Child Protection Info Line Launched
Issued By: SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
A one-stop-shop - designed to complement Scottish child protection services - was launched today.
The 24-hour child protection information line will give people easy access to child protection services and allow them to share concerns about a child with the most appropriate local agency.
Throughout Scotland, people can call the confidential freephone number -0800 022 3222 - to speak to a trained operator. Depending on the nature of the call, the operator will either:
• Transfer the caller to the most relevant agency, or
• Provide details of who the caller should speak to next.
Although the information line will operate nationwide from the outset, publicity for the new resource will be rolled out in a phased way, concentrating initially on Midlothian, Highland, Edinburgh and the North-east (covering Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray).
Education Minister Hugh Henry said:
"All children deserve the best possible start in life but too many find their young lives blighted by abuse or neglect.
"For those vulnerable youngsters, it's vital that they get help as soon as possible. That means that we all have a duty to step in if we fear a child is in trouble. We must never assume that the authorities - police, social work or education - are already aware of the situation.
"However, we know there is often confusion about who to call or how to get help. This service will provide a single, nationwide access point, helping all of us to help vulnerable youngsters."
Alistair Dodds, Highland Council's Depute Chief Executive and Chairman of the Highland Child Protection Committee, said:
"Local people, friends and neighbours are often well placed to spot the early warning signs that indicate a child may be at risk of neglect or abuse. By speaking out early if they notice something that causes concern, they can play a vital part in protecting vulnerable youngsters.
"Health, social work, education, police and voluntary organisations all work together to make sure support is there for young people who need help. By working together with families and communities, we can make sure that help reaches children who need it.
"Nobody should be afraid of repercussions. We always treat calls to report concerns in the strictest confidence and we would never intervene before carrying out our own investigation to establish whether or not a child is actually at risk."
The introduction of the information line follows a pilot in the North-east of Scotland in 2005 and delivers a commitment from the Children's Charter to provide a nationwide, 24-hour child protection information service.
Grampian Police Inspector Peter Reilly, a member of the North-east of Scotland Child Protection Committee, said:
"The pilot was extremely effective in raising awareness that it is everyone's job to make sure that children are protected. The lessons learned from the pilot have been invaluable in preparing for the wider national response and the roll out of the national Child Protection Line. The NESCPC welcomes the national launch as a means of reaching a wider audience, further raising awareness and so helping to protect our children and young people."
NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS
1. The set-up and running costs of the line will be around £200,000 over three years and will be met from the Executive's Child Protection Reform Programme budget.
2. The Children's Charter, launched in March 2004, included a commitment that we would 'work with agencies and existing helplines to provide a 24-hour national child protection service'.
3. The charter was part of the Executive's three-year child protection reform programme - a response to It's Everyone's Job to Make Sure I'm Alright, the child protection audit and review. A MORI poll undertaken as part of this review indicated that people didn't know what to do if they had a concern, how to report it and what might happen if they did.
4. Further information on the Executive's child protection reform programme is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2002/11/2629
5. The child protection information telephone line runs in tandem with a website: www.infoscotland.com/childprotection. It will also be supported by a poster campaign - in GP surgeries, community venues and other local outlets - and copies of the poster images are available.
6. Further information on the North-east pilot campaign is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2005/02/21094334
Contact: Marion MacKay: 0131 244 3070
www.scotland.gov.uk