Help Is Available: How Children North East Supports Children and Families Affected by Abuse and Why Funding Matters 

Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe, supported, and valued. Sadly, we know that an estimated 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused*, which can have lasting effects on their emotional and mental wellbeing. In recent weeks, we have also seen a rise in high profile sexual abuse cases being discussed in the press and on social media, something which can evoke trauma or uncomfortable conversations for victims, whether they have disclosed their abuse or not. 

At Children North East, we are committed to providing specialist support for children and young people affected by sexual abuse, helping them to process their trauma and manage its impact on their lives. 

Abuse Can Affect Anyone 

Sexual abuse affects children from all backgrounds, and perpetrators can come from all walks of life. It is not limited to any particular community, class, culture or social group. The experience of abuse can highly differ from case to case – each victim’s experience is unique.  

Recognising this is crucial in ensuring that every child gets the support they need without fear of stigma or repercussion. At Children North East, we stand firmly in the belief that every child who has experienced harm deserves to be heard without judgement and provided with care, understanding, and access to the right services. 

How We Support Children and Families  

Our dedicated, expert team provides specialist support for children, young people who have been affected by abuse, and their families; offering a safe space where they can process their experiences and begin to heal. 

Therapeutic Support  

Our trained professionals provide trauma-informed therapy to victims aged 0 to 18 (up to 25 with SEND). One-to-one counselling and creative therapies help children and young people to work through their experiences in a way that feels safe and manageable. We have a dedicated SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Engagement) programme, which offers people in the Northumbria area up to twenty sessions of therapeutic support to help them process their trauma and support them in recovery. We hope to extend this much needed service to more areas in the future. 

Family and Caregiver Support 

We understand that abuse affects entire families, leaving individuals with trauma, impacting relationships and diminishing their established support networks. Our SAFE programme works with family, whether they are parents, carers, siblings, grandparents or other important people in the young person’s life, providing help on how to support and safeguard them during recovery and beyond. 

Education and Early Intervention 

Education and awareness can play an important role in helping vulnerable children and young people, as well as the those around them, to understand safe behaviours. We work within families, communities and schools to provide information on the law and red flags relating to sexting and social media, recognising coercive behaviour and healthy relationships; supporting individuals with the tools to recognise risks and where know re to seek help if they ever feel at risk.  

Without support, victims are left to navigate the aftermath of abuse alone 

“Our allocated worker was very skilled and put us at ease immediately.  She tailored the course to meet our family’s specific situation and the support and guidance she offered felt both bespoke and responsive.  Sensitive and difficult discussions were handled with kindness, gentleness and empathy; this has been hugely beneficial.” One parent’s experience of accessing professional family support with Children North East

Providing these vital services relies on continued funding, Government, public sector organisations and private funders. Therapy, early intervention and advocacy require resources, trained specialists, and safe spaces where children can feel heard and protected. Without these services individuals are not only left to navigate the impact of abuse alone, having potential devastating consequences on their future, but the risk of being a victim again increases.  

We are pleased to share that Northumbria Police Crime Commission are working with Children North East to provide support, extending funding of the SAFE programme for a further 12 months. Since March last year, the programme has supported 123 young people in the aftermath of abuse. 

Together, we can ensure that no child faces the effects of abuse alone. 

If you are in immediate danger as a result of abuse, call 999. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, you can get immediate support from the NHS Mental Health Helpline on 0800 652 2861. Or, if you would like to speak to someone confidentially, call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected] for a reply within 24 hours. 

* https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/statistics-briefings/child-sexual-abuse  

This video shows the impact our Poverty Proofing® work has had for the professional working in the NHS. This work was made possible with funding from the North East and North Cumbria ICB, thank you to everybody involved and Unified Films for bringing this to life. 

If you would like to know more about our work Poverty Proofing® Healthcare, visit our webpage now or email us on [email protected]

It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our colleague Michele Deans (March 2025), whose work and dedication greatly enriched the lives of children, young people, and families across the North East. Her legacy and contributions will always be remembered.

An Open Letter from our CEO

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the death of our colleague, Michele Deans, who died last Thursday following a period of illness.

Michele was an integral part of Children North East, widely respected for her dedication and the significant impact she made in representing the voices of babies, children, young people, and their families across our region. Through her work, Michele built meaningful partnerships with many key stakeholders, leaving an enduring legacy in our community and in the lives of those she supported.

On behalf of everyone at Children North East, I extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Michele’s partner, family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. She will be greatly missed.

Funeral arrangements have been made, Michele’s family would like her life to be honoured with a service for those who wish to attend;
Funeral Service: 3pm on Thursday 10 April at Saltwell Crematorium
Following Gathering: at The Victoria Pub
Michele’s family have requested that attendees wear casual, light and bright clothing.

In line with the wishes of Michele’s family, those who wish to honour her memory are invited to make a donation to Children North East in lieu of flowers. Your support will help continue the work Michele cared so deeply about and ensure her passion lives on in the lives of children and families across the region.

For anyone wishing to pay their respects, please feel welcome to contact us directly. We will share further details, including funeral arrangements, in accordance with the family’s wishes.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and continued support as we remember Michele’s invaluable contributions.

Warm regards,
Leigh Elliott, Chief Executive Officer
Children North East

As the government sets its budgets for the coming years, they must recognise that the cost of not getting it right first time for babies, children and young people is far too high. Despite budgetary pressure, they must take a long-term view and make early intervention support for children a top priority.  

A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two…cost about ten dollars. … A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet*. 

This theory, set out by the character Sam Vimes in Terry Pratchett’s novel Men at Arms in 1993, is often cited as a way to explain the pressures faced by low-income families, known as the Poverty Premium. Spending the bare minimum to get by; cheap poor quality goods that do the job for today, costing more in the long run.  

Public Services are falling victim to the Poverty Premium 

But we can also apply this analogy to systems and services. In recent years, budget pressure has resulted in many of our public services only focusing on meeting immediate and acute needs. But the evidence now clearly shows this has actually resulted in government departments and local authorities spending more, not less, whilst outcomes for children have become worse.   

Investing in the next generation is critical 

On the most fundamental level, not investing in babies, children and young people is the ultimate false economy, with the potential for lifelong impact to the lives, health and happiness of those children.  

When this lack of investment has a discernible impact on such a significant proportion of all children in the country – 30% growing up in poverty, 20% struggling with their mental health, 7% missing a significant chunk of their education – the long-term societal impact will be enormous.  

Austerity has led to Local Authorities spending more, not less 

In spending terms, it is clear that cutting investment in prevention and early intervention is a false economy.  

Driven by austerity, between 2010 and 2019 Local Authorities in the North East cut their Children’s Services budgets in real terms by a third**.  

With statutory duties to keep the most vulnerable children safe rightly robust, the only place many authorities could make ‘savings’ was to scale back the early intervention support they could offer to struggling families.  

In 2022, the Children’s Social Care Review found overwhelmingly that families in contact with social services felt they were being assessed and monitored, but not getting the support they needed.  

And analysis by Pro-Bono Economics published in 2024 found that between 2010-11 and 2022-23, spending on early interventions fell by 44%, and now accounts for less than one-fifth of total spending on children’s services.  

The result of these cuts is that the number of children in care is at a record high in our region and local authorities’ spending on residential care placements has snowballed, with overall spending now higher than it was in 2010. They are spending a fortune yet more children are suffering with the impact of neglect, trauma and disruption. Their feet are well and truly wet.   

The social and financial cost of poor outcomes for young people is enormous  

We have seen similar patterns in other services and support that give babies, children and young people the opportunity to thrive.  

It is not surprising that in the same period Local Authority spending on youth work fell by over 70%, the number of children struggling with their mental health has almost doubled. This is putting pressure on health systems, contributing to increased school absence and driving an increase in worklessness among young adults.  

It’s clear from our frontline work, and backed up by the data, that if we don’t invest in prevention and early intervention work with babies, children, young people and their families – across health, education, social care and youth work – we will continue to see more and more of them struggling. These struggles can escalate into greater and more complex needs, which are more expensive to address, and lead to needless suffering and lost potential. The social and financial cost is huge.  

The spending review needs to put an end to underinvestment in children 

We’re urging the new government to commit to breaking the cycle of underinvestment which creates higher financial and social costs further down the line.  

We want them to deliver on their promises to tackle the youth mental health crisis, giving all young people access to the support they need when they need it, through access to early intervention support in every school and every community. We also want a reinvestment in youth work to create places to go and things to do, accessible to all young people, all year round.  

We’re waiting to see how the promised transformation of Children’s Social Care will materialise, to support children and families to reverse the trend on children entering the care system and give families the support they need to thrive. We want early intervention, through Family Hubs and Start for Life services to continue to be a core pillar of this, and for it to be properly resourced nationally. We also want intensive support to be available to families when they need it, to keep families together and help them flourish. 

We’re also looking towards the pledged reform of the SEND education system, to ensure young people with additional needs and neurodivergence can get the education they are entitled to, in safe, inclusive environments.  

Prevention should be the bedrock of our services  

At the heart of this is the need to view prevention and early intervention as the bedrock of our public services, not a ‘nice to have’. Phase two of the spending review is being billed as a resetting of the way public services budgets are created. It is critical that this delivers a funding model that moves beyond the Vimes Boots spiral of poor outcomes and high spend, and gives all babies, children and families the chance to thrive.  

References:

* Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms, 1993

**The Northern Echo – Children’s services funding cut by a third in North-East

Since 1891, Children North East have worked to make a difference to the lives of babies, children, and young people throughout the North East. By providing life-changing services, support and initiatives we can give families the tools they need to thrive. 

This year we’ve seen some incredible results of our team’s hard work – providing support to those who most need our help. Some of our favourite highlights include our Annual Beach Trip, Family Fun Days at Cowgate, the iconic Great North Run and our 10 Years of Poverty Proofing® Conference! We’ve seen babies, children and young people thrive over the year, making friends at our Baby & Toddler Groups and Youth Groups at Cowgate, taking cultural trips with the National Trust, building confidence and using their voices to inform Poverty Proofing work, and even building their own Pizza Oven! 

We’re pleased to share our 2023/24 Impact Report, providing a detailed look in to our work over the past year. 

Some of our favourite moments of the year!

It has been a year marked by challenges and uncertainty for babies, children, young people and their families. Their opportunity for happiness and health continues to be deeply affected by the difficulties faced growing up, living in poverty and the impact of policy failure; both in the North East region and across the UK.

Responding to these pressures, Children North East has strengthened its advocacy efforts, amplifying the voices of the children and families who need real systemic change to thrive. This has included calling for key policy changes in the lead up to North East Mayoral and General elections, and strengthening our advocacy networks year round. 

We are incredibly proud of everything our teams have achieved, and more so of the babies, children, young people and families we have worked with who have thrived and continue to go from strength to strength.

Facts & Figures

Some key stats from the year…

4,187 individuals provided with support

980 families provided with support

2,956 counselling sessions delivered

3,068 professionals trained

Read the full Impact Report 2023/24 here

Moving forward to next year

As we continue to advance our 2021-2026 five-year strategy, we are proud to continue our progress towards its goals of increasing impact, expanding our reach and fostering sustainability and growth. As we’re sure you’ll agree, this has been an impactful year for Children North East but our work isn’t done yet. We won’t stop until every baby, child, and young person has the happy, healthy start in life they deserve. 

Your support means that we can be there when we are needed most. 

If you’re able to donate, fundraise, become a corporate sponsor, or support us in some other way, we’d be extremely grateful. 

Or for further information on our work and projects, get in touch.

A pioneering new project will help to remove the barriers that prevent low-income families from accessing a range of resources, activities and support at their local library.

While libraries across the country offer a host of free resources, from books and computers to wellbeing events and activities for all age groups, they are often under utilised by low-income families in their communities.

In partnership with Libraries Connected, the membership body for public libraries, charity Children North East hope its unique Poverty Proofing® methodology will help us to understand the reasons why, with aim of removing these barriers.

Funded by a grant of £49,770 from Arts Council England, Children North East will carry out a full Poverty Proofing® audit of libraries in three English local authorities.

The project will begin in Gateshead and involve in-depth discussions with staff and library users, as well as with people in the community affected by poverty who don’t currently use the libraries, and “mystery shopper” visits.

This qualitative research will be combined with existing evidence to develop a series of bespoke recommendations that will help the libraries sector to improve access, participation, experience and long-term engagement for low-income families.

There will also be wider poverty awareness training for library workers, leadership sessions to explore how library services can integrate poverty awareness into their strategic planning, and resources for library services elsewhere to use in their own communities.

Isobel Hunter MBE, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected, said:

“There’s growing evidence that public libraries play a vital role in supporting early literacy and communications skills, helping young children prepare for and thrive at school. But families from the most deprived backgrounds are less likely to visit libraries, even though they are free and open to all. We’re excited to be working with Children North East to find those extra costs, unseen inequalities and experiences of exclusion that could prevent families making the most of their local library.”

Chloe MacLellan, Poverty Proofing Culture Manager at Children North East, said:

“Libraries can be lifelines for families experiencing poverty, offering free access to learning, culture, and support. But sometimes barriers—such as hidden costs or stigma—can discourage access to these essential community spaces. We are delighted to be working with Libraries Connected and Arts Council to help identify and remove those barriers, making sure that libraries truly are a welcoming and accessible resource for every child and family, regardless of their background.”

Councillor Catherine Donovan, deputy leader of Gateshead Council, said:

“It’s without a doubt that for many, our libraries are the hubs of our communities, offering essential resources and a place to socialise and meet others at a range of activities, events and support groups all year round.

“However, this offer may not be as widely known about or as easily accessible as we’d hope. Understanding the barriers to our low-income communities is vital to help ensure everyone in Gateshead can access the warm welcome received when you walk through the doors of our libraries, be it for the first time or the 100^th time.

“We’re proud to be the first of three local authorities participating in this innovative new project with Libraries Connected and Children North East, which has the potential to change the lives of many for the better.”

Luke Burton, Director Libraries, Arts Council England said:

“We know that the services provided by libraries are vital to so many in their communities but also that some people face difficulty in accessing them. I’m pleased that the Arts Council has been able to provide funding for Libraries Connected and Children North East to look at the barriers stopping some families from experiencing everything that libraries have to offer. I look forward to seeing the results of the pilots and to everyone, regardless of their background, being confident in using their local library.”

Notes

For media enquiries and interviews please contact James Gray, Communications and Advocacy Manager at Libraries Connected by emailing [email protected] or calling 07849085762. Alternatively, reach out to Children North East on [email protected] or via the contact form.

Libraries Connected

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with a range of cultural, academic and corporate partners. Part of our core funding in England comes from Arts Council England to help libraries embed their Investment Principles.

www.librariesconnected.org.uk

Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. This year the National Lottery will celebrate 30 years of supporting good causes in the United Kingdom through raising £49 billion and awarding over 690,000 individual grants since the first draw was held in 1994. Visit our website to learn more.

Children North East

Since 1891, Children North East have helped to transform the lives of babies, children, young people and families across the North East region.

In challenging circumstances, their teams are there to provide compassionate, expert support, often when there is nowhere else to turn for help.

Gateshead Libraries

Gateshead Libraries and Heritage service has a diverse offer across the borough.

The statutory library offer comprises of 8 libraries, which include Gateshead Central Library and libraries in Birtley, Blaydon, Chopwell, Crawcrook, Leam Lane, Pelaw and Wrekenton.

In addition, services are delivered in a range of other community venues through partnership working. Find out more at Libraries – Gateshead Council.