Child Helplines and Inclusive Practices

CHILD HELPLINES AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICE

Key Learnings from Communities of Practice and Workshops 2018-2021

Child Helpline International Pilotenstraat 20-22 1059CJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31(0)20 528 96 25 www.childhelplineinternational.org Contact us at: data@childhelplineinternational.org Written and edited by: Hanis Shamsul-Béné, Ronja Ulvfot, Steve Erwood Data compilation: Andrea Pereira PhD, Averill Daly Design and layout: Ashley Schultz Disclaimer Child Helpline International’s work is firmly grounded in the principles and values enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including children’s right to privacy and protection from harm. To preserve the trust and confidence children and young people place in child helplines every day, any personal details cited in case summaries has been altered and anonymised.

Acknowledgment Child helplines have a unique insight into the gap between policy and reality, making them a key actor in advocating for children’s rights. They support millions of children every year. They respond to issues ranging from serious children’s rights violations, to children who just want someone to chat to on the way home from school. What brings child helplines together is the provision of an easily accessible, confidential system that allows children themselves to tell a counsellor what is going on in their lives. Child helplines also have an insight into the direct experiences of children and young people on a larger scale than any other organisations. Therefore, the value of child helplines’ data on contacts cannot be overstated in informing and guiding policy, learning and practice.

This publication was funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).

The content of this publication represents only the views of Child Helpline International. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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LGBTQI+ CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN MIGRATION

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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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THANK YOU

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INTRODUCTION Between 2018 and 2021, Child Helpline International explored how child helplines could become more accessible for children and young people from marginalised groups within the European Union. These activities were part of our WeListen project, funded by the European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) (REC).

Children from minority groups, or particularly vulnerable children, are under-represented in child helpline data in the European Union. After looking into this further, we concluded that the reason for this is a combination of (in)accessibility of services, issues in reaching the most vulnerable through service marketing, and discrepancy in data categorisation.

This results in a lack of awareness of services as well as difficulties with visibility of these groups in child helpline data. Therefore, we needed to explore how we can take steps to change this. Our approach to learning is to gain understanding of areas in need of development as a network, and to improve this step by step.

We explored inclusive practice through Communities of Practice, targeted research, annual child helpline data collection, workshops and eLearning resources. This publication is a collection of the key learnings, good practice and links to additional learning discovered and discussed during this process. This publication is a starting point to help child helplines reflect on existing practice, knowing that the information given in this resource comes from examples and practice from their own peers.

In the Communities of Practice and workshops, we focused on LGBTQI+ children and young people; children and young people in migration, and children and young people with disabilities. While there are some specifics for each groups, the learning around how to approach accessibility and data collection can in many cases also be applied to other minority groups. This project has focused on child helplines in the European Union, but much of the information is transferable to other regions as well.

This publication is by no means an exhaustive resource – there is a lot more to learn, and there are a lot of excellent resources available, from our own eLearning platform and from our partners.

For this reason, we have included links to further reading or learning resources on our eLearning platform or on members’ and partners’ websites.

Click h e to chec re k out our eL earnin g platfor m.

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LGBTQI+ CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE In 2018, we organised a Community of Practice for child helplines and partners with the objective of exchanging knowledge on how child helplines can best support LGBTQI+ children and young people. We explored child helpline support for LGBTQI+ children and young people on three different levels: individual, organisational and the societal level. The points for child helplines to consider are listed below.

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ORGANISATIONAL OR SOCIETAL LEVEL

The below points are important to consider for what needs to be in place on the societal and organisational levels: • Anti-discrimination legislation at national and regional levels must be in place in order for child helplines to effectively support LGBTQI+ children and young people.

If this legislation is weak in theory or practice, the child helpline can support advocacy initiatives together with local and regional LGBTQI+ organisations.

• Team diversity is important – make sure that your child helpline employs LGBTQI+ people, so that counsellors reflect the identities and experiences of LGBTQI+ callers and are able to provide the best support possible. It is also essential that the child helpline counsellors are trained in, and comfortable to discuss, sex and relationships with children and young people.

• It is also helpful to provide information around what kind of support is available for LGBTQI+ children and young people in your country, for example on your website.

• The child helpline should have an updated referral network that includes organisations that can offer targeted support for LGBTQI+ children and young people.

• Your child helpline can also support LGBTQI+ children and young people by ensuring that your partner organisations and referral networks have received proper training around LGBTQI+ and provide inclusive support themselves. If not, you can initiate contact between your local LGBTQI+ organisation and your partners or, if you have expertise, provide the training or information yourself.

• Having an established partnership or cooperation with the police and emergency services is vital and can save lives in emergency situations. It is particularly important to ensure that local law enforcement has received training around Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sexual Characteristics (SOGIESC).

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INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

On an individual level, it is key to consider the following points in addition to general counselling guidelines: • Avoid labelling or judging the child or young person according to preconceived ideas. Instead, demonstrate active listening, respond to the emotions presented, acknowledge strengths and provide positive reinforcement.

• Together with the child or young person, a child helpline counsellor should: ○ Explore existing social safety nets (family and friends). This is particularly important for LGBTQI+ children and young people, as there may be family conflicts around coming out etc. ○ Pay attention to any internalised homophobia1 the person may harbour, or that you as a counsellor may harbour. ○ Support the person to gain self-awareness, self-acceptance and resilience.

• Counsellors can help educate children and young people on the different ways that parents, carers and guardians might respond when coming out to them as LGBTQI+, preparing them for all possible scenarios they might encounter.

• If relevant, the volunteer or counsellor should refer the child or young person to other relevant organisations that may be able to offer targeted support and guidance.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • All child helpline counsellors in our network have free access to Child Helpline International’s eLearning platform, where there are courses available on inclusive practice, including Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, Sexual Characteristics (SOGIESC). ○ Click here to access the Child Helpline International eLearning Platform • Find more information here: ○ The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO) ○ The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights (RFSL) ○ ILGA-Europe: Read the annual overview of European equality legislation and policies related to SOGIESC

Internalised homophobia and oppression happens to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, as well as heterosexuals, who have learned and been taught that heterosexuality is the norm, and is the “correct way to be”. Hearing and seeing negative depictions of LGBTQI+ people can lead us to internalise these negative messages.

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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN MIGRATION In 2019, we convened a Community of Practice to exchange knowledge on how child helplines can best support children and young people in migration. Based on these discussions we have put together a list of good practice used by child helplines and/or recommended by experts.

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USE THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY

Terminology is importa nt because it can help define what the problem is. It can specify needs for different groups, help focus on the solutions, and provide a clear understa nding of the topic at hand. Terminology relating to children and young people in migration is currently unclear as different organisations, countries and agencies use varying definitions. This can cause issues both in collaboration with each other and in interaction with children and young people. Furthermore, the terminology can, and perhaps should, change depending on who you are ta lking to. Therefore: • As much as possible, involve children and young people in migration in shaping the terms and language around them and their situation.

• Consider the connota tions of using certa in terms. What will be most beneficia l for children and young people in migration in your country?

SEPARATE DATA COLLECTION CATEGORY FOR ISSUES FACED BY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN MIGRATION The main issue identified when it comes to data collection is simply lack of data . Most child helplines do not receive much, if any, conta ct from children in migration. In order to establish if this is a categorisation issue, it is importa nt to have clear, specific and defined data collection categories for issues faced by children and young people in migration. This a lso helps to ensure that there is sufficient information to generate evidence-based advocacy campaigns on regiona l level, based on child helpline data .

So, the guidance is as follows: • When possible and appropriate, child helplines should collect information on whether a child or young person is in migration.

• Demographics should be collected if the child or young person volunteers that information.

• It can be relevant to collect data on the child or young person’s living situation and whether they are unaccompanied.

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TARGETED OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY OF CHILD HELPLINES

Child helplines are considered a low-threshold, easy to access and safe space for children and young people. They could, therefore, be a key point of support for children and young people in migration. However, at this point in time, child helplines are not commonly used by this group. Child helplines should have comprehensive and relevant communication and outreach strategies that specifica lly ta rget children and young people in migration. Particular attention should be paid to where outreach and communication should happen, the format for communication and the type of information to be shared.

The 116 111 num ber reserved for child helplines in the European Union is an importa nt way to simplify the process of conta cting child helplines in Europe when travelling across borders. Our partners Missing Children Europe have a lso developed an app, Miniila, which is specifica lly ta ilored to the needs of unaccompanied children in migration, with a focus on facilita ting access to understa ndable information about dedicated services such as shelter, food banks and hea lth services in the area they are in, as well as easily connecting them to the 116 000 missing children hotline and the 116 111 child helpline.

IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT COUNSELLORS SHOULD HAVE TO BEST SUPPORT THE TARGET GROUP These skills include, but are by no means limited to: •

Trust-building, a key skill when working with a ll children and young people but in particular with children and young people in migration, as they may be less likely to know, for insta nce, the reputa tion of the child helpline, its confidentia lity policy, etc.

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Flexibility, in the sense of having the ability to change priorities and find a lternative solutions quickly, as the situation for children and young people in migration can change very quickly.

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Cultural awareness and competence, which includes, for example, knowledge about countries of origin, specific vulnerabilities, rights and entitlements of children and young people in migration. This a lso includes respecting the cultura l and religious background of the child or young person.

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Empathy and understa nding that the individua l experiences of children and young people in migration can vary greatly. Some may be very traumatised by their experiences. An individua lised approach that focuses on the specific issues of the child or young person is a good practice.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • All child helpline counsellors in our network have free access to Child Helpline Internationa l’s eLearning platform, where there are courses available on inclusive practice, including Children and Young People in Migration. ○ Click here to access the Child Helpline International eLearning Platform • Find more information here: ○ Save the Children’s Resource Centre ○ European Network of Ombudspersons: children’s rights information ○ EU Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027

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Language skills include child-friendly, simple language. Multilingual counsellors are a valuable resource that greatly improves accessibility. Issue-based child helplines that specifically target children and young people in migration often have multilingual counsellors.

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Legal knowledge, including gaining an understanding of different legal statuses within migration and how this affects a child or young person’s rights and entitlements. Legal knowledge also includes knowledge about the national asylumseeking process and family reunification. Child helplines can help to translate the often difficult asylum-seeking process to child-friendly language.

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Support for 18+. Knowledge about available support for young people in migration who are over the age of 18.

BUILD EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships are always important, but for children and young people in migration it holds even more weight. In theory, children and young people in migration should have the same basic rights as citizen children and young people, but in practice this is often not the case. This group is regularly denied access to health care, psychosocial support, shelter, the right to family life, and education. Partnerships can help counteract this. So, how can we build an effective partnership?

• Focus on the credibility of your organisation. Show and document what you can do, what you have done, and what you may need support with. Lend your credibility to other important organisations that may not have the same platforms that you have (for example, user organisations).

• Be clear and realistic in your commitments. Gently remind partners when they are not realising commitments that we are all working towards the same goal.

• Openness is key. Listen to different perspectives, be active, and push your ideas forward.

• Use platforms and tools such as conferences, reports and memoranda of understanding to ignite and structure your collaborations.

• Ensure that your referral network includes specialist services for children and young people in migration, including legal services.

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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES In 2020 and 2021, we focused on children with disabilities. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to host a Community of Practice, so we conducted a survey with a selection of European child helplines and arranged two online workshops. The information below is a collection of guidance based on these, mainly focused on children and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and deaf children and young people.

Child helplines have the potential to be a key support and protection mechanism for children and young people with disabilities, but they are highly under-represented in the statistics given for contacting child helplines, for many different reasons. Below, we outline some aspects to think about when it comes to accessibility for children and young people with disabilities and child helplines.

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HIGHER RISK OF ABUSE

First and foremost, children and young people with disabilities are at much higher risk of abuse and violence than those who do not have disabilities. There are multiple reasons for this, including but not limited to: • Dependency on adults, increased reluctancy to report abuse from a caregiver or the only person that can communicate with them.

• No available and/or accessible information about their rights.

• Assumptions that children and young people with (developmental) disabilities are generally “happy” and do not respond to trauma in the same way as those who do not have disabilities.

• Treatment or approach to children and young people with developmental/ intellectual disabilities is focused on behavioural compliance in, for example, school or assisted living, and many have not learned how to say no.

• Trauma expressed through behavioural non-compliance is addressed as a behavioural issue and not trauma.

• Early communication issues with parents can affect attachment and ability to communicate thoughts or feelings, as is the case for deaf children and young people.

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IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

In general, there is a lack of insight into child helplines and support for children and young people with disabilities. This is not specific to child helplines, and there is a general lack of knowledge on how to best support and protect children and young people with disabilities across mainstream services. Training on the topic is key, but there are also other aspects of improving knowledge that can be taken into consideration.

Inclusive child participation The best way to gain insight into how child helplines can best support children and young people with disabilities is to ask the children and young people themselves what they need and how the child helpline can improve support. Child helplines suggest involving children and young people with disabilities in child participation activities, decision-making, project design and review of services.

Data collection There is a lack of data when it comes to children and young people with disabilities, which also affects the ability to gain insight into the issues they are facing and how to adjust services. For child helplines, there is a lack of harmonisation of the categories used for data collection regarding contacts from children and young people with disabilities. The categories used vary greatly from child helpline to child helpline, so it is not possible to get a cohesive regional picture. For example, some child helplines considered learning difficulties as a disability while others did not. In some child helplines, contacts from or related to children and young people with disabilities are combined with other health-related categories, whether physical or mental, making children and young people with disabilities an invisible group in statistics.

Furthermore, data is important to analyse who is and who is not using child helplines.

The child helplines recommend conducting research on who is not able to access the services and why, as well as reviewing the data collection system, to increase knowledge and understanding on how to improve accessibility.

ACCESSIBILITY OF SERVICES Modes of contact Most child helplines in Europe offer several ways in which to contact them, including by phone, text messaging, chat services and via email. These options can remove barriers for some children and young people with disabilities, but for others, more consideration and effort is required. Other modes of contact to be considered are: • Voice notes; • Video Relay Services for sign language (anonymity needs to be considered thoroughly); • “Agony Aunt” services where children can write letters; • Detailed and accessible information about children’s rights topics, also specifically for children and young people with disabilities, on the child helpline’s website; and • Deaf zone targeted to deaf children.

For some children and young people with disabilities, not having their preferred mode of contact may result in them not contacting the service at all. In addition, many deaf children, for example, may have to contact the service through a third party, which is often not appropriate. It is essential to remove as many steps as possible when it comes to accessing the child helpline, so keep it simple.

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Awareness of services Children and young people with disabilities are less likely to be aware of your services.

To raise awareness of your child helpline for children and young people with disabilities, you might want to consider the points below: • Use focus groups involving children and young people with disabilities to develop awareness and promotional material.

• Consider the potential communication challenges for children and young people with disabilities. For example, many children and young people with intellectual disabilities find it difficult to search for information online without help, and deaf children and young people often have lower literacy skills than hearing children and young people. Your promotional material may need to be different depending on the communication needs of the group – diversity in promotional material is key.

• Make it clear what issues you are able to talk about at the child helpline.

• You may need to also target the people around the children and young people.

This includes, for example, parents, teachers or carers. They can explain to the child or young person how a child helpline works and practice with them.

• Relationship building is also key, so becoming a known “face” in schools or clubs for children with different types of disabilities, for example, can be a way to help build trust.

• Use other ways than just text to explain what it is that you do, how and with what questions children and young people can contact you, for example by using pictures.

Referral As a first step, it is important that your child helpline contacts service providers for children and young people with disabilities to strike up partnerships. It is also important to be aware that the care system for children and young people with disabilities can be fragmented, where mental health or trauma services are separate to services targeted for children and young people with disabilities. This means it can be difficult to get streamlined and consistent support. It is, therefore, important to be aware how this works in your country if you have a child or young person who requires additional support.

Finally, many children and young people with (intellectual and developmental) disabilities struggle to foresee and anticipate the future, so it is essential to have very clear information about what referrals are, and step-by-step information.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • All child helpline counsellors in our network have free access to Child Helpline International’s eLearning platform, where there are courses available on inclusive practice, including our eLearning module about deaf children and young people developed in collaboration with DeafKidz International. ○ Click here to access the Child Helpline International eLearning Platform • Find more information here: ○ Inclusion Europe ○ DeafKidz International ○ EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030

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THANK YOU We would like to extend a special thank you to all of our members and partners who have taken part in our Communities of Practice and Workshops over the last four years.

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Every child has a voice.

No child should be left unheard.

Child Helpline International is a collective impact organisation with 167 members in 140 countries and territories around the world (as of January 2022).

We coordinate information, viewpoints, knowledge and data from our child helpline members, partners and external sources. This exceptional resource is used to help and support child protection systems globally, regionally and nationally, and to help our members advocate for the rights of children and amplify their voices.

Child Helpline International Pilotenstraat 20-22 1059CJ Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 (0)20 528 9625 www.childhelplineinternational.org