Childline in the media

Find out more information on why Childline has been in the media recently – what we have found and what we are doing to make it right.

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Why is Childline in the news – what has happened?

Life today for children and young people is different to when Childline first started, with things like smartphones, social media, AI and online spaces.

There are also new dangers, like online bullying, grooming and harmful content. We want Childline to keep up with these changes so we can stay relevant and support all children and young people when they need us.

To make sure we are doing things right and changing in the right ways, we check ourselves regularly.

Recently we found some areas where we haven’t always got things right and need to do better, so children and young people continue to get the best service from us.

We know that Childline is a trusted and supportive place for children and young people when they need us. That’s why it’s important we take responsibility for what needs to change, so we can keep delivering the best possible support. We are being open and honest about what we have found through our checks, what will change and what we are doing to put this right.

Where Childline needs to improve

In one of our regular internal checks, we found some areas behind the scenes where we need to get better.

We found that counsellors and the people who support them need clearer guidance, especially for difficult decisions, and that our systems weren’t keeping up with how fast things are changing.

This meant some young people had to wait longer for help. We have now checked in on those we could identify, and know they are safe, but we know this was not good enough and we could have done more at the time.

We’re really sorry. We want to get this right all of the time, so we are taking this very seriously.

Our commitment to you

We are committed to improving Childline so this doesn’t happen again.

We will ensure that Childline continues to be a place where you can talk about anything, where you will be listened too, where you are supported and know that we will make the right decisions to keep children and young people safe.

What we’ve already done

We’ve already started making changes behind the scenes to help Childline work even better, such as:

  • Being clearer to Childline counsellors and the people who support them about what they need to do if a decision is difficult
  • Making sure experienced people are involved in difficult decisions
  • Having more regular internal checks to make sure we’re doing things properly
  • Pausing some parts of the website, such as Message Boards, Mood Journal and Art Box, whilst we work out what the best approach to delivering our support to you online will be.

What we will be doing next

Over the next few months, we’ll keep checking how we are doing by:

  • Looking more closely at how we help children and young people, what is working well and where we might need things to be clearer
  • Providing more training for the Childline counsellors and the staff who are supporting them
  • Introducing some new technology that will make it easier for Childline counsellors to support you

We’ll also be working with you to understand your feedback - what is working for you and what you think we could do differently - to help shape these changes, so your voice continues to really matter and will help with what comes next.

Ways Childline can support you

We understand that reading this about Childline might make you feel worried, concerned or uncertain. Also, you might have some feedback or ideas about how we can improve that you want to share with us.

There are lots of ways you can use Childline for support. Here’s some things you can do:

  • Speak to a counsellor
    Whether it’s online or over the phone, you can get support from a counsellor about anything that’s happening, share your ideas or feedback to us about your experiences of Childline
  • Use the Coping Kit
    Our Coping Kit has hundreds of activities for you to try if you want a distraction, way to cope, or just want to get active.
  • Learn how to make a safety plan
    A safety plan says what you should do in a crisis. We’ve got advice and resources to help if you want to make one for your mental health or to stay safe with things around you.
  • Find ways to feel calmer
    Visit the Calm Zone to get breathing techniques, mindfulness videos, and ideas to feel better.
  • Play a game
    Take your mind of things or express yourself using one of our games.
  • Get creative
    Creativity is a great way to express yourself or let things out. We’ve got loads of ideas to get you started.