NSPCC ChildLine

ChildLine will provide support, advice and signposting to 22,000 children and young people in crisis in London each year and refer those children in immediate danger of their lives to emergency or social services. The organisation will train and supervise new volunteer counsellors to enable them to each provide 120 hours on the helpline over a 12 month period, supporting around 200 children each. The project will provide additional training workshops to established volunteer counsellors to ensure their skills are updated. Further research will be undertaken to identify the needs of particularly vulnerable children who struggle to access the helpline. The organisation will deliver targeted outreach work to raise awareness of the service.

There are a vast range of issues affecting children and young people that can result in them feeling scared, embarrassed, lonely, desperate and isolated. These issues include abuse (sexual and physical), bullying, bereavement, family relationships, health, sexuality, depression, suicide,  self-harm, eating disorders, homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse, sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancy and concerns over a third party.

Through provision of a telephone helpline,  work in schools, pupil referral units and special schools and awareness raising with relevant agencies ChildLine will deliver the following outcomes:

• Children and young people, in particular those that are hard to reach, have a greater awareness of the support available to them
  
  
• Children and young people in crisis have increased confidence and are able to make safe choices, improving their emotional, mental and physical health
  
  
• New volunteers have the knowledge and skills to listen, support and advise children and young people in crisis. Existing volunteer counselors have increased skills to deal with specific issues (such as bullying, self-harming, child protection, homelessness and issues affecting refugee and asylum seeker children)
  
  
• Children in care are more aware of the support available to them through the helpline for children and young people, and have greater confidence to call the helpline
  
  
• Actively promote equality for disadvantaged groups through the service delivery, marketing, evaluation and management of the proposed service.