NEW! OSAB & OSCP cultural competence in safeguarding - practice guidance

Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) and Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership (OSCP) are proud to launch Cultural Competence in Safeguarding: Practice Guidance  — a vital resource for practitioners working with children, adults at risk, and families from diverse cultural and faith backgrounds.

This guidance helps practitioners deliver inclusive, respectful, and effective safeguarding by providing:

  • Clear definitions of cultural competence and why it matters
  • Key factors to consider including language barriers, engagement challenges, and cultural dynamics
  • Six core competencies for safeguarding across cultures and faiths
  • Questions to help identify risk factors linked to cultural and faith
  • Links to specialist resources and organisations for further support

By embedding cultural competence into practice, we can build trust, reduce inequalities, and ensure better outcomes for those we support.

Help shape future training – your feedback matters!

To ensure OSCP continues to deliver high-quality, relevant training, we are asking for your input. This short survey focuses on questions assessing confidence in safeguarding and responding to child sexual abuse. Your input will help us to:

  • Understand strengths and identify areas for improvement across the partnership.
  • Strengthen multi-agency practice to safeguard children effectively.
  • Identify gaps and future training needs across agencies.

Please share the survey link widely through your teams and partner agencies so we can gather as many views as possible. Every response counts in shaping better support for practitioners and improving outcomes for children and families. Closing date for responses will be Friday, 28 November 2025, please make sure your feedback is submitted before then.

NEW! OSAB Gab Podcast Episode

Representatives from partner agencies in Oldham come together to explain the OSAB Tiered Risk Assessment and Management (TRAM) Protocol including how the Team Around the Adult (TAA) is fundamental to each risk level. This episode of The OSAB Gab can be an introduction to the Protocol or a 'refresher' for practitioners.

Listen: Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon Music and RSS.com or search for 'OSAB Gab' wherever you get your podcasts.

OSCP annual report

OSCP has published its annual report for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

We wish to take this opportunity to thank all our frontline practitioners, managers, partners, sub-group members, our independent scrutineer, and the business unit for their continued commitment to safeguarding children in Oldham.

Work has continued in relation to the priorities for the partnership and wider learning, and our annual report demonstrates only some of the work that has taken place. We are proud of all that has been achieved and the ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

While we recognise areas for further improvement, our priorities remain clear, to enhance safeguarding practice and promote the wellbeing and safety of children and families across Oldham.

Tent fire safety for people who are sleeping rough

Nationally, there have been fire incidents, injuries and deaths due to fires in tents being used by people who are sleeping rough. In Greater Manchester, a person suffered life-changing injuries following a fire in a tent. Working with The Brick Project Outreach Team in Wigan and A Bed Every Night (ABEN) Centre staff in Leigh, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have developed advice to help keep people safe from fire, carbon monoxide and other risks, when sleeping rough in tents.

If you are working with someone who is sleeping rough, talk to them about the advice that can be found in the new GMFRS leaflet

White ribbon fortnight starting next week – reserve your spot now

There is still time to book your place on our webinars. Some sessions are just 30 minutes, making it easy to fit into your day. Please share this opportunity across your agency and encourage colleagues to join us in supporting this important campaign. Here are some of the webinars on offer:

What is white ribbon
Monday 24 November 2025
12pm – 12.30pm

Find out more and book your place

Domestic abuse webinar (co delivered by pupils from Blue Coat school)
Wednesday 26 November 2025
1pm – 1.30pm

Find out more and book your place

Information for friends and family of survivors
Thursday 27 November 2025
12pm – 12.30pm

Find out more and book your place

Reel services – Support on offer to survivors
Tuesday 2 December
12pm – 1pm

Find out more and book your place

Coercive control and children
Wednesday 3 December
11am-12pm

Find out more and book your place

New SAFE project website

OSAB are supporting a three-year Safeguarding Adults For Empowerment (SAFE) research project, led by the University of Sunderland, to improve safeguarding for older adults by addressing gaps in the understanding and implementation of ‘making safeguarding personal’.

The first stage, involving older Oldham residents discussing their views on safety and safeguarding during an arts-based workshop, was completed in December 2024. This is now influencing the next stages involving interviews with people who have been subject to a safeguarding enquiry and family member advocates. The project will lead to findings, events and resources designed to improve practice in Oldham and nationally.

Take a look at the recently launched SAFE project website to find out more including how to get involved.

Let’s get Oldham’s children brushing!

To align with OSCP’s priority on tackling neglect, we are pleased to share information about Big Brush month, which took place in November 2025.

Did you know?

Children’s oral health in Oldham is amongst the worst in the country. Big brush month, is a local campaign supported by Northern care alliance NHS foundation trust and Oldham council, promotes key toothbrushing messages and highlights the supervised toothbrushing programme for 3–5-year-olds, delivered by My Dental Buddy in early years settings and schools.

We encouraged all partners and agencies working with families and young children to help raise awareness by sharing these key messages:

• Brush twice daily.
• Use family toothpaste with 1350ppm fluoride.
• Under 3: a smear; age 3+: a pea-sized amount.
• Spit after brushing, don’t rinse.
• Supervise brushing until age 7

Looking for resources?

To order posters and other oral health materials, visit the Department health and social care website  You can also find helpful advice on the Family hubs website and the Best start in life website