Contextual Safeguarding in Southampton
What is Contextual Safeguarding?
Contextual Safeguarding is a framework for understanding and addressing young people’s experiences of harm beyond their families or home. The different relationships that young people form in their communities, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. It recognises that parents and carers often have little influence over these contexts, and young people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships. Contextual Safeguarding approaches focus on making the context or environment safer by working with those who shape them whilst recognising the role of social inequalities. It promotes an ecological, collaborative, rights-based and strengths-focused approach to safeguarding.
Evidence shows that young people encounter significant harm in a range of settings beyond their families, including robbery on public transport, sexual violence in parks, gang-related violence on streets, online bullying and harassment from school peers, and abuse within their intimate relationships.
Contextual Safeguarding can be applied in response to (not an exhaustive list):
- Criminal and sexual exploitation
- Sexual harassment and bullying
- Radicalisation
- Group-based and peer-on-peer violence
- Teenage relationship abuse
It is important to remember that technology can be used to facilitate harm online and can lead to abuse offline.
What does this look like in Southampton?
In Southampton, we have a Contextual Safeguarding Team which has practitioners from social work, youth work and youth justice backgrounds. We are based within Southampton Children’s Services, responding to extra-familial harm concerns though interventions with peer groups, locations and schools and close collaboration with young people, families, community and professional partners.
How we help
The Contextual Safeguarding Team collaborates with various agencies and partners to:
- Complete assessments and coordinate responses to peer groups, places or schools where children are experiencing extra-familial harm
- Provide advice, guidance and tools that align with a Contextual Safeguarding approach and support work with young people and their families
- Support and facilitate targeted outreach, peer group work and activities, advocating for environmental and system changes
- Build a community guardianship network across the city to increase safety and protective presence in locations where harm is occurring
- Provide training on Contextual Safeguarding and how this can be embedded within all of our roles and settings
What does this mean for you?
To learn how you can support Contextual Safeguarding in your role, please select one of the options below that applies to you:
I am a non-traditional partner (e.g. business, hospitality, community member)
Learn how you can help create safer spaces for young people in your community or setting.
More information coming soon.
I am a safeguarding partner (e.g. schools, social care, youth workers)
Find out about your role in supporting Contextual Safeguarding and working with the team.
More information coming soon.
How to refer a concern
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility – we need schools, businesses, and community leaders to help keep young people safe.
If you’re worried about a young person who is experiencing harm or needs help, you should make a referral to ensure they receive the right support.
If you are aware of or worried about places or spaces in the community, peer groups or schools where young people may be experiencing harm, contact us via contextual.safeguarding.team@southampton.gov.uk.
Anonymous reports can be made via Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.
What is Community Guardianship?
Community Guardianship in Contextual Safeguarding refers to individuals or groups who can help safeguard young people by recognising and responding when a young person is at risk of harm. It is essentially about looking out for young people in the places they spend time through showing care, concern and respect and, when needed, knowing how to pass on information that may help others to take safeguarding actions. Anyone can be involved in Community Guardianship - such as a local leader, mentor, teacher, shop owner or local residents.
Community Guardianship involves looking out for the wellbeing of young people in their local environment and helping to ensure that any risks are identified early.
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can support community guardianship in Southampton please contact the Contextual Safeguarding Team using the contact information at the bottom of this page.
Additional information and resources
Read more about how Contextual Safeguarding works and why it’s important.
A Ted Talk by Dr Firmin, the founder of Contextual Safeguarding outlines:
- How contexts beyond families are associated with abuse
- How traditional child protection systems fail to engage with these contextual dynamics
- The components of the Contextual Safeguarding system that would redefine what child protection means
Resources for safeguarding partners
Access toolkits and best practices for professionals working in safeguarding.
Contextual Safeguarding website
Latest news and updates on Contextual Safeguarding
Stay informed on the latest developments and best practices in Contextual Safeguarding in Southampton via our Context Matters newsletter which will be available to sign up for soon.
Contact us
For more information about Contextual Safeguarding or if you need support, get in touch with our team:
- Phone: 02380 833336 – ask to speak with a member of the Contextual Safeguarding Team
- Email: contextual.safeguarding.team@southampton.gov.uk
