Best NSPCC Learning Podcasts (2025)

1
73: Supporting Black mothers facing perinatal mental health challenges 25:31

17d ago25:31

25:31

Mental health difficulties can have a big impact on parents’ ability to provide responsive care for their babies, especially if parents aren't getting the support they need. Black mothers are disproportionately affected by mental health difficulties and are less likely to receive adequate perinatal mental health support. In January 2025, Alexis Gol…

1
Episode 8: Sydney: “I kept running but the running didn’t keep me safe” 20:41

13d ago20:41

20:41

Sydney was just 13 years old when she went missing for 5 days from the Children’s Home she was living in at the time. Upon her return, she disclosed that she had been held against her will, sexually assaulted by older males and had been given alcohol and drugs. This podcast episode looks at the findings of the subsequent review published jointly by…

1
Episode 7: Child G – Moving from “What is wrong with you” to “What has happened to you?” 15:42

20d ago15:42

15:42

This podcast episode highlights the key learning points from the review published by Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership for a young person, Child G, who experienced trauma and instability at an early age, including experiences of emotional and sexual abuse, and a lack of certainty about who was there to look after or care for her. As a t…

1
Episode 6: Leiland-James Corkhill – learning from his death at the hands of his adopter 25:57

27d ago25:57

25:57

Leiland-James Corkhill was murdered by his prospective adopter Laura Castle in January 2021. This episode looks at the findings of the review published by Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership. Learning themes include: -Limitations of self-reporting -Information sharing -Disguised compliance (as referenced in the report) -Post Adoption Depressi…

1
Episode 5: Skye- learning from her death 13:53

1M ago13:53

13:53

Skye was 17 years old when she died after being found unresponsive in her bedroom in the commissioned residential home in Scotland that she was living in at the time. This episode covers the findings from the subsequent review published by Bath and North East Somerset Community Safety & Safeguarding Partnership. Learning themes include: -The import…

1
Episode 4: Child Q: “Things need to change with all organisations involved. Even I can see that” 23:17

1M ago23:17

23:17

In 2020, Child Q, a Black female child of secondary school age, was strip searched by female police officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The search, which involved the exposure of Child Q’s intimate body parts, took place on school premises, without an Appropriate Adult present and with the knowledge that Child Q was menstruating. T…

1
Episode 3: The Pattisons-The story behind the murder of Emma and Lettie Pattison 22:46

2M ago22:46

22:46

Emma Pattison and her 7 year old daughter Lettie were both murdered by their husband and father, George Pattison in February 2023 at their house on the grounds of Epsom College, where Emma was Headteacher. This episode looks at some of the findings from the Domestic Homicide Review published by Epsom and Ewell Community Safety Partnership. Learning…

1
Episode 2: Logan Mwangi-Learning from his murder 13:43

2M ago13:43

13:43

In late July 2021, Logan Mwangi was murdered by his mother, step-father and a teenage boy. This episode examines some of the findings from the Child Practice Review Report published by Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board. Learning themes include: -Considering the child’s lived experiences -Unseen men- considering fathers -Information sharing -It i…

1
Episode 1: Scarlett Jenkinson-The story behind Brianna Ghey’s murderer 22:08

2M ago22:08

22:08

In February 2023, 16 year old Brianna Ghey was murdered by two other young people, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe. This episode examines some of the findings from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review published by Warrington Safeguarding Board into the story behind Brianna’s killer Scarlett Jenkinson. Learning themes include: -Use of socia…

1
Welcome to R.I.S.E 4:46

2M ago4:46

4:46

According to the NSPCC, on average, at least one child a week is killed in the UK. Many more suffer significant harm. This podcast goes beyond the headlines and brings you the findings of the subsequent reviews that are published following these tragic events. Whether you are a professional working with children and young people or an interested me…

1
72: The work of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – part two 23:11

2M ago23:11

23:11

At the end of 2024, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national review exploring the challenges in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment. They also published their annual report for 2023-24, which covers the Panel’s work from April 2023 to March 2024. This is the second half …

1
71: The work of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – part one 25:49

2M ago25:49

25:49

At the end of 2024, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national review exploring the challenges in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment. They also published their annual report for 2023-24, which covers the Panel’s work from April 2023 to March 2024. In January 2025, we spok…

1
70: Online safety – a young person’s perspective 26:24

3M ago26:24

26:24

The online world is constantly changing, and young people are often more informed about online trends than adults. Young people are equipped with their own knowledge and understanding of what they need to know and do to stay safe online. It’s important to listen to their thoughts and opinions, and try to incorporate their voice into your online saf…

1
69: Mental health first aid kits 20:38

4M ago20:38

20:38

Mental health is as important to a child’s safety as their physical health; mental health issues can sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues. By recognising when a child is struggling with their mental health, and intervening to provide appropriate support, professionals working with children can help prevent mental health proble…

1
68: How to plan meaningful participation work with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse 33:06

6M ago33:06

33:06

The voices of people with lived experience of child sexual abuse play an important role in understanding how to respond to and prevent this form of abuse. Conducting participatory work with victims and survivors can move the conversation around CSA forward and create positive change. In this episode, you’ll learn about the benefits of involving vic…

1
67: Providing better support for teenagers — an interview with Anne Longfield 31:27

6M ago31:27

31:27

We speak to Anne Longfield, the Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, about what needs to be done to improve the safeguarding support available to teenagers in the UK, the topic of her new book Young Lives, Big Ambitions. In the interview, Anne explains some of the problems facing vulnerable teenagers, and presents the solutions she would …

1
66: How domestic abuse affects children 26:48

7M ago26:48

26:48

Being exposed to domestic abuse is a form of child abuse and children don't need to be directly involved for this to be the case. They may have seen or heard or experienced the effects of domestic abuse in the family and this can have a big impact on their behaviour, development, education and wellbeing. In this podcast episode, experts from the NS…

1
65: Teaching sex and relationships education with Talk Relationships 34:33

8M ago34:33

34:33

Safe and effective sex and relationships education (SRE) plays a vital role in preventing abuse. However, teaching SRE can be challenging. According to a 2022 NASUWT and NSPCC survey, 46% of teachers say they don’t feel confident teaching sex and relationships education. In this podcast episode, actor and Childline ambassador Natalie Dormer is join…

1
64: The voice of the child in social work practice 28:37

10M ago28:37

28:37

It is important for social workers to consider the voice of the child — their experiences, their worries and their wants — when undertaking their work, particularly when conducting assessments. This improves professionals’ abilities to act in the child’s best interest. In this episode, three consultant social workers from the NSPCC’s Quality and Pr…

1
63: Supporting d/Deaf children: putting the child at the centre of decision making 37:17

12M ago37:17

37:17

Language and communication barriers faced by d/Deaf children and young people can manifest in a way that increases safeguarding risk. It's important that there are professionals who can understand and communicate with a child or young person if they need to report or disclose any issues they are experiencing. In this podcast episode, a panel of exp…

1
62: Absenteeism in schools 25:53

1y ago25:53

25:53

Education is a vital part of ensuring children get the best possible start in life, and there can be safeguarding implications for children who are absent from school. If children miss school, the ability that schools have to offer them the support they need is compromised. And missing school may be an indicator of broader child protection concerns…

1
61: Understanding pre-birth assessments 19:38

1y ago19:38

19:38

Pre-birth assessments help social work professionals to identify strengths, needs, risks and protective factors in the lives of expectant families. They play an important role in safeguarding babies; effective pre-birth assessments can ensure that families get the support they need before issues escalate. In this podcast episode, In this podcast ep…

1
Justice and redress | Recommendations for Change: a series about the IICSA final report - episode 5 26:05

1y ago26:05

26:05

The criminal and civil justice systems play an important role in the way the State responds to child sexual abuse. However, many of IICSA’s investigations featured details of inadequate responses from the police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts. The final episode of the series looks at how the IICSA recommendations might improve victims and su…

1
Online safety | Recommendations for Change: a series about the IICSA final report - episode 4 25:56

1y ago25:56

25:56

Being online is an integral part of children’s lives, but it can expose them to risks, including sexual abuse. The past five years has seen a proliferation in child sexual abuse material online, and IICSA’s investigations into the problem found that law enforcement is struggling to keep pace. In this episode of Recommendations for Change, we explor…

1
Children in care | Recommendations for Change: a series about the IICSA final report - episode 3 32:43

1y ago32:43

32:43

Many children enter care because they have been abused or neglected. IICSA found that, rather than being protected, many vulnerable children who entered care were subject to further abuse. This episode of Recommendations for Change looks at the IICSA findings relating to children in care. How did institutions fail to protect looked after children, …

1
The importance of data | Recommendations for Change: a series about the IICSA final report - episode 2 28:34

1y ago28:34

28:34

Gathering and analysing data plays a key role in understanding the extent of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA and CSE). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final report suggests one of the reasons that the true scale of CSA in the UK is not fully understood is poor data collection. In the second episode of our series loo…

1
An introduction to IICSA | Recommendations for Change: a series about the IICSA final report - episode 1 24:51

1y ago24:51

24:51

Recommendations for Change is a new five-part podcast series from NSPCC Learning, exploring the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) final recommendations. The series breaks down why the recommendations are needed, how they’ll work if implemented, and what impact they might have on the prevention of child sexual abuse. This first epi…

1
60: Supporting new parents through adversity – part two 25:58

1+ y ago25:58

25:58

The first 1001 days of a child’s life are crucial for their development and wellbeing. Having access to caring relationships and support networks can help a child’s brain develop in a healthy way. New parents who experience adversity, such as domestic abuse, may need additional help to build these support networks for their child. This is the secon…

1
59: Supporting new parents through adversity – part one 26:46

1+ y ago26:46

26:46

The first 1001 days of a child’s life are crucial for their development and wellbeing. Having access to caring relationships and support networks can help a child’s brain develop in a healthy way. New parents who experience adversity, such as domestic abuse, may need additional help to build these support networks for their child. This is the first…

1
58: Building an evidence base for social work 23:35

1+ y ago23:35

23:35

Evidence plays an important role in social work practice. Knowledge gained from research and practical experience should be used to ensure decisions about safety and risk are well-informed and ethical. In this podcast episode, a panel of experts from the NSPCC discuss how social workers can build and maintain an evidence base to support their work.…

1
57: What's next for children's social care in England? A practical perspective 29:24

1+ y ago29:24

29:24

This is the second in a two-part series looking at the future of children’s social care in England. Listen to the first episode, an interview with Josh MacAlister, here. Earlier this year, the UK government published its vision for the reform of children's social care in England: Stable homes built on love. The strategy sets out a number of proposa…

1
56: What’s next for children’s social care in England? An interview with Josh MacAlister 27:44

1+ y ago27:44

27:44

This is the first in a two-part series looking at the future of children’s social care in England. Earlier this year, the UK government published its vision for the reform of children's social care in England: 'Stable homes, built on love'. The Independent Review of Children's Social Care in England, which published its final report in May 2022, pr…

1
55: Domestic abuse support in the workplace 24:58

2y ago24:58

24:58

Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse can have a detrimental effect on a child's mental, physical and economic wellbeing. By recognising when an employee or colleague is experiencing domestic abuse, professionals working in any sector can help keep children safe. In this podcast episode, domestic abuse experts from the NSPCC Helpline discuss wh…

1
54: An introduction to Report Remove, an online self-reporting tool for young people 24:24

2y ago24:24

24:24

Report Remove is an online tool that under-18s can use to report nude images or videos of themselves that have been shared online, to see if they can be removed from the internet. Developed by experts from Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation, the tool provides a child-centred and non-judgemental approach to image removal. Listen to this pod…

1
53: Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing in schools 23:50

2y ago23:50

23:50

Mental health problems can impact on all aspects of a child’s life, and in some cases can lead to safeguarding and child protection concerns. Education professionals are in a good position to look out for children’s mental health, promote their wellbeing and help prevent any mental health problems from escalating into more serious concerns. This ep…

1
52: Together for Childhood — what we've learnt to help prevent abuse and neglect 29:30

2+ y ago29:30

29:30

Together for Childhood (TfC), the NSPCC's place-based approach to prevent child abuse and neglect, was launched almost five years ago. Listen to Pat Branigan, Assistant Director for Together for Childhood, talk to the panel of development managers from all four TfC sites about the benefits of a place-based and community-focused approach to preventi…

1
51: Researching mental health support for adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse 36:43

2+ y ago36:43

36:43

In this episode, we hear from Dr Helen Beckett and Dr Debbie Allnock, two researchers from the Safer Young Lives Research Centre (SYLRC), who worked on a study looking at adolescents’ experiences of sexual abuse and how this has affected their mental health and wellbeing. The discussion covers the purpose of the study, the importance of listening t…

1
50: Sibling sexual abuse 23:04

3y ago23:04

23:04

Listen to Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe who work on our harmful sexual behaviour service talk about the effects of sibling sexual abuse on children and families; how to provide whole-family support; the impact of family dynamics and contributing factors to harmful sexual behaviour being displayed. This episode touches on our practitioners’ experie…

1
49: Understanding denial in children displaying harmful sexual behaviour 28:23

3y ago28:23

28:23

In this podcast episode, Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe, who deliver our HSB service, talk about: what denial and shame might look like in children and young people the physical signs and non-verbal cues that children might display when talking about their experiences building trusting relationships and using therapeutic and trauma-informed approac…

1
48: An interview with the NSPCC Helpline’s Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors 28:16

3+ y ago28:16

28:16

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSPCC's national helpline saw a 35% increase in contacts about domestic abuse.1 In response to these rising figures, the NSPCC secured funding from the COVID-19 Support Fund to launch a three-year domestic abuse project and extend the capacity of the helpline to support contacts who have experienc…

1
47: Why child neglect can happen and how to respond to it 22:31

3+ y ago22:31

22:31

Neglect is a form of child abuse that can have serious and long-lasting effects on a child’s life, but it can be difficult to recognise. In the second episode in this two-part podcast series exploring what can be done to support children and families experiencing neglect, Dawn Hodson, the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect, Mandi Tambourini-Moore…

1
46: What is child neglect and how to spot the signs 29:58

3+ y ago29:58

29:58

Neglect is a form of child abuse that can have serious and long-lasting effects on a child’s life, but it can be difficult to recognise. In the first episode, Dawn Hodson, the NSPCC’s development lead for neglect, Mandi Tambourini-Moore, a family support worker for Liverpool Children’s Services, Lisa Shannon, the Graded Care Coordinator from Stockt…

1
45: Understanding technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour (TA-HSB) 24:46

3+ y ago24:46

24:46

TA-HSB is when children and young people use the internet or technology such as mobile phones to engage in sexual activity that may be harmful to themselves or others. Listen to Pat Branigan, the NSPCC’s Associate Head of Development, Emma Hodgson, an NSPCC development social worker and Carol Carson from the AIM Project discuss: the prevalence and …

1
44: Planning therapeutic sessions for children displaying harmful sexual behaviour 31:17

3+ y ago31:17

31:17

Continuing on from episode 43, social workers and children’s practitioners, Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe, talk about planning therapeutic sessions and assessing children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour. You’ll learn more about: preparing therapeutic session plans and helping children explore their life experiences thr…

1
43: Direct work with children displaying harmful sexual behaviour 28:20

3+ y ago28:20

28:20

Hear NSPCC practitioners talk about conducting therapeutic sessions with children and young people and understanding how to manage incidents of harmful sexual behaviour. You'll hear us discuss: creating safe spaces in therapeutic session and using different techniques and strategies providing clarity around confidentiality and safeguarding when wor…

1
42: Black girls’ experiences of sexual abuse 37:23

3+ y ago37:23

37:23

We spoke to Jahnine Davis, co-founder of Listen Up, about her work into exploring the lack of representation of Black girls’ experiences in research and child sexual abuse services, including suggestions to help improve practice. Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant with the NSPCC, and Jahnine discuss: why the experiences of Black girls are missing…

1
41: Understanding intersectionality in social work practice 33:15

3+ y ago33:15

33:15

A child or young person’s identity and lived experience can affect how they engage with professionals and services. This episode features Jahnine Davis and Nick Marsh, founders of Listen Up, where we explore intersectionality and its application within safeguarding practice. Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant at the NSPCC, leads the discussion ar…

1
40: Recognising domestic abuse as a child protection issue 27:59

4y ago27:59

27:59

In this episode, we discuss the complexities of domestic abuse and why it is a safeguarding and child protection issue. We talk about the main themes that emerged from our learning from case reviews briefing on domestic abuse and share what we see in practice. Exposure to domestic abuse has a direct impact on children and can affect their physical …

1
39: Building children and young people’s digital resilience 26:28

4y ago26:28

26:28

The internet can be a useful resource for children and young people to learn, access educational materials and stay in touch with friends and family. Now more than ever, young people are using tablets, laptops and mobile phones to interact with others, especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But with this comes an increased risk of t…

1
38: Involving volunteers in delivering services for vulnerable families 21:48

4+ y ago21:48

21:48

Volunteers play an important role in helping to engage vulnerable families in a service and can provide ongoing peer support on a one-to-one basis. We commissioned a review that explores current research evidence on involving volunteers in delivering services to support families and examine the outcomes for parents, children and volunteers. In this…

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NSPCC Learning Podcasts

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