Engineers, staff and subcontractors for SGN across the south of England are taking vital safeguarding training as part of a new partnership between the NSPCC and Britain’s four Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs).
Half a million children suffer abuse and neglect each year in the UK, and almost 60,000 calls were made to the NSPCC Helpline last year from adults including utility workers* reporting concerns about children’s welfare and safety.
Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding children, and workers who visit homes have a unique chance to make a difference. Over the next two years, more than 18,000 gas engineers, including subcontractors and GDN staff at SGN, Cadent, Northern Gas Network and Wales & West Utilities, will take part in specialised training developed by the children’s charity.
It’s Your Call is a simple training package that helps workers who visit homes recognise signs of abuse and neglect and gives them the confidence and knowledge to seek appropriate support, including contacting the NSPCC Helpline.
It’s Your Call gives SGN colleagues who cross thousands of doorways every day the knowledge and confidence to help support vulnerable families and children in their communities.
Thanks to this partnership we can create an army of safeguarders to help identify children at risk of neglect and abuse, and make sure our workers know how to help them get the support they need as soon as possible. The training has already begun rolling out and we’re proud of the support we can make to children and their families.
Kerry Potter
Group Social Impact and Vulnerability Manager at SGN
The rollout will continue throughout NSPCC’s two year partnership with the Gas Distribution Networks under their Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance, funded by Ofgem**
As well as making sure thousands of workers across the UK can help identify children at risk of neglect or abuse, the project will offer a network of child protection practitioners working with the NSPCC the chance to learn about spotting carbon monoxide risks. The practitioners will have access to free carbon monoxide detectors and will learn about fuel poverty signposting to support thousands of households across the UK, ensuring more families are kept safe and warm in their homes.
This is a fantastic and exciting project which will create a force for good across the UK, and we’re hugely grateful to Ofgem, SGN, and all the GDNs for supporting this brilliant partnership.
By working together and sharing our resources, experience and expertise we can help engineers, staff and sub-contractors across the country play their part in supporting vulnerable families and children in their communities.
Kellie Ann Fitzgerald
NSPCC London and South East Assistant Director
To find out more information about how the NSPCC can support professionals to keep children safe, including safeguarding training, consultancy and free resources, go to www.learning.nspcc.org.uk
To find out more about the NSPCC’s work to protect children and young people and support families across the country, go to www.nspcc.org.uk
*Of 33,218 NSPCC Helpline child welfare contacts in 2022/23 where the referrer relationship to the child was known, 1,142 were from professionals, and 24 were from utility workers.
**The Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA), is an Ofgem fund split between the four GDNs to work with partners, charities and organisations to support vulnerable customers.
