NSPCC opens new service centre for vulnerable children

The NSPCC is opening a new centre for children in Greater Manchester and will celebrate with a launch event hosted by former NBA basketball star, John Amaechi, on Thursday 26 April at 6pm (location: 6 Oldham Road, Manchester M4 5DE).

The new facility on Oldham Road in Manchester city centre will offer cutting edge child protection services to some of the most vulnerable children and families in Greater Manchester.

It will offer new programmes including one for children whose parents have drug and alcohol problems and are at high risk of abuse or neglect; two sexual abuse therapeutic programmes; and a new specialist team of practitioners to support children with learning disabilities.

The NSPCC service centre will be officially opened by children’s champion and former international basketball star, John Amaechi OBE. He will be joined at the launch by a young person from the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) who will give a key note speech to an invited audience of 50 guests from the Manchester business community and other key NSPCC supporters from across the region.

John Amaechi has been a longstanding supporter of the NSPCC and is honoured to be asked to open the centre. He said: “It’s great to see the NSPCC opening a new centre that will bring help and support to many vulnerable children here in Manchester.

“Through this new centre the NSPCC has an opportunity to transform the lives of many more children. I believe we can all play a part in helping to create a lasting legacy for children in our region through campaigning, fundraising, volunteering and supporting the NSPCC’s work. This centre is the beginning of an exciting new chapter of work and I would encourage people to support the NSPCC to end cruelty to children in Greater Manchester and across the UK.”

Staffed by a team of 22, including 16 specialist children’s practitioners, the new centre will deliver the following programmes to support children and families across Greater Manchester:

FEDUP (Family Environment: Drug Using Parents) aims to protect children living with adult substance misuse. Children whose parents have drug and alcohol problems are at high risk of abuse or neglect and often lead chaotic lives. FEDUP aims to help children live safely in families with drug or alcohol problems and to help parents demonstrate better parenting skills.

Family SMILES (Simplifying Mental Illness plus Life Enhancement Skills): Family SMILES works with children who have at least one parent living with a mental health problem to reduce the risk of harm and boost their self-esteem. This is crucial in helping their development and long-term wellbeing.

Letting the Future In provides therapeutic services to help children move on with their lives after sexual abuse. Recent figures from Greater Manchester Police revealed that 886 children were victims of sexual assaults in Greater Manchester last year, of which 30 were aged five or under, 109 hadn’t reached secondary school age and 777 were aged 11-17 year olds.

The Treatment of Young People with Harmful Sexual Behaviour: a Manual Based Approach will prevent sexual abuse by working with children and young people who show harmful sexual behaviour. One in three sexual offences are committed by children and young people but there are few treatment services for children who sexually abuse. NSPCC practitioners will use a range of therapies to get to the root causes of the child's behaviour, examine the child's relationships with other children and adults and help them to control and alter their behaviour.

A new Multi-disciplinary team for children with learning disabilities will work with children with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties. The team will work in partnership with local agencies to improve the protection of this vulnerable group of children.

Bernadette Oxley, regional head of service for the NSPCC in the North West said: “This is a very exciting time for the NSPCC in Manchester and the North West. The NSPCC makes a huge difference to the lives of children across the UK and this new centre will help us expand our work and pioneer new approaches to address the significant child protection problems facing local children.

“We have always had a presence in Greater Manchester but it’s great to be back in the heart of Manchester city centre where we hope to be accessible to even more children and families.

“I am really excited about all our new programmes of work, in particular the work we’re planning to support children with learning disabilities. These children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect and may find it difficult to communicate with others or be unaware of how to keep themselves safe. Our new specialist team will be made up of social workers, psychologists, speech and language therapists, education professionals and play therapists. With their combined expertise we will improve the protection of children with learning disabilities and work with our partners across the city to share our learning.”

Katie Cragg is a young ambassador for the NSPCC’s disability work, and lives in Manchester. She is involved with the GMCDP Young People's Forum. Katie is passionate about tackling the everyday problems disabled young people face, and accessibility is one key area she and the other GMCDP members look to influence through their involvement in the ambassador programme.

She said: “A lot of the young people I work with actually forget that they can enjoy life because of the sheer amount of effort it takes to be given the chance to participate in things other people take for granted. I feel the NSPCC gives me a great opportunity and platform to inform and change the way service providers, parents, and young people see disability as a whole.”

The NSPCC’s Service Centre in Manchester offers a wide range of facilities to help children and families feel at ease. It has been designed with children in mind and provides a safe, colourful and comfortable environment, including fully equipped and confidential counselling rooms.

For more information about the services being delivered in Manchester please contact 0161 743 4640.