Established in 1884, the NSPCC’s charitable purpose, enshrined in its Royal Charter, is the prevention of cruelty to children. The strength and authority of its iconic brand is grounded in:
- Our independence. The NSPCC is funded overwhelmingly from voluntary donations, with its largest source of income being regular donations from hundreds of thousands of individuals united by their determination to fight for every childhood. Income generation is critical to our success;
- In the choices we make about what we do directly, what we enable, and what we influence. Though people think of the NSPCC as a large charity, we are tiny in relation to the scale of the problem we seek to resolve. We currently raise c£120m a year against annual spend by UK social services of c£11bn. Amplification of impact well beyond what the charity does itself is a vital part of changing attitudes, behaviours and laws;
- In the centrality of evidence when it comes to the actions we take;
- In building momentum behind our cause – we seek active engagement in keeping children safe as well as being a national conscience for child protection;
- In securing value for money from all donations, so we can demonstrate efficiency and impact from all we do; and
- Having the voices and perspectives of young people themselves at the heart of the charity.
The NSPCC is a large and complex organisation, active in all four nations of the UK and the Channel Islands. We employ around 1,500 people and have around 6,000 volunteers. We operate a network of hubs as focal points for service delivery, deliver place based partnerships, run Childline, here 24/7 for young people with nowhere else to turn, and a national NSPCC helpline for any adult concerned about a child.
Our strategy – working together, towards the difference we want to see by 2031.
Our strategy has teamwork at its heart. Everyone has a role to play and we want many more people to play a part in protecting children. We will work with people and communities across the UK and Channel Islands to bring about change in these three areas, using a set of principles to shape and guide everything we do.
When deciding on our focus from 2021 onwards, we listened extensively to many people — staff, volunteers, young people, external stakeholders and more. We used this insight to plan what our distinctive focus should be. From this insight, our strategy ensures that we will make our services even stronger, based on what children and young people need most, and continue building the relationships we have in communities across the UK. We strive to be nationally significant and locally relevant, and look at where we are best placed to do, enable, influence or celebrate the efforts of others in our shared endeavour to keep every child safe. In delivering on this aspiration, we decided to work towards three impacts for children:
- Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse. We’ll work together to make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect.
- Every child is safe online. Together, we’ll help transform the online world, so it’s safe for every child to go online.
- Children feel safe, listened to and supported. More children will be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and understood — and abuse doesn’t shape their future.
Embodying Our Values
Our values aren’t just words — they’re the heartbeat of our organisation. They guide us, inspire us, and remind us why we do what we do. More than that, they’re woven into the fabric of our daily decisions and actions. That’s why we’ve placed these values at the forefront of this job description. We’re seeking a candidate who doesn’t just understand these values but lives them.
- Putting children first:we believe in children, we want what’s best for them, and we make sure we fight for every childhood.
- Taking a stand:we are courageous in standing up for what is right. We speak out when something is wrong and celebrate success with those who help things improve.
- Working together:our passion inspires others, and working with inspirational people, organisations and children helps us achieve more.
- Striving for excellence:we’re constantly learning, developing our work, measuring what’s effective and sharing knowledge with others.
- Making an impact:we base our actions on evidence and the difference we will make to children.
Young People’s Voice
Participation means ‘taking part’. For us, this means we listen to and work with children and young people so they are involved in the decisions that affect them.
Key to evidencing this commitment is our Young People’s Board for Change which was launched to give young people the chance to shape and influence our work, and is an important part of making sure that young people are right at the heart of our decision-making.
Diversity and Inclusion
Child abuse can affect any child, whatever their background. It’s a universal issue that can only be tackled through collective responsibility. But how can we reach every child from every diverse background if we’re not a diverse and inclusive organisation? The key to breaking down barriers and prejudice, and creating an equal and fair society, is that it must start with us. We’re making good progress and moving in the right direction through our three year action plan, but we know there’s more work to do. You can read more about our efforts and aspirations here: NSPCC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion vision