NSPCC worker honoured for lockdown effort protecting children from online sexual abuse

• Children’s charity worker wins prestigious safeguarding award for her dedication to preventing online child abuse
• Lucy O’Callaghan adapted NSPCC Cymru’s In Ctrl service in weeks, ensuring charity’s work could continue throughout pandemic
• South Wales Police recorded 39 crimes of sexual communications with a child in first three months of lockdown, with more likely going unreported

An NSPCC Cymru worker from south Wales has been recognised for her work to help keep children and young people safe following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created the perfect storm for offenders to target children online.

The risk of child sexual abuse online has increased since the end of March as young people spend more time at home on their devices, with groomers seeking out children who are feeling lonely and isolated.

NSPCC Cymru revealed how South Wales Police recorded 39 offences of sexual communications with a child during April and June 2020, the three-month period following the first national lockdown, bringing the total number of crimes recorded by the force to 428 since the offence was introduced in April 2017.

Working hard to prevent such abuse from happening in the first place is a dedicated team of NSPCC Cymru children’s service practitioners who run its In Ctrl service that supports children who might have had a worrying experience online and aims to prevent grooming and exploitation.

The programme helps build confidence in young people to speak out if they come across something that upsets or concerns them online and is designed to offer a safe space to children and their carers to promote learning, build understanding of risk and increase resilience, in their online and offline worlds. 

When the initial lockdown was announced, advanced practitioner Lucy O’Callaghan from Cardiff was tasked with reviewing and adapting this preventative child sexual abuse service so that the charity could continue to help safeguard children and young people in their digital worlds and prevent online sexual abuse.

The In Ctrl service had been a face-to-face groupwork programme, which could not continue during the initial lockdown, but Lucy successfully adapted it over a matter of weeks for virtual delivery to looked-after children and their carers in every local authority area across the country.

In recognition of her work, Lucy won the award in the category of Innovation and Improving Practice in Safeguarding during the virtualSafeguarding Recognition Awards Ceremony for the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Safeguarding Board.

Lucy said: “When we started working from home we had to think about how to deliver our services virtually in a way that continued to safeguard children, adapting activities and how we reinforce key messages such as consent.

“In some ways working virtually has made engaging with parents and carers easier and that’s really important because they’ll be the ones ensuring their child’s safety online beyond the programme by monitoring and having regular and open conversations.

“I feel really proud of my role in adapting our In Ctrl service and to be recognised with an award for it was unexpected. My colleagues in south Wales were involved in the development of the In Ctrl groupwork programme with me from the very beginning and so I’d like to share this success with them.”

NSPCC Cymru’s Service Centre Manager Tracey Holdsworth added: “At a time of great challenge and uncertainty it is wonderful to capture examples of innovation, commitment and putting children first.

“Lucy came to the NSPCC as a social work student in the first instance and decided to commit the progression of her career to us.

“She invested and so did we and it has been an investment well made because it was with enormous pride that I watched Lucy being announced as winner in this category.”

Tracey co-hosted the annual Safeguarding Recognition Awards Ceremony, alongside co-chairs of the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Safeguarding Board, announcing the winners across five categories.

“All of the nominations were a true reflection of the wonderful work that is taking place during these exceptional times,” says Tracey.

“We heard of police officers going the extra mile to ensure the conviction of perpetrators of abuse, psychologists thinking creatively about how they could continue to support vulnerable adults and social workers ensuring that children remain protected.

“The wealth and depth of expertise, commitment and ability to overcome adversity was truly humbling.”

In Ctrl supports looked-after children aged 9-13 navigate online activity safely, with a children’s service practitioner supporting them through a series of virtual sessions, exploring themes such as consent, self-care, body image, and sexting.

It also helps carers feel more confident supporting young people with their online activity, helping them understand that online sexual abuse can happen anywhere that allows digital communication, including social networks, text messages, messaging apps, email and online chats, as well as voice chat in games and comments on live streaming apps.

For more information about the In Ctrl service contact 02920 108080 or 01792 456545.

Advice for families on the latest and most popular apps can be accessed via the co-created NSPCC and O2 Net Aware site, which is also being hosted via Hwb.

Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free and confidential advice on 0808 800 5000 or visit nspcc.org.uk

Children can contact Childline for free on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk 365 days a year, and speak to a counsellor about a worry or concern they may have.