CHILDLINE ADVICE: Campaign aims to safeguard children

Whether they’re a young person experiencing abuse or neglect or a parent or carer finding themselves overwhelmed at home, sometimes a little help and knowledge can go a long way.

A new YouGov survey found more than one in five adults polled in the North East had been worried about a child, but one in five of them did not act on those concerns.

The NSPCC’s latest campaign, Listen up, Speak up, offers free online or face-to-face training to help adults recognise when something might be wrong, and what they could do to help.

The children’s charity hopes the campaign will reach a million people across the country in the next 12 months. The ambition is to create a nation of safeguarders here in the North East and throughout the country who can offer support to children and families across the country before they reach crisis point.

The simple training offers guidance on how to spot when something might not be right, and suggestions on how you might offer support or help. That could be as simple as offering a listening ear to a struggling teen or parent, stepping in to help juggle childcare, or calling the NSPCC Helpline if you think a child is at risk.

Last year, workshops were held for audiences as diverse as childcare professionals, shopping centre staff, local independent shopkeepers and even book groups.

By looking at different scenarios – developed from real-life situations and shaped by last year’s pilot scheme – the training talks about what might stop people raising concerns and offers advice on what to do next.

Childline and its counsellors are available to children and young people across the country 24/7, to help them get through any problems or worries they have, but anyone can offer help and support when it’s needed.

A little knowledge can make a massive difference to a child experiencing abuse or neglect, and if you don’t help, who will?

To find out more visit www.nspcc.org.uk/speakup or book a workshop by emailing [email protected]