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Publicity campaign sees 85% rise in child safety calls
Home > News and Events > News - release archive > 2008 > September
A £23,000 public awareness campaign, run by the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee (RCPC), has seen an 85% increase in the number of people picking up the phone to tell police and social workers that they are worried about a child's safety.
The campaign was described as a 'key strength' in a report on Renfrewshire's child protection services published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) on 23 October.
The inspectors said: "Members of the public were given good information and knew how to report concerns. A number of initiatives to raise public awareness had been developed by the RCPC. These included mass mailings to local people, media interviews with accompanying features and advertising on local buses. A particularly effective infomercial was held within local shopping centres."
Tim Huntingford, the independent chair of the RCPC, said: "The aim of the campaign was to tell the public about the key role that the community can play in protecting children and to give them the vital information about who to call. The media, and the Paisley Daily Express in particular, has supported our campaign and has been a crucial channel for conveying our message."
"The importance of the media is difficult to overstate. Being aware of the signs of abuse and knowing what to look for are key factors in identifying problems quickly. Most child abuse happens within families and most abuse is physical neglect, so relatives and neighbours can play a very important part in protecting children."
The numbers to call if you're worried a child is at risk of abuse or neglect:
Child protection line 0800 022 3222
Paisley Social Work 0141 842 5151
Johnstone Social Work 01505 342300
Renfrew Social Work 0141 886 5784
Social Work - evenings and weekends 0800 811 505
Police 0141 532 5900
Childline 0800 1111
Press release: Friday 24 October 2008
