New OSAB trauma informed practice and shame competency training opportunities
The Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) Workforce Development and Training Strategy has been refreshed for 2025-26; the strategy details how OSAB partner agencies agree to prioritise practitioner awareness of trauma informed practice and shame competency.
During 2025-26, OSAB is offering new multi-agency training opportunities to build practitioner confidence and underpin local trauma informed practice resources including sessions from Lads Like Us and the Shame Lab. To access the resources and details of the new training take a look at the flyer
New OSCP educational neglect guidance and 7-minute briefing
Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership (OSCP) are pleased to share an updated guidance document for professionals on educational neglect with an accompanying 7-minute briefing that summarises the guidance for professionals and parents.
Oldham Council are committed to improving the educational outcomes for our children and young people. School attendance is a key priority for the council due to the links between low school attendance and attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances with compelling with long-term life implications for our residents.
This guidance seeks to support the identification of educational neglect and outline the processes in place to improve school attendance in Oldham.
Please discuss the educational neglect guidance within your teams, it can be found in the education section of the OSCP website. The 7-minute briefing for educational neglect can also be found in the 7-minute briefings section
OSAB priorities for 2025-26
OSAB are currently in the second year of a Three-Year Strategy which set out its strategic aims from April 2024 to March 2027 by identifying the partnership's shared vision and direction for safeguarding adults within Oldham. The strategy also set out how OSAB would work towards these aims.
Take a look at a new one-page summary of the strategy including the vision, the strategic objectives for the three years and the priorities for this second year. Priority areas chosen by OSAB partner agencies include Mental Capacity Act, Trauma Informed Practice, Empowerment & Participation, Complex Safeguarding & Exploitation, Self-Neglect & Hoarding, Utilising Local Learning, Learning Disabilities and Homelessness.
Working together to safeguard children: an illustrated guide for children, young people, and their families
All children should be helped, supported, and protected when things are difficult. An illustrated guide has been created in collaboration with children and young people, alongside the Department for Education’s Social Care Advisory Board, with the help of the National Children’s Bureau. Practitioners can use this guide to explain to children, young people, and their families how various individuals, organisations, and agencies work together to provide help, support, and protection.
The illustrated guide and the Working together statutory guidance can be found online.
New/refreshed self-neglect and hoarding practitioner resources
During National Hoarding Awareness Week earlier this month, OSAB and OSCP published new/refreshed practitioner resources.
The Self-Neglect Policy, Procedures and Guidance and Responding to Hoarding Guidance provide definitions, indicators, key practice principles to consider and the procedures to follow. These two important documents are supported by a refreshed Self-Neglect Toolkit, a collection of tools, hints and tips designed to support defensible decision making, provide suggestions about what to do in difficult situations, and share important factors to consider such as mental capacity, ‘what an adult who self-neglects might hope (and fear) when practitioners arrive in their lives’, common practice solutions, and use of the Clutter Image Ratings.
A new OSAB 7-Minute Briefing about Hoarding has also been developed as a simple introduction to hoarding including key messages and to act as a gateway to the three main documents.
Oldham hoarding peer support group
Did you know that local agencies Positive Steps and TOG Mind have set up an Oldham Hoarding Peer Support Group? Take a look at the flyer
Safeguarding children with disabilities training places still available
This training will take place at 9.30am-4pm on Thursday 26th June 2025 at Rock Street Resource Centre, Rock Street, Oldham OL1 3UJ. To register for a place, please email OSCPtraining@oldham.gov.uk
The course aims to enhance professional understanding of the key issues relating to disability, child protection and safeguarding. It will examine the challenges for workers and agencies raised by Serious Case Reviews in this area. It will scrutinise and map evidence based assessment frameworks to guide practice and examine specific considerations in relation to child neglect and emotional abuse which are a priority for Oldham safeguarding children partnership. Please note, cancellation policy will apply.
Has a first responder supported you through a mental health crisis?
A Care Responders research study explores experiences of young people aged 5-18 years old and their families who have received support from first responders for a mental health crisis. Please contact the research team if you could tell them about your experiences of receiving support from first responders, such as paramedics, police officers, NHS crisis practitioners and hospital staff to inform their research. Contact details can be found via the flyer
Meet the team – child protection investigation unit
The police have a critical role in safeguarding children, including investigating crimes against children, ensuring their safety and arresting perpetrators. They also play a vital part in sharing information and intelligence about child protection risks, working with other agencies to ensure children's wellbeing. You are invited to meet the team of the child protection investigation unit, officers from Oldham child protection investigation unit (CPIU) who will outline their role in relation to safeguarding children and how they work in partnership with other agencies. The session will take place on Tuesday 3 June, 10–11am, Online via Microsoft Teams. Register to attend via the online form