ABC Services

Peer Mentoring
ABC has been training groups of young people as peer mentors for 12 years in Cornwall. We currently offer two tiers of peer mentoring, appropriate to different age groups:

• Playtime-Pals (Y5 and 6)
• Building leadership skills, being buddies to younger children, learning to spot problems on the playground, active listening skills and anti-bullying techniques 
• Peer Mentors (Y9 and Y10)
• Learning to support other pupils, listening skills, identifying and reporting bullying and prejudice related bullying/ harassment. 
  

ABC can offer peer mentor training to any school/ youth setting in Cornwall.


Assemblies
ABC project workers deliver assemblies on any bullying related topic or on homophobia/ racism.  

Targeted Lessons

ABC offers lesson-length sessions to any school setting throughout Cornwall. Topics we have covered in the past year include:

• Getting on and falling out
• Nicknames
• Friendships
• Difference
• Being hurt
• Bullying Awareness
• Prejudice and what it feels like
• Cultural differences
• Appropriate language
• Discrimination

We are usually willing to create lessons to fit in with specific needs at schools/ settings. Please contact us if you would like to know more about how these lessons can compliment your curriculum. 

Race lessons
ABC is now working with the majority of secondary schools to offer specific lessons on race as part of the PSHCE/ Citizenship curriculum. We can usually fit sessions in around your usual PSHCE/ Citizenship timetable. We can also participate in off-curriculum/ intensive learning days as required.  
 

1-1 Support for Children/ Young People
ABC accepts referrals for 1-1 work from any professional, member of school staff, parent/ carer or young person themselves. 

ABC is not an emergency service, and although we endeavour to make an initial contact with the referrer within 48 hours, we do have waiting lists. If a child or young person is severely traumatised by a recent bullying incident, we will do our utmost to see that child as a priority.

In order to be accepted by ABC for general bullying 1-1 work a child/ young person must:

• Live in Cornwall
• be aged between 5 and 18
• have recently been affected by bullying either as a victim or perpetrator
• be capable of taking on any strategies ABC project workers deem appropriate

ABC workers will suggest a range of strategies to support children/ young people. Schools must be willing to work with us to ensure that they are successfully implemented. 
ABC workers will want to include all children/ young people involved in any incident in any follow-up work, focussing attention solely on victims of bullying implies that it is the victim who is the problem. This is usually not the case. We will not usually begin work on a case unless we can speak to all concerned, including members of staff. 

Schools should be able to demonstrate that they have attempted to take steps to address issues themselves prior to involving ABC. 

Schools should keep accurate records of all bullying incidents and actions taken as a result. ABC workers will need to see these records when responding to any alleged incident. 

ABC cannot work with children/ young people who:

• pose a significant threat to the safety of our workers
• are not currently being affected by bullying (this includes young people requiring long-term support with self-esteem following bullying a long time ago)
• have many other significant needs which are more immediate than any bullying concerns

Parental consent should be sought for general bullying work in line with your school’s consent policy. If there is a specific reason why consent cannot be sought (e.g. breaking confidentiality with a young person) please contact us to discuss this. 

Homophobia and Race Referrals

ABC can accept referrals for any child/ young person who is, or might be, lesbian, or gay, or bisexual or transgender. 
We can also accept referrals for race work with any young person from a black or minority ethnic group. 
ABC can also work with young people who abuse others in a racist / homophobic way, whatever their own personal identity.

 


History Months
Celebrating history events throughout the year allows schools to diversify their curriculum and embed positive images of people from many different groups. 

Each year we celebrate LGBT History Month in February and Black History Month in November.

ABC offers special lessons and events to help schools mark these events and to celebrate them with young people. 

We have also devised a lesson pack for secondary school age students to help celebrate LGBT History Month each February. It is designed to compliment different areas of the curriculum and different teaching strengths/ styles. The idea is that they are delivered by members of staff in schools, who may have very little background knowledge themselves. If you would like help to use the packs, please contact us.