On Monday 2nd March, the UK Government launched a consultation seeking views on measures to protect children online, including consideration of a ban on social media for under-16s and restrictions on AI chatbot features. Alongside the consultation, the UK Government is set to run real-world pilots with families and teenagers to explore how these restrictions could work in practice.

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation, Protections in the justice system for women and girls, which includes consideration of a new law on the creation of deepfake intimate images.

The consultation will run until 19 June 2026.

On 16 February 2026, the Scottish Government launched a public awareness campaign tackling misogyny.  Aiming to encourage boys and young men to think before sharing or interacting with harmful content, the campaign highlights the hurt that misogynistic social media can cause to women and girls – including those known to them – in real life.

For more information on the campaign including a toolkit, please see our Internet Safety page.

The National Child Exploitation Awareness Day is a great way to highlight the issues surrounding Child Exploitation; encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children exploiting and abusing their peers.

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day (NGW Network)

We are delighted to invite you to a series of daily webinars, facilitated by our Local Learning Partnership.

Our aim is to create a reflective space to celebrate our profession and give thanks to all those who contribute to the social work landscape.

A new internet safety section is now live within our Forth Valley Public Protection Pages, bringing together guidance, resources and training to help practitioners and the public keep children and vulnerable people safe online. It includes advice on emerging risks linked to AI and digital technology.

Internet Safety

As a result of Quality Assurance and Improvement work, the Forth Valley GIRFEC Working Group have reviewed and updated the form used to share a concern about a child or young person. Following a test of change, this has resulted in the launch of the new Notification of Concern Form. This new form will replace the Forms 2a and 2b as of Monday 1st December 2025.

The intention of this change is to make it simpler to share concerns regarding a child or young person and to ensure that sufficient information is provided to determine next steps. All practitioners are asked to phone social work first to discuss a concern.

We have also developed new practice guidance to assist in the roll out of the Notification of Concern form.  As on 1.12.25, the new form will be available here: Reporting a Concern.

Where a named person is seeking support from social work due to an accumulation of concerns or increase in risks, or because of a decision made at a Team Around the Child meeting, they may be asked to complete a Wellbeing Assessment Form to ensure that the information shared is as full as possible.

New Team around the Child Guidance has also been developed, which we hope that you find helpful and would encourage you to refer to Team Around the Child (TAC) Guidance & Information Leaflets.

Please ensure that the new notification of concern form and guidance are circulated widely across your agency for use from Monday 1st December 2025.

Date	Theme	Activity/Event	Notes
Monday 6th October	Social Security	Young People & Families One Stop Shop The Hive, Alloa 10am – 12pm	Marketplace-style drop-in to advise young people and their families on benefits and educational & employment support pathways.   Young people and families can drop-in with no need to book a space.   If your organisation would like to have a stall at this event, please contact Rachel MacLean – rmaclean@clacks.gov.uk
Tuesday 7th October	Jobs	Stirling & Clackmannanshire Employer Engagement Forum Paton Suite, Alloa Business Centre 9.30am – 12pm	This Employer Engagement Forum event has been planned to align with Challenge Poverty Week. Presentations and discussions will centre on implementing fair work practices and better supporting staff.   Invitation-only event.
Wednesday 8th October	Life’s Essentials	Clackmannanshire Knowledge Exchange Alloa Town Hall 9.30am – 12.30pm	Marketplace-style networking event with four break-out workshops for practitioners providing support services in the community, aiming to raise awareness of key services and supports and encourage joined-up working.   Bookings for stalls, networking tickets and workshops can be made on Eventbrite.
Thursday 9th October	Communities & Volunteering	Roundtable: Violence Against Women & Girls and Poverty – Exploring Intersections Online (Teams) 10am – 11.30am	Roundtable discussion for professionals in Clackmannanshire and Glasgow, themed around the intersections between violence against women & girls and poverty, hosted jointly between Clackmannanshire Council and Financially Included.   Invitation-only event.
		‘Community Visions’ Art Exhibition Launch Spiers Centre, Alloa 2pm – 3pm	Launch event for a week-long exhibition of art pieces created by community groups, themed around aspirational visions of a better Clackmannanshire. A one-week long exhibition will follow, which is open to the public until 17th October.   Bookings for the launch event can be made on Eventbrite.
Friday 10th October	Climate	Climate-themed outdoor activities for young people and families running throughout the week at Gartmorn Dam and integrated into October Holiday activity programme.	For enquiries, please contact Julie Haslam jhaslam@clacks.gov.uk

 

Download the Challenge Poverty Week Timetable.

 

Alcohol Awareness Week is dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for change, and more.

Organised by Alcohol Change UK, this year’s theme is Alcohol and Work.

To support this campaign, Alcohol Change UK has created a digital resource that includes information sheets, posters, social media materials, and much more! Whether you’re interested in launching a social media campaign, hosting an event or workshop, or simply initiating a conversation about the connection between alcohol and work, click the link below for plenty of ideas to help you get started.

For further information, please see following leaflet: Alcohol Awareness Week 2025