The Life of a Schools Organiser

There are only two Schools Organisers within the Schools Service of the NSPCC in Scotland and one of those is Alex McGillivray. Alex works within the areas of Aberdeenshire and Moray and has only been with the Service since September 2017, however he has been a great asset to our team and has amazing passion and commitment to the NSPCC and the work we do.

 

What made you want to work with the NSPCC, specifically the Schools Service? –

I’ve recognised the NSPCC as having a strong organisational brand for a long time but it was never on my radar too much until quite recently. I spend a lot of time with my nieces and wholly believe that putting children first is so important. Children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and I believe we all have to work together to make sure that they can have a happy childhood so that they can go on to lead fulfilled lives. After I left school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and took up an apprenticeship as a travel agent which I did for over 2 years. I started to get this feeling that I wanted to do something different and give back to society in some way, so I applied to volunteer in Tanzania with the International Citizen’s Service, this lead to me heading out to East Africa in January 2017 for 4 months. I learnt so much from my time in Tanzania, becoming a more grounded person and developing various skills, specifically resilience, even now I am still guilty of taking basic things for granted, and have to remind myself of times when I had to hand wash my clothes, walk 10 minutes to collect water, and having ice cold bucket showers. In Tanzania I was working in secondary schools delivering workshops about employment skills, we created fun ways to learn including role playing interviews, CV writing, and confidence skills. Upon returning home, I wanted to continue the work I was doing abroad and give something back to my local community, so I decided to apply to volunteer with the NSPCC Schools Service, I had the experience of working with children and speaking in front of large groups, and thought it would be at least a little bit easier when the children spoke the same language as me. After interviewing and learning more about the great work of the Schools Service I decided to apply for a full-time position as a Schools Organiser, I could not believe my luck and I am very lucky that the opportunity was available at just the time when I was looking.

Having only been working with the NSPCC since September 2017, have you had any experiences that you have had overcome being a Schools Organiser?

As with every job, working for the NSPCC comes with various demands and responsibilities, however the good days far outweigh the more challenging. Being a schools organiser requires a lot of self – motivation and intuition. It can sometimes be challenging being home-based, we see our colleagues approximately once a month and work mostly independently which can sometimes be challenging, however we do sometimes get the company of our wonderful volunteers and it’s amazing to see them progress and develop, and of course I get to meet so many different people every day. It has been really beneficial for me to learn how to work around home working, what works for me is writing lots of ‘to-do’ lists and a bit of Radio 2 never fails!

As someone who had little background of working with children, I was fairly ignorant to the different types of abuse and I was really surprised to find out that sadly, it is a lot more common that I previously thought. It is a great responsibility talking to children about such important topics and seemed a fairly daunting task when I first started, however I soon discovered that I was to be delivering what, in my eyes, is a top-class programme that is thoroughly thought through and age-appropriate, every day I go in to a school I am proud to represent the NSPCC and the ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ programme.

And of course, I can’t go through this question without mentioning something that poses a huge challenge to anyone who is on the road, the great Scottish weather. It can be really frustrating when you have spent time arranging a visit to a school and are all ready to go, and then hearing that snow is forecast and it may be unsafe to travel, or in some cases the school will be closed. In times when the school is still open and I travel to some more rural schools, the journey there and back can be quite difficult on the smaller country roads. Unfortunately there is nothing that we can do about the weather and we just have to be resilient, schools can always be rescheduled and working from home I am still able to get things done from the comfort of the home office.

Finally, what has been your highlight of being a Schools Organiser thus far and do you have any hopes/dreams for the future?

I feel as though there may be too much highlights to mention one in particular. As time goes on I try to take time to reflect, especially at the end of a term, and look back at all the schools I have visited and how many children have received our service, and then I think about my fellow colleagues and volunteers who are doing the same around Scotland and the rest of the UK, this is really inspiring and makes me feel like I am part of something really important and special.

Another of my favourite things about my role is being in a delivery where the pupils are especially engaged, sometimes I have been lucky enough to see classes input to their weekly diaries and they reflect upon what they have learnt, or they will write a letter or draw a picture of our mascot Buddy, this is a great boost and excellent to see them being so mature and thoughtful. In our Primary 6 & 7 workshops pupils are given the chance to have group discussions and form their own ideas and opinions on what is right and wrong, it’s for me this is one of my favourite parts of the deliveries as I can tell they have took on board what was said in their assemblies, and that makes me feel like I have done such an important task in telling them things that perhaps they will never forget. Also, I love to see how engaged the P4-7s get when watching the ‘Childline’ video, I always look forward to showing them it and I am proud to support such a valuable and significant service.

Working around Aberdeenshire & Moray allows me to visit lots of beautiful places that I would have never had to chance to go to, there’s nothing better than the feeling when driving home after a delivery with the sun out and great scenery, it just feels as though the day has been a massive success. Travelling around schools allows me to meet lots of different people and it’s great to see so many Teachers and Head Teachers being so supportive of the service.

For the future I’d like to continue delivering SOSS around Aberdeenshire & Moray and develop my skills whilst doing so, every day is definitely a school day and bring a new set of obstacles. I would feel so proud if we were to be able to visit every Primary school across the area, safe in the knowledge that every child has received our message and that I have done my bit to help the NSPCC reach its goal SOSS reaching every Primary school in the UK.

Every school I visit is different in some way, most are relatively small in size, and a couple are even ‘one-class’ schools, this ensures that no one day is the same and although the assemblies and workshops are the same, I always get different interaction and hear new ideas every day. I enjoy visiting every school, but I can’t deny how good it feels in large schools when I can have 200-300 pupils in front of my all saying together at the end of the assemblies in their louder voices ‘We all have the right to Speak Out and Stay Safe!’, there’s nothing quite like it.

Clermiston Primary’s Silly Hair Day!

At the NSPCC Schools Service we are extremely grateful when a school we are working with decides to fundraise for us.

From school collection funds, a dress down day to a sports event, we are appreciative of any form of generosity from a school.

On 2 May 2018, Clermiston Primary School in Edinburgh chose to fundraise for the NSPCC by having a ‘Crazy Hair Day’.

The children had brilliant imaginations and the outcome of the ‘hair-dos’ were amazing!

Karin Walker, Schools Service Area Coordinator for Edinburgh, is looking forward to working with the parents and carers in June, when they will be receiving an online safety workshop.

And she spoke about her partnership with Clermiston Primary School.

She said: “The Edinburgh and Lothians volunteer team had a great couple of days working at Clermiston Primary delivering our ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ campaign to all of the pupils.

Joe, one of our volunteers who delivered ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ to the pupils at Clermiston also proudly spoke about the day.

He said: “Clermiston Primary had not received the ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ message for some time so it was exciting to be invited to visit.

“It’s quite a large school with over 450 pupils in North West Edinburgh, close to the busy Queensferry Road, requiring a two-day visit. Rachael Bottom, our contact at the school, and Gordon McIntyre, the head-teacher gave us a really warm welcome and helped us set up, using their new ‘state of the art’ sound system for the assembly.

“Despite the fact that the projector gave the impression that we were all experiencing double vision, the children were not bothered at all.”

Soon the P1-3 classes started filling in for their assembly, in their light purple uniforms. Anita Green kicked off the assembly and introduced the massed ranks of children to Buddy and the importance of speaking out if they felt worried or upset about anything. A forest of enthusiastic hands shot up when we asked what grown-ups they could talk to, both in and out of school. After the assembly one of the teachers came up to us in the staff room to say how well they thought the material was pitched for that age group.

The P4-7 children were already queuing up outside the hall doors as the younger children left. The hall for the second assembly was even busier. We received a terrific response from the children and the Childline video got a spontaneous round of applause – something I had never experienced before. Assemblies over, it was time for a deserved cuppa in the staffroom.

The workshops were in a smart new building at the opposite side of the playground to the rest of the school, which probably made the P6s and 7s feel that bit special. P6 classes were eager to contribute and get involved with the discussion sections and Anita and I had a great time. Shortly after we had left school for the day the school tweeted with a photo of the assembly, telling their followers that the NSPCC had been in talking to children about ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’.

We left the school knowing the ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ message had been well received and understood. A bonus for us was that the next day all the children would be fundraising for the NSPCC by having a ‘Silly Hair Day’. Judging by the photos the school tweeted there was some amazingly silly and spectacular hair. We are really grateful to the staff and children at Clermiston Primary for their enthusiasm and the warm welcome we received over our two-day visit.

The Life of an Area Coordinator

In our previous blog we have introduced a few of our volunteers and their valuable contribution to the Schools Service. However, behind each one of our volunteers there is a supportive and hardworking Area Coordinator. Two of our Area Coordinators have agreed to share their thoughts today: Enola Butler and Karin Walker cover many areas within central east coast of Scotland and have a vast amount of experience between them. We thought it would be a great idea to share their roles and how they find the responsibility of being an Area Coordinator (AC) within the NSPCC Schools Service.

Our first AC is Enola Butler, she has been with the service for 6.5 years and covers the areas; Fife, Perth & Kinross, Clackmannanshire and Stirling.

What made you want to work for the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? – I was very excited to be part of the establishment of a new programme which would help children to know that if they’re worried or upset about anything at all they should tell a grown up about it. Children worry about so many things and are rightly frightened and confused if they are badly treated by others. Our strong message to “Speak out, Stay safe” is one that I was very keen to get behind.

Hopefully you have a few, however, what has been your one main highlight of working within the Schools Service? –

Lots of highlights – when children enjoy our visit and join in really well, when P6 & P7 pupils are so obviously absorbed in discussing what’s happening to Guy, one of the characters in our workshops, when we help a specific child to get the support they need, when we reach targets. But my major highlight is always when a volunteer overcomes the challenges they have had in getting to grips with delivering the programme and moves from being terrified and quite sure they will never crack it to having a eureka moment when they realise they just have!

Finally, what has been your biggest learning curve as an Area Coordinator?

My biggest learning curve has been in getting to grips with delivering the Adult Workshops “Keeping children safe online.” A powerful message but a very different experience from working with children.

 

Our second AC is Karin Walker who has worked with the Schools Service for 3 years and covers Edinburgh, the Lothians and Falkirk.

What made you want to work for the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? –

After spending an eternity in a Corporate World, I was looking for a change of career and I knew that I wanted to go home at the end of the day feeling like I had made a difference and contributed to something meaningful and rewarding. I also knew that I wanted to work in Education and possibly a training capacity. This opportunity came along at exactly the right time.

Hopefully you have a few, however, what has been your one main highlight of working within the Schools Service? –

There have been a few but the feeling I get when myself and my volunteer team have left a school knowing that we have made a difference is very special. One in particular I am thinking about is when we delivered assemblies to 1,000 children from a big Edinburgh school, what an achievement in one day!

Finally, what has been your biggest learning curve as an Area Coordinator? –

Wow, this never stops, but it has to be going from delivering assemblies to 250 pupils to now delivering online safety workshops to parents and carers and conquering the fear of public speaking to adults, it’s taken me a while but I am there now!

The Life of a NSPCC Schools Service Volunteer

It has been said before that without volunteers, the Schools Service in Scotland would never have achieved as much as what we have so far, or made as big an impact throughout the country.

We are extremely grateful for everything they do; therefore, we thought it would be lovely to introduce some of our volunteers to you. Here are three volunteers who deliver ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ in different local authorities and have completely different backgrounds/experiences to share.

Our first volunteer is Gillian;

Name – Gillian King

Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – One and a half years

The local areas that you deliver to – East/North/South Ayrshire.

What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? –

I had given up work 11 years previously to have a family. My youngest child was due to start nursery and I was looking for a new project to get me out the house again. I was really missing the camaraderie of work and being part a team but wasn’t ready yet to commit to employment with my children still being so young. I wanted to get back out there again and meet some new people. But for me, it had to be something that would work around my children so the Schools Service was perfect. My husband and I had also started the adoption process years ago but didn’t continue to the end so this was my way of giving back to children that need help.

Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) –

The awareness of the vulnerability of children has been a real eye opener. On one of my earliest visits we were discussing neglect with the children and one wee girl put her hand up and asked: “Is it neglect if your Mum and Dad are working outside in the garden?”

All my memories to date have been very positive. It is so refreshing to work with a supportive and genuine team with no hidden agendas or egos to feed.

Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer?

Many things, I get so much out of this. Firstly, it was a real challenge to learn the materials and then to stand up and deliver the assemblies and classroom workshops to sometimes 300+ children and teachers in one session. My background is in marketing and finance so I had never worked in an educational setting before. I found this difficult at first and I felt the teachers were intimidating (They weren’t, it was just my perception because of lack of confidence). Frankly, I found it terrifying. I used to wonder if they’d be looking at me and thinking: “What does she know, she has no qualifications in education?” But having now worked in 20 schools I can see how much the teachers value what we are doing. The material is so well written, it’s all age appropriate and very interactive to keep the children engaged. This has really helped me to relax into it a bit more and deliver with confidence. I would never have believed I would have been able to do this as I’m a very nervous person but I am not a quitter. I pushed on through the nerves and now I feel I have really achieved something.

Sadly, though my experience has also shown there is such a great need for this service. The rates of neglect and sexual abuse are much higher than I first anticipated. It is such an amazing feeling to get right into the heart of the schools and empower children to speak up and give them the confidence to (hopefully) end abuse before it begins. It’s so satisfying to hand some power and control back to the children. There are so many cases now in the media where children were just too scared to speak out for fear of not being believed. It is great to be able to turn that on its head.

We also discuss Childline with them, sources of help, trusted adults they can speak to as well as helping them recognise abuse in all its forms; neglect, bullying and how to keep themselves safe online. Hopefully the children find it as useful as the teachers.

There are some heart-breaking cases of children who display concerning behaviour during the presentations, or even approach us with a disclosure. That confirms we have gone in there and actually made a difference to that child by starting the ball rolling on getting them the help and support they need.

Harrowing as it is at times I can honestly say I come out of every school on a high.

Firstly, because I feel I am overcoming my anxieties and really challenging myself and secondly, because I know I have made a difference and (hopefully) given those children the tools they need to keep themselves safe.

 

Our second volunteer is Joe;

Name – Joe Alves

Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – Two years

The local areas that you deliver to – East Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh and occasionally West Lothian.

What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? – Having recently retired, I was looking for an opportunity do something on a voluntary basis. The NSPCC Schools Service had an advert on the local volunteering website. As a teacher, I had delivered assemblies and had plenty of experience of working with children, albeit, in secondary schools After retiring from teaching I had also worked with an environmental charity delivering assemblies and workshops on subjects like recycling, composting, litter, etc. I felt the Schools Service volunteer role ticked all the boxes for me in terms of the skills I had to offer, plus I really enjoy working with primary age children. After recently becoming a grandparent, I felt that the work of the Schools Service was especially important to me in working to keep young children safe.

Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) – I don’t have one specific highlight. What I love is that with every delivery you are at a different school, with a different mix of children, with different backgrounds and experiences. This keeps the job interesting. It is surprising to discover that some of the most engaged and involved pupils can be at schools you might not expect to be the case, due to catchment area, etc. It is also nice when some of the Primary Seven pupils remember me visiting the school during my time at Changeworks.

One of the fun things you hear in the assemblies are the answers to which trusted adults children could speak to if they are worried about something – and this can depend on the type of school you are visiting. Answers range from the obvious such as parents and teachers to the less obvious such as: my guinea pig, my dog, God, your psychiatrist, your social worker or your nanny.

Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer? – The feeling of doing something important and valued and knowing that it does encourage children to speak out about abuse they have been experiencing. To help even one child speak out makes the job worthwhile. Also it gets me out and about, meeting people, engaging with young people, working with other interesting volunteers and seeing areas of my patch that I haven’t visited before.

I least like having to travel on the Edinburgh City bypass at peak time – anytime between 7.00am and 9.30am, when progress can be somewhere between a snail’s pace to stationary.

 

Finally our third volunteer is Terry;

Name – Terry

Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – Five years

The local areas that you deliver to – Throughout Ayrshire.

What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? – Prior to early retirement, I had spent my 30 years within Social Work predominantly within Children & Families, with a particular focus on Child Protection. I was interested in the innovative way the Schools Service approached Child Protection and thought that my CP experience would benefit the service.

Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) – Having delivered assemblies in more than 140 schools, there have been a few highlights. However, one event which took place about three years ago sticks out. One of the pupils had been subjected to serious sexual abuse in her earlier years. Staff thought that the delivery may be too traumatic for her and she didn’t attend the assembly. At the girl’s request, we met with her after the assembly and went through the main points of the delivery. She responded well and seemed reassured that there were people around that would ensure she stays safe. The follow up by the Area Co-ordinator confirmed this to be the case.

Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer? – I still enjoy the deliveries as much as I did in my 1 first year, and enjoy the positive responses from the pupils.

Success in Fife!

On Thursday, 23^rd November 2017, St Margaret’s RC Primary in Dunfermline became the final primary school out of 143 schools in Fife to have our ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ programme delivered to them.

This is yet another milestone the Schools Service has achieved and we are thrilled to share this success and celebrate another Local Authority who has supported our service throughout.

Enola Butler, Area Coordinator for Fife, spoke very highly of the day.
She said: “We are very grateful for the support of the Local Authority and for the very warm welcome we received from staff and pupils.

“Our success in reaching every primary school in Fife has been made possible with the support of a fantastic team of volunteers.”

 

Although NSPCC Scotland has now reached every school in Fife, Enola and the rest of the School Service will continue to deliver our two-year plan for SOSS to ensure every child receives the full programme, from assembly to workshop.

Jacqueline Price, Acting Head of Service of St Margaret’s RC, also spoke of our partnership.

She said: “Fife Education and Childrens’ Services has been working in partnership with the NSPCC over a number of years.

“The ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ programme supports schools to raise pupil awareness of the issue of child abuse and the help and advice available.

“In Fife we have given a commitment to this important work as one of the range of ways we promote pupils safety.”

Below: Primary 1, 2 and 3 pupils at St Margaret’s RC Primary School

It’s great to see so many smiley faces alongside Buddy and we hope this continues!

School service volunteers complete Kiltwalk in Edinburgh!

The Royal Bank of Scotland Kiltwalk is an annual event in Scotland where thousands of charity supporters gather together from all over the country in order to raise money and change lives. The Kiltwalk is a powerful fundraising platform for Scottish Charities and this year, volunteers from the School Service chose to walk in the hopes of raising money for the NSPCC!

We had six brilliant NSPCC volunteers take part in the Kiltwalk in Edinburgh; Tricia Cochrane, May King, Allan Deeson, Agnes Ramsay and her sister Jean, Judith Fleming and her husband Richard as well as Fiona Brannan and her two daughters (see picture below).

There are three lengths of walks that can be completed for every event; The Mighty Stride; The Big Stroll and The Wee Wander. The majority of the volunteers completed the 6 mile Wee Wander in aid of raising money for the NSPCC. In addition to this, Fiona and her daughters completed The Big Stroll together and we also had one volunteer, Agnes, who courageously completed The Mighty Stride which is a total of 26 miles alongside her sister Jean Mitchell and they managed this in 7.5 hours! (see picture below!)

Despite the different starting point for each walk, every walker finished at the Kiltwalk Village at BT Murrayfield, where they got to enjoy well-earned entertainment from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

As seen above – At the beginning of the walk our volunteers were spotted and interviewed by the conductor of the event! This allowed everyone in attendance to hear who the volunteers were and what they do for the NSPCC – a brilliant way to share and inspire others whom are involved in work within a charity.

The idea to enter the Kiltwalk came from NSPCC School Service volunteer Allan Deeson, who thought it would be a great idea for a group of volunteers to join together and raise not just awareness of the service but also a chance to raise funds for the charity. After an agreement to do so, the NSPCC Buddies were created!

The Kiltwalk is a very well-known event amongst charities and it can be a memorable day for all. We asked the volunteers who took part, what their thoughts were of the day;

Tricia Cochrane a volunteer of three years spoke very highly of the Kiltwalk stating she “loved the teamwork and the great chats we had over the one and half hour leisurely walk back to Murrayfield Stadium… Great walk, Great team and GREAT FUN.”

More than 700 charities are set to have benefited from the Kiltwalk, making it Scotland’s biggest charity event.

May King, a fellow volunteer with Tricia also shared with us: “It was a great atmosphere and a chance to meet other charity groups.”

Three of the volunteers including May and Tricia took their own green Buddies with them (our mascot which we take to schools for every visit) whilst all proudly wearing the vibrant and famous green t- shirts – provided by the charity prior to starting the event. Tricia also went the extra mile and designed her own NSPCC carrier bag to help carry Buddy the full 6 miles!

 

So far the group has raised an incredible £3,000!! They have created a joint fundraising page which has been shared on Facebook to engage more sponsors, if you would like to donate the link is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nspccbuddies

 

Speak Out Stay Safe makes further progress!

At the NSPCC we strive to deliver our Speak Out, Stay Safe programme to every School in Scotland. Currently to-date, we have a total of 180,200 pupils across Scotland who have received the service.

SOSS involves the school service working with primary schools to ensure that children across P1-7 have an understanding of abuse in all its forms. It also provides them with the knowledge that they can seek help from trusted adults and sources of support – including Childline, whom they can talk to if they are worried about anything at all.

Here at the School Service we strive to reach our goal of having every school (in each of our areas) receive the SOSS programme. On Wednesday 30^th August, Fallin Primary School became the 40^th school in Stirling, to host both the assemblies and workshops provided by our team. This resulted in the council adding its name to the growing list of Scottish local authority areas to have had 100 per cent of their primary schools take part in the initiative.

The previous 8 authorities that have reached 100% are;

• Scottish Borders
• Dumfries and Galloway
• North Ayrshire
• Aberdeen City
• West Dunbartonshire
• East Ayrshire
• Inverclyde
• South Ayrshire

Enola Butler is the Area Co-ordinator for Stirling and this great success would never have been achieved had it not been for her and her team of volunteers’ hard work and determination with the programme.

Enola said: “Our visit to Fallin Primary School means that every primary school across the area has had the service at least once; in fact more than half have had at least two visits. We greatly appreciate the support of Stirling Council and look forward to that partnership continuing long into the future.”

It is always lovely to hear when each of our colleagues ‘share success’ with the team and this achievement is no exception. That being said, the best reward for each of us in the team is obviously seeing the children enjoying and taking in what is being said but also for the school and staff to be equally pleased with our presentation.

The Head Teacher of Fallin Primary School was very keen to share her thoughts on our service with Enola

She said: “Every session we remind staff of the need to be vigilant and careful in our safeguarding role to protect children. It is vital that children know how to keep themselves safe and tell someone if something is not right, which the NSPCC Speak Out, Stay safe assemblies and workshops do. We are glad to have had the team visit our school.”

Finally, a massive credit is due to the NSPCC Scotland Media Team for capturing such special moments throughout the day.