NSPCC NI

On Monday 1st March, we have launched a new month-long campaign to raise awareness of the NSPCC helpline in Northern Ireland. Since schools and education settings have remained closed for most pupils, referrals to children’s social services have fallen dramatically. With children largely remaining at home, there is a hidden group of children potentially at risk of abuse or neglect who are having much less interaction with statutory services as well as their normal community support networks. That’s why the Department of Health is supporting NSPCC NI to carry out this awareness campaign during March.

The campaign has three elements:

1. Promoting the NSPCC Helpline and other family supports during March 2021, via NSPCC NI pages on social media and paid for social media ads, with additional press activity. We are also sharing wallet cards and posters to key agencies. Find out more about our helpline www.nspcc.org.uk/helpline

2. Promoting our NSPCC 15-minute online safeguarding training, It’s Your Call, which is currently being offered free. It is aimed at those who may be delivering services to families in our community to increase their confidence to pass on concerns they may have, whether you or your employees are electricians or plumbers, telecoms engineers, or builders. The link to the training we are sharing in the social media campaign and in press is a NI specific link. To take the course follow this link here

3. We are also highlighting that Childline is still there for children and young people at this time through social media, using our own pages and paid for social media ads. We are also sharing wallet cards and posters. Find out more about Childline www.nspcc.org.uk/childline

How can you help?

• It would be great if you could follow the NSPCC NI Facebook and Twitter pages and like and repost any of the social media we are pushing out about the campaign and share this flyer with contacts you have.

• Let organisations and business partners know about the free It’s Your Call training.

• We have developed a partner agency social media toolkit for the campaign and if you would like to share this with contacts that you think would use this please let us know - or it may have already been sent along with this flyer to you.

Thank you for your support and of course if you have any queries please do not hesitate contact: Margaret Gallagher, Head of Local Campaigns Service NSPCC Margaret.gallagher@nspcc.org.uk