Making the Connections Annual Review 2014
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Making the connections Annual review 2014 Building a team for bullied children 2 3 NO ONE SHOULD FACE BULLYING ALONE CONTENTS CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S LETTER Growing up is a tough business. No one should have to go 3 Chief Executive’s letter When a child attends one of our assertiveness training courses, about the cyber lives of their through it alone. 4 Introducing Kidscape one of the ways they learn to handle those who bully them is children, but feel that they incredibly simple yet powerfully effective: look them in the eye. don’t have the skills to support Bullying shuts down communication channels and cuts off the 5 What we do It’s at the heart of everything Kidscape does — an individual them. Kidscape can offer connections that children need to thrive. Kidscape is here to help 6/7 Making the connections child, standing tall and believing in him - or herself in the face of a unique and wrap-around rebuild those connections — whether that’s by linking targets of enormous challenges. And in today’s climate, in which technology service provided by both adult bullying to a nationwide network of professionals, or just giving 8 Children: the heart of the matter opens the doors for bullying ever wider, even as funding for work volunteers for the parents’ them a new way to talk to mum or dad. And we’re here to help 8 ZAP such as ours declines, it’s a lesson I take to heart from every helpline and young volunteers young people, parents, teachers and the public join together to 9 ZAP plus residential amazing young person that we meet. for teens. And we will campaign stop bullying in its tracks. 9 PACS tirelessly to keep anti-bullying Kidscape helps children and young people to challenge abuse and work and children’s safety on 10/11 Parents: the home front The individual child may be early intervention programme Kidscape’s flagship therapeutic bullying in all its forms. We train teachers and other professionals at the core of Kidscape’s helps young people at risk ZAP sessions equipped 275 the national agenda through our across the UK and around the world to spot the warning signs 12/13 Professionals: the caring community mission, but what makes our of becoming bullies to find children and their families with membership of bodies such as and take effective action. Most importantly, we work directly with 14/15 The public: a social network programmes effective is working positive pathways by creating vital anti-bullying strategies and the Anti-bullying Alliance and families affected by bullying. By offering them support, expert as a team – a nationwide supportive connections within life skills. Importantly, individuals our impressive media profile. 16/17 Supporters: standing together advice and practical strategies, we give them the tools they need network of connections, their communities. PACS has who attend ZAP make new I would like to express my 18 Financial information to grow and thrive. coming together to help young completed its second year of connections and forge sincerest thanks to everyone people transform themselves. delivery reaching over 1200 friendships with peers who It’s vital work that can help children to learn, connect and flourish 19 Thanks who has contributed funds Amidst all the challenges of young people in Essex and have experienced similar issues and it can even save their lives. Read on to find out how we do it, and time to support our vital the past 12 months, there Wolverhampton. Partnerships related to bullying. why we need more funding and what you can do to help. work. Your steadfast resilience has been little opportunity to with Local Education Authorities One of the challenges of the and resourcefulness have draw breath and celebrate our have allowed Kidscape to make past year has been to embed transformed the lives of the successes. So this letter gives important and sustainable a new and more sustainable many young people we have me a welcome opportunity connections with challenging organisational structure for worked with this year. The to press the pause button and vulnerable young people Kidscape. This model provides commitment of our supporters and consider our incredible who might otherwise have Media/Public the flexibility required to shows what is possible ‘village’ of connections – the been difficult to reach. respond to funding challenges when organisations such as children, parents, professionals Similarly, our Department for in the current climate. It has Kidscape build bridges and and committed supporters Education-funded Primary also helped us to develop facilitate connections to create of Kidscape. It gives me the Bullying Intervention Training key posts, and to ensure that environments in which anti- chance to highlight just some programme (BIT) has enabled staff in core positions can bullying work can flourish. of what Kidscape has managed us to connect schools and respond proactively to new to achieve in an environment children to an effective initiative As we approach Kidscape’s opportunities. This investment which has remained difficult, which provides them with the 30th anniversary in 2015, in the future is vital if we are to especially financially. Through skills they require before bullying we will reach out to all of our continue to increase the level innovation, perseverance strikes. Its target number of stakeholders, including those of our work even as funding and the strength of those child beneficiaries has already who haven’t yet had the Parents/Family tightens – the Kidscape staff connections – both internal and been exceeded considerably, opportunity to support us. We must be given the necessary external; local and national – we with year-one outcomes aim to celebrate Kidscape’s tools to develop our vital have been able to further much approaching 100% of the tremendous achievements in work and messages without of our work and reach so many two-year goals. At the heart of furthering the safeguarding the luxury of added time children, parents and the wide this success lies the dedication issues which are vital for the and resources. range of professionals who of the project manager and protection of our young people, Children/ support them. four part-time trainers whose The year ahead will be filled as well as raise very necessary Workshops commitment and capacity for with new challenges and funds through a number of Finally, this letter gives me a hard work are without parallel. opportunities to forge new exciting programmes and chance to ask you to join us All Kidscape projects create connections with the aim of events. It is my hope that this in our core aims of eradicating relationships between schools, delivering long-term benefits report will encourage you to bullying in all its forms and of teachers, other professionals for children and families. Major follow our work online and safeguarding children. Young and outside agencies, children aims in 2014/15 include helping support us in our efforts to help people across this country need and families. Where there are young people to acquire children stand tall and look their us now more than ever to help strong connections it is harder internet literacy skills to combat challenges in the eye. them stand tall and look their for bullying to take hold. the impact of the misuse of challenges in the eye – and Best wishes cyberspace. An important goal now, more than ever, we Our training arm enabled us for Kidscape is to obtain the need you. to work with over 10,000 funding to launch an e-safety professionals and over Anti-bullying efforts thrive where helpline that will provide advice 3,000 young people, while Professionals/Teachers there is a school-wide or region- and emotional support to our our established relationship wide commitment to creating beneficiaries. Cyber bullying with the British International connections between children, is one of the defining issues Schools led to connections parents, anti-bullying agencies for this generation, posing a in countries as far afield as and training initiatives. Our significant and high profile risk Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico. Positive Assertive Confidence to children’s safety. We know During the year under review Skills (PACS) Big Lottery-funded that many parents are anxious 4 5 INTRODUCING KIDSCAPE WHAT WE DO Founded in 1985, Kidscape was the first charity in the UK Our work at Kidscape falls into five main categories: established specifically to prevent bullying and child sexual abuse. • Workshops for children and their parents, teaching proven We are a small organisation with far-reaching influence, committed techniques to build self confidence, stay safe and respond to to sharing our insights and techniques with other organisations bullying in practical ways that bring it to a swift end. and individuals all over the world. • Information and advice on dealing with bullying and Vision related problems, freely available to schools, families Kidscape believes that all children should be able to grow up in a and children. world free from bullying and abuse, and that all adults should keep • Training in best practice approaches to tackling children safe and help them to reach their full potential. bullying for teachers, youth workers and child protection Mission professionals in the UK and internationally. • Advocacy – working with Government and other The mission of Kidscape is to ensure children live in a safe and organisations to ensure that concerns for safeguarding nurturing environment. By providing training, support and advice to children are high on the national agenda. children, parents, schools and those in professional contact with young people, we enable them to gain knowledge and develop the • Media engagement to raise awareness and dispel confidence and skills to challenge abuse and bullying in all myths about bullying and child protection among the its forms.