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

I actually meant to come back to this thread with a when I saw that the British Red Cross Q&A was also listed as sponsored. I honestly don't think I've ever noticed it before!

And I admit my back is a bit up with the NSPCC as I am a mum with MH issues and get on just fine, thank you. ::twitch::

What is the final paragraph all about?

Hi, We've fixed the annual report link. Sorry about that.

So the NSPCC do research, offer training to some people in Leicester and London, and run a helpline/website.

Nothing in Scotland.

On an annual income of £152.2 million

(from Annual Report 2010, the latest set of figures)

does it say what percentage is spent on the advertising?

old but interesting article on nspcc spending as compared to another national charity for children

i also found a bbc comment on how they spend more on advertising and admin than on children's services. it really does show about how you need to research who you donate to and think what you want money spent on.

I'm not impressed with these initial answers. At all.

I'm feeling a little a lot patronised

Do they know that MNetters have statistically more than half a brain?

It seem not by the first reply.

I think the NSPCC are throwing away a huge chance to take stock and turn themselves into an organisation that actually does something, such as paying for or sponsoring front-line social workers and tackling government on inconsistent policies.

If the NSPCC is simply going to 'answer' our questions by defending, patronising and glossing, the quite frankly is deserves all the criticisms that have been levelled at it.

just marking place

74% is nothing to brag about!

That 74% includes 'public awareness raising' - precisely one of the elements identified by MNetters as a real problem.

And why are you, NSPCC, automatically lumping it in with your limited frontline category?

Have you learned nothing from this Q&A?

I realize this is a little late, and I hope you can treat it as a follow up question - If the adverts you show are considered frontline service rather than fundraising (and I understand that you're an advocacy organization, so I think it's right that you advertise and campaign to raise awareness) can you tell us what measures you use to evaluate how successful you are at that? And how that ties in with successful fundraising and the decision making about how you develop your advertising and campaigns?

Thanks

Jane, Chris and Kam
Thx for the initial response.
We await next week's full answers eagerly.

In the meantime, may I suggest you pop onto the SN / adoption / feminism / aby of the education boards and gauge the audience you are addressing.

MNers are a highly articulate, often highly educated, well informed lot and you need to ensure you get the register of your responses right.

So far, what you have provided reads as PR guff to be supplied to hostile media outlets. You do need to raise your game.

I got called away yesterday before I could finish my post.

I must say the NSPCC met my expectations with their preliminary responses. I was hoping to be wrong.

NSPCC, you might want to keep in mind that MNetters are smart, have intense opinions and have already achieved some changes in the UK. And that we are the mums who are effected by what you do and don't do.

I was thinking this last night.

I suspect the NSPCC thought they would be addressing a bunch of mums in the sense of addressing a bunch of potential donors to their campaigns.

It has failed to grasp the questions, and failed to grasp that MN is used by woman and men who are themselves influential either individually or collectively in the realms of policy, expenditure, resource allocation, government lobbying and academia.

If all the NSPCC is prepared to do here (or is capable of doing here) is re-hash its own leaflets and adverts, then that to me raises a big red flag about its competence in the field of child protection. Sorry, NSPCC, but that's the way you are coming across.

I agree LineRunner. I think they thought they'd get some praise and maybe one or two tough questions.

They seem to have fallen into the 'They are mums. They don't really do anything or count for anything' trap that is so prevalent in the world.

We may be mums, but we are also smart! And mouthy

Since "Public awareness, education, influencing and motivation to take action" is counted under 'Activities to end cruelty to children' then all their campaigning and advertising - and they don't say how much of their £112m spend is on that - counts as direct charitable expenditure. I have never seen a campaign of theirs which isn't directly related to fundraising. Dodgy.

yes i would like to know clearly the amount spent on advertising and what percentage of an annual spend that is.

just looking at other children's charities with a good record of spending a high percentage on real front line services and action for children seems to do well and be very clear on what services they provide and have a real presence in scotland (for those who were concerned about nspcc not really doing anything there).

Will the NSPCC pledge funding now to keep Naomi House in Bristol open, therefore directly, on the frontline, helping babies?

Could you please pledge money to help support Naomi House in Bristol, as its facing closure and is doing great work

I've just been reading about Naomi House and have just come from a thread where a depressed mother is finding it incredibly difficult to access help in a crisis.

In the face of all the cuts that are seriously affecting parents' ability to cope with mental health issues (or substance misuse, or to escape DV) your campaign seems a little ... well, crap really.

You have a petition that people can sign to basically say, 'I care about teh baybeez and I want the government to care too' - No specific demands, no proposed solutions. What are your objectives for this campaign, beyond stigmatising parents 'awareness raising'?

does seem they'd be better off spending money keeping shelters open and improving support services for parents with mental health problems (no help available whatsoever unless your child is deemed 'at risk' despite money having been allocated for supporting families so they don't have to get to the 'at risk' stage) rather than stigmatising them in the media