Anti Bullying East Lothian

ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2009

Scottish Charity Number SC030048

Reference and administration details

Charity name: ABEL (Anti-Bullying East Lothian) Registered charity No: SC030048 Charity’s principle address: Brunton Hall Ladywell Way Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6AF

Names of the charity trustees on date of approval of Trustees’ Annual Report

Dates Name of person Trustee Name Office Acted if (or body) entitled not to appoint trustee whole years 1 Janette Buchanan Chairperson 05/06/08 Management committee 2 Charmian Currie Vice 05/06/08 Chairperson 3 Cllr Ruth Currie Treasurer 05/06/08

4 Wendy Ingle

5 Cllr Paul McLennan 6 Cllr Peter McKenzie

Mr Stewart MacKinnon attends our Management Committee meetings as a East Lothian Council Representative but has no voting rights. Mrs Elizabeth Gibson was voted as secretary but as she is an employee of ABEL has no voting rights. Page 2 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Reference and administration details (Continued)

Names of all other charity trustees during this period

Name Dates acted if not whole year

Rhona Beattie Up to 05/06/08

Patricia Vettrino Up to 05/06/08

Names of Employees

Employee Position Hours

Caroline Harris Project Co-ordinator 35

Audrey Cowan Project Worker 24

Judith Ferrier Self Esteem Coach 19

Elizabeth Gibson Administrator 22

ABEL is only funded to work school term time only and accordingly salaries are paid on a pro rata basis reflecting this.

Structure, governance and management

Type of governing document

ABEL is a charitable unincorporated association and the purposes and administration arrangements are set out in our constitution. Page 3 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Structure, governance and management (Continued)

Trustee recruitment and appointment

Membership of the Organisation shall be open to individuals who are interested in furthering the work of the Organisation, who adhere to the Purposes and Objectives of the Organisation.

The membership in attendance at the Annual General Meeting shall elect a Management Committee.

1.1 The Management Committee shall consist of a maximum of 12 people made up of: (i) up to 10 individuals residing in East Lothian. (ii) the Council’s Director of Education or their nominee in an advisory capacity with no voting rights. (iii) a representative from a community organisation in an advisory capacity with no voting rights.

Management Committee Membership will be automatically revoked by the Committee if a member fails to attend three or more consecutive meetings without the prior agreement of the Committee

1.2 The Management Committee will have powers to co-opt additional members where such co-option will be beneficial to achieving the objects of the Organisation. Such members will be in an advisory capacity and will hold no voting rights.

1.3 The Management Committee shall elect from their number to the following positions:

Convenor Vice-Convenor Secretary Treasurer Any other post as determined by the Annual General Meeting

Office bearers will be re-elected each year for a maximum term of three consecutive years. Page 4 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Objective and activities

Charitable purpose

The objects of the Organisation are to preserve and protect good health and advance education in bullying in particular by promoting or assisting in the promotion of research into the causes, prevention and treatment of bullying. Also to relieve persons suffering from bullying. And in furtherance of:

1.1 To act with and on behalf of parents and pupils to progress and resolve anti-bullying issues. 1.2 To maintain an independent advocacy service for parents. 1.3 To provide the Council with a consultative body on anti-bullying issues, ensuring parent and pupil views are taken into account. 1.4 To represent the broadest possible spectrum of parents to enable effective communication. 1.5 To provide appropriate training and support for parents and young people in East Lothian in partnership with staff from East Lothian Council. 1.6 To assist East Lothian Council in the monitoring and evaluating of the Anti-Bullying Strategy. 1.7 To work in partnership with parents, pupils and staff of East Lothian Council.

It is not envisaged that the Management Committee will focus on the detail of specific or individual situations, but on broader issues, which may arise from them.

Area of Operations - The geographical area of East Lothian.

Organisational Structure - The paid employees undertake the main work of the organisation whilst the management committee have sole responsibility for overseeing the formulation of policy and the general management of the organisation

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objectives

A Brief History - ABEL is an organisation that arose out of the strong desire of parents to do something for themselves to overcome the devastating effects that bullying can have on children, their families and the community. For more than 8 years ABEL has made a major contribution to an effective and lasting response to bullying, not just in schools, but also within the wider community.

 Maintain an independent advocacy service for families in East Lothian, to act with or on behalf of parents and young people to progress and resolve issues of concern including bullying. Page 5 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Objective and activities (Continued)

Summary of the main activities in relation to these objectives (continued)

 Provide East Lothian Council with a consultative body on bullying issues, ensuring parents and young people’s views are taken into account.  To work pro-actively delivering workshops for pupils, parents and staff working with young people in East Lothian.  To provide one to one and small group support around self esteem issues related to bullying.

Achievements and Performance

At present ABEL is working with 47 clients and their families. Boys = 28 (18 Primary pupils + 10 Secondary pupils) Girls = 19 (6 Primary pupils + 13 Secondary pupils) There have been 73 new cases this year and at present there are 13 clients on our waiting list. Whilst we strive to continually develop our pro-active work, we give priority to the work of our independent advocacy service for parents in East Lothian who have issues of concern regarding their child.

Workshops delivered:

S1 Anti-bullying workshop

 Preston Lodge  Dunbar Grammar  Ross High  Knox Academy  North Berwick High

Total of 33 workshops delivered to 924 pupils.

Anti-bullying Workshop

 Loretto Primary  Windygoul Primary

Total of 6 workshops delivered to 120 pupils. Page 6 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Achievements and Performance (Continued)

Health Promoting / Team building Workshop

 Wallyford Primary

‘I think my mind is tricking me’ Workshop

 Innerwick Primary  Musselburgh Grammar

Peer Support Workshop

 North Berwick High

ABEL Information Workshop

 Musselburgh Grammar

Total of 1 workshop delivered to 50 pupils.

Through the pro-active workshops we have delivered this year we have worked with an additional 1897 children who are not recorded in our statistics.

Group Work delivered:

Gardening Club

 Prestonpans primary – 9 pupils

Art club

 Cockenzie primary – 6 pupils Page 7 Wallyford Boys Group

 Wallyford primary – 6 pupils

Cockenzie girls Group

 Cockenzie primary – 4 pupils

North Berwick Girls Group

 North Berwick High – 14 pupils

Tranent Boys Group

 Sanderson’s Wynd primary – 8 pupils

Dunbar transition Group

 Dunbar primary – 4 pupils

Girls Group

 Pinkie St Peter’s primary – 5 pupils

Girls Group

 Sanderson Wynd primary – 14 pupils

West Barns Group

 West Barns Primary – 5 pupils

. Our group work has reached an additional 75 children, working with these young people in small groups to help them work out issues of concern such as breakdown in friendships, low self esteem and communication issues. Page 8 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

During the past year members of staff from ABEL have in addition to their client work worked with:

 Worked in partnership with School Nursing Team  Integration Team  Lunch Club at Musselburgh Grammar  CAHMS  Young Scotland in Mind  ELIS  East Lothian Local Practitioners Forum  Parenting Practitioners Forum (East Lothian)  CPC practise and training group  Womans Aid  Voluntary Sector Children’s Forum  East Lothian Learning Partnership Children & Youth Forum  North Berwick High - Part of the advisory team to rewrite Anti-bullying Policy  Health & Wellbeing in Community Market Place, Haddington  Kay Affleck – Integration Planning Officer – developing girls group in North Berwick High  East Lothian Parenting Strategy launch  Respect Me  HMIE  Consulting with Young People – Musselburgh East Community Learning  Young Carers of East Lothian  ELVON  SCVO  VDEL  Community Police

In addition members of staff from ABEL have attended the following conferences:

 LGBT – Youth Scotland Conference  CCYP Conference – “Self harm & effective response”  Support from Start Conference – tackling health inequalities in East Lothian for parents/carers and service providers  YSIM – AGM  Respect me Launch – “You can make a difference” A practical guide for parents and carers  Womans Aid - “Home not a safe place” – launch of Domestic abuse women’s information pack Page 9 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Achievements and Performance (Continued)

Parent Feedback  “I would just like to say a huge thank you for the help and support we had from the ABEL staff. I have found them a great help over the years and am most grateful to them for all they have done for our family- ABEL does an amazing job”

 “The service supported us fully and I can’t think of anyway to better that”

 “My daughter’s grades have gone from good to really good. She’s now second top of her class”

 “I have peace of mind now that I know my son is happier at school and is finding it easier to cope”

 “Things are much better within the family in general, making it an all round better environment for everyone”

 “My daughter is happier, more confident, increased self esteem, more resilient. She is now able to interact with others rather than put her head down. Better eye contact”

Parent E-mail Feedback

“My husband & I would like to thank you and your team for all the work you have done with our daughter over the past 5 months. I know that she has found the sessions to be very helpful and they certainly helped her to cope. Your visit with myself and my husband was invaluable and helped me to keep going when things were bleak. We cannot thank you and your team enough—your work is done so discreetly that, had we not needed your help, we would only have had a vague awareness of ABEL. We are so lucky that the Educational Department within East Lothian Council supports your work”

Head Teacher Feedback

 “I know how highly your input to the school is regarded. You and your team do a great work and our pupils benefit greatly.”

 “I am writing to thank you very much for taking time to offer the anti-bullying sessions during our recent health promoting week. All the children and staff enjoyed themselves and look forward to working with you again” Page 10

Promotions

Our thanks go to the following agencies, organisations and individuals for their tremendous support over the last year:

 Parents and Pupils  School Staff  Children 1st  Youth Justice Team  First Step  Department of Education and Children’s Services  Social Work Department  Community Police Officers  Carers of East Lothian  Re-charge  ELIS  ELVON  Integration Team  CAMHS  Olive Bank Children’s Centre  School Nursing Staff  CHANGES  RESPECT ME  Community Services  Unity Trust Bank  Relax Kids Page 11 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Financial review

Reserves

As a result of the surplus of £1,258 for this year, the association held unrestricted funds of £7,978 at the year end.

The management committee consider that the general fund of £7,978 in addition to core funding expected for this year from East Lothian Council will enable us to continue as an organisation for the forthcoming year.

Trustees Remuneration and Expenses

The trustees did not receive any remuneration or expenses during the year.

Funding

ABEL receives core funding from East Lothian Council. We have successfully secured this funding for 3 years 2009-2012. This is equally shared by Education & Children’s Services and Community Services.

ABEL will continue to seek independent funding from other charitable trusts. Page 12 ANTI-BULLYING EAST LOTHIAN

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature

Full name Janette T Buchanan Patricia M Vettrino

Position Treasurer Vice Chairperson

Date 29th April 2008 29th April 2008