Joanna Barrett, Associate Head of Policy (Devolved Nations), NSPCC Scotland, said: “The events of the last year have profoundly impacted so many lives and, sadly, are continuing to do so. We know from Childline and our other frontline services just how difficult it has been for children of all ages.
“The huge pressure on families, combined with schools being closed to most children and the disruption to protective services, has increased the risk of child abuse and neglect. Grief, isolation and uncertainty have also taken a heavy toll on children and young people’s mental health.
“And, we know, the impact on those with very young children has been considerable. Approximately 50,000 babies will have been born in Scotland over the last year, born into a society of heightened anxiety and stress. While we might think infants will be too young to remember, there is extensive evidence showing early experiences can have profound effects on lifelong development.
“And so it is vital that the Scottish Government ensures Covid-19 does not shape the future of our young children. With need increasing as a result of the pandemic, huge investment is crucial to ensure all children in our country are offered the best start in life.
“The next Scottish Government must make the social and emotional wellbeing of very young children it’s number one priority.”
Report raises concerns as services supporting women and babies come under strain
During and after pregnancy, women have faced greater likelihood of poor mental health during the pandemic, including anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicidal thoughts, according to a new report commissioned by a coalition of leading maternal mental health organisations.
Women of colour and women from poorer economic backgrounds are more likely to experience mental health problems during and after pregnancy, according to the research.
The rapid review of evidence commissioned by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), and conducted by Centre for Mental Health, for the first time compiles all available evidence into one place.
This shows that access to crucial services reduced for pregnant women, new mums and babies across the UK, especially during the early stages of the pandemic. While health and care staff worked hard to deliver safe care, significant gaps emerged. Women also experienced a reduction in informal support from friends, relatives and networks of other women sharing their experiences.
Extra pressures include anxiety about giving birth during lockdown without partners present, fears of losing jobs, heightened levels of domestic violence, bereavement, worries about catching Covid-19, and concern about new infants catching the disease.
In addition, the wider system surrounding these services, including health visiting and maternity, needs to be protected and enhanced. Furthermore, up-to-date monitoring and research of maternal mental healthcare should be commissioned.
It also says that without sustained funding, many Voluntary and Community Services will not survive, despite the increased demand from women for their services.
Luciana Berger, chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) said: ‘Today’s report should serve as an ear-splitting warning siren about the dangers to women’s maternal mental health and potential risks to the wellbeing of their babies.
The pandemic has placed additional challenges on new and expectant mums getting the care and support they need, taking many already-stretched services to the point of breaking. Women of colour and women from disadvantaged backgrounds have been particularly impacted, and Ministers must address this injustice with urgency.’
Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Centre for Mental Health, which carried out the research, said: ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has been a mental health challenge across society, but it has not affected everyone equally. It has placed especial pressure on women during pregnancy and after they’ve given birth.
“And it has made inequalities that were always there in plain sight even more pronounced. We need to take this opportunity to review and reframe what support women should expect for their mental health during the perinatal period, and to make sure that we prepare for any future crisis to avoid another loss of support at a crucial time in people’s lives.’
Aleema Shivji, Comic Relief Executive Director for Impact and Investment said: ‘The pandemic has put an unprecedented strain on the nation’s mental health and it is sadly no surprise that, as this report proves, pregnant women and new mums who face enormous challenges, have sadly been worst affected.
“It’s clear that more work is needed urgently to help tackle the shame and stigma attached to maternal mental health for mums to feel recognised, supported and able to ask for help. At Comic Relief we have prioritised funding mental health services for over 25 years, but it is clear this is still needed now more than ever.’
Today’s report Maternal mental health during a pandemic was commissioned by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance and conducted by Centre for Mental Health, and covers all four parts of the UK.
Joanna Barrett, Associate Head of Policy (Nations) at NSPCC Scotland, said: “This report highlights the profound impact the pandemic has had on the mental health of parents during and following pregnancy, particularly in the most deprived communities of the country.
“We have long warned that without the right support at the right time, adult mental health problems during pregnancy and the first year can have serious immediate and long-term consequences for both young children and their families.
“That’s why our Fight for a Fair Start campaign is calling on the Scottish Government to invest in universal early years support, to give professionals the ‘time to care’ to develop positive and trusting relationships with infants and their families.
“This will give babies the best possible start in life, the support to recover from the pandemic, and the opportunity to thrive not just survive.”
That’s the message from NSPCC Scotland, which says to deliver on long-held policy aspirations and to make Scotland a country that fully respects children’s rights, the new Scottish Government needs to radically transform early childhood.
Ahead of May’s election, the charity has outlined its call for a £100m Fair Start Fund to be invested in public services, as the country emerges from the pandemic, to support the emotional wellbeing of babies’ and their families. This will ensure that all young children in Scotland receive nurturing care and thrive; not just survive.
The charity is setting out its calls as it holds its UK flagship How Safe conference online, which brought together a panel of guest speakers who discussed mental health in pregnancy and the child’s first year, and the impact of the pandemic.
Despite overwhelming evidence that people’s experiences in early childhood lay the foundations for their future health and wellbeing, and over a decade on from the Scottish Government’s Early Years Framework, there is still a massive gulf in the support young children need, and the support they receive.
NSPCC Scotland research shows that before the pandemic hit, there were very few services across the country that specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of infants or children under the age of two1.
Research undertaken during Covid-19 has underlined how closely attuned a young child’s mental and emotional wellbeing is with that of their parents. A UK-wide survey by Parent-Infant Foundation, Best Beginnings and Home Start found that six in 10 new parents shared significant concerns about their mental health and a third of parents reported that interaction with their child had changed2.
Also, a Public Health Scotland survey found a clear association between a child’s wellbeing and their parents mental and emotional health during the lockdown period3.
It is vital to scope out the level of need among young children and families and ensure that sufficient community and specialist services are available across Scotland to support very young children’s social and emotional development.
“With plans to incorporate the UNCRC into Scots law, which places the rights of all children, including babies, on a statutory footing, it is vital we radically transform early childhood in Scotland – a challenge we urge the new government to fully embrace.
“We recognise that advances in early years policy have been made in Scotland in the last decade but this needs to be matched with funding. Huge investment is needed to ensure that all children in our country are offered the best start in life. Also, it is imperative that those who have experienced early adversity, including the effects of the pandemic, receive the specialist mental health support they and their carers need to heal and move on.”
NSPCC Scotland’s Fight for a Fair Start campaign is calling on the public to back its petition urging the next Scottish Government to invest heavily in early childhood.
Fight for a Fair Start is supported by Jo Malone London who have also funded direct services to new and prospective parents, focusing on support with their mental health problems, to help them develop secure and healthy relationships with their children.
The charity warns referrals are likely to rise further under current lockdown restrictions
NSPCC urges people to speak out if they have concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing
Referrals from the NSPCC helpline to agencies in Scotland about children living with domestic abuse have increased by more than 30% during the pandemic.
The latest figures reveal that the average monthly number of referrals about this issue to Scottish agencies, such as police and local authorities, has risen from 32 in the first three months of last year to 42 in the remainder months. A total of 377 referrals were made between April 1 and December 31.
Across the UK, the average monthly number of contacts to the NSPCC helpline about this issue has increased by more than 50%. Concerned neighbours have increasingly reported hearing non-stop arguing and kids crying to the charity’s confidential helpline for adults worried about children.
The NSPCC’s frontline teams are concerned that the risk of young people suffering the toxic consequences of domestic abuse has been heightened.
One member of the public who called the Helpline for advice said: “For the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing loud and aggressive shouting between a man and woman who live a few doors away from me.
“They’re at it pretty much every day and it generally lasts a couple of hours. Sometimes I hear their children crying when the parents are arguing. I’ve only really noticed this since I’ve been at home on furlough. I’m worried the kids aren’t being looked after properly.”
Left unaddressed this form of abuse can have profound and long-term impacts on children’s physical and mental wellbeing that can last into adulthood.
Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager, said: “With families facing increased pressure behind closed doors, lockdown restrictions have made some children more vulnerable to experiencing domestic abuse, as well as other forms of abuse and neglect.
“It is vital that no child becomes invisible at this time, and support is available and provided now to all children and families who need it.
“It is also so important that people speak out if they are concerned about a child. Our helpline experts are there to answer any questions and concerns, provide reassurance or take quick action if we feel a child is in danger.”
Young people who experience domestic abuse can have trouble learning, depression or suicidal thoughts, or develop eating disorders drugs or alcohol problems.
One 13-year-old told Childline: “Recently my mum has been yelling at me and calling me names for no apparent reason. My parents fight a lot, like really a lot. My dad overreacts but mum makes the situation worse.
“Today my parents got in a huge argument that included a lot of shouting and my dad was throwing things at my mum. I was shocked because none of their fights have got physical before, and now I am wondering how bad things could get.
“My parents don’t talk anymore and they treat me like their little messenger passing comments between them. It is really affecting me as I constantly feel anxious and cry myself to sleep. I really need help.”
Anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse or has concerns that someone else may be can contact the NSPCC’s Helpline for information and advice on 0808 800 5000, emailhelp@nspcc.org.ukor fill in ouronline form.
The latest data from the NSPCC shows there has been an increase in contacts about this issue from children aged 12 to 15, across the country, since the end of March last year.
In the latter nine months of 2020, the average monthly number of contacts from this age group was 100 compared to 88 in the first three months of the year.
Across the UK, the service has now delivered a total of 54,926 counselling sessions to children of all ages on this issue from April to the end of December against the backdrop of the pandemic.
Childline counselling is delivered by volunteers and in response to these latest worrying figures and with COVID restrictions continuing, the service is urgently appealing to those who can spare four hours one evening a week or at the weekend to volunteer at either our Glasgow or Aberdeen base, so Childline can be here for children when they need us the most.
With schools closed to the majority of pupils until at least February and the whole of mainland Scotland in lockdown, Childline has never been more important as a source of support for young people who are struggling. Now more than ever, it is essential that children are not left isolated, alone and unsupported.
Over the past ten months, the NSPCC-run service’s trained counsellors have heard first-hand the devastating impact that the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic have had on young people’s mental health.
Children who contacted Childline’s trained counsellors about their mental health spoke about concerns including loneliness, low mood, low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.
Some have been feeling isolated and overwhelmed due to concerns about family members catching the virus, or school closures and cancelled exams – while others have felt cut off from support networks and are missing family and friends.
One girl aged 16 who contacted Childline said: “I feel really sad and lonely. I need to talk to someone because I don’t really have anyone right now.
“I am really struggling with the whole isolation thing. Most days I find myself just lost in my own thoughts and feeling numb. I am classed as a vulnerable person, so my isolation lasts for 12 weeks, which seems like a lifetime.”
Since the first lockdown last year, mental health has remained the top concern that children and young people talked to Childline about.
The service has delivered an average of 346 counselling sessions every month on this issue with the numbers fluctuating throughout the year as the situation changes and Covid restrictions were lifted and re-imposed. Since the latest national lockdown many children have been reaching out and talking about this and Childline is continuing to support them with their worries.
During the pandemic, Childline has continued to adapt to ensure it can still be here for children including developing online training so volunteers can answer emails from young people remotely. However, despite this, since last March volunteer numbers have dropped by 40%.
Despite, the latest national lockdown, Childline will remain open and staff and volunteers have been given key worker status to continue their vital work. Sparing a few hours, one evening a week or at the weekend volunteering at a local Childline base can help ensure Childline continues to support children who often have nowhere to turn.
But there is also a range of other ways to support the charity, including taking on a sponsored challenge, Kick the Caffeine, or fundraising in the community.
https://youtu.be/cbCBGTtbd-U
Childline Founder and President, Dame Esther Rantzen said:“With schools now shut again and children spending more time behind closed doors, it is absolutely imperative that Childline is there for them.
“Many young people, especially those in unsafe homes, are feeling desperately anxious and depressed. School can be the only safe haven they know, and without that support they feel entirely alone. For them, Childline is literally a life-line.
“But the service urgently needs more volunteers to listen to and support children, and more funds to pay for their calls and on-line contacts, and for that we depend upon the generosity and compassion of the public.
“It is the NSPCC’s mission to make 2021 a better year for children, and with your help we can make this dream a reality.”
Lou Bewick, who is a Childline volunteer counsellor in the Glasgow base, said:“Each shift I work, I hear from children and young people about how this pandemic has affected their life, and how it has impacted their mental and emotional health.
“Childline is here for children, and will continue to offer support from trained counsellors when they contact us about anything that worries them.
“However, we currently can’t answer every child so, if you can, please sign up and volunteer for Childline and help us reach every child who needs our support.”
The NSPCC has been supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery who provided crucial funding of £1,000,000 to Childline last year, the equivalent of running the service for an entire month.
Children can call Childline on 0800 11 11 from 7.30am to 3.30 am from Monday to Friday or 9am to 3.30am at weekends.
The New Year is usually a time for a fresh start – making resolutions, getting fit, setting new challenges and goals. But with the continuing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems harder to commit to making a change.
With restrictions ongoing, it’s becoming even more important for us to find new and innovative ways to raise vital funds for NSPCC Scotland to help children at risk of abuse and neglect.
Children have been greatly affected by the pandemic. Since the first lockdown measures were introduced, the average monthly number of referrals from the NSPCC’s helpline to agencies in Scotland, such as the police or children’s services, have been more than 50% higher than the first three months of 2020. And the effects are far from over.
Even with social distancing, there are still many ways you can fundraise for us. From hosting a virtual quiz or coffee morning to selling handmade crafts, cakes or old clothes, we’ve got lots of great virtual fundraising ideas you can try while following the Scottish Government’s advice on social distancing.
By volunteering just a couple of hours each month, fundraising in your local area, you can help make 2021 a better year for children.
So please think about using your New Year passion and enthusiasm to come up with some ideas to fundraise and help us be there when children need us most.
Landmark moment for child safety online as UK Government takes major step towards delivery of an Online Harms Bill
Dear Editor
Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, online grooming crimes in Scotland were more that 30% higher when children were not at school compared with the same months last year.
The NSPCC has been calling for legislation to protect children from grooming, abuse and harmful content online, since 2017. After years of the charity campaigning, on December 15th, the UK Government announced the framework for a future Online Harms Bill that has the potential to provide much greater protection for children when they use the internet.
This is a landmark moment – a major step towards legislation that can make an enforceable legal Duty of Care on tech companies a reality. For too long children have been exposed to disgraceful abuse and harm online.
Social media companies will have a duty to protect young users from child abuse and harmful content online and face fines of up to £18million or 10% of their global turnover if they fail.
But that doesn’t mean that the work we do stops now. For instance, the proposals fall short of ensuring criminal sanctions against named directors whose companies fail to uphold their Duty of Care.
Child protection and children’s voices must remain front and centre of regulatory requirements. We have set out six tests for robust regulation – including action to tackle both online sexual abuse and harmful content and a regulator with the power to investigate and hold tech firms to account with criminal and financial sanctions. Failing to pass any of the six tests will mean that future generations of children will pay with serious avoidable harm and sexual abuse.
We will now be closely scrutinising the proposals against those tests. Above all, legislation must ensure Ofcom has the power and resources to enforce the Duty of Care and be able to identify and then take appropriate action against tech firms that fail.
For more information, search ‘NSPCC six tests’.
Joanna Barrett,
Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland
Latest figures show that the average monthly number of referrals from the NSPCC helpline to external agencies about child abuse in Scotland has increased by more than 50%
Over 900 referrals made by the helpline to agencies in Scotland about child abuse and neglect in eight months since the start of lockdown
The NSPCC is highlighting the vital role its team of professionals and volunteer counsellors will play to support children over the festive period, urging the public to support its Here for Children Christmas Appeal
Concerns about child abuse have soared since national lockdown measures were first introduced, the NSPCC has found – with the average monthly number of referrals from the charity’s helpline on the issue increasing by more than 50% in Scotland.
Since April, the helpline has received 31,359 contacts from adults across the UK who were anxious about child abuse or neglect, referring half (50%) of these on to external agencies like the police and social services to take further action.
In Scotland, this has led to a 56% increase in the average monthly figure from 72 at the start of the year, compared to 113 after lockdown. Over the last eight months, there has been more than 900 referrals from the helpline concerning the abuse of children in Scotland.
As the festive period fast approaches, the NSPCC has issued the findings as a warning that Christmas can be a very difficult time for children suffering abuse and neglect, and the impact of the Coronavirus could put even more children at risk.
To help protect children stuck at home in environments that are not safe, the charity is urging the public to search “NSPCC” and donate £20 via it’s Here for Children Christmas appeal page.
A concerned adult told the NSPCC helpline: “I am ringing with concerns for 3 children who I believe are being emotionally abused and neglected. The police were recently called to the family home because the mother was drunk and had left the children at home alone all night.
“The father, who no longer lives with the children, found out and came to the house saying he was going to take the children home with him. The children have said they want to move in with me before Christmas because they don’t want to live with their Mum or Dad.
“They are really worried that their mothers drinking will get worse over Christmas, as it has done in the past. I fear they could be right as her drinking is becoming worse and she has been drunk more frequently in recent months. They need urgent help.”
Kamaljit Thandi, Head of NSPCC helpline said: “These figures highlight the increase in the number of adults reaching out with concerns about the welfare of children since the first national lockdown began.
“It’s no secret that this Christmas is going to be a very different one and for thousands of children, being stuck at home for the holidays will be a terrifying thought. At the NSPCC, we know how important it is that people have the opportunity to speak up when they think a child is at risk of abuse and neglect. Our helpline for adults and Childline will be open every day over the festive period.”
As well as urging the public to be extra vigilant during the Christmas holidays, NSPCC Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to ensure children and families can get the help they need in the short and long term.
To avoid this crisis having a lasting impact on a generation of children, it is crucial that the Scottish Government invests long-term funding to support them to recover from adverse and traumatic experiences during lockdown and to rebuild their lives.
The charity’s team of professionals working on its helpline for concerned adults and the dedicated volunteer counsellors at Childline will all play a vital role in being here for children this Christmas.
Pauline, a volunteer counsellor at Childline said: “At Childline we know how important it is that we are here for children over the Christmas period. We are there for young people when they need the service the most and for many – Christmas will be that time.
“The pandemic has had a huge impact on young people and for the many who will have nowhere else to turn, we will provide a vital listening ear.”
Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline seven days a week throughout the festive period on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk
The NSPCC is looking for young people in Scotland to join a new group that gives them the chance to shape and influence the charity’s work, and ensure they are at the heart of our decision making.
We are launching the Young People’s Board for Change, and want to recruit 15 members aged between 13 and 16, from across the country.
The Board members will use the platform to raise awareness of what matters most to them, take action and make change happen. They will also have a big role internally advising staff and trustees.
The young people will take part in new experiences and opportunities, meet other young people, as well as develop confidence and learn life-long new skills, such as campaigning and public speaking.
Over a two-year period, members will take part in residentials, meetings and workshops, and campaign to share their views and opinions.
We want as many young people as possible to have the chance to apply, so we are encouraging parents and carers to speak to their children about this exciting opportunity, and teachers and other professionals to share details with their students and through their networks.
At the NSPCC, we are committed to ensuring that young people are empowered and that their opinions are listened to. It’s vital that we put children and young people first and embed their views into everything we do in our fight for every childhood
A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years for serious sexual offences committed between 1989 and 2005 at the Edinburgh High Court yesterday.
John Hoy was found guilty in October, 2020 to carrying out a number serious sexual offences including rape.
Detectives from Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit in Edinburgh began an investigation into Hoy after a woman came forward to report the non-recent sexual abuse he had subjected her to. He was subsequently arrested and charged on 31 October, 2018.
Detective Sergeant Alan Sharp, of Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, my thoughts continue to be with victims and the courage they displayed during the investigation. Hoy would have gone un-punished had it not been for them, but now he will spend time in jail.
“I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, regardless of when it happened to contact us so we can conduct a thorough investigation.”
If you have concerns or information these can be reported to Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
John Paul Hoy, who was formerly a member of the Queen’s Balmoral Guard, was sentenced for a campaign of sexual abuse against children.
An NSPCC Scotland spokesperson said: “Hoy subjected these young girls to terrifying ordeals, and the crimes he committed against them was abhorrent. They have shown immense bravery in speaking out.
“Cases such as these show that people who experience sexual abuse will be listened to and justice can be achieved. It is so important that these girls receive the support they need to recover.
“NSPCC Scotland works to prevent abuse and neglect and anyone worried about a child or about past abuse can contact our helpline to seek advice.”
Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000, while Childline is there for young people on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk
