Campaign aims to keep children safe and provide support
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People in Aberdeenshire are being encouraged to look out for clues that a child may have experienced harm, neglect or abuse during the pandemic as part of a campaign.
As the school summer holidays begin, Child Protection Committees Scotland has launched the For Kids’ Sake initiative.
This is being supported locally by Aberdeenshire’s Child Protection Committee, involving representatives from various local services including Aberdeenshire Council, Police Scotland and NHS Grampian.
Aberdeenshire’s Child Protection Committee chairwoman Susan Maclaren said: “Most children and young people have been supported well during lockdown and are looking forward to lots of fun activities with extended family and friends during the summer months.
"For some children, though, it may only be now that we notice or sense that something is wrong.
“This campaign underlines the fact that it’s always better to do something than to say nothing and we all have a part to play in keeping children safe.
"Children can take a long time to say anything if they’ve experienced abuse or neglect, but you can listen carefully, look out for signs or pay attention to signals that there’s a problem.
"If your gut tells you something is wrong, it’s important not to ignore it. By raising your concerns you might help prevent something worse from happening to a child you know.”
Child Protection Committees Scotland stresses that paying attention and noticing signs that a child has been abused or neglected is critical, as is taking action to get some support for that child or children.
People should be alert for clues that harm has happened, such as a big change in behaviour, seeing or hearing something that does not feel right, or more obvious signs of neglect.
Ms Maclaren added: “You shouldn’t ignore signs that something is wrong. We have very supportive social work teams who can look into issues and ensure the right support is in place.
"Or, if you think a child is in immediate danger, call the police right away.”
Full details of Aberdeenshire’s children and families social work teams are available on Aberdeenshire Council’s website
People can call 01467 537111 (9am - 5pm on weekdays) or for out of hours support phone 03456 08 12 06. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police immediately on 999.
