News

Calls to the NSPCC's child protection helpline have doubled to more than 500 a day since the launch of the second phase of the charity's Full Stop campaign.

More than 5,000 calls came through to the helpline in the first two weeks of the campaign although it did have its critics (News, page 11, 28 March). Calls from children have risen by 10 per cent and those from adults by 15 per cent.

The subjects of the calls have ranged from problems in family relationships and children's behaviour, to neglect and physical abuse, and requests for information, advice or counselling.

One quarter of the calls are so serious that they are being investigated by the police and social services and there has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of calls where advice is sought but there is no referral.

The charity says that helpline staff are now able to respond to 98 per cent of calls due to new measures to increase the helpline's capacity to answer calls. These include the use of monitoring equipment to ensure that enough staff were on hand at busy times, an operator service to filter urgent calls, and surgery helplines to provide pre-booked services to callers in non-peak times.

NSPCC chief executive Mary Marsh said:"The doubling of calls to the helpline and especially the increase in calls from children and the general public, shows this message is getting through and that the public is fully behind us in wanting to take action to bring an end to child abuse."