Woman sexually abused as a child says Together for Childhood will help protect children from harm

A woman who was sexually abused as a child has said a new programme of work to help prevent abuse has the power to change the lives of thousands of children, including many across Plymouth.

Emily has been finding out about how by joining forces with one Plymouth community, Together for Childhood is combatting child sexual abuse as part of an innovative programme that could be rolled out city-wide to prevent other children from going through what she went through.

The mother-of-one says: “I never thought I’d see a day when there would be a programme that can start preventing sexual abuse and abuse in general of children. I just didn’t think that was possible.

“Together for Childhood is tackling sexual abuse and abuse in so many different ways. It is no longer a taboo subject and that has the power to change the lives of thousands of children in this city and in this country and prevent thousands more going through sexual abuse and what I went through.

“Had that been surrounding me when I was little I think 100% I would have been able to get help.”

Under a Together for Childhood pilot, the NSPCC, partner organisations and the local community are working together to explore the best ways to protect children from sexual abuse.

Partners include Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board, Devon & Cornwall Police, Livewell South West, Barnardo’s, local schools and the voluntary sector.

United, they’re on a mission to prevent child sexual abuse, by identifying and addressing problems at a local level in a way that everybody understands.

The city’s #TalkPANTS campaign is one element of the programme, with children learning about it at school and parents given the relevant resources to start simple and age-appropriate conversations at home.

To help start those discussions, ladies at a local community group have knitted hundreds of pants for bears, which have become a familiar site across Ernesettle.

Every adult has a responsibility to protect children in their care from abuse, and by bringing together different parts of the community child protection is becoming a real priority.

Today (Wednesday 26 February) the community are being recognised for their commitment to the programme of work at a special celebration event at the Parkway Social Club.

Community members will be joined by professionals from across the city, who will be finding out how Together for Childhood is working in the community.

They’ll hear how community action is making a real difference, with activity at the local youth club, Tea and Toast group, Ernesettle Community School and the local sports hall, all contributing to embed and prioritise the safety of children within the wider community.

Simple messages are being reinforced in different areas of the community to ensure adults feel confident in protecting children, and children know how to identify trusted adults and speak out should they ever need to about something happening to them.

As well as workshops to plan how community members can get involved in the programme of work, and a drama performance from Space Shot Youth Club, attendees will be the first to see a new Together for Childhood film being premiered in Ernesettle.

The NSPCC’s Development Manager for Together for Childhood in Plymouth, Shelley Shaw says: “Together for Childhood could change the lives of children across Plymouth. We know that one in 20 children will experience sexual abuse, and that a lot of children won’t realise that what is happening to them is abuse. We want to change that.

“It’s complex preventing abuse, but we are already taking steps forward and finding ways to break down the taboos that surround talking about sexual abuse.

“We have been overwhelmed by how local residents are supporting positive change in their community which is already benefiting children across the whole of the city.”

The community launch of Together for Childhood took place in Ernesettle in October 2018, following two years of work by the NSPCC and its partners in the city.

A second celebration event is being held for community members this evening (Wednesday 26 February) at St Aiden’s Church at 6.30pm.