NSPCC Learning Podcast

Episoder

• 80: How to build emotional resilience in children 14.04.2026 29min

  Learn more about practical ways to improve children’s emotional resilience.
• 79: An introduction to contextual safeguarding 09.03.2026 25min

  In 2015, Professor Carlene Firmin coined the term ‘contextual safeguarding’ to describe an approach to safeguarding young people that looks at additional ‘contexts’ for harm outside of the family home and beyond the control of a child’s parents and carers.In this podcast episode, we speak to Carlene about the concept of contextual safeguarding and how practitioners can incorporate contextual safeguarding practices into their work with children and families.You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.💬 About the speakersProfessor Carlene Firmin MBE is a Professor of Social Work and Director of the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University. She is also Co-Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Social Work, co-convener of a special interest group on Social Work and Adolescents for the European Social Work Research Association, a Global Ashoka Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Churchill Fellowship Advisory Council, and an Associate of Strathclyde University’s Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice. Her book, Contextual Safeguarding and Child Protection: Rewriting the Rules, won the Routledge Prize for a Sociology Monograph in 2020.Shirley Maginley is a Senior Consultant in the NSPCC’s Professional Learning Services, with over 20 years’ experience supporting professionals and organisations across sectors to strengthen their knowledge, policy and practice in keeping children safe. She draws on her experience in youth and community development to help organisations improve their safeguarding arrangements and create safer environments for children and young people across diverse settings.📚 Resources mentioned in this episode> Visit the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding website > Access further contextual safeguarding resources, including resources on context weighting, safety mapping and safety summitsIntro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros 
• 78: Male experiences of domestic abuse 09.02.2026 24min

  Learn more about harmful expressions of masculinity, male experiences of domestic abuse, and the effects on children.
• 77: Safeguarding in a multi-academy trust 09.09.2025 30min

  Learn more about how the role of a regional designated safeguarding lead can enhance safeguarding practices in a multi-academy trust.
• 76: Protecting boys from financially motivated sexual extortion 05.08.2025 24min

  Listen to Danielle Harris, Childline Team Manager and Marie Smith who oversees the CEOP education programme discuss the different ways criminals are using online sexual extortion to target boys and young males.
• 75: Child criminal exploitation and the importance of early intervention 03.07.2025 27min

  Learn more about how to protect children and young people involved in county lines and CCE.
• 74: Protecting babies from the effects of domestic abuse 30.05.2025 29min

  Learn more about abuse in pregnancy and how to improve support for families affected by it.
• 73: Supporting Black mothers facing perinatal mental health challenges 01.05.2025 25min

  Listen to the founder of The Motherhood Group, discuss the importance of providing inclusive support for maternal mental health during pregnancy and the first year following childbirth.
• 72: The work of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – part two 13.03.2025 23min

  Part two of a discussion with members of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
• 71: The work of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – part one 13.03.2025 25min

  Part one of a discussion with members of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
• 70: Online safety – a young person’s perspective 28.02.2025 26min

  Hear from young people about what makes them feel safe online and what online safety topics they’d like to learn more about.
• 69: Mental health first aid kits 31.01.2025 20min

  Learn how mental health first aid kits can help young people manage their mental health if they’re struggling.
• 68: How to plan meaningful participation work with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse 02.12.2024 33min

  This podcast episode, hosted by the IICSA Changemakers, contains advice on how you can carry out participation work with adult victim-survivors of abuse in a way that is both safe and meaningful.
• 67: Providing better support for teenagers — an interview with Anne Longfield 11.11.2024 31min

  Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, shares her thoughts on what needs to be done to improve the safeguarding support available to teenagers across the UK.
• 66: How domestic abuse affects children 28.10.2024 26min

  NSPCC Helpline and Childline representatives discuss the effects of domestic abuse on babies, children and young people.
• 65: Teaching sex and relationships education with Talk Relationships 09.09.2024 34min

  Childline ambassador Natalie Dormer discusses the challenges teachers face when teaching SRE in secondary schools.
• 64: The voice of the child in social work practice 29.07.2024 28min

  Learn more about how social workers can use the child's voice to enhance safeguarding responses.
• 63: Supporting d/Deaf children: putting the child at the centre of decision making 31.05.2024 37min

  Learn more about how understanding the language and communication needs of d/Deaf children can help you keep them safe.
• 62: Absenteeism in schools 29.04.2024 25min

  Learn more about why children miss school and the potential safeguarding implications.
• 61: Understanding pre-birth assessments 28.03.2024 19min

  Learn more about pre-birth assessments and how they can play an important role in safeguarding babies.