I am worried about myself or someone I know
If you don’t feel safe, speak to someone who can help you.
If you are concerned about yourself or another child or young person speak to someone.
This might be a teacher, GP, social worker, police officer or member of staff from our social work locality offices (if the social work offices are closed, phone social work emergency services on 0800 121 4114).
Or phone Childline on 0800 11 11.
Talk to an adult you trust. This might be your mum or dad, another relative or a family friend.
If the person you speak to does not listen to you, or does not take you seriously or is not able to help you, then speak to:
- your teacher
- your doctor or school nurse
- a social worker
- a police officer
In an emergency
If you or a friend need help contact the police or social work right away.
What is Child Protection?
Child Protection is the term used to describe the actions of certain organisations such as Children’s Social Work, the Police, Education and Health organisations, in their work to make sure children are safe from abuse and neglect.
There are a lot of different ways a young person might be abused and need help. Child abuse can be physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and grooming. Info and advice | Childline.
If you want to know why we have child protection concerns, you should speak to someone you trust – your parent, social worker, teacher or other adult in your life.
Your Rights
Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner campaigns with and on behalf of young people. It’s the Children’s Commissioner’s job to make sure all children and young people in Scotland have their rights respected.
You can find out more on the Children’s Commissioner’s website The Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (cypcs.org.uk)
Advocacy
Advocacy means giving a person support to have their voice heard.
An advocate is independent, someone who will meet with you to talk about your wishes and feelings and how things are for you. They will listen to you and support you to express your voice. Advocacy is available for a range of meetings as well as providing advice & assistance and supporting you if you wanted to make a complaint. Advocates will only say what you have agreed and if you don’t want to be at a meeting, they will go for you.
If you are in care or involved in a child protection matter, Who Cares Scotland will help you make sure your views are taken into account.
You can get advice on Scot’s law as it relates to young people from the Scottish Child Law Centre.
Online Safety
Many people use social media sites to keep in touch with friends and family online. Talking to people you know online is something that we all do, however, people that you don’t know can also use social media platforms to become your “friend”. You may feel some pressure to have lots of “friends” online, however it’s easy for someone to pretend to be someone else on the internet and you could end up having conversations with people who may not be who they say they are.
Being online makes it easy for people to lie and pretend to be someone else. Some people use social media to make contact with children and young people with the intention of “grooming” them. Groomers might try to gain your trust by using a fake profile picture and by pretending to be your age or having similar interests to you.
People who try to groom children and young people want you to believe their lies so that they can get information about you. Such as:
- your age
- where you live
- who else might use the computer that you use or
- who else has access to your mobile phone.
Once they have lots of information about you and have got your trust and friendship, they often direct conversations towards sexual experiences and interests, even asking you to send sexual photographs or videos of yourself.
Some might suggest wanting to meet up, others might try to blackmail you by threatening to share any images/pictures or videos you might have sent them already with your friends and family if you don’t carry on doing what they ask you to do.
Online grooming can take place via chat rooms, instant messaging (IM), social networking sites and email. It can involve:
- Being asked to chat about sex online
- Being asked to do sexual things on webcam
- Being asked to share naked or sexual pictures of yourself
- Being asked to look at or watch pictures or videos of others doing sexual things
- Being exposed to online pornography
- Being asked to watch the person you are speaking with do sexual things, such as exposing themselves
- Being asked to meet up face to face with the person you have been speaking to online.
Online Safety Tips
Whatever social media platform you are using; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or any other social networking platform, there are things you can do to make sure that you stay safe when you’re online.
Here are some top tips.
- Do not post or give out personal information– this includes your name, email, phone number, home address, and email address or name of your school – to anyone who you don’t know in real life.
- Never share images, send photos or do anything on a webcam that you wouldn’t want your family or friends to see.
- When you share photographs online, including profile information, make sure that your location can’t be identified. Make sure that the name of the road/house/place you live at or local areas/landmarks and or car licence plates can’t be seen by people you don’t know. Keep your online and phone privacy settings set to high. If you don’t know how to do this ask an adult who you trust.
- Do not accept friend requests or chat to people who you don’t really know. Remember “friends”, who contact you might not be who they say they are! People can use fake names, profiles and photos to make you think they are someone they’re not.
- Do not agree to meet up with anyone who you have only spoken to online, and never meet someone in secret on your own. If anyone suggests that you meet them, always tell your parent/carer, a teacher or an adult that you trust.
- Remember to be careful about accepting e-mails, IM messages from people or names you don’t know or trust.
- Make sure you know about the safety features on any networking site. Some, for example, have a ‘panic button’ that you can press if you see something that shouldn’t be there.
- If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if someone asks you to do something that makes you feel the same, leave the website or stop the chat immediately and tell an adult you trust. This can be a parent, carer, relative, teacher, or you can make a report to one of CEOP’s Child Protection Advisors.
- If you are you worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you make a report to Child Exploitation and Online Protection command website.
If you are looking for more information…
Think U Know is the education programme from the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. It aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information including children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.
UK Safer Internet Centre is a third sector partnership who co-ordinate Safer Internet Day in the UK. On their website you can find online safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online.
The National Action Plan on Internet Safety for Children and Young People provides an overview of what the Scottish government is doing to help children and young people be safe online
Mental Health Support
Family life, friends, school, work and many other things can leave you feeling stressed, sad, lonely or worried. The most important thing to remember is, you’re not alone and looking for advice and support is exactly the right thing to do.
For information on how to cope with life’s challenges, how to help make yourself feel better and where to find support, click on the link to the SeeMe website.
You can also access a new, confidential, online mental health support service via the kooth.com. website.
This is available 7 days per week & 365 days per year to young people aged 10 to 18 years and for those who are care experienced up to 26-years old.
Kooth provides a safe and anonymous online resource that can be accessed through smart phones, tablets or computers. It features activities, self-help articles, interactive journals, live chats, discussion boards and is guided by a team of people who can provide you with individual support. Kooth allows young people to access mental health and wellbeing support quickly, confidentially and provides a safe space for anyone wishing to use it.
Healthy Relationships
Being in a relationship can be exciting and should make you feel happy. A healthy relationship is when everyone feels respected, trusted and valued for who they are.
A healthy relationship includes:
- Good communication
You and your partner can talk openly about things without feeling scared of what might happen, or being judged for what you’ve said. - Mutual respect
You listen to each other and respect each other’s boundaries. And nobody does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, scared or humiliated. - Trust
You can trust each other without getting jealous, including being able to spend time with other people. - Honesty
Being able to say what you think and feel without censoring yourself or worrying what might happen. - Equality
Nobody in a relationship should have power over the other person, and it’s never okay for someone to force you to do something. - Being yourself
You’re able to keep being yourself, doing things you enjoy and spending time with friends and family outside of the relationship.
Even when it feels like you need your relationship, it can still be unhealthy or abusive. There might be one thing that makes you question your relationship, or lots of little things. Some worrying signs to look out for:
- your partner going through your phone
- being criticised for how you look, or having to change your appearance
- getting bullied, hurt or hit, this is always abuse
- feeling pressure to do sexual things or send nudes
- being stopped from seeing people, or getting jealous if you do
- feeling like you’re not in control of what you do or say
- receiving gifts, but being made to feel like you need to do something in return
If you’re worried or unsure about something in your relationship, it can help to talk about it with someone you trust.
Further information:
Sexual Health & Healthy Relationships Resources – Who Cares? Scotland (whocaresscotland.org)
What is exploitation?
Children can be manipulated, forced or coerced into doing things they do not want to do including sexual favours or committing crimes. This may be in exchange for things that they may need or want like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection. This is called exploitation.
Sexual or criminal exploitation can be hard to recognise because often it feels like that you can trust the person who is harming you. It could be that you are exploited by a friend, or group of friends, or someone you think of as a boyfriend or girlfriend or it might be a person or a new group of people you’ve only just got to know, either in person or online.
Often people who exploit you are nice to you, your friends and family; they might buy you things, including alcohol or drugs. They might listen to your problems, take you to great places, be there for you, and they might give you a place to stay when you’re having problems.
Anyone who persuades you to have sex with them or other people, or encourages you to post sexual images of yourself via text or on the internet, in return for the things that they have given you, such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, money, food, accommodation or affection, is sexually exploiting you, even if you don’t always feel like they are.
You may be asked to commit crimes on behalf of others or be involved with a criminal gang. Sometimes you can feel trapped as you may be worried about getting into trouble or harm being threatened towards you or your friends and family. It is never your fault and you are never to blame for being exploited.
It’s important to know that there are ways that we want to help young people in these situations. The following resources are helpful if you want to learn more about criminal or sexual exploitation and can tell you about some of the ways we can help you:
Child sexual exploitation:
HSC00078childsexualexploitationyoungpeopleleafletv1.pdf (pagetiger.com)
Criminal exploitation:
Criminal exploitation and gangs | NSPCC
GIRFEC
Most of you will have a loving family to support you to grow and develop. Friends, teachers, health visitors, youth workers, and others can also help to make sure that your wellbeing is the best it can be, and that you have all the help, advice and guidance you need as you grow up.
There may be times, however, when you might need some extra advice and help if things are not going so well for you. Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC for short) encourages all the adults in your life to look out for your wellbeing and to offer help if you or your family need it.
The idea behind GIRFEC is that if we can help you when your problems or worries are little, then we can hopefully stop them getting too big for you.
GIRFEC means that the adults in your life have a responsibility to look after your wellbeing and make sure you can become the best you can be.
Our vision for children and young people living in North Lanarkshire is that they will be safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, respected, responsible, and included so they can realise their potential and grow to be successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
For more information please visit our GIRFEC webpage Home Page – GIRFEC in NL
The Promise in Scotland
Between February 2017 and February 2020, the Independent Care Review took place. The Review heard from over 5,500 people with experience of care, in an attempt to truly understand what needs to change to make sure Scotland’s most vulnerable children have the childhood they deserve.
In February 2020, The Promise was published as part of the Independent Care Review’s conclusion. The Promise tells us what was heard during the Review and outlines a vision for what Scotland must do to ensure our children grow up loved, safe and respected.
North Lanarkshire Council, along with various other agencies, communities, and groups across Scotland have pledged to #KeepThePromise.
You can read The Promise, The Pinky Promise (for younger readers) and all other related reports here on the care review website Independent Care Review – The root and branch review of Scotland’s care system.
We have a dedicated team in North Lanarkshire which is specifically for making sure we uphold the foundations of The Promise.
Young Carers
If you look after someone at home, a brother or sister or parent or grandparent and you find you are not getting time for your homework, or are not able to go out with your friends, or are feeling more and more isolated or you just want to talk to someone, then then you can talk to your Named Person and they should be able to link you up with the North Lanarkshire Young Carers Project who may be able to support you.
There is now a new law that supports Young Carers.
Children’s Hearings
Social work will often support you and your family without a children’s hearing.
But sometimes, a referral is made to the Reporter to the Children’s Panel. The reporter makes some inquiries. They might decide to bring your case to a Children’s Hearing. At a children’s hearing, a panel of three people will meet with you and decide if any legal orders such as a Supervision Order is needed to keep a you safe from harm.
You can find out more about this on the Young Person’s section of the Reporter’s website.
The Children’s Hearings System is Scotland’s unique care and justice system for children and young people in need of care, protection and support.
Panel Members take part in children’s hearings. Their role is to listen and make legal decisions with and for:
- Infants
- Children
- young people
They can decide:
- to give the child or young person a Compulsory Supervision Order – this can say who they should live with, and who they can see and when
- that formal, compulsory supervision measures are not needed and end the case
- that they need more information to help them make a decision about what’s best
Useful Resources
Below are some websites and contact information which you may find useful:
Advice and information for children and young people as well as real life stories, celebrity interviews and the chance to have your say by taking part in online polls.
Information on staying safe online, using mobiles and other new technology from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it. There’s also a place where you can report if you feel uncomfortable or worried about someone you are chatting to online.
This website is for children and young people in Scotland. It’s a place to learn about your rights, make your voice heard and find out whose job it is to help you live safe and happy lives.
This is a website has been created by Women’s Aid to help children and young people understand domestic abuse and how to take positive action if it is happening to you or your family.
- North Lanarkshire Council Children and Families Social Work Services:
- Airdrie 01236 757 000
- Bellshill 01698 346 666
- Coatbridge 01236 622 100
- Cumbernauld 01236 638 700
- Motherwell 01698 332 100
- Wishaw 01698 348 200
- Social Work Emergency Service (evenings and weekends) – 0800 121 4114
- Who Cares? Scotland Home – Who Cares? Scotland (whocaresscotland.org) can be contacted if you would like an advocate or to find our more about the role of an advocate
- SCRA | Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration or 0131 244 8701
- Police Scotland 101 or, in an emergency999
- Childline or 0800 1111
- NSPCC helpline | NSPCC or 0808 800 5000