Since April last year, our trained Childline counsellors have delivered more than 73,000 counselling sessions with young people who were struggling with their mental and emotional health. And more than 5,000 of these counselling sessions were with children aged 11 or under, an increase of nearly a third when compared to the year before.
However, as a charity that receives 90% of our income from the public, we know this is something we have not achieved alone, and we are hugely grateful for the dedication and commitment of our supporters, which allow us to continue this work.
One way that the public can support us is through the People’s Postcode Lottery, and since 2018, players have provided crucial funding to the sum of almost £6 million to the NSPCC to help the charity keep children safe and well.
The funds have been used to support our vital services across Scotland. This includes our schools service programme, helping primary school children speak out and stay safe from abuse, and our service centre in Govan, Glasgow, providing therapeutic services to families. And, of course, Childline, which provides free and confidential counselling to children and young people in need of support.
Childline is a lifeline for many children and over the past year thousands of young people have needed it more than ever due to the challenges they have faced during the pandemic. Local lockdowns, school closures, isolation and the impact of being separated from family and friends led many children to get in touch with the service over the phone or online.
The money raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery has been invaluable in helping our frontline staff be here for children during their darkest hours.
Moving forward, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, it remains vital that children and young people know where they can access help and support.
We can only make a difference for children together, and we simply couldn’t continue to run services like Childline without the public’s support.
For every pair of booties received, the charity will donate one pair to families it works with in Glasgow and the other it will use to raise awareness with MSPs about the importance of investing in early childhood.
Through its Fight for a Fair Start campaign, NSPCC Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to provide support for all families who need it, so that every child is given the chance to thrive.
The charity says substantial investment is needed in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which in turn help a child’s healthy development and prevent future problems in its life.
Evelyn Hart, a volunteer counsellor at the Aberdeen Childline base, has already been busy with her knitting needles and has completed her first pair of booties.
She said: “I want to help the NSPCC in this campaign because I know that it is so important that families receive all the support they need, so children can grow up feeling safe and nurtured.
“If we can prevent some of the trauma and hardship that some children face by giving them a better start in life, then I want to do what I can to help – and knitting a couple of pairs of booties is a small task!”
NSPCC Scotland research shows that despite overwhelming evidence that people’s experiences in early childhood lay the foundations for their future health and wellbeing, there is still very little support available in the country for families with young children.
In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, the charity found that very few services across Scotland specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two. Last year, around half of the children on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system in Scotland were younger than five years old.
Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.
“We recognise that advances in early years policy have been made in the last decade in Scotland but this needs to be matched with funding. Providing early support to families can help build positive relationships that prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories. This is fundamental to transforming childhood and creating equality in Scotland.
“People don’t need to be seasoned knitters to support our campaign, in fact they could even sew or crochet the booties. And we will appreciate all the support we can get to help us fight for a fair start for every child.”
To support the Fight for a Fair Start campaign by creating two or more pairs of baby booties sign up here. People will then receive an email, which includes patterns and a postal address to send the booties to by August 31.
People can also support our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.
Hundreds of children have been safeguarded by police enforcement as reports of online child sexual abuse increased during the last year, information released today by Police Scotland shows.
Police Scotland’s 2020-21 Quarter 4 Performance Report and Management Information showed there were a total of 1,966 child sexual abuse crimes recorded during the year, an increase of 5.9% compared to last year (1,857) and 24.9% greater than the five year average of 1,574.
The Performance Report outlines the safeguarding of 434 children through the enforcement of 649 National Online Child Abuse Prevention (NOCAP) packages between September 2020 and March this year.
NOCAP packages provide intelligence and evidence which underpins investigations carried out to identify and arrest online child abusers.
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “The rise in reports online child sexual abuse has continued and accelerated during this period, and the Performance Report draws attention to vital work to safeguard hundreds of children through the enforcement of National Online Child Abuse Prevention (NOCAP) packages.
“Online child sexual abuse is a national threat and tackling it is a priority for Police Scotland. The implementation of our Cyber Strategy will ensure we continue to build capacity and capability to keep people safe in the virtual space.”
The reports also provide an insight into the effect of coronavirus restrictions on the policing needs and requirements of communities during 2020-21.
Crime reports fell overall, with 6,361 fewer violent crimes reported compared to the previous year, a decrease of 10% while there were also 55 fewer road fatalities, decreasing 33% from 165 to 110.
Acquisitive crime, such as housebreakings and shoplifting, fell by 18% year on year (from 109,460 to 89,731).
Detection rates increased in a number of crime categories where reported offences had decreased, including overall violent crime (up 3.3% points) and acquisitive crime (up 0.3% points).
However reported frauds increased by 38.2% from 10,875 in 2019-20 to 15,031 during the last year, up 78.1% on the five-year average of 8,439 reported crimes.
DCC Taylor said: “The reporting year 2020-21 was truly an exceptional period, covering from just a few days after the country first entered lockdown up until the beginning of April 2021.
“While it may be years before some of the changes to how people live their lives and to the nature of crime are fully understood, this information demonstrates the significant impact coronavirus restrictions have had on reported crime, detection rates and other policing requirements during this unique time.
“Overall violent crime reduced by around 10% year on year. Year on year increases of violent crime were reported during only the months of July and August, when restrictions had been eased.
“Acquisitive crime, such as shoplifting, also declined overall by almost a fifth compared to the year before and against the five-year average.
“The number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads is down about a third on the year before.”
“While this is to be welcomed, it is important to note reductions in reported crime did not occur in every category.
“As restrictions ease, we will continue to report on changes to the policing requirements of communities and the challenge of maintaining higher detection rates in the context of reported crime which is closer to pre-pandemic levels, as well increasing demand in areas such as fraud and online child abuse.”
An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “These latest figures are further evidence of the increasing risk to children posed by child sexual offenders online.
“It is right and crucial that Police Scotland is tackling these crimes as a priority, through arresting suspects and working with partners to raise awareness of the issue. But it is clear we cannot continue with the status quo, where it’s left to law enforcement to tackle child abuse but social networks fail to do enough to proactively prevent and disrupt it from happening in the first place.
“The UK Government needs to deliver on its promise to put the protection of children front and centre of the Online Safety Bill, with tech firms being held to account if they fail in their duty of care.”
The 2020-21 Q4 Performance Report will be presented to the Scottish Police Authority’s Policing Performance Committee on Tuesday, 8 June.
Now, as we approach summer with hopefully fewer restrictions, we can start to make plans about how we will spend time with family and friends.
Following the challenging year we have experienced, we could all do with a bit more play in our lives. Play is a hugely important part of childhood and has a whole host of benefits, including improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Throughout this pandemic, children have had to deal with so many difficult challenges; some having to stay in unsafe homes and many living with families who are struggling with health worries and financial issues. Children have told Childline that they have struggled to cope and their mental health has suffered as a result.
It doesn’t matter how people choose to play this Childhood Day (11 June), whether it’s organising a sponsored kickabout in the park, a game of cards, a musical get-together or an online gaming tournament, we just want as many as possible playing and raising money to help us keep children safe.
We look forward to hearing how your readers plan to support the NSPCC and children across Scotland this Childhood Day.
To find out more and download a fundraising pack, visit:
NSPCC Scotland is urging primary schools across the country to sign up to its free virtual programme to help children learn about their right to be safe from abuse and neglect.
The children’s charity is highlighting its online assembly, which is hosted by celeb duo Ant and Dec and was first launched in October, as schools open again for the summer term.
The ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ assembly helps children understand, in an accessible and age-appropriate way, how to recognise different forms of abuse and empower them to speak out if they need to.
It also focuses on some of the additional worries that children have been experiencing during the pandemic and lets them know about the Childline counselling service, which is run by the NSPCC.
Before the pandemic, staff and volunteers from the children’s charity tried to visit every primary school in Scotland every two years, delivering interactive assemblies and workshops.
However, due to social distancing measures in place they have been unable to visit schools since March last year, so instead the NSPCC has made a 30-minute online assembly. This is being offered to all primary schools in the UK, along with supporting teaching materials with classroom activities.
Alan Stewart, Service Manager for NSPCC Schools Service in Scotland, said: “Over the past year, because of the pandemic, children have spent a lot of time away from school and cut off from their usual support networks. We know for some children home isn’t always a safe place and that many will have faced increased risk of harm.
“Although our trained ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ staff and volunteers can’t currently go into schools, it is essential that every child knows who they can turn to if they need help and support.
“I encourage all primary schools to sign up, so that we can work alongside teachers to help as many children as possible to recognise and discuss any worries they have.”
When children returned to school in the Autumn term last year, 171 primary schools in Scotland signed up to the virtual programme, with more than 32,000 children across the country watching the assembly.
Carronshore Primary School, in Falkirk, was one of those that signed up. A teacher at the school said: “I found the materials excellent and extremely worthwhile. The pupils engaged really well and evidenced their learning through our Pupil Talking Circles, which reflected on the programme and how safe the pupils felt in the school building and in the playground.”
The assembly and resources are also available in British Sign Language (BSL).
Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 or they can get in touch via www.childline.org.uk
Since its launch in 2006, the Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards have been Scotland’s only national awards evening for the young people of Scotland. They have celebrated the inspirational contributions and achievements of thousands of young Scots who have made a real difference to communities across Scotland.
Fatima, who attends Morgan Academy, is a member of the Young Women’s Advisory Group, who are developing the Young Women Know: Dundee campaign. It launched last year, and is a joint project between NSPCC Scotland, YWCA Scotland – the Young Women’s Movement, and Dundee City Council.
The group are creating tailored resources to address peer sexual abuse and help ensure that every young woman and girl in Dundee knows what a healthy relationship looks like and where to go if they need advice or support.
Fatima, finalist in the Young Scot Awards volunteering category, said: “When I found out I was a finalist in the awards I was a bit shocked, but in a good way. I knew I had been nominated, but I wasn’t expecting to make it to the final.
“The Young Women Know campaign is so important because it will teach young people about healthy relationships, what they look like and how to spot red flags. It’s important for girls to know they can speak up and access support if they are in a toxic relationship. We’re still working on the materials and toolkit, but hopefully they will be ready to go out early this summer.
“I enjoy volunteering and there’s been lots of opportunities through school. I’m part of a mental health group and we do work in our school around young people’s mental and emotional health.
“I’m a chairperson on our school’s charity fundraising group, Interact, and we raise funds for various projects such as the shoebox appeal where we sent around 40 boxes to young people in countries in Eastern Europe filled with presents, clothing and sanitary products. And at Christmas we raised money towards a defibrillator to be fitted outside our school.
“I think it’s so important that young people’s voices are heard. At the end of the day, we’re the next generation and we should all have a say on our future and the world we want to create.”
Rachel has been involved since the early stages of an anti-bullying campaign, Think b4 You Type, alongside NSPCC Scotland, RespectMe and Angus Council.
The toolkit was initially launched just in Angus, but now the materials have been made available to secondary schools across Scotland.
Rachel, finalist in the enhancing education category, said: “I was really happy when I found out I was a finalist in the Young Scot Awards, and it’s great to think I could be receiving an award for the work I’ve been doing over the last while.”
Rachel also recently became a member of the NSPCC’s Young People’s Board for Change, which was launched last month to give young people the chance to shape and influence the work of the children’s charity.
Rachel added: “I’m really passionate about the anti-bullying campaign, and I’d love to see a drop in cyber bullying around the country. It’s hard enough being bullied in person in school, but there’s also the problem of being bullied online, and it can feel like there’s no escape sometimes
“I feel like young people have a lot to say, and if people listen to us then a lot of things could be changed for the better.”
Carla Malseed, local campaigns manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “Both Fatima and Rachel are amazing young women who are certainly going places and deserve their nominations in the Young Scot Awards.
“Working with them both is a delight, and their commitment to their respective causes really shines through when they passionately speak about what is important to them.
“It is crucial that children and young people are at the heart of what we do here at NSPCC Scotland. The last year has been so hard on all of us, and the younger generation should not be defined by the pandemic. There is so much that can be learned from their experiences and our new Young People’s Board for Change, which Rachel is on, will provide us with great opportunities for us to learn and have young people shape our work.”
The Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards will take place on 22 April.
Linda Hamilton, from Port Seton, has worked as a community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland for four years and will take on the three-day challenge as part of this year’s virtual Kiltwalk. The money raised will be topped up by 50% by the Hunter Foundation, organisers of the annual event.
Linda Hamilton, community fundraising manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “This last year has been tough for all of us, and children have been the hidden victims of the pandemic.
“With schools closed for lots of the last year, children have been cut off from their friends and support networks, with many young people feeling alone and isolated, and some, sadly, having to deal with bereavement.”
The NSPCC supports children and young people around the country by providing its Childline service, which children can contact to speak to a trained counsellor about anything they are worried about.
The charity also has a service centre in Govan, Glasgow, which provides community outreach and therapeutic services to local families, helping them to provide the best support to their children.
Linda added: “It has also been a challenging year for fundraising, as most events were postponed, cancelled or held virtually. But that’s not stopped our amazing supporters from coming up with innovative ways of raising funds.
“After last year’s Kiltwalk was cancelled, one of our Childline volunteers, Siobhain, took it upon herself to walk a full marathon in her back garden, taking her more than eight hours, raising £1,000.
“We’ve also had people host virtual quizzes and bingo games, as well as ‘celebrate and donate’ in which supporters have simply set up a Just Giving page and asked their friends and family to make a donation instead of buying them a gift for their birthday or other celebration.
“I signed up for my three-day Kiltwalk challenge because I know how important the work of the NSPCC is, and the real difference it can make in children and young people’s lives.”
Linda will complete the challenge around Port Seton, and the ‘tennisathon’ will take place at her local club of eight years, Longniddry Tennis Club.
Linda said: “We can only continue to be there to support children and young people with the help of the general public, and if anyone would like to fundraise for the NSPCC, please do get in touch with me at linda.hamilton@nspcc.org.uk”
To sign up for this year’s virtual Kiltwalk, and raise money for NSPCC Scotland, search ‘virtual kiltwalk’, and to sponsor Linda in her challenge visit: https://bit.ly/3mvhfsY
Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline at any time on 0800 1111.
Supporting children during the pandemic and beyond, is the focus of a free online event being held for people working with families in Edinburgh.
The virtual event has been organised by Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and NSPCC Scotland to mark the end of a year-long campaign launched to encourage families in the city to access support and advice.
Anyone who works with children or families in Edinburgh can sign up to the event, which is being hosted on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, April 13th, between 2pm and 5pm.
Speakers will look at how the pandemic has impacted children, the ways in which organisations have adapted to help struggling families and what has been learned during the last year.
Attendees will hear about the All of Us campaign, which was launched to prevent child neglect by encouraging families to get help at an early stage and giving advice on how to support those who were struggling. There will also be an opportunity for people to discuss how to better support children and families in Edinburgh in the future.
Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “The pandemic has presented many hardships for families, including financial pressures, school closures, relationship strains, isolation and ill-health, and it has been more important than ever that people feel they can reach out for support and advice and get help.
“Organisations in Edinburgh have worked hard to find ways to adapt and support families while social distancing measures have been in place. This event will give us the opportunity to look at what we have learned over the last year and how we can best support families in Edinburgh in the future.”
“Protecting young people and supporting families remains a priority for us and we want everyone across the city to be aware of where to turn for help if they or someone they know is struggling.
“It is crucial that we work together to find the best ways of supporting families across the city during this difficult time and beyond.”
Early last year, as part of the campaign, a number of community events were held across the city but further ones were cancelled because of Covid-19 and all activities were moved online, including workshops, seminars and a family fun-day.
In April, the partnership brought together information on its web page about organisations and contacts where families could go for help and support during lockdown.
This included information on support offered by public services, voluntary agencies and charities. Some examples were food banks, financial advice, crisis loans, mental health support, activities for children and support and advice on home learning.
The information was sent in food boxes to more than 300 families across the city and via email to parents through schools, and it was highlighted through social media campaigns. This resource has continued to be regularly updated throughout the pandemic.
The campaign raised awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who were struggling through lunchtime learning sessions and webinars.
For parenting advice and support visit NSPCC helpline or call 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm. People can also contact Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324.
Supporting children during the pandemic and beyond, is the focus of a free online conference being held for people working with families in Edinburgh.
The virtual conference has been organised by Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and NSPCC Scotland to mark the end of a year-long campaign launched to encourage families in the city to access support and advice.
Anyone who works with children or families in Edinburgh can sign up to the conference, which is being hosted on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, April 13th, between 2pm and 5pm.
Speakers will look at how the pandemic has impacted children, the ways in which organisations have adapted to help struggling families and what has been learned during the last year.
Attendees will hear about the All of Us campaign, which was launched to prevent child neglect by encouraging families to get help at an early stage and giving advice on how to support those who were struggling.
There will also be an opportunity for people to discuss how to better support children and families in Edinburgh in the future.
Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “The pandemic has presented many hardships for families, including financial pressures, school closures, relationship strains, isolation and ill-health, and it has been more important than ever that people feel they can reach out for support and advice and get help.
“Organisations in Edinburgh have worked hard to find ways to adapt and support families while social distancing measures have been in place. This conference will give us the opportunity to look at what we have learned over the last year and how we can best support families in Edinburgh in the future.”
“Protecting young people and supporting families remains a priority for us and we want everyone across the city to be aware of where to turn for help if they or someone they know is struggling.
“It is crucial that we work together to find the best ways of supporting families across the city during this difficult time and beyond.”
Early last year, as part of the campaign, a number of community events were held across the city but further ones were cancelled because of Covid-19 and all activities were moved online, including workshops, seminars and a family fun-day.
In April, the partnership brought together information on its web page about organisations and contacts where families could go for help and support during lockdown.
This included information on support offered by public services, voluntary agencies and charities. Some examples were food banks, financial advice, crisis loans, mental health support, activities for children and support and advice on home learning.
The information was sent in food boxes to more than 300 families across the city and via email to parents through schools, and it was highlighted through social media campaigns. This resource has continued to be regularly updated throughout the pandemic.
The campaign raised awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who were struggling through lunchtime learning sessions and webinars.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey has written to health boards setting out priority areas of investment from the Scottish Government’s recently announced £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund.
Ms Haughey said: “The lockdown has been difficult for us all, not least young people – affecting their work, social and family lives and job and learning opportunities. That is why we intend to make around £40 million available to take forward dedicated work to improve Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
“This will include capacity building to meet expected increases in demand, specialist neurodevelopmental assessments, and ensuring young people have access to intensive psychiatric inpatient care when they need it.
“An essential part of this investment will be funding for a clinical director for each CAMH service to drive forward change.
“Further to this, we will invest up to £15 million to help clear backlogs in CAMHS and Psychological Therapies waiting lists.
“However we recognise that not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS, and so we will also continue to support the expansion of community services at a local level.
“Our £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund is the single largest investment in mental health in the history of devolution, and shows the priority we are placing on mental health. The Fund will be used to deliver our full agenda for mental health and wellbeing, as set out in our Transition and Recovery Plan.
“This will help to improve access to services across Scotland as well as ensuring good mental wellbeing at a population level, a comprehensive distress response, and the right help and support in our communities. We are carefully considering the potential for other investments over the course of 2021-22, and we will make further announcements in due course.”
Joanna Barrett, Associate head of Policy for the Devolved Nations, NSPCC Scotland, said: “The events of the last year have profoundly impacted the lives of children and young people in Scotland, with some suffering traumatic experiences including bereavement and abuse.
“Following the start of the pandemic last year, we saw a rise in referrals from our adult helpline about child abuse and an increase in contacts to Childline about emotional and mental health. Our counsellors heard from children struggling with loneliness and isolation, worries about education, increased parental stress and abusive home environments. Some young people talked about feeling suicidal.
“So this investment by the Scottish Government to address children and young people’s mental health is crucial for the recovery of our younger generation. But it is important we also remember and support our very youngest and most vulnerable members of society, those under five, whose wellbeing is closely attuned to that of their carers, and who cannot voice the harm they have experienced.”
