We had a fantastic time meeting families at Southampton Pride over the Bank Holiday Weekend, and we’d like to thank everyone who came to our stall to talk all things parenting and young people.
We’d also like to say a big well done to all local young people who have received their exam results in the last few weeks. It’s a time that can be both exhilarating and incredibly stressful.
Whatever differences or worries a young person may have, the NSPCC is here for every child, and we want our services, campaigns and support to be as accessible as possible.
Sometimes, that can include translating written text from English to another language or a more visual medium. One of the things we are very proud of at the NSPCC are the efforts we have taken to ensure children and families with hearing impairments can easily access support.
Last week (August 28), marked Makaton International Awareness Day. If you’re a parent who’s seen Mr Tumble, you’ll recognise Makaton, but if you’re not familiar, it’s a type of sign language used alongside speech to help communication for individuals with learning or communication difficulties.
It’s a fantastic system that helps thousands of children across the UK express themselves every day, and also helps them understand what their teachers, parents and carers are trying to communicate.
Communication is key whenever discussing safeguarding issues with children. The more a young person understands about what is appropriate or inappropriate and how to tell someone whenever something is wrong, the safer they will be.
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That’s why we made our Talk PANTS campaign available in Makaton. Talk PANTS is a simple conversation that uses age-appropriate language to help parents, teachers and carers help keep children safer from sexual abuse.
Since 2013, Talk PANTS has helped more than six million people talk to children and ensure they understand that their body belongs to them, and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried.
The campaign teaches children that Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you, and Speak up because somebody can help.
The idea is to Talk PANTS regularly whenever it feels natural, so that young people are comfortable and confident enough to speak openly about anything that might be wrong.
All this is done with the help of friendly yellow dinosaur Pantosaurus, who even has his own song and storybook!
Through the NSPCC website, the resources to help share this vital safeguarding information are available in Makaton and British Sign Language, with sign-a-long PDFs and subtitled videos to download or share, as well as translations into other languages and custom-made guides for foster parents and parents of children with autism.
For older children, our Childline website is also available in accessible ways, with a section of the site dedicated to support d/Deaf children.
The Deaf Zone is there to help any young person who is hard of hearing and includes videos – subtitled or using English or British Sign Language – offering advice on bullying, discrimination, overcoming challenges around d/Deafness and more.
There’s also a way to contact our Childline counsellors using sign if that’s preferable to email or 1-2-1 chat, ensuring the service is accessible to all.
Children need support for all sorts of reasons, and the NSPCC and Childline want to be there for every one of them.
Whether they need to speak to someone about something they’re going through at school, something they’re going through at home, or just something they’re worried about, Childline counsellors will be there for them around the clock.
Support is available through the Childline website or over the phone, with secure, confidential 1-2-1 chats with our counsellors. Young people can also speak to others their own age on our carefully moderated message boards, to realise they are not alone and discover how others have coped in their position.
To find out more about Talk PANTS and the variety of resources available, you can visit the NSPCC website.
To find out more about Childline’s support for the d/Deaf community, go to the Childline website and search ‘deaf zone’.
