Q&A about child protection with NSPCC - ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

We're joined this week for a Q&A with the NSPCC, the UK's leading child protection charity. Last week the NSPCC's All babies count campaign was our Campaign of the Week.

Your questions will be answered by Chris Cuthbert, from the All babies count campaign, Kam Thandi, NSPCC helpline team manager, and Jane Petrie NSPCC Parenting Officer. They will be answering your questions about the work of the NSPCC, the NSPCC helpline, the All babies count campaign, and how Mumsnetters can protect children. Send in your questions to the NSPCC before 5pm on Monday 6th February and we'll be linking to their answers from this thread on 16th February.

Chris says: 'It's great that mumsnet is supporting All babies count campaign. Almost a half of the most serious cases of child abuse and neglect relate to babies under the age of one. Evidence shows that with the right services in place it is possible to prevent many of these tragic cases. We hope Mumsnetters will support us by signing our online petition. I look forward to answering your questions about the campaign.'

Kam adds: Unfortunately we can't allow you to use the Q&A session to share concerns about a specific child. If you are worried about a child right now - even if it's just a doubt, please contact the NSPCC's free 24 hour helpline immediately for advice from our trained helpline counsellors.'

Call:0808 8005000
Email [email protected]
Text 88858
(If you are texting from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, 88858 will not be available to you. However, you can text the NSPCC Helpline on 0778 620 0001. This service is not free, and you will be charged at your standard network rate.)

This Q&A has been sponsored by the NSPCC

Hi i'm interested in working in child protection but don't know how to get started.

Do I have to become a social worker with a degree or are there other roles?

Also what about voluntary opportunities, do these exist?

I haven't done anything like this before and am currently a stay at home mum with 3 children. I'm 36.

I understand this is a stressful job, and every single person i've talked to has tried to warn me away from doing this. However, I know that this is what i'm meant to do even if I have realised this a bit late! Would my age be a problem?

Thanks.

Why is the NSPCC deemed such an authority in child protection matters?

Many people in the UK would think it reasonable to leave a child under age 14 or even under 11 at home alone for short periods. Does the NSPCC label all such people as abusive or neglectful? Do you think that the the NSPCC's work is undermined by their stance on allowing children to have personal freedom (to play out alone or stay home alone for short periods), especially when the NSPCC stance is at odds with widespread and traditional cultural practice?

What does the NSPCC actually do?

Why does the NSPCC persist in its stance about not leaving under-16s in charge of a younger sibling, and not leaving even young teenagers alone, even for short periods, when government policy for lone parents clearly requires that to happen?

Is the NSPCC prepared to say that David Cameron is wrong about this? If so, on what grounds?

And where is all the affordable childcare for 13-15 year olds, whilst lone parents work the only available shifts in the local supermarket?

The NSPCC is losing the support of perfectly reasonable parents by claiming that leaving a teenager to babysit younger siblings is somehow illegal or wrong. I was babysitting at age 14 as were all my friends - perfectly normal. I doubt there's been some massive drop in the competence of teenagers over the past 25 years.

Why does the NSPCC say that it never okay to leave a young child in a car 'even for a few minutes'? Do you really believe it's safer to take three small children across a petrol forecourt than leaving them in the car while you go and pay?

What support do you think parents need to prevent them getting to the stage of needing intervention? And also what support do you think parents tgat aren't at tgat stage but do need help for their own mental health as well as tge development of tge babies/children?

How will local authority foster carers be affected by the benefits cap ?

Would you describe the nspcc as a family friendly employer given your central involvement as a child focussed charity? I know several employees who recently have felt that the child and family focussed attitude of the NSPCC ends with the campaigns and doesn't reach as far as the staff.

Isn't it actually more 'neglectful' to allow your 8-year-old to play an 18-rated computer game or have 'a few sips' from your alcoholic drink than to encourage a sensible child to develop responsibility by allowing them some time alone, either at home or on their way to/from school? Is the NSPCC aware of just how at odds its policies are with tradition in much of continental Europe, where it is regarded as neglecting your role as a parent if you over-protect children? You are nurturing a neurotic and hysterical tendency in the UK which prevents children from being able to grow up at their own pace (and I mean here taking responsibility for their actions, not 'growing up' as in drinking and having sex before 16). Children in the UK seem highly exposed to the trappings of adulthood while being prevented from achieving true maturity - the rates of binge drinking and underage pregnancy bear testament to this. Surely reversing that situation that should be one of your aims?

Does the NSPCC receive any government or local authority funding?

Are there parts of the country where you don't have a presence because you don't have SLAs or other financial agreements with local authorities or other organisations?

Do you think that your literature suggests that you can, do and will intervene everywhere?

How are the NSPCC represented in Scotland?

How do you feel, as an organisation, about the television fundraising adverts you produce?

What do you actually do when you are contacted with a CP concern?

If the social workers I have spoken to are to be believed you simply refer it to the relevant local authority. If this is true why are you running an expensive phone line and wouldn't people be better cutting you out and contacting the LA directly?

Secondly what proportion of your revenue do you spend on advertising and how do you justify this?

When the NSPCC talks about 'the right services [being] in place,' could it confirm that it means primarily Local Authority social services and other LA and government services?

Why does the NSPCC think it can and should dictate that under 16s should not babysit? I commonly use younger teens to sit and they have been great and utterly responsible. Is there actually any evidence that children are at real risk of harm from teenagers left in charge?

I also googled some guidance once on letting kids out to play alone once and found stuff on your website which I thought was really harmful - essentially saying that parents should keep kids under their watch until they were 16. This means that teenagers who are of an age to be drinking in pubs, driving and all the teenage risks, may also be still very new to dealing with the everyday risks of finding their way around town, crossing roads, missing a bus home, dealing with drunks or people who are strange, etc. I learnt all these skills as a pre-teen, and my children (8 and 12) are learning them now.

Kids need to develop some independence skills whilst they're young, not to be kept indoors like toddlers until all of a sudden they're too old to put up with this and have to deal with everying at once. I believe this quite strongly - and was very cross to see that this behaviour is being branded as "neglect" on your website. Why do you do this?

I think this undermines a lot of the great work that you do with children who really are suffering harm.

Does the NSPCC have a credible, evidence-based view about the fact that on their 16th birthdays, young people in this nation can get married and start a full-time life-long job; but, according to the NSPCC, probabably should not even have been babysitting the week before?

Well, this is an eye-opener. I thought that I was alone in not being very keen on the NSPCC but the above posts seem to prove otherwise.
Why is the NSPCC so negative? For instance, I clicked on the campaign mentioned and their headline runs "help protect all babies from abuse and neglect". This implies that all babies are at risk from abuse and neglect i.e. that all adults are potential abusers. I take objection to being portrayed as a potential abuser and as a consequence never donate to NSPCC.
Most people are kind, generous and humane. It is a very small minority who are not. Why try to pretend otherwise and promote mistrust. I don't like the NSPCC's mindset.

Why has the NSPCC adopted such an insane stance regarding teenagers? It cannot be good for a 15yr old to be given no personal freedom and then, wham, at 16yr old they could leave home.

It really makes me think that the whole organisation isn't all that credible.

I'd like to hear, in plain English, what it actually does. Not what its "mission statement" is, but what it does, especially in Scotland when it seems that all it does is compete for funds with Children 1st.

AP

spooky

I hadn't seen your post. Wonder if they'll answer us? I suspect not...

How much from fundraising does the NSPCC spend on administration and political lobbying? Has it changed focus over the last few years from active practical help for kids to a sort of advisory body? I would like to know what does the NSPCC actually do as I'm not clear about it.

Are you asking MNetters to sign your online petition to enable NSPCC to bid for further funding to continue its role as an essentially advisory body that argues against teenagers having independence and responsibilities?

It seems to me that, when it comes to service provision, NSPCC benefits (via donations) from the popular assumption that you are quasi-statutory and therefore go places and do stuff that the other large children's charities don't. Is this true? Are you substantially different from the others in your scope and powers?

However, when it comes to child protection, it seems to me that NSPCC benefits from the popular assumption that you are a softer, more understanding, more parent-friendly alternative to social services. What value do you add for those reporting suspected child abuse? Is there any point in ringing you before social services?

Final point: I did like that parents' magazine you used to distribute via ELC. It had a nice way of communicating parent education. Is it gone forever?