7-minute Briefings

With increasing pressures and demands on time, it can be hard to find the time for learning and development. Learning for seven minutes is manageable in most services, and learning is more memorable as it is simple and not clouded by other issues and pressures.

Clearly such short briefings will not have all the answers, but it is hoped that they will act as a catalyst to help teams and their managers to discuss and reflect on their practice and systems.

Each 7-minute briefing may vary slightly in its style, but the important thing is that you use them to generate discussion on the learning themes/key messages in a way that is relevant and accessible to your service, team and workers.

All of the cases are based on real people and events, but we have changed names, ages and family compositions.

We would encourage you not just to focus on those briefings relevant to the age group you support but to expand your knowledge base of other areas.

We encourage all agencies to record or evidence how they have used our 7-minute briefings. A 7-Minute Briefing Action Plan Template is provided below.


SCP Thematic 7-Minute Briefings

  • "The Myth of Invisible Men" (PDF, 259 Kb)

    Published in September 2023.

    This 7-Minute Briefing focuses on key messages from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's 3rd National Review and the four-tier model for working with men.

  • Safer Sleeping (PDF, 302 Kb)

    Published in November 2022 / updated October 2023

    This 7-Minute Briefing focuses on safer sleep advice for families where safeguarding risk factors exist.

    Key Messages (from The Lullaby Trust):

    -Babies should always be placed on their back in a clear cot or sleep space for every sleep, day or night.
    -It is safest if they are in the same room as parents/carers for the first six months.
    -Tell families if they are in a high-risk group and should not bed share – they are much more likely to follow advice if they understand the reasons.
    -If parents are told not to bed share, they may feel they cannot discuss what actually happens and will not therefore get the right advice.
    -Be open and non-judgmental, as families bed share at any given time for a wide variety of reasons.
    -Shock messages that increase fear do not work.
    -Explore why the family is bedsharing and any barriers to following safer sleep advice.
    -Support them to plan ahead to avoid unsafe accidental bedsharing or for when they are out of their usual routine.

  • Safeguarding Un/born Babies (PDF, 263 Kb)

    Published in October 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Womb as "Baby's First Home"
    - Potential vulnerabilities that can affect the mother and, in turn, the un/born baby
    - Support during the perinatal period
    - Working with the support network

  • Perplexing Presentations / Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) (PDF, 265 Kb)

    Published in October 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - New terminology - Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Perplexing Presentations
    - Essential principles when working with suspected cases

  • Neglect (PDF, 219 Kb)

    Published in October 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Persistence of Neglect
    - Use of the Neglect Toolkit
    - Professional Curiosity

  • Domestic Abuse and Violence (PDF, 195 Kb)

    Published in March 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Themes:
    -Voice/Lived Experience of a child
    -Routinely inviting support services to multi-agency meetings, e.g. child protection conferences
    -Engagement with male perpetrators of abuse or consideration of referring them for perpetrator support services
    -Creative offers of support to survivor or family subjected to DVA
    -Inadvertent pressure on survivors to manage the perpetrator's behaviour
    -Lone male adults accessing services were not always asked if they had children

  • Children with Mental Health Needs (PDF, 210 Kb)

    Published in March 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    -Voice of the Child
    -Information Sharing between Children's Social Care and Health services during periods whilst child is on a waiting list
    -Better application of the Thresholds, and robust contingency planning, ensuing that the threshold for significant harm is evidenced strongly
    -Links should also be made with Adult Services, when a parent has known mental health issue
    -Links to DVA support agencies information sharing is especially important if any of the abuse is aimed at the child as well as the adult

  • Modern Slavery (PDF, 315 Kb)

    Published in March 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    -Lack of antenatal care and birth planning
    -Recent arrival of mother from foreign country and departure soon after discharge
    -High level of deceit by adults involved in care of child
    -Child’s birth falsely registered
    -Alleged father translated for other adults at appointments controlling situation
    -Well-presented home hid true situation for child

  • Concealed and Denied Pregnancy (PDF, 835 Kb)

    Published in February 2021 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Risks associated with concealed or denied pregnancy
    - Multi-Agency Response
    - Having difficult conversations

SCP Case 7-Minute Briefings

  • "Ben" (PDF, 321 Kb)

    Published in November 2021 on the Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Partnerships Website

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Adolescent Mental Health
    - Transition from Children to Adult Services
    - Engagement with services

  • "Sonia" (PDF, 168 Kb)

    Published in April 2020 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Voice of the child and their lived experience
    - Anorexia and seeing it as a safeguarding concern
    - Adolescent Neglect
    - Addressing multi-agency communication and professional differences in the best interests of a child or young person

  • "Grace" (PDF, 208 Kb)

    Published in January 2020 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Trilogy of Risk
    - Parenting Capacity
    - Voice of the Child

  • "Joe" (PDF, 215 Kb)

    Published in January 2020 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Parenting Capacity
    - Voice of the child, including non-verbal, and lived experience
    - Professional Challenge

SAB Thematic 7-Minute Briefings

Coming Soon

SAB Case 7-Minute Briefings

  • "Philip and William" (PDF, 189 Kb)

    Published in September 2023 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Self-Neglect
    - Thresholds for Vulnerable Adult Risk Management (VARM) and Safeguarding
    - Mental Capacity

  • "Dora and Keith" (PDF, 274 Kb)

    Published in October 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Carer Strain
    - Safety Planning
    - Mental Capacity

  • Person D (PDF, 199 Kb)

    Published in October 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Mental Health
    - Dual Diagnosis
    - Mental Capacity
    - Trauma-Informed Practice

  • "Anna" (PDF, 205 Kb)

    Published in March 2022 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    -Complexity of working with co-existing conditions for example, mental health and substance abuse

  • "Jenny" (PDF, 224 Kb)

    Published in October 2021 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Implication of case closure on multi-agency working and ongoing risk
    - Fully understanding the adult's issues in order to deliver appropriate services to them and their family
    - Identification of, and support for, informal carers

  • "Jaye" (PDF, 268 Kb)

    Published in October 2021 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Support to adults with learning difficulties and mental ill health
    - Mental Capacity and unwise decisions
    - Provision of Advocacy
    - Assessing sexual safety
    - Recording of care plans and reflection of voice

  • "Annie" (PDF, 211 Kb)

    Published in January 2020 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Application of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Principles
    - Management of End of Life Care

  • "Alison" (PDF, 209 Kb)

    Published in January 2020 issue of Safeguarding Matters

    Key Learning Themes:
    - Professional Curiosity and looking beyond the presenting issues
    - Self-Neglect and consideration of Vulnerable Adults Risk Management (VARM) process
    - Mental Capacity Act (MCA)
    - Care Programme Approach (CPA)