Keeping professionals up to date with all the latest safeguarding and child protection news
This week, we're celebrating twenty years of CASPAR, our free weekly email alert containing all the developments in child protection policy, research, practice and guidance.
Since its launch in October 2000, CASPAR has contributed to sharing safeguarding information and improving practice. Over 1000 weekly alerts have been written and sent out – more than 20,000 hours of work scanning and summarising essential safeguarding knowledge and guidance.
Helping you stay up-to-date in a changing landscape
Over the last twenty years, there have been many changes impacting on children and child protection policies and guidance, including:
- 7 government administrations and 10 ministers for children in Westminster
- 5 government administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
- 5 new versions of statutory guidance for England, Working Together to Safeguard Children.
More recently, CASPAR has helped professionals across the UK keep on top of the evolving and fast-moving safeguarding guidance due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"CASPAR is invaluable in keeping up to date with safeguarding matters. Wouldn’t be without it."
CASPAR subscriber
Giving professionals confidence and essential knowledge
Many professionals use CASPAR to help keep them abreast of changes, updates and additions to essential knowledge and guidance. In fact, 90% of surveyed professionals in the health, education and social care sectors who have used CASPAR rate it highly or very highly.
Karen Childs Smith, Head of Knowledge and Information Services and CASPAR co-founder, said:
"It doesn’t seem possible that it was twenty years ago that we set up CASPAR. At the time, our plans for such a service were quite innovative. There have been many changes in child protection policies and guidance during this time, but CASPAR has been there throughout.
"We regularly ask our subscribers for feedback as we continually look to improve our services but, in fact, very few changes are requested. That’s not to say we’ve stood still – we've made a number of additions and enhancements to our current awareness services – but CASPAR really is a perfect example of how knowledge and information specialist skills can make a significant contribution to safeguarding. And I’m proud to say it’s one of NSPCC Learning's most beloved and well-used services."
"CASPAR is full of vital up-to-date information which gives me confidence and credibility in my work."
CASPAR subscriber