NSPCC Scotland’s ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’ (SOSS) service which helps children to learn how to recognise abuse, has now been delivered in all mainstream primary schools in Edinburgh.
Volunteers from the charity’s Schools Service delivered the SOSS assembly and workshop to the final school at St Catherine’s RC Primary School in Edinburgh today, which means all local authority-run schools in the area have now received the ground-breaking assemblies and workshops.
The NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe assemblies help children to recognise different types of abuse and to feel confident about speaking out to a trusted adult.
NSPCC Scotland began delivering the service to primary schools in Scotland in 2012, and since then its staff and team of dedicated volunteers have spoken to tens of thousands of school children the length and breadth of the country.
In the 2018/19 academic year alone over 8,000 children were reached in 25 schools across Edinburgh.
Research from the leading children’s charity shows that on average at least two children in every primary school classroom across the UK will have suffered some form of abuse or neglect.
Karin Walker, NSPCC Scotland Schools Service area coordinator for Edinburgh, the Lothians and Falkirk said: “We’ve been working collaboratively with the local authority, and I am absolutely delighted that every mainstream primary school in Edinburgh have now received the vitally important messages of ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’.
“With a team of volunteers, we work across the capital helping to keep children safe and empowering them to understand that abuse and neglect is not ok. We highlight how important it is to speak out to a trusted adult, and tell the young people how Childline can help. I look forward to continuing our ongoing programme in partnership with all primary schools.”
Paul Hunter, head teacher of St Catherine’s RC Primary School said: “This valuable project compliments perfectly the drive we all have in working to keep our children safe. It provides them with the tools and the vocabulary to be able to feel confident in speaking out about their feelings and their fears.
“Many children who experience trauma or fear have these added to by their anxiety about speaking to someone. The NSPCC work throughout our schools and this goes a long way in ensuring that this is lessened.
“Our children deserve the best in educational literacy. This service helps us to ensure we give children the best in emotional literacy too. The work provides these tools at an age that is appropriate, non-fearful and in a non-judgemental way.”
NSPCC Scotland is always looking for volunteers across Scotland, including throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
For details on how to volunteer for the NSPCC in schools visit:
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