safe spaces for children who have similar identities and come from the same community. This might help them talk about their experiences and get peer support.
Find out more about: > Safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities > Safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people > Safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) > Looked after children > Child mental health

Policies and procedures

Creating policies and procedures

LGBTQ+ inclusive policies

Your organisation's policies and procedures should set out how you will create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all children and young people.

You should ensure that LGBTQ+ children and young people are fully represented in all your policies and procedures as part of your work to ensure your organisation is fully inclusive.

Think about how you can work collaboratively and make sure you include the views of people in the LGBTQ+ community. How can you engage with the LGBTQ+ adults and children in your organisation so that they feel comfortable?

For example, you should consider how you can support transgender and non-binary children and young people to wear the clothes (e.g uniform or sports kit) and use the toilets and changing rooms that they feel comfortable with. Your policies should reflect that decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all children's safety. You should discuss options with the young person and their parents or carers (as long as this does not put the young person at risk of harm) (Scottish Government, 2021).

It's important to use appropriate language when talking to and about children and young people. You should ask LGBTQ+ children and young people what language they use to describe themselves, and use these terms in your policies and procedures.

You could also create a dedicated policy outlining how you will support LGBTQ+ children and young people specifically.

> Learn more about peer-on-peer sexual abuse
> Read our blog about contextual safeguarding
Safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures

All organisations that work with children and young people need to have a safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures.

This should include your commitment to protect all children regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

You should make sure that your safeguarding and child protection policy recognises the additional risks and vulnerability factors for LGBTQ+ children and young people.

You should complete risk assessments for specific contexts, such as changing rooms, taking into account all safeguarding risks that might be present and taking appropriate action to keep all children safe (Scottish Government, 2021).
> Read more about safeguarding considerations for getting changed at school > Find out more about writing a safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures > Take our introductory safeguarding and child protection courses
Recognising and responding to child protection concerns

All your staff and volunteers should know how to recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's safety and welfare.

Concerns about LGBTQ+ children and young people should be dealt with sensitively, taking into consideration any complicated feelings they might have about their sexuality or gender identity. For example, if a child has been using adult dating apps you need to take immediate steps to keep them safe. But you should also consider the reasons why they might be using those apps.

Make sure children know they can talk to you about anything that's worrying them. Make sure children also know about Childline and how they can contact them for confidential advice and support. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and children can also get support and advice via the Childline website.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.
> Learn more about recognising and responding to abuse > Find out more about how to respond to a disclosure of abuse
Information sharing

If you are worried about a child or young person's safety and welfare you should share this information promptly, following your organisation's safeguarding and child protection procedures.

However, you should be mindful that LGBTQ+ children and young people might not want to come out to everyone in their life. Sharing a child or young person's gender identity or sexuality might put them at extra risk if the person you tell is not supportive.

You could also break a child or young person's trust if you share information about their gender identity or sexuality without their permission, or without letting them know first.

You should only share information about a child or young person's sexuality or gender identity if they give you permission, or if it's relevant to a child protection concern.

For example, you might have to tell someone about a young person's sexuality or gender identity if:

they are experiencing homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying

they are using adult dating apps

there is a concern they might have been groomed or coerced into a sexual relationship

there is a concern they might be experiencing sexual abuse or exploitation

they are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness because their family are unsupportive of their gender identity or sexuality

(Stonewall, 2022).
> Learn more about when to share information about a child

> Learn more about gaining a child's consent to share information

Supporting children and young people

Supporting children and young people

There are a range of ways you can help support and protect the LGBTQ+ children, young people and families you work with.

Understanding a child's lived experience

It's important to remember that any child or young person you're working with could be LGBTQ+, whether or not they have told you about their identity. You should aim to understand the lived experience of every child, the risks that might be present and how that interacts with their life and identity.

Make it clear to the children and young people you work with that you're someone they can talk to about their identity and feel safe with. Be open minded and don't make assumptions about a child's sexuality or gender identity. Always consider how gender identity or sexuality could impact on their life and any risks they might face.

You could ask children and young people their pronouns, chosen name and how they would like to be referred to.

Relationships and sex education

Some young people who are exploring or questioning their sexuality or identity might struggle to accept themselves if they have insufficient knowledge about being LGBTQ+. This can contribute to low wellbeing or mental health issues (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

LGBTQ+ people and families should be reflected throughout the curriculum to help LGBTQ+ children feel safe and included (Scottish Government, 2021). It is important that children and young people are taught about all kinds of relationships, including LGBTQ+ relationships. When having discussions about relationships, make it clear to children and young people that same sex relationships and different gender identities are valid and should be respected. Talk to them about what a healthy relationship looks like, and make sure they know who to talk to if they are ever worried about anything.

Each nation in the UK has guidance on how schools should deliver relationships and sex education.

> Learn more about promoting healthy relationships in school

Children and young people can learn more about gender identity and sexuality on the Childline website.

Parents and carers can find out how to support children who are questioning or exploring their gender identity and sexuality on the NSPCC website.

Mental health

Adults in your organisation should know how to recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's mental health.
> Find out more about how to recognise and respond to children's mental health issues
Think about how your organisation can support LGBTQ+ children and young people who are struggling with their mental health and promote good emotional wellbeing.
> Learn more about how to promote good mental health and wellbeing
LGBTQ+ children and young people may also experience loneliness. Our Building Connections online service provides support from a trained befriender for young people aged up to 19.

> Find out more about Building Connections

There's lots of advice, tips and information about mental health for children and young people on the Childline website.

The NSPCC website has information for parents and carers on how to recognise if a child is struggling with their mental health and how to support them.

Online safety

Your organisation should have an online safety policy that takes into account the additional risks LGBTQ+ children and young people might face online. Staff and volunteers should be able to recognise and respond to any child protection concerns about LGBTQ+ children and young people online.

> Find out more about online safety

> View our e-safety resources for schools

> Take our online safety training

> View our Sharing nudes and semi-nudes training

Parents and carers can find tips on what they can do to keep children safe online and how to talk to their children about online safety on the NSPCC website.

Young people under 18 who are worried that a sexual image or video of them may have been shared online can use Childline and IWF's Report Remove tool to see if it can be taken down.

The Childline website has lots of advice and information for children and young people about online safety.

Bullying

Creating an inclusive and safe environment in your organisation can help children and young people learn to respect everyone's identity and reduce bullying.

Using resources that show different types of families can help improve children and young people's behaviour and reduce homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

You should have an anti-bullying statement which sets out your commitment to preventing and tackling bullying and how you will respond to incidents.

Staff and volunteers should challenge gender stereotypes and any kind of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language. Your organisation's behaviour codes should outline your expectations that everyone is treated with respect, both on- and offline.

Make sure children and young people know who in the organisation they can talk to if they are experiencing bullying.
> View our range of anti-bullying resources
The NSPCC website has advice for parents and carers on how to keep children safe from bullying.

Children and young people can find help on the Childline website if they're being bullied.

> Find out more about looked after children

> Find out more about safeguarding d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

Legislation and guidance

Legislation on safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people

Statutory guidance across the UK highlights the responsibility of those in education, community and care sectors to safeguard all children from all forms of abuse and neglect.

Find out more about the child protection system in:

LGBTQ+ children and young people in the UK are protected under equality legislation.

> Read more about children's rights

Guidance on supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people in schools

Across the UK there is guidance and best practice information on supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people in schools. Organisations in other sectors might also find this helpful.

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on bullying in schools in the UK, which provides information and signposts guidance on how schools can tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying (House of Commons Library, 2020a).

The House of Commons Library has also published a briefing giving an overview of provisions to support transgender children and young people in schools across the UK. It covers the Equality Act 2010, toilet facilities and changing rooms, sports, school uniforms, the curriculum and bullying (House of Commons Library, 2020).

In England, the Department for Education (DfE) has published non-statutory guidance for schools on the Equality Act 2010. This provides guidance on how schools should ensure that children and young people aren't discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender reassignment (DfE, 2014).

Ofsted has published a research commentary on teaching about sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. This shares examples of good practice and covers school culture, the curriculum, teaching about sexuality and gender and engaging with parents. It also includes good practice examples from faith schools (Ofsted and Brown, 2021).

In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) has published guidance for schools and other education settings on supporting transgender children and young people. This includes information on creating an inclusive environment, the curriculum, bullying and practical considerations such as toilets, changing rooms and uniforms (EA, 2019).

In Scotland, the Scottish Government has published non-statutory guidance for schools on supporting transgender young people. This guidance includes information on:

child protection, confidentiality and information sharing

bullying and safety

language

mental health

the curriculum

a whole-school approach to supporting transgender young people

working with parents and carers

practical considerations such as toilets, physical activity and uniforms

(Scottish Government, 2021).

LGBT inclusive education has been a national requirement for schools in Scotland since 2021. The Scottish Government has created an online toolkit to help teachers embed LGBT learning themes throughout the Scottish curriculum (Scottish Government and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), 2021).

In Wales, Estyn has published guidance on how schools can support LGBTQ+ children and young people and create an inclusive environment (PDF) (Estyn, 2020).

References

References

Albert Kennedy Trust (2015) LGBT youth homelessness: a UK national scoping of cause, prevalence, response, and outcome (PDF). [London]: Albert Kennedy Trust.

Barnardo's and Fox, C. (2016) 'It's not on the radar': the hidden diversity of children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation in England (PDF). Essex: Barnardo's.

Becerra-Culqui, T. et al (2018) Mental health of transgender and gender nonconforming youth compared with their peers. Pediatrics, 141(5).

Bradlow, J. et al (2017) School report: the experiences of lesbian, gay, bi and trans young people in Britain's schools in 2017 (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Children's Society, Victim Support and National Police Chiefs Council (NPSCC) (2018) Supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people at risk of child sexual exploitation: guidance for professionals (PDF). [London]: The Children's Society.

Department for Education (DfE) (2014) Equality Act 2010: advice for schools. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Education Authority (EA) (2019) Guidance for schools, EOSTAS centres and youth service on supporting transgender young people. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Estyn (2020) Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion: good practice in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) learners in schools and colleges (PDF). [Cardiff]: Estyn.

Government Equalities Office (2018) National LGBT survey: research report (PDF). Manchester: Government Equalities Office.

House of Commons Library (2020a) Bullying in UK schools. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

House of Commons Library (2020b) Provisions to support transgender children in schools. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Internet Matters (2021) LGBTQ+: advice for professionals working with LGBTQ+ young people aged 7-18. [Accessed 30/07/2021].

LGBT Health & Wellbeing, Scottish Trans, Equality Network, LGBT Youth Scotland and Stonewall Scotland (2018) LGBTI populations and mental health inequality (PDF). [Edinburgh]: LGBT Health & Wellbeing.

McDermott, E., Hughes, E. and Rawlings, V. (2018) The social determinants of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth suicidality in England: a mixed methods study. Journal of Public Health, 40(3): e244-e251.

McGeeney, E., Hanson, E., Brook and National Crime Agency (2017) Digital romance: a research project exploring young people's use of technology in their romantic relationships and love lives (PDF). London: National Crime Agency.

NHS (2021) Gender dysphoria. [Accessed 18/10/2021].

Ofsted (2021) Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Ofsted and Brown, Chris (2021) Research commentary: teaching about sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Olson, Kristina R. et al (2016) Mental health of transgender children who are supported in their identities. Pediatrics, 137(3): e20153223.

Russell, Stephen T. et al (2018) Chosen name use is linked to reduced depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behaviour among transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63(4): 503-505.

Scottish Government (2021) Supporting transgender young people in schools: guidance for Scottish schools. [Accessed 16/08/2021].

Scottish Government and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) (2021) lgbteducation.scot [Accessed 13/10/2021].

Stonewall (2022) An introduction to supporting LGBT children and young people: a guide for schools, colleges and settings (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Stonewall and Childnet International (2022) Staying safe online: practical strategies to best support all children and young people online, including those who identify as LGBT (PDF). London: Stonewall.

Xu, Yin and Zheng, Yong (2014) Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a meta-analysis. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24(3): 315-331.

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Safeguarding LGBTQ+ children and young people | NSPCC Learning

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Explains why LGBTQ+ children might be at greater risk of some types of abuse and shares best practice for professionals on supporting and protecting them.

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Resources on Healthy Relationships for young people with SEND

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Resources on Healthy Relationships for young people with SEND

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Using Love Life resources

The films

There are three films featuring Ash, her friend Jim and her sister Steph.

You can watch the films independently or as a series, although it's most helpful to work through them in the order we've suggested.

Each film is designed to open up different ways of talking about different topics.

Delivering Love Life

The films and resources are designed to be used as part of your ongoing discussions about growing up, relationships and emotions.

The young people you work with may have a range of needs, so the films and activities are flexible and adaptable.

Watch the films in advance and decide how best to introduce them. Choose the activities you think are most suitable and adapt them as necessary. For example, some young people may need help writing or drawing.

We haven't included timings for the activities - these will vary depending on the size of group and needs of the young people you're working with. You could devote a full day to doing all the activities and include two viewings of the films, or carry out individual activities over a number of weeks with repeat viewings of the films.

Some of the activities require you to have specific materials available. These are listed on the activity plan.

It's also helpful to have books on related topics available, which young people can look at in their own time.
> Look at our reading list of resources that can help you deliver Love Life
Upsetting content

While we've taken care to present the issues in Love Life in a non-threatening way, there may be some topics that are upsetting for the children and young people you work with.

Make sure you know how to spot any signs that may indicate a child is at risk of or experiencing abuse and respond appropriately.
> Find out more about recognising and responding to abuse
If a child or young person needs to talk to anyone confidentially, they can contact Childline for free on 0800 1111 or online. You can also download or order Childline posters and wallet cards.

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Love Life: resources for young people with learning disabilities | NSPCC Learning

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Films and activities to help young people with special educational needs and learning disabilities learn about emotions, relationships and identity.

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Legislation and guidance

The statutory requirements for safeguarding all children are set out in legislation and guidance for the education sector.
> Read more about the key safeguarding legislation and guidance for schools
Each UK nation also has legislation and guidance on supporting children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Although different terms are used in different nations, the principles of safeguarding and protecting children and young people with additional needs or disabilities are broadly the same.

> Take our safeguarding children with SEND training

For information for schools on supporting children and young people with SEND during the COVID-19 pandemic , read our which provides safeguarding guidance and information for schools. Coronavirus (COVID-19) briefing

England

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are covered by Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Under this legislation, a child or young person aged 0-25 has special educational needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Mainstream schools in England should follow the Special educational needs and disability code of practice (PDF) (Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health, 2015). This guidance sets out how schools should meet their duties to children and young people with SEND.

This guidance states that schools must designate a qualified teacher to be the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who is responsible for the coordination of provision for students with SEND. The SENCO should also provide guidance to colleagues, liaise with parents and carers and act as a key point of contact for external agencies, including health and social care.

SENCOs and nominated child protection leads should work together when there are safeguarding concerns about a child with SEND (DfE, 2019a).

The SENCO may also be required to act as the lead practitioner for multi-agency early help assessments. This might involve leading the assessment, co-ordinating support services and advocating for the child and family (DfE, 2018).

Some children and young people with SEND in England will have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) which details the education, health and social care support that will be provided to the child. Safeguarding concerns may be addressed through the EHC plan.

Northern Ireland

The key legislation for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Northern Ireland is the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. This legislation defines a child with special educational needs as someone aged under 19 who is a registered pupil at a school and has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made.

The Code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs (PDF) provides guidance for schools in Northern Ireland on making provision for children with SEND (Department of Education Northern Ireland, 1998).

This Code states that all mainstream schools should have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). Their responsibilities include:

managing the operation of the schools special educational needs (SEN) policy

offering advice to colleagues

liaising with parents and carers

maintaining a register of children with SEN

organising and contributing to the relevant training of other staff

liaising with external agencies.

The nominated child protection lead and the SENCO should work together when there are concerns about a child with SEND (Department of Education Northern Ireland, 2019). In larger schools, it may be appropriate to have a SEN co-ordinating team.

The SENCO, along with other teachers, should also ensure that children have an individual education plan (IEP). This should set out the nature of the child's learning difficulties and the provision to be put in place to support them.

Scotland

In Scotland, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 makes provision for children and young people who have additional support needs (ASN). A child or young person has ASN if they are of school age or younger and require additional support to benefit from school education. This includes children and young people who:

have learning disabilities or difficulties

have a disability or health need

are looked after

are young carers

have English as a second language

are on the child protection register.

This list is not exhaustive and the Act provides support for any child or young person who needs additional support.

Schools in Scotland must follow the statutory guidance Supporting children's learning (PDF) (Scottish Government, 2017).

Children and young people with ASN may have an individualised educational programme (IEP) which describes their additional support needs, how they will be met and what learning outcomes are expected.

Some children and young people who need significant additional support from school as well as other agencies will have a co-ordinated support plan (CSP). This should contain information about the additional support needed, who will provide the support and the educational objectives for the child.

If a child has a CSP, the local authority will appoint a co-ordinator who is responsible for ensuring that the correct additional support is being provided.

Wales

The Welsh Government passed the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act in 2018. Under this Act, a child has additional learning needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for additional learning provision.

The additional learning needs (ALN) system will be phased in over three years, starting in September 2021. The Welsh Government has published a guide to the transformation programme, which details how the new system will be implemented and outlines a timeline for implementation (Welsh Government, 2020). The Additional learning needs code sets out how schools in Wales should meet children and young people's additional learning needs (Welsh Government, 2021).

Until the ALN system is implemented, schools should follow the Special educational needs (SEN) code of practice for Wales, which provides guidance on how to identify, assess and make provision for children with SEN (Welsh Government, 2013).

The ALN system creates a number of new statutory roles which should be implemented before the rest of the system is put in place. These roles include the additional learning needs co-ordinator (ALNCo), the designated education clinical lead officer (DECLO) and the early years additional learning needs officer (ALNO).

From January 2021, all maintained mainstream schools and further education institutions in Wales must designate at least one ALNCo, who must be a teacher or have been a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) immediately prior to becoming an ALNCo. The ALNCo is responsible for:

identifying a child's additional needs and co-ordinating additional learning provision

keeping records of decisions about ALN

promoting inclusion and access to the curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities for children with ALN

monitoring the effectiveness of additional learning provision

advising teachers about appropriate teaching methods

supervising and training learning support workers

contributing to training for teachers

(Welsh Government, 2021).

The ALNCo is also responsible for ensuring all children and young people with ALN have an individual development plan (IDP) or individual education plan (IEP) which sets out the additional learning provision and support they will receive (Welsh Government 2021; 2013).

Resources

Find out what the laws and guidance around safeguarding in educational institutions are in each of the UK nations.

> Safeguarding legislation for schools and colleges:

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of a nominated child protection lead and use our example role description to help you write your own that reflects the needs of children and young people your organisation works with.
> The role of the nominated child protection lead

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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) | NSPCC Learning

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The statutory requirements for safeguarding all children are set out in legislation and guidance for the education sector. > Read more about the key safeguarding legislation and guidance for schools Each UK nation also has legislation and guidance on supporting children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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Safeguarding children with additional needs

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Safeguarding children with additional needs

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Listen to the child's voice and non-verbal communication - ensure all children and young people have appropriate ways of disclosing abuse.

Maintain a focus on the child's emotional needs, experiences, wishes and feelings

Ensure children and young people are aware; if you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS, once registered with emergency SMS

Create an environment based on equality and informed choice - help young people think about the issues and attitudes behind children with additional needs.

Some children with disability may be find it more difficult to express their concerns or disclose abuse, however children with disabilities are most likely to turn to a trusted adult they know well for help such as family, friend or teacher.

Ensure young people know the risks - in an age and ability appropriate manner.

Check young people have safe relationships - create the environment where it's ok to talk even about the most difficult things.

Spot the signs & know what to do - use the checklists above, your safeguarding procedures and be confident in raising missing children as a concern.

Take action - communicate with the child or young person via their preferred method

remain supportive and nonjudgmental

any concerns should be raised immediately with the designated safeguarding lead and keep taking action until you know they're safe

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SEND - Safeguarding Network - confidence in safeguarding

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Listen to the child's voice and non-verbal communication - ensure all children and young people have appropriate ways of disclosing abuse.

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We help professionals working in child sexual abuse prevention so that they're well equipped to keep children safe.

The public expects everyone who works with children and families to know how to protect young people from sexual abuse and to have all the answers. We know that this isn't always the case, so we try to help.

Anonymous helpline

Our anonymous and confidential Stop It Now! helpline will help any member of the public or professional - call 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information. If you're not ready to speak to someone just yet, you can also use our live chat or secure email.

Services for professionals

Through The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, we provide:

training help frontline workers, volunteers and organisations further their understanding of child sexual abuse, sexual offending and how to safeguard children

assessments, interventions and consultancy to help organisations like children's services, adult's services, education and health

Self-care

We have created an online self-care resource for anyone who works with people who have sexually offended, to help support you and your mental health.

Online resources

We can help support the people you work with, including:

Our Parents Protect website for advice on how to implement child safety plans in order to protect children from sexual harm.

Our international ECSA project has advice and information for childcare professionals around the world, to help them prevent child sexual abuse.

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Advice for professionals - Work in child protection - Stop It Now

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Get expert confidential support online or by phone for professionals who work in child protection. Training and consultancy available.

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Safeguarding Southend Partnership | Safeguarding Southend Adults and Children Partnership

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The Southend Safeguarding Partnership (SSP) aims to ensure the safety and protection of children and adults with care and support needs within the borough. It achieves this by working with the Police, Health, Social Care and voluntary agencies to ensure that care and support needs, their support ag…

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There are a lot of freebies and a newsletter. Joining the Safeguarding networks opens up even more resources and also the option to access their consultancy and also their online training for all staff at a reasonable cost

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Safeguarding Network - confidence in safeguarding

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Keeping Children Safe in Education requires designated safeguarding leads to support and develop their staff group in over 40 different topic areas. Safeguarding Network helps structure your approach with learning resources, audit tools, sample policies and short learning pieces for your staff that help you evidence how you keep children safe in your school.

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Break the Cycle – Helping young people to recognise and recover from unhealthy relationships

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Break the Cycle works with young people, families and professionals in Southend-on-Sea to raise awareness of unhealthy relationships and to provide support to young people who want to feel safe and happy in their own relationship.

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Beyond Referrals - Contextual Safeguarding Toolkit

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Beyond Referrals - Contextual Safeguarding Toolkit

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Welcome to the Beyond Referrals Toolkit page. Beyond Referrals was a four year project funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. The project worked with schools and voluntary and community sector organisations to help them respond to extra-familial harm. There were four different parts to the Beyond Referrals project.

Harmful sexual behaviour in schools: worked with schools to address harmful sexual behaviour in schools.

Multi-agency responses: worked with multi-agency partners to consider how they respond to HSB in schools

Extra-familial harm in schools: expanded the harmful sexual behaviour tool for use with all forms of extra-familial harm.

Towards Safety: Worked with VCS partners to create the Towards Safety tool for VCS organisations.

You can access each of the toolkits for the projects below.

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Beyond Referrals | Contextual Safeguarding

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The Beyond Referrals toolkits include resources for schools, VCS organisations and multi-agency partners to help them address harmful sexual behaviour and extra-familial harm.

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Who are we?

We support young people aged 12-17 years and the transitional age of 18-29, who are affected or experiencing issues with drugs and/or alcohol. We work with the young person to set and achieve their own personal goals, from stopping their use, to reduction plans or general education. This is a free and confidential service led by the young person, with the aid of experienced substance misuse workers. We are an outreach service, so we are able to come and see you wherever is most convenient for you. We can meet you in school or college, at your home, community setting or anywhere else you feel comfortable and safe.

In addition to this, we can also deliver training and education to professionals in order to support them in their roles working with young people.

How can we support you?

With the right help and support, it's possible for you to stay safe and get drug free. We work to raise awareness around substance misuse and provide support and advice for you and your family. Our service is free and confidential and includes:

One-to-one support

Group activities

Telephone or virtual support

NEET Support (for those not in education, employment or training)

Sexual health

Diversionary activities, Education and advice

Information for parents and carers and professionals

If you're a parent, carer, or professional and you need advice or info, please email us on: info@openroad.org.uk

To make a referral

Professionals can complete the attached referral form and send it to Southend.YPreferral@openroad.org.uk. If you have a secure email you can send it to Southend.YP@openroad.cjsm.net (secure email, can only accept CJSM/NHS.net and other government secure emails).

If you want to refer yourself or you are a parent/carer for an under 18, you can complete the online referral form on our website under Support, alternatively, you can contact us on 01702 431889.
Referral Form DUST Assessment

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Southend Young Person Drug and Alcohol Service (YPDAS) - Open Road Visions

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We support young people aged 12-17 years and the transitional age of 18-29, who are affected or experiencing issues with drugs and/or alcohol. We work with the young person to set and achieve their own personal goals, from stopping their use, to reduction plans or general education.

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Find out everything you need to know about drugs, their effects and the law. Talk to Frank for facts, support and advice on drugs and alcohol today. | FRANK

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Shout Textline | Free 24/7 Mental Health Support Via Text

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Shout offers you free, 24/7 text messaging support wherever you are in the UK. If you need someone to talk to about how you're feeling, text YM to 85258.

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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Lots of resources on how trauma impacts on children and young people. Resources include 'Childhood Trauma, the Brain and the Social World', 'Responding to Critical Incidents in Educational Communities' and 'Supporting Refugee & Asylum-seeking children & young people'

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Learn from the experts at our free webinar Childhood Trauma, War and Conflict taking place 4th December. Register now!

More than one in three children and young people are exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event by age 18.¹ The right support can make a substantial difference to the extent that traumatic events impact on their lives.

The UK Trauma Council (UKTC) creates evidence-based resources to improve professionals and carers' understanding of the nature and impact of trauma. We aim to better equip all those supporting children and young people exposed to trauma.

¹Reference: Lewis, S. J., Arseneault, L., Caspi, A., Fisher, H. L., Matthews, T., Moffitt, T. E., Odgers, C. L., Stahl, D., Teng, J. Y., & Danese, A. (2019). The epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in a representative cohort of young people in England and Wales. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(3), 247-256.

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Creating a world that nurtures and protects children and young people following trauma

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The UK Trauma Council's mission is to radically improve the help children and young people receive across the UK following traumatic events and experiences.

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Watch the full video

Thinking of suicide?

Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247.

My whole way of thinking has changed. I feel positive about my future and the people around me. I'm now looking forward to the future and helping others just like me!

Thank you so much for the incredible support PAPYRUS and HOPELINE247 has given me. You helped me in that moment and it kept me alive.

I intend to continue to fundraise for and promote PAPYRUS. I am so proud and humbled to be involved with a wonderful charity, and to have received the support that I have.

Having been personally bereaved by suicide I understand the importance and need for our charity. I am surrounded by others who are as passionate as I am about saving lives.

* All feedback is provided by people who contact PAPYRUS. All feedback has full consent of the user and the user remains fully anonymous. Some feedback may have been adapted to keep the users anonymity.

Our latest news

Stay up to date with PAPYRUS; our news section is regularly updated with helpful advice and guidance, as well as information about our upcoming events and campaigns. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.

Our upcoming events

Please see below some of our upcoming and exciting events including fundraisers and charity events we will be attending. For more information please get in touch.

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Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

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PAPYRUS UK is a charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35) in the UK | Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Now

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HOPELINEUK advisers want to work with you to understand why thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else's ability to stay safe.

For children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide

For anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide

Young people

Our advisers are all trained to help you focus on staying safe from suicide. Their training enables them to provide advice and support that may help you to move forward and stay alive.

Concerned others

If you are concerned that a young person is feeling suicidal, advisers can support you to start a conversation about suicide and explore options of how best to support them.

Contact HOPELINEUK

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINEUK for confidential support and practical advice.

Opening hours:

9am - midnight every day of the year (Weekends and Bank Holidays included)

Our Suicide prevention advisers are ready to support you.

Who can PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK help?

Young people, children, family, parents, siblings, partners, carers, grandparents

Concerned friends: at work, in school, college, university

GPs, nurses, teachers, school nurses, A&E staff, pastoral staff

Mental health professionals: CAMHS staff, CPNs, psychiatrists

Education staff: teachers, lecturers, learning mentors, education social workers

Police, ambulance staff, prison staff, drug and alcohol services, probation workers

Feedback from HOPELINEUK users

"I've just searched online to find the service, this is the best advice I've had, and I'm talking about doctors and health professionals. Do you know nobody has just asked me to talk to him; it's really strange when you think about it - so thank you."

"Thank you for helping me - no-one has ever helped me this much before."

"The people at HOPELINEUK are great - I feel understood."

Further help and advice

This page is for information on the PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK service - visit our HOPELINEUK FAQ section for more information about using the service. For further help and advice, including a full list of resources, visit our help and advice resources page.

We understand that not all callers will be able to, or would prefer not to, speak English. You can still access support by requesting Language Line when calling HOPELINEUK. Learn more about this service HERE.

Policies
Confidentiality Policy Remit of service policy

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HOPELINEUK | Papyrus UK | Suicide Prevention Charity

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HOPELINEUK advisers want to work with you to understand why thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else's ability to stay safe.

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Confidential online chat and WhatsApp chat available from 4.00pm to 10.00pm 365 days a year

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We're here for a chat every day, 365 days a year to listen and support you.

Start a chat now

Chat with Us

Our chat function is available throughout our website, or by clicking here. Our helpline is open from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM, 365 days a year.

When you enter a chat, you will be greeted by our MYH bot, who will ask for demographic information. This includes your email so we can contact you in case the web chat disconnects. We will also ask you for your (first) name. You are at liberty to provide or withhold this information, or to provide an alias. The MYH bot will then try to connect you to any available Helpline Officer. If there is no Helpline Officer available, you will be placed in a queue. We try our best to keep our queues as short as possible.

You can begin your web chat when a Helpline Officer greets or notifies you.

Text Us on WhatsApp

If you prefer texting, we can chat with you through WhatsApp. You can text us at 0808 808 2008. Our helpline is open from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM, 365 days a year.

When you first text us through WhatsApp, you will be greeted by our MYH bot. This bot will ask you for demographic information, such as your name and age, through an automated message. You are at liberty to refuse to provide any of this information as you see fit. A Helpline Officer will greet you when available. Otherwise, you will be invited to queue until a helpline officer becomes available. You can leave the app and return as soon as you receive a notification from one of our Helpline Officers. At the end of the chat, you can terminate your message by informing our Helpline Officer that you no longer want to continue the chat. You can also archive or delete your message log through the WhatsApp app.

"I had never spoken about my issue to anyone before, but I felt the need to speak to someone as my situation was not getting better. I rang MYH and a sister took my call. At first I was scared but this sister made me feel at ease. She helped me so much. One key thing which she said to me was 'to forgive' myself which I have, Alhamdulillah. Just speaking to somebody who listened without judgment has opened up doors for me which will never be closed. I ask Allah (swt) to reward you all abundantly for your efforts and to have mercy upon you all and to support you in this worthy cause ameen. This helpline, I've used it only once and it's saved me."

MYH client

The scope of our support

We have helped Muslims all over the UK with faith and culturally sensitive support. When you reach out to us, our Helpline Team will support you with empathy, empowerment, and active listening.

We want to make sure that you receive the help you require. This means that we will help you reflect on your concerns, pose questions to further explore the problem, and empower you to create a plan or reach a conclusion to address your issue.

Although we give faith and culturally sensitive support, our Helpline Team is unable to provide religious advice or counselling. If you need assistance beyond our scope, we can signpost you to an organisation that is suited to your needs. Based on what you need, we will help connect you with one of our trusted partners.

If you are in immediate danger or at risk of harm, contact 999 for emergency services.

Start a live chat with us now

Chat now

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Join over 2,000 others

Keep up to date with our latest news and receive copies of our wellbeing tips as soon as we publish.

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We're here for a chat every day, 365 days a year to listen and support you. Start a chat now Our chat function is available throughout our website, or by clicking here. Our helpline is open from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM, 365 days a year.

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Essential support for under 25s

The Mix is the UK's leading support service for young people. We are here to help you take on any challenge you're facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to us via our online community, on social, through our free, confidential helpline or our counselling service.

Featured

The Mix. Registered charity number: 1048995

Log in

Welcome to The Mix, offering essential support for under 25s.

Log in to submit your own content on our platform Your Voices.

If you do not have an account with us you can sign up here.
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Welcome to The Mix, the online guide to life for young people in the UK.

Your Voices is a community-focused section of The Mix where you can share stories about your experiences on a specific issue. Upload your own videos, images, blog posts, and playlists to Your Voices and share them with your friends.

Don't have a Your Voices account? Sign up here to submit your own content.

Already have log in, log in here.
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The Mix - Essential support for under 25s

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The Mix: 0808 808 4994 - Free information and support for under 25s in the UK. Get advice about sex, relationships, drugs, mental health, money & jobs.

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On Thursday 30 November from 2:30am - 7:30am, you won't be able to contact Childline whilst we do some important maintenance to our systems. This means that 1-2-1 chats, calling and messages to Childline will be unavailable. You'll still be able to use the Childline website for advice and information.

If you're in danger or it's an emergency, you should always call 999

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Get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call us on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards.

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Lots of guidance and links to useful websites. They offer a number of tools and self-assessments on how safe your institution is including Online Safety BOOST. They also offer a number of live webinars to keep you up to date with online trends and safety.

SWGFL also offer the Whisper service which is an anonymous reporting tool which could support child-on-child abuse and tackling sexual violence and harassment.

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Online Safety?

While cybersecurity protects devices and networks from harm by third parties, Online Safety protects the people using them from harm by the devices and networks (and therefore third parties) through awareness, education, information and technology.

It is what we call the appropriate approach to personal safety when using digital technologies.

Online Safety is being aware of the nature of the possible threats that you could encounter whilst engaging in activity through the Internet, these could be security threats, protecting and managing your personal data, onliine reputation management, and avoiding harmful or illegal content.

It isn't about scaremongering, it isn't about criticism and chaos, it's about focusing on the positive and enriching side of digital life whilst recognising its challenges and how to best approach them.

Online Safety, E-Safety, or Internet Safety?

Whether you call it E-Safety, Online Safety or Internet Safety, they all mean the same thing. Before 2015 the term used was generally E-Safety, but we now recommend the term Online Safety as this better represents the topic it refers to.

Managing Online Risk

The number of people being connected to the internet keeps growing daily, as does the need to recognise the challenges facing children - and indeed all of us - in the online space.

By practicing Online Safety, we can prevent and mitigate the risks that are inherently involved with using digital technologies, platforms and services.

Once the risks are managed, the internet can be enjoyed free from harm and to enormous benefit.
A great video that simply explains some of the challenges of online safety, from the UK Safer Internet Centre.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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While cybersecurity protects devices and networks from harm by third parties, Online Safety protects the people using them from harm by the devices and networks (and therefore third parties) through awareness, education, information and technology. It is what we call the appropriate approach to personal safety when using digital technologies.

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What we do

Help & advice

Helpful information and guidance on a range of key online safety topics.

The Childnet Film Competition 2024 is open!

Do you know any young people aged 7-18 who are passionate about film? Can they tell a good story, create animation or inspire positive change? Would they like to make a short film about online safety?
Then enter the competition now!

Download brand new interactive resource ReelLife!

An interactive resource to help young people aged 9-14 identify the potential risks of social media.
Check out the resource...

Try out the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme today!

A youth leadership training programme empowering young people to educate their peers about online safety.
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Blog

The latest advice and guidance on key online safety issues, as well as information on the latest apps and games.

Free resources to help you teach about online safety.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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Childnet - Online safety for young people

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Helping make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people.

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Government guidance that all schools and colleges must follow to keep children safe in education which includes information on the role of the DSL, management of safeguarding, staff training and dealing with incidents
Keeping children safe in education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

Details

This guidance applies to all schools and colleges and is for:

headteachers, teachers and staff

governing bodies, proprietors and management committees

It sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges.

All school and college staff should read part 1 of this guidance. Part 1 of the guidance is also available as a standalone document.

Statutory guidance sets out what schools must do to comply with the law.

Where the guidance states schools and colleges should do something, you should follow this unless you have a good reason not to.

'Regulated activity in relation to children: scope' describes work that a barred person must not do. We have also published guidance on disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006.

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Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

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Ofsted Inspection Guidance on safeguarding

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Ofsted Inspection Guidance on safeguarding

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All handbooks and frameworks for the remits that Ofsted inspects and/or regulates.

Education inspection framework (EIF)

This framework sets out Ofsted's inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make.

Schools handbook

Guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the EIF.

Independent schools handbooks

Guidance on inspecting non-association independent schools in England under the EIF.

Early years handbook

Guidance on inspecting registered early years and childcare providers under the EIF.

Area SEND: framework and handbook

Ofsted's inspection principles, guidance and the main judgements that inspectors make when inspecting area SEND.

Unregistered schools handbook

Guidance for inspectors and investigators of unregistered independent schools.

Further education and skills handbooks

Guidance for inspectors on inspecting further education and skills providers under the EIF.

Social care frameworks

Guidance on the:

social care common inspection framework

joint targeted area inspection (JTAI) of the multi-agency response to children and families who need help

inspecting local authority services for children (ILACS)

inspecting Cafcass

Initial teacher education (ITE) inspection framework and handbook

Ofsted's inspection principles, guidance and the main judgements that inspectors make when inspecting ITE.

Early career framework and national professional qualification

The framework and handbook for inspecting lead providers of early career framework (ECF) and national professional qualification (NPQ) programmes in England.

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All handbooks and frameworks for the remits that Ofsted inspects and/or regulates.

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This framework sets out Ofsted's inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make.

Details

The education inspection framework sets out how Ofsted will inspect state schools, further education and skills providers, non-association independent schools and registered early years settings in England.

You can also read individual handbooks for:

We ran a consultation on the framework and draft handbooks between January and April 2019.

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This framework sets out Ofsted's inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make.

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Skip to main content

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Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

Applies to England

Documents

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Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.

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Ofsted guidance on inspecting registered early years and childcare providers under the education inspection framework.

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Further education and skills inspection handbook

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Guidance for inspectors on inspecting further education and skills providers under the education inspection framework.

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Provides an overview and guidance around the Seven Rules and links to further guides

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To keep children and young people safe in schools and colleges, you need to share information appropriately so the correct decisions can be made to protect them. This is why the government has outlined the seven golden rules for information sharing as safeguarding involves sensitive information which directly affects the welfare of children and young people.

However, clear boundaries around information sharing or disclosures are important to maintain confidentiality where appropriate. Underneath the seven golden rules for information sharing below, you'll also find a useful flowchart of key questions.

1. GDPR Isn't a Barrier to Sharing Information

2. Be Open and Honest

3. Seek Advice

4. Share With Consent Where Appropriate

5. Consider Safety and Wellbeing

6. Necessary, Proportionate, Relevant, Accurate, Timely and Secure

7. Keep a Record

1. GDPR Isn't a Barrier to Sharing Information

With GDPR coming into effect in 2018, it's assumed that this statutory requirement doesn't allow you to share information. This isn't the case. The Data Protection Act isn't a barrier to sharing information but it provides a framework which ensures that personal information about living individuals is shared appropriately.

2. Be Open and Honest

You need to be open and honest with the child, young person and/or their family where appropriate about why, what, how and with who you will or could share information with. You also need to seek their agreement unless it's inappropriate or unsafe to do so.

3. Seek Advice

If you're ever in any doubt about sharing or disclosing the information concerned, seek advice from other practitioners such as your school or college's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). You should try to do this without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible.

4. Share With Consent Where Appropriate

Where possible, respect the wishes of those who don't give consent for you to share their confidential information. However, depending on the nature of the situation and what a child or young person has disclosed, you may still share information without consent.

This is if there's a good reason to do so in your judgement, such as where safety can be at risk.

5. Consider Safety and Wellbeing

Base your information sharing decisions on considerations of the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person - as well as anyone else who may be affected by their actions.

6. Necessary, Proportionate, Relevant, Adequate, Accurate, Timely and Secure

Ensure the information you share is necessary for the purpose for which you share it. You should share it only with those people who need to have it, your information is accurate, up-to-date, shared in a timely fashion and also shared securely.

7. Keep a Record

Regardless of the decision you make, keep a record of it and the reasons why you made that decision. If you decide to share following a disclosure, then record what you've shared, with who and for what purpose.

Even with the government's seven golden rules for sharing information, it can be challenging in a real-life situation when you need to make the tough decision on whether or not you should share information.

To help make that process easier, here's a flowchart of key questions for information sharing to help you make the right call if you're ever in that situation.

Information sharing is just one area of safeguarding. Although these conversations can be tough, it's vital you're fully prepared on all things safeguarding so you know the correct steps to take. With so much information floating around online, it can be challenging to take it all in and remember it.

To help, we've created the safeguarding handbook full of all the essential information you'll need.

Get Your Safeguarding Handbook

By clicking the link below, you'll get access to your all-in-one, go-to resource for all things safeguarding. From how to prepare for disclosures, what to do during one, spotting signs of abuse, the legalities and so much more, it's all in there.

Get your copy now.

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Information Sharing in Schools: The Seven Golden Rules to Follow

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To keep children and young people safe in schools and colleges, you need to share information appropriately so the correct decisions can be made to protect them. This is why the government has outlined the seven golden rules for information sharing as safeguarding involves sensitive information which directly affects the welfare of children and young people.

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This resource includes a useful flowchart and mythbusting on sharing information
Information sharing: advice for practitioners (publishing.service.gov.uk)

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Lots of resources and alerts around online safety
free sign up to their newsletter
Safeguarding Hub - Ineqe Safeguarding Group

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Safeguarding Hub - Ineqe Safeguarding Group

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FEATURED RESOURCE What You Should Know About ... Sextortion More Information

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Monthly newsletters are sent out
Great resources to support wellbeing and mental health
Resources For Professionals Working With Young People | YoungMinds

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Resources For Professionals Working With Young People

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Resources, training courses, consultancy and service design for professionals working with young people in schools, youthwork or the mental health system

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Resources on mental health, trauma-informed approaches and wellbeing of children and young people
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

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We work with professionals to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Learn about our training, services, research and more.

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A free professional network for schools and colleges to support mental health and wellbeing work and training
Schools in Mind (annafreud.org)

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Tools and information on ending bullying including Anti-Bullying Week run every November
Anti-Bullying Alliance

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Government advice and trusted resources for schools to safeguard students from radicalisation, build resilience to all types of extremism and promote shared values.

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One-hour lesson plan for KS2 and KS3 on why conspiracy theories are more common in times of crisis, and how they should be debunked.

Subject area:

Fundamental British Values, Online safety

Age group:

KS 2, KS 3

Resources:

Lesson activity, Lesson plan

Informational video about the Educate Against Hate website aimed at teachers.

A link to quickly and anonymously report online material promoting terrorism or extremism.

Subject area:

Online safety

Resources:

Reporting tool

Format:

Interactive site, Web pages

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Classroom resources Archives - Educate Against Hate

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One-hour lesson plan for KS2 and KS3 on why conspiracy theories are more common in times of crisis, and how they should be debunked. Subject area: Fundamental British Values, Online safety Age group: KS 2, KS 3 Resources: Lesson activity, Lesson plan Informational video about the Educate Against Hate website aimed at teachers.

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ConnectFutures works with young people, practitioners and communities to increase knowledge, resilience and confidence in preventing extremism and serious violence, challenging hate, and promoting equality and justice.

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We combine insight, experience and practice to make lasting change. Extremism and exploitation are on the rise. Our courses and bespoke programmes can help prevent these at grassroots level by empowering people with knowledge and practical tools.

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A free hub of National Safeguarding Resources to empower children, young people and all adults supporting them.

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A range of newsletters that keep you up to date on safeguarding topics and developments
NSPCC Learning Newsletters | NSPCC Learning

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Find the right newsletter to keep you up-to-date with child protection and safeguarding news and information.

CASPAR

A weekly email to keep you up-to-date with all the latest safeguarding and child protection news, policy, practice and research across the UK.
Subscribe to CASPAR
NSPCC Learning Newsletter

Stay informed about NSPCC Learning's professional training, events, services and resources.
Subscribe to NSPCC Learning Newsletter
Safeguarding in Education Update

Monthly bulletin for anyone working in education to keep up with the latest safeguarding and child protection developments as well as resources and training from NSPCC Learning.
Subscribe to Safeguarding in Education Update
New in the Library

Weekly list of the new child protection, safeguarding, child abuse and child neglect books, articles and resources added to our library collection.
Subscribe to New in the Library
Case Reviews Update

Monthly update of newly published case reviews added to the national collection.
Subscribe to Case Reviews Update

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NSPCC Learning Newsletters | NSPCC Learning

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Find the right newsletter to keep you up-to-date with child protection and safeguarding news and information. A weekly email to keep you up-to-date with all the latest safeguarding and child protection news, policy, practice and research across the UK. Subscribe to CASPAR Stay informed about NSPCC Learning's professional training, events, services and resources.

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Safeguarding In Schools
Free sign up

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Safeguarding children and young people in the 21st Century seems to become more and more complex. Whilst the issues and risks may ebb-and-flow, there are two important constants: culture and structure. Effective safeguarding relies on clear and easily understandable systems and procedures. The school's culture forms the safe environment for children to develop and grow.

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Prevent duty guidance: England and Wales (2023)

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Prevent duty guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales.