Latest resources
You can find our latest resources on this page, but please go to the individual pages to find more resources on Innovation, Extra-familial Risks and Harms, Trauma-informed Practice, Transitional Safeguarding, and Contextual Safeguarding. You can view all our blogs here and book for our events here.
You can take a look here at all the slides from our project conference on 7th November 2023, and here is a recording of the introductory keynote
Resources on Innovation
Coming soon, ‘Innovation in Social Care: New Approaches for Young People affected by Extra-Familial Risks and Harms’, by Michelle Lefevre, Nathalie Huegler, Jenny Lloyd, Rachael Owens, Jeri Damman, Gillian Ruch, and Carlene Firmin. This open access book will be published open access by the Policy Press in 2024.
Our article on Towards a synthesised directional map of the stages of innovation in children’s social care is complemented by an infographic of the ‘Stages of Innovation Framework’. Together, they aim to support planning and review by those leading and implementing innovation in social care and related agencies.
The main findings of our article on‘Towards a framework for ethical innovation in children’s social care’ are set out in a video on ‘trustworthy innovation'. We also have two related infographics to support innovation practice: Promoting Ethical Innovation in Social Care (the PEISC framework ); and Doing Ethical Innovation in Social Care (the DEISC tool).
Extra-Familial Risks and Harms
We have written a book reviewing the effectiveness of current approaches to addressing extra-familial harm and you can freely download the digital version here: Firmin, C., Lefevre, M., Huegler, N. and Peace, D. (2022) Safeguarding Young People Beyond the Family Home: Responding to Extra-Familial Risks and Harms. Bristol: Policy Press.
Here is a short recording outlining why we think innovation is needed in the field of extra-familial risks and harms, which was originally presented at the EUSARF conference in September 2023
Trauma-Informed Practice
This infographic uses findings from the innovate project to raise awareness to the importance of implementing a trauma informed approach while we write/record/communicate information about young people experiencing extra-familial risks and harms.
This animated video explores the use of trauma informed practice in response to young people affected by extra-familial risks and harms. It is based on the fictional story of Lily – a 15yr old girl, elicited from the study findings.
You can download slides from a webinar led by Kristi Hickle and Roni Eyal-Lubling in October 2023 entitled: Introducing a trauma-informed approach across an organisation: what to do and why a whole-system approach matters.
Transitional Safeguarding
In this Webinar, Dr Nathalie Huegler and Professor Gillian Ruch from the University of Sussex and Dr Susannah Bowyer from Research in Practice talk about findings from Innovate Project research with local areas seeking to develop Transitional Safeguarding approaches.You can watch it here: Transitional Safeguarding – how can young people’s safety needs be better supported during transition to adulthood.
You can freely download our 2021 paper here, by Nathalie Huegler and Gillian Ruch, on ‘Risk, vulnerability and complexity: transitional safeguarding as a reframing of binary perspectives’, published Practice: Social Work in Action, 34(1): 25-39.
What was moving to adulthood like for you? Getting to grips with the concept of transitional safeguarding. Find out why transitional safeguarding is so fundamental to the way in which we interact with young people, and how we can implement and innovate it in future.
A short video introducing Transitional Safeguarding has been produced by Dez Holmes and Susannah Bowyer, from Research in Practice.
Contextual Safeguarding
Contextual Safeguarding – does it work and how would we know? This blog, by Michelle Lefevre, reviews some of the Innovate Project learning about Contextual Safeguarding.
This open access article explores the synergies between relationship-based practice and contextual safeguarding when working with young people experiencing extra-familial risks and harms. It's by Jenny Lloyd, Kristine Hickle, Rachael Owens and Delphine Peace, https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12787.
The independent evaluation of the first pilot of Contextual Safeguarding reported in 2023, led by Michelle Lefevre, working with Lisa Holmes, Kristine Hickle and Nathalie Huegler. The key messages and implications for policy and practice can be found here and the full evaluation report can be downloaded here.
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