Parents in Plymouth urged to sign up to NSPCC’s free online PANTS webinar

Parents and carers in Plymouth are being encouraged to join a free online PANTS webinar throughout the summer holidays to help keep their children safe.

The NSPCC’s PANTS campaign, with the help of mascot Pantosaurus, provides parents, carers and professionals with a simple and age-appropriate way to talk to children aged 3-11 in their care about sexual abuse, without using scary words like ‘sex’ or ‘abuse’. The PANTS rule uses a simple acronym:

P - privates are private

A - always remember your body belongs to you

N - no means no

T - talk about secrets that upset you

S - speak up, someone can help

The webinars are being offered as part of the Plymouth PANTS campaign, which was launched in Plymouth back in September 2019 under the ongoing Together for Childhood partnership that aims to prevent child sexual abuse in the city.

PANTS helps to reinforce key lessons about abuse that will be compulsory for all primary schools in England, as part of Relationships Education.

Although the new curriculum was originally planned for mandatory roll-out from September, it has been delayed ensuring schools can embed it correctly by the summer-term of 2021.

During each 30-minute webinar parents can learn about the PANTS rule, get support and guidance in approaching these conversations with their children.

The webinars are available every Wednesday between 6pm-10pm, starting from 29 July and ending on 2 September, viahttps://bit.ly/2Ecccvz. The pre-recorded initiative is also available to view on Sundays between 9am-9pm, starting from 2 August and ending on 6 September, via https://bit.ly/3eRl7z9.

Local Campaigns Manager for the NSPCC in the South West, Emma Motherwell said: “With the summer holidays now underway and increasing chances to spend time with others or be out and about, it can be the perfect opportunity for parents to remind their children about important keep-safe messages.

“Whether it’s in the car or on a walk, talking PANTS with your child is all about short, comfortable chats, little and often as part of your day.

“The PANTS rule has been helping parents with these conversations for more than seven years and you really can’t over-estimate how important these are in helping to keep children safe.

“As parents, we all want to keep our children safe but it’s not always easy to know where to start, that’s why we’re providing these free webinars to provide parents with advice and support to start talking PANTS!”

In addition to the free webinars, the NSPCC launched a crowdfunding appeal earlier this year to help raise money for a Pantosaurus book that will help families, school teachers and early years professionals to start simple conversations to help keep children stay safe from abuse.

The fundraising campaign is set to come to an end on Friday 31 July and Pantosaurus is less than 15% away from his target.

To learn more, or support the crowdfunding campaign visit the fundraising page.