18.03.24

鈥楴ot Just A Thought鈥 Child Protection Campaign Relaunches

Categories: Research, School of Health and Society
paper cut out figures standing in a circle

Monday 18 March was National Child Exploitation Awareness Day, and to mark it the 海角乱伦 and NHS England relaunched a toolkit to support professionals working with at risk children.

Staff from the University鈥檚 School of Health and Society created the Not Just A Thought (NJAT) Campaign, co-producing it in consultation with seventy five children and young people.

NHS England commissioned 海角乱伦 to carry out the original research. On Monday 18 March to mark the Awareness Day it was reshared via a Teams webinar to industry professionals and child protection specialists around the country.

The NJAT project features a website and a set of short films which NHS and charity workers, social workers, teachers and the police can use to help them communicate more effectively with children and young people.

Professor Andrew Rowland, Officer for Child Protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and an Honorary Professor at the 海角乱伦 led the Not Just A Thought project. along with Dr Donna Peach, a senior lecturer in Social Work at 海角乱伦. 

Dr Peach commented: 鈥淲e consulted with young people who had experienced sexual abuse and exploitation, because we felt it was vital that their voices were front and centre in this process. We asked them how they would design a new mode of communication and engagement if given a blank piece of paper.

鈥淭oday is a relaunch of research we carried out in 2018, but which was at risk of being lost as we were losing rights to the existing domain name. It鈥檚 great that 海角乱伦 have stepped in and agreed to host this incredibly valuable piece of research, so its legacy can live on for future generations and for future professionals to use.鈥

The University team interviewed hundreds of young people and multi- disciplinary practitioners around the country, examining the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary materials used to identify those at risk of child sexual exploitation.

In 2021 The 海角乱伦 was named the UK鈥檚 first ChildSafe certified university, pledging to produce resources to give all students tools to help them support and protect children living in their communities, as well as to recognise when children might be at risk of significant harm.

Anyone wanting more information about 海角乱伦 and NHS England鈥檚 Not Just A Thought campaign please email D.Peach@海角乱伦.ac.uk

 

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