Derry-born NSPCC campaign to keep children safe from abuse celebrates 5 years

Barbara Porter, PHA Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager, Bronagh Muldoon, NSPCC NI Assistant Director, Aidan Dawson, PHA

Starting in 2018 with the Western Health and Social Care Trust (which covers the Foyle, Omagh, Limavady and Enniskillen area), Talk PANTS, which is delivered with support from the Public Health Agency (PHA) and community partners, has now been rolled out across all five Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts – the first time in the UK a nation has had full delivery of the campaign.

Since 2013, the highly successful Talk PANTS campaign has been supporting and encouraging parents and carers throughout the UK to talk to children, aged between 3 and 11 years, about sexual abuse. The campaign tools and resources give adults clear and easy ways to start child friendly and age-appropriate conversations to help keep children safe.

In 2018, Talk PANTS and its colourful character, Pantosaurus, arrived in Northern Ireland and in collaboration with the Western Health and Social Care Trust, began delivering workshops and talks to help professionals from a range of disciplines including health, education and community partners to introduce PANTS to the families and children they worked with throughout the Trust area.

NSPCC NI Assistant Director Bronagh Muldoon, NSPCC NI Local Campaigns Manager, John McBride and NSPCC Strategic Service Manager.

The campaign then expanded to the Southern Health and Social Care Trust in 2019, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust in 2020, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in 2022 and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust in 2023.

Representatives from NSPCC NI and HSC Trusts stakeholders joined statutory and voluntary sector partners who helped support the campaign to reflect on and celebrate the legacy and success of Talk PANTS, at a packed event held recently in Lisburn Civic Centre.

Attendees heard about exciting future plans for the campaign including: embedding links to Talk PANTS messages for parents and carers in vital universal health resources including key books for parenting, promoting annual learning events for professionals in Northern Ireland and signposting to resources for families and professionals through a newly designed NSPCC Learning PANTS page.

Chief Executive of the PHA, Aidan Dawson, said: “Bringing the NSPCC Talk PANTS campaign and messages to communities across Northern Ireland has been important in helping to protect our young people. It acts as an important foundation in parent-child communication about relationships and helps keep children safe. Just as we teach children about staying safe in a variety of home and public settings, the PANTS rule will help children learn about their own personal safety and who to go to if they need help.”

Pictured at the event with PANTS campaign character Pantosaurus were NSPCC NI Assistant Director Bronagh Muldoon and PHA Chief Executive Aidan Dawson

Margaret Gallagher, Strategic Service Manager, Local Campaigns NSPCC said: “We are delighted to be here today to celebrate the success of Talk PANTS campaigns across Northern Ireland. Whilst it is never the responsibility of a child to keep themselves safe from sexual abuse, talking PANTS helps children to understand that they have a right to safety and helps to support them to recognise when something is not okay and how to tell someone if they are upset or worried.

“The focus of today is very much on what happens next and how we continue to embed vital messages and resources into all aspects of Talk PANTS delivery to families, and also how we work with communities to ensure the benefits of the campaign is continued into the future for generations to come.”

Barbara Porter, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager at the PHA, said: “The PHA supports the Talk PANTS campaign which promotes simple conversations to help keep children and young people safe from abuse. Part of the development of any young child is learning rules and messages that will help keep them safe and healthy. We look forward to continuing to share these messages with families in the years to come.”

The key messages for children in the Talk PANTS campaign are:

P – Privates are privates.

A – Always remember your body belongs to you.

N – No means no.

T – Talk about secrets that upset you.

S – Speak up, someone can help.

Margaret Gallagher added: “Talk PANTS is a reassuring framework for approaching what needn’t be a difficult subject. It is so important that parents, carers and professionals are empowered to deliver these messages and that they feel supported in doing so. We all have a part to play in helping keep children and young people safe.”

For more information about Talk PANTS, visit http://www.nspcc.org.uk/pants To find out more about the Talk PANTS campaign in Northern Ireland contact [email protected]

Anyone with any concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111.