The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Let’s Talk Social Work podcast focuses on the issues that matter most to social workers, and the people they support.

Andy McClenaghan is joined by Chris Lytle MLA, Chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Education, Nick Hobbs from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland and social worker Sarah Goff from the Ann Craft Trust to examine the issue of restraint and seclusion of children and young people with additional needs in educational settings. The conversation explores how plans to introduce new guidance in Northern Ireland aimed at preventing the use of restrictive practices can be informed by experiences elsewhere in the UK.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has apologised to rape victims for low conviction rates in England and Wales and promised to "do a lot better".

In an exclusive BBC interview, he said it was "not good enough" and admitted budget cuts were partly to blame. Rape convictions have fallen to a record low in recent years. The government said it was now considering allowing victims to pre-record their evidence to spare them the trauma of a courtroom trial.

Knowledge gaps between professionals and the young people they support may be apparent when it comes to online activity. Building up awareness over such issues could facilitate smoother conversations. Remember, that young people may not necessarily be using the dark web for illicit reasons and that equivalent risks exist on the open web.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has announced ‘one kind word’ as the theme for Anti-Bullying Week 2021 which will take place from 15 to 19 November 2021.

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched two consultations on national standards for unregulated accommodation for looked after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17 in England.

From BBC News: A crackdown on county lines drug dealing gangs resulted in the arrest of 1,100 people and the seizure of 292 weapons.

Change Ur Life is a domestic abuse charity in Bedfordshire, offering a comprehensive outreach service to support victims of all genders over the age of sixteen.

This free course looks to raise awareness about critical learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs), equipping those who come into contact with children with the knowledge and understanding they need.

Learners will be able to identify and refer concerns, assess and intervene and work effectively within the multidisciplinary safeguarding system. The course takes a child centred approach by drawing on the real lived experiences of children who have experienced neglect, abuse and extra-familiar harm, and is informed by the SCR findings published in the past two years.

The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families is running a series of free webinars aimed at all early years practitioners.

The events will be open to anyone in the early years sector interested in attending. All early years practitioners are welcome including nursery managers and workers, childminders, children centre managers and any other childcare practitioners.

This free elearning programme has been designed for anyone who works with, or encounters, children and young people aged 0 to 25 with Special Educational Needs and Disability.

Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Borough Council, and the respective Parent Carer Forums have worked with colleagues in Children’s Speech and Language Therapy in Bedfordshire and Luton to create an e-learning course titled ‘An Introduction to supporting Speech, Language and Communication’.

The NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) has published a new animation looking at how sport can safeguard children.