Through Speak out Stay safe our trained volunteers teach children how to recognise abuse and neglect in an age-appropriate way and empower them to speak out if they are worried about anything. The programme is available to all primary schools in the UK.
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We’re evaluating Speak out Stay safe in two phases. This report shares findings from phase one - an initial, small scale evaluation of ten schools in England.
Author: Vicki Hollis
Published: 2018
They also learnt more about who their trusted adults are; what Childline is; and the importance of speaking out if something is wrong.
Some children made direct disclosures during a Speak out Stay safe session and some children displayed behaviour that led staff to identify safeguarding concerns. School staff also told us the programme helped to strengthen school safeguarding.
School staff valued the independence and perceived expertise of the NSPCC and felt this helped to engage children with the core messages of Speak out Stay safe.
School staff can also learn from Speak out Stay safe.
School staff who were present during the sessions highlighted that Speak out Stay safe helped increase their understanding and awareness.
Feedback from school staff and children also helped us identify areas where we can develop the programme.
Variations can be related to the challenges of delivering the programme within a busy school environment and the need to meet demand from schools with a limited volunteer capacity.
Hollis, V. and Churchill, G. (2018) Understanding children’s and teachers’ views of the NSPCC’s Speak out Stay safe programme. London: NSPCC.
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A programme available to primary schools in the UK which teaches children about abuse and neglect in a child-friendly and age-appropriate manner through assemblies and workshops.
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