Vitalvirtualassemblies
Dear Editor
Volunteers and staff from our NSPCC school service aren’t able to deliver our free Speak Out, Stay Safe assemblies in person at the moment, because of restrictions in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
But so we can continue to work alongside staff in primary schools to help children know what to do and who to speak to if something is worrying or upsetting them, we have launched a virtual programme. We have teamed up with Ant and Dec to produce a virtual assembly, which can be shown in primary schools across the country.
Our dedicated schools service team across Scotland visited 833 primary schools during the last academic year, delivering our age-appropriate safeguarding sessions to more than 145,000 children in the country before lockdown was introduced.
The assembly, which features our mascot Buddy, helps children understand how to recognise different forms of abuse and identify a trusted adult should they ever have a concern.
Since May, the monthly number of referrals from the NSPCC helpline to agencies in Scotland, because of concerns about the wellbeing of a child, has been more than a third higher than pre-lockdown levels.
The national lockdown left many children trapped indoors in harmful and distressing situations for a number of months, and the main issues the helpline heard about were physical and emotional abuse and neglect.
Ant and Dec are helping us continue to reach children with our assemblies by hosting this new virtual version, addressing additional worries that children are experiencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is vital that children know what to do and who to speak to if something is happening in their life which is making them feel scared or anxious.
By signing up to the free virtual assemblies with the supporting teaching materials, which are also available in British Sign Language (BSL), primary schools across this region can help us to protect children. To sign up visit nspcc.org.uk/speakout
Alan Stewart
Schools Service Manager NSPCC Scotland