Safe strong and free project

A programme for children in their pre-school year and their parents/carers.

The Safe Strong and Free Project (ssf) believes that every child has the right to grow up safe, strong and free and that preventing sexual assault and exploitation of children is the responsibility of the whole community.

ssf  was piloted in six pre-school groups in 1989 and was made available to all nurseries and playgroups in the Inverness area in 1990. Inverness remained the only area that the service was available until 1997, when a small increase in funding allowed the service to be offered to the entire Inverness Education Service area. It took several years to secure additional funding to meet the objective of being a Highland Wide Project.

In 2003, increased funding from the Highland Council initiated the first phase of expansion into South Ross-shire, Nairn, Strathspey and parts of Badenoch. In 2004 the Highland Council and the Scottish Executive funded further expansion into the remainder of Ross-shire and Badenoch, Sutherland and Caithness. In 2005 the third phase of expansion was initiated and in spring 2006, Nurseries and Partner-Centres in Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh had the service for the first time. This has completed the growth of ssf to cover the entire Highland Council area, which gives the project the potential to reach between 2000 and 2500 families annually.

This development gives all children in their pre-school year and their parents access to the service so that we can work together to help keep Highland’s children safe from abuse and assault.

ssf is a charity (Scottish Charity Number: SC017744), voluntary organisation and Company Limited by Guarantee No. SC197890.

Registered Address:

Room 5,
Church Street Office Suites,
106 Church Street,
Inverness,
IV1 1EP

Safe Strong & Free is funded by The Highland Council, NHS Highland and the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund