The Children’s Society Magazine | Spring 2007 |
08-09
Children
Project
profile
We talk to Circle Steele, programme manager
of The Children’s Society Rochdale, about
Disabled children
bullying, families and Children’s Centres.
make and imPACT
Project CV
What do you do? How many children do you help?
We run an evaluation programme Depends on the number of activities
in York
Who:
to identify and research ways to taking place each month. Can range
The Children’s
improve and widen the service from one-to-one family support
Society Rochdale.
At a time when media attention
of five local Sure Start Children’s to large school assemblies and
is focused on youth crime and
13 staff, working with
Centres. Centres offer early thousands during campaigns such
‘hoodie’ anti-social behaviour, a
100–500 children education, childcare, health as Anti-Bullying Week, Refugee
group of young disabled people
per month
and family support services. Week and Disability Week.
from our Participation Advocacy
We work with them to ensure
What:
Consultancy Training (PACT)
Working with
their remit includes refugee
‘We work to empower
project in York have won a coveted
children’s centres,
parents and children, teenage
award to celebrate the positive
families and co- parents and fathers.
children, young people
impact they have had in their
ordinating an
and their families; to
anti-bullying
local community.
The working with families scheme
programme.
supports children aged between
raise aspirations and
The young people – who are all
Where:
four and 13 and their parents. Many
realise their potential.’
part of PACT’s Time 4 Change
Kirkholt, Rochdale young people are referred to us for
Group – won the regional ‘Seen
challenging behaviour or truancy, What’s your biggest achievement?
When:
and Heard’ award, for undertaking
often linked to problems at home Launching our anti-bullying DVD,
Opened in 1983
disability equality audits at three
where a parent is suffering from Keeping an eye on bullying, which is
leisure centres in the city: Yearsley
poor mental health or substance being used as a discussion tool in
Swimming Pool, Edmund Wilson
dependency. We offer support to schools nationwide. The young
Swimming Pool and Oaklands
families through parenting courses people worked closely with the
Sports Centre. They wanted to
and one-to-one work to help them media company to ensure the DVD
ensure local leisure facilities
build better relations and manage was presented in a way that their
adequately cater for people
anti-social behaviour. peers could relate to, contributing to
with disabilities.
its planning, design, scripting,
Our anti-bullying programme works decision-making and its delivery –
The young people were presented
with 75% of schools in the Rochdale something we are particularly proud
with their award, which was
area. We adopt a ‘whole school’ of. Many teachers have found the
sponsored by BT in partnership
approach so as well as offering one- DVD to be an excellent aid in
with the UK Youth Parliament, in
to-one support, we have also classroom discussion and, by
a ceremony at Oaklands Sports
trained over 600 professionals, 100 actually tackling the issue head-
Centre. Hosted by Councillor Janet
parents and 200 young people to on, incidents of bullying have
Hopton, the Lord Mayor of York,
create a greater awareness of been reduced.
the event was a celebration of the
bullying. Our after-school clubs give
inspirational ways young people
children the opportunity to speak to Finally, how would you sum
have contributed to society.
project workers about issues that up your work?
are upsetting them, build self- We believe that flourishing
esteem and make friends. Feedback communities are centred around
has shown that our programme has children and families. We work
successfully reduced the number of to empower children, young
reported incidents of bullying and people and their families; to
those incidents which do happen raise aspirations and realise
are reported much quicker. their potential.
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