I am a Parent/Carer

Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme)

Clare's Law, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), enables the police to release information about any previous history of violence or abuse a person might have.

Under Clare's Law you can:

apply for information about your current or ex-partner because you're worried they may have a history of abuse and are a risk to you
request information about the current or ex-partner of a friend or relative because you're worried they might be at risk

If you are concerned and would like to make a Clare’s Law (DVDS) application, please visit the Warwickshire Police website:

Warwickshire Police - Clare's Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme)

Please note, the form provided via the above link isn't for reporting domestic abuse. If you need to do that, please contact Warwickshire Police. If you are concerned a child is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, contact Warwickshire’s Family Connect (Children's Social Care). If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of harm, call 999.

Sarah's Law (Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme)

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS) lets members of the public formally ask the police whether someone who has contact with a child or children:

has a record for child sexual (paedophile) offences
poses a risk to the child or children for some other reason

It's not a law, but it is sometimes called 'Sarah's Law'. It gives guidance on how you can ask the police to use their existing powers to share information about sex offenders. If you’re worried about someone’s behaviour towards a child, or something you've seen, heard or been told, members of the public can use Sarah's Law to find out if that person is a risk.

Anyone who is worried about someone's behaviour towards a child can apply, not just a child's parents. This includes people like a grandparent, neighbour or friend. No matter who makes the application, if there is information the police decide to share, they will tell whoever can use the information to keep the child safe. This might not be the person who made the application, it might be someone else (like the child's parents).

Please note, an application must ask for information about a specific person and a specific child or children they spend time with. You cannot apply for general information about child sex offenders.

For further information and how to make a Sarah’s Law (CSODS) application, please visit the Warwickshire Police website.

Warwickshire Police - Sarah's Law (Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme)

If a child you know is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect, contact Warwickshire's Family Connect (Children's Social Care).

Faith Groups

Warwickshire Safeguarding work in partnership with community faith groups in Coventry and Warwickshire, raising awareness of safeguarding amongst different faith groups.

Preventing Abusive Infant Head Trauma with ICON

Research tells us that persistent crying in babies is a potential trigger for some parents/caregivers to lose control and shake a baby. It also shows that around 70% of babies who are shaken are shaken by men. So, any prevention programme should include male caregivers and use the best opportunities to reach them as well as support all parents/caregivers with information about crying and how to cope with a crying baby.

ICON was created to help prevent abusive head trauma for infants and is an evidence-based programme consisting of a series of brief ‘touchpoint’ interventions that reinforce the simple message making up the ICON acronym.

What does ICON stand for?

I - Infant crying is normal and will stop.

C - Comfort methods can help sooth the baby.

O - It's OK to walk away if you have checked the baby is safe.

N - Never shake or hurt a baby.

I - Infant crying is normal and will stop. Babies start to cry more frequently from around 2 weeks of age. The crying may get more frequent and longer. After about 8 weeks of age, babies start to cry less each week.

C – Comfort methods can sometimes soothe the baby and the crying will stop. Think about:

Are they hungry
Are they tired
In need of a nappy change

Try simple calming techniques such as singing to the baby or going for a walk. Comforting Your Baby

O – It’s OK to walk away if you have checked the baby is safe and the crying is getting to you. After a few minutes when you are feeling calm, go back and check on the baby.

Parent Relaxation Techniques

N – Never, ever shake or hurt a baby. It can cause lasting brain damage or death. If you are worried that your baby is unwell contact your GP or call NHS 111.

Parents and carers should always be encouraged to speak to their family, friends, GP, health visitor or midwife if they need support.

There are 5 key touchpoints where the ICON message can be shared/reiterated by professionals:

+ - Touchpoint 1 - Following birth and prior to discharge Click to collapse

Where and when: Hospital/Home based following birth and prior to discharge. Research shows this is where the message is more likely to reach men.

Who delivers the touchpoint? Midwives, anyone from the midwifery team, maternity unit volunteers. It is mainly midwives who prefer to deliver this touchpoint when they discharge the mother and baby from hospital or following a home birth.

Resources: This includes the provision of the leaflet or the easy-read version and a simple script to get the conversation started is also available. It usually takes midwives about 6 – 8 minutes to deliver this touchpoint.

If the baby was premature and is being discharged from the Neonatal Unit, the Neonatal team should deliver this touchpoint using the ‘premature baby’ ICON leaflet or the easy-read version.

+ - Touchpoint 2 - Within the first 10 days Click to collapse

Where and when: Within the first 10 days, post-discharge, at home.

Who delivers the touchpoint? Community Midwife

Resources: This is a reminder of the ICON basic message, and no resources are necessarily needed. The midwife may choose to show the parents/carers the ‘Infant crying is normal’ infographic to help reinforce this point. The normal crying curve is also a good resource to help the discussion.

+ - Touchpoint 3 - Within the first 14 days Click to collapse

Where and when: Within the first 14 days, the first visit at home by a Health Visitor.

Who delivers the touchpoint? Health visitor

Resources: This is a reminder of the ICON basic message and no resources are necessarily needed. The Health Visitor may choose to show the parents/carers the ‘Comfort methods can help’ infographic. A really useful resource that might be used is the ‘Crying Plan’ which could accompany a discussion exploring how the parent/carers are prepared for the rise in crying that is imminent.

+ - Touchpoint 4 - Around 3 weeks Click to collapse

Where and when: Around the 3-week period

Who delivers the touchpoint? Health visiting team

Resources: This isn’t normally a time when Health Visitors are routinely in touch with a family but it is a good time to check in with families that they are coping with the possible increase in crying from their baby and are coping. Some areas are choosing to raise the topic opportunistically at clinics whilst others are proactively sending text messages to both parents/carers as a reminder.

+ - Touchpoint 5 - At the 6 to 8 week check up at the GP surgery Click to collapse

Where and when: At the routine 6/8 week check at the GP surgery

Who delivers the touchpoint? GP and this is sometimes supported by Practice Nurses.

Resources: This is the time the increase in crying is likely to become noticeable. A reminder of the ICON basic message, provision of the leaflet or easy easy-read version is useful at this point. GPs are asked to structure their session using the questionnaire included on the members portal. Although this is a defined touchpoint, many GP practices are using other opportunities during contact with men and women presenting to the surgery who are caring for babies who are crying a lot, to remind them of the ICON message.

+ - Additional Touchpoints Click to collapse

These are additional touchpoints supported by ICON resources that any practitioner can deliver:

Opportunistic: Any professional involved with babies can provide opportunistic support/advice using the free resources available on ICON’s website.

Antenatal: This is another good opportunity to engage men in a conversation about normal crying and how to cope with it. It can be delivered by midwives, health visitors or GPs, practice nurses, nursery staff who are aware a new baby is expected etc. Describing Barr’s crying curve and explaining the basic message is often well-received at this point.

Schools: ICON resources include a PSHE (Personal, social, health and economic education) lesson plan and materials designed by teachers for 14 – 16-year-olds. Some of these pupils will have siblings who are babies, may babysit or may soon become or are already parents. The purpose of this lesson is to enhance the public health messaging around the normal crying behaviour of babies, when and where to seek help and advice and the dangers of shaking a baby. It can be delivered by teaching staff or health professionals.

Other useful links and support networks for parents and carers

DadPad: An essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS

NHS: Advice on soothing crying babies

Cry-sis: Support for parents and carers with crying and sleepless babies

Brazelton Centre UK: Information on baby communication

Safeguarding in Sport

Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire (CSW) Sport is committed to promoting the safety and welfare of children and young people engaged in sporting activities across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire. It aims to contribute to safeguarding children and young people by:

Meeting the requirements of the Standards for Safeguarding and Protection of Children in Sport (CPSU 2002)
Implementing and demonstrating best safeguarding practice when staff, volunteers or others are providing services, activities and programmes for children and young people
Working with partners to establish and implement agreed, consistent minimum safeguarding standards for sporting activities across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire
Requiring those individuals or organisations that are funded or commissioned to provide any service for children and young people to effectively address safeguarding requirements
Maximising it’s influence to promote safeguarding practice and principles within its wider partnership roles and relationships

Think Active (Formally CSW Sport), in partnership with Sport England, NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Local Safeguarding Partnerships in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire have developed a set of "Keeping Sport Safe! Guides":