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| Starting or scaling-up a child helpline
Child Helpline International (CHI) works to ensure that all children have access to child helpline services. This is done through the launching of new child helplines and the improvement or scaling–up of services by established child helplines. More information on these processes can be found on this page. Also, below there is more information on the role of CHI in this process and the child helplines that have been launched with the help of CHI. CHI facilitates the process of starting or scaling-up a child helpline through the following steps: 1. Brainstorm meeting 2. Plan of Action: needs assessment and child participation Brainstorming meeting Organising a brainstorming meeting is the first step towards starting or scaling up a child helpline. CHI co-organises brainstorming meetings with a local counterpoint, be it an NGO or local government. The brainstorming meeting is a key step towards launching a child helpline. The purpose of this meeting is to bring key stakeholders together to discuss the value of a child helpline to their community and to draft a plan of action among all involved, identifying who is responsible for given tasks. It is important that all stakeholders are present at this meeting. Key stakeholders include: government officials, local helplines, regional/national child right networks, universities, telecommunications companies, UNICEF, NGOs, donors, child right activists, etc. An important objective of the brainstorming meeting is to work on strengthening partnerships. The successful establishment or expansion of a child helpline depends on the willingness of partners to start a child helpline. Creating strong partnerships at the outset is essential to guaranteeing the launch of a helpline. At brainstorming meetings, local and regional stakeholders, such as local telephone companies for covering the cost of calls (sponsorship), government for providing a toll-free number and judicial agencies (police) for being able to properly refer children, are brought together to discuss the best way to start a child helpline. The agenda for the brainstorming meetings usually includes: - Understanding the global perspective of child helplines - Sharing the experiences of a ‘twin’ child helpline from the region - Reflecting on country-specific problems affecting children that need to be addressed - Forming a plan of action to move forward Plan of action; needs assessment and child participation The second step is to draft a plan of action, involving all stakeholders. In forming a plan of action, the steps discussed towards the launch of the child helpline include: - Conducting a Needs Assessment Study, ensuring that children’s feedback is taken into consideration in the development of the child helpline - Exploring the resources available by the compilation of a resource directory and by the development of a city mapping of resources - Determining the structure of the child helpline - Preparing a business plan - Raising funds for the child helpline - Training the child helpline staff - Launching the service The Needs Assessment Study (NAS) is vital for the launch of a child helpline, in terms of feasibility, sustainability and ownership. It is also an ideal opportunity to introduce the concept of child participation. The process permits the child helpline to understand children’s perceptions regarding the helpline. The study is conducted with the help of the city/district level organisations and involves children and adults as both participants and interviewers. Children determine what their needs are and how the child helpline can help them. It is also important in building consensus amongst all stakeholders about the service. The role of CHI CHI facilitates the brainstorming meeting and brings together key stakeholders. CHI also ensures the drafting of the action plan. After the brainstorming meeting, CHI closely communicates with the focal point (usually the government and/or NGO) in the country. CHI extends its support and consultation through regular contact, depending on the individual situation. Moreover, CHI provides the 'constructed' helpline with documents to assist them towards establishing the helpline and /or by organising peer-exchange learning visits. These documents include Needs Assessment Reports from other helplines; examples of differing helpline structures; samples of mapping and resource directories; training manuals for counsellors; etc. A learning visit allows child helplines to learn from each other’s experiences. Child helplines started/scaled up with the support of Child Helpline International Since its inception in 2003, CHI has worked with numerous organisations to start new child helplines, or to scale up existing helplines. 2004: Colombia; Nigeria; Panama; Vietnam 2005: Albania; Egypt; Mongolia; Serbia-Montenegro; Uganda 2006: Bahrain; Curaçao; Greece (Helpline Connection); Indonesia; Kenya; Malawi 2007: Bulgaria; Jordan; Nepal (re-launched with number 1098); Palestine; Poland; UAE Sharjah 2008: Brazil; Lesotho; Kazakhstan; Suriname 2009: Maldives; Mozambique top |
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