Richmond upon Thames' safeguarding partnership is intensifying its efforts to combat rising rates of teen suicides and online harm, as highlighted in a recent Education and Children's Services Committee meeting.

The Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children's Partnership (KRSCP) has identified responding to technology-facilitated harm as a key strategic priority for the next three years. This priority encompasses not only concerns about online grooming and social media impacts but also the constantly changing nature of the technology that individuals who want to pose harm to children are using, including the use of AI to manipulate images.

Councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education and Children's Services Committee.
Councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education and Children's Services Committee.

During the 2025-26 reporting period, the partnership noted a particular focus on adolescent safeguarding. Efforts have been made to strengthen multi-agency working, with several concrete examples implemented. These include the establishment of a Vulnerable Children and Adolescents (VCA) Subgroup to monitor data and improve responses to contextual safeguarding and exploitation, and collaborative responses to serious youth violence. Furthermore, the Joint South-West London Child Neglect Strategy is seeing continued partnership-wide implementation. Engagement with education and early years settings has been enhanced through termly Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) forums and Section 175 audits to review safeguarding policies and practices. The initiative 'Operation Encompass', which alerts schools when a child has been affected by domestic abuse, is also being monitored for its implementation progress.

A diagram illustrating the key components of Adolescent and Transitional Safeguarding, focusing on tackling serious youth violence through partnership.
A diagram illustrating the key components of Adolescent and Transitional Safeguarding, focusing on tackling serious youth violence through partnership.

In response to the growing threat of online harm, the partnership hosted a well-attended Safeguarding Children Online Conference. The conference was described as a valuable Multiagency learning space, strengthening shared understanding and partnership working. Feedback indicated that while safeguarding conferences are excellent, albeit sad in so many cases, the most impactful sessions for attendees focused on devices and the everyday challenges they present to families. This highlighted the severity and relevance of online risks, prompting plans for ongoing, up-to-date training.

Bar chart showing the number of cases across different categories: Child Looked After/Care Leaver (24), Child in Need (10), Child Protection (9), Early Help (3), Single Point of Access (2), and Child with Disabilities (1).
Bar chart showing the number of cases across different categories.

The full details of the committee's discussions and the partnership's strategies can be found in the Public reports pack for the Education and Children's Services Committee meeting held on Thursday, 10 September 2026. The Agenda frontsheet and Decisions are also available.