As the importance of learning about healthy relationships has been in the spotlight as a result of today’s publication of the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, Swindon charity Society Without Abuse’s healthy relationship programme has received recognition at the Children and Young People Now Awards.
The HOPE Award programme has so far reached over 600 children and young people in Swindon, putting them ahead of the curve of the educational aims of the Government’s strategy. Delivered in an age-appropriate way, the sessions start by teaching the youngest children about being a good friend and progress to covering subjects such as misogyny, communication and consent for teenagers and young adults.
The HOPE Award was a finalist for the PSHE Education Award in the recent Children and Young People Now Awards, which highlights initiatives that have done the most to develop young people’s knowledge, skills and attributes in managing the challenges of modern life.
Emma Maclennan, Children and Families Manager at SWA, said: “We were delighted to be a finalist in the Children and Young People’s Awards and have our HOPE programme recognised by education experts for the value it delivers to young people in Swindon. It is precisely this approach that the Government has now recognised the importance of, and the immediate and ongoing impact it will have on young people.
“With 1 in 7 children experiencing domestic abuse during their lifetime and nearly 40% of teenagers in relationships being victims of abuse, HOPE is unique in combining PSHE sessions with a wider approach, where we ask educational settings to engage in training and to host drop-in support sessions for families too.
“The programme has been carefully designed to approach issues in an age-appropriate way. When working with older children and young people we talk about consent, boundaries, communication and conflict resolution in relation to their friends, family and in their intimate relationships. We hear from young survivors that they had no idea that what they were experiencing was abuse and that this was never discussed in their PSHE lessons and so our team has created these healthy relationships sessions and mapped them to the national curriculum. The approach looks at domestic abuse from all sides and so, as well as teaching them, it provides necessary follow-up support for young people and families who may be victims too.”
For more information on the HOPE Programme, email Emma Maclennan onemaclennan@societywithoutabuse.org.uk
For more information on SWA, visit www.societywithoutabuse.org.uk
If you need advice for yourself or a friend relating to Domestic Abuse, call Swindon’s domestic abuse helpline on 01793 610610.
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