All-Round Support

11 November 2003  

 xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

ALL-ROUND SUPPORT FOR CITY’S SAFE CHILD SCHEME

The Safe Child Scheme (Cardiff), which ensures that lost children are reunited with their parents as quickly as possible, is being launched in the city centre tomorrow by children’s favourite, Channel 5’s Milkshake’s Naomi Wilkinson (please see Scheme and Launch information below).

The scheme is being overseen by Cardiff’s City Centre Management Team and is supported by South Wales Police, Cardiff Council, Cardiff City Retail Partnership and the NSPCC Cymru/Wales, all of whom are actively involved in the initiative.  City Centre Manager Paul Williams is delighted that partner organisations have supported the scheme so enthusiastically:

“Support from all our partners has been unstinting.  We are committed to providing the safest and most secure shopping experience possible through the Safe Child Scheme and everyone has worked with us with commitment and enthusiasm”.

South Wales Police’s Sergeant Mal Lewis, Community Police Sergeant for Cardiff city centre, said:

“We welcome any opportunity to work with partners to reduce crime and the fear of crime within the city centre”.

Similarly, Sian Wilton, Chair of Cardiff City Retail Partnership, says that the city’s retailers have embraced the initiative:

“The Retail Partnership fully support the introduction of the Safe Child Scheme and believe it will further enhance Cardiff’s profile as a safe and secure city and shopping destination”.

NSPCC Cymru/Wales Area Children’s Manager Kevin Gibbs added:

Steve Chapman, Community Safety Officer for Cardiff Council, also wholeheartedly condones the scheme:

“The Cardiff Community Safety Partnership welcomes and supports this new initiative that helps to protect children in our community”.

Representatives from all the partner organisations involved in the scheme will attend the Scheme launch on Wednesday morning, along with pupils from St. Mary’s Primary School in Canton.

Further information on the scheme, the scheme launch and press interviewees:

1.         The Safe Child Scheme

The Safe Child Scheme was devised by a Shrewsbury police officer, P C Chris Parsons, in 1993 following the horrific murder of the lost child Jamie Bulger.  P C Parsons gained an OBE for his work and the scheme is now implemented widely across the UK.  The scheme is now being overseen in Cardiff by the Cardiff City Centre Management Team in partnership with South Wales Police, Cardiff Council, Cardiff City Retail Partnership and the NSPCC.

All stores participating in the scheme will display the ‘holding hands’ logo at their shop entrance and their tills and will serve as a reminder to parents to impress on their children exactly what they should do should they become separated from them.  In addition, the logo will act as a guide to the lost child.  However, the logo is simply a guide – there are certain procedures which need to be followed to ensure the success of the scheme:

• Each store will nominate a key member of staff and a deputy who will be trained by the members of the Safe Child Partnership and this key person will familiarise all other members of staff with the procedures
• South Wales Polices’ Community Services Department will educate local school children about the scheme.  Each child will be shown the logo and leaflets will be distributed among the schools
• All participating stores will be required to register with the scheme and agree for the key staff member to receive ongoing training                        

The scheme procedure itself is a practical step-by-step one which ensures that:

• The child is made to feel comfortable with the member of the shop staff who approaches them
• Their relevant details are recorded and circulated by radionet to other stores in the city centre
• The police are informed
• The child is escorted to a safe place
• Contact is made with the parent or carer
• Child and parent are reunited after establishing the validity of their relationship

The same staff member remains as the child’s point of contact throughout the operation to avoid distress and under no circumstances will the child’s identity be revealed over any address system or radio.  All incidents will be recorded and all parents or carers will be required to complete a form relating to the incident.

2.         Safe Child Scheme Launch

The scheme will be launched on Wednesday 12 November at 10.30am in St David’s Centre (outside Boots).  City Centre Manager Paul Williams will give a short introduction, the hugely popular Naomi Wilkinson of Channel 5’s children’s programme Milkshake will then present the scheme and community police officer PC Mario Marriott will present a ‘Safe Child’ lesson.  The itinerary is as follows:

10.00 am          Coffee and introductions, St David’s Centre Management Suite (not public)

10.30 am          Introduction to Safe Child Cardiff by Paul Williams and Andrew Highway, City Centre Management Team

10.35 am          Musical interaction with children presented by Naomi Wilkinson from Channel 5’s children’s programme Milkshake

10.50 am          Safe Child lesson presented by PC Marriott and PC Sullivan, South Wales Police

11.05 am          Question and answer session with children from St. Mary’s Primary School, Canton

11.15 am          Press interviews.  Please see details in 3 below.

12.00 noon       Children go for lunch at McDonalds.  Guests attend St David’s Centre management Suite for refreshments.

3.  Press interviews. 

Paul Williams and Andrew Highway, along with representatives from the partner organisations, will be available for interview.  Lowri ap Robert of the Cardiff Initiative and Elinor Williams of the Welsh Language Board (WLB have translated the SCS information) can provide Welsh-language interviews.

Please contact Lowri ap Robert at the Cardiff Initiative on 029 20347800 e mail   or Paul Williams on 029 20664 723 if you require further details or are interested in attending.