Lesson video

Hello.

My name's Miss Willow, and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called "Support in our community", and it fits into the unit "Communities".

Why is respect, understanding, and compassion important? During this lesson, we are going to be talking a little bit about peer pressure and bullying, so for this lesson, we recommend that you have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the lesson and speak to an adult that you trust.

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe when you might need support in a public space, describe different sources of support, and practice ways to ask for help.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go with some ground rules.

Our ground rules help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura tells us that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions about someone else, or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss any examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If we want to share a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as, "My friend." This means that we're still able to share while still making sure that we're not giving away any identifying information.

Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with the discussion if they don't feel comfortable, and we should never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob reminds us that we need to not have any judgment.

We can explore any beliefs or misunderstandings that we have about a topic, without fear of being judged by others.

We're now going to have a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

For today's lesson, our first keyword is "support".

This is the actions taken to help someone who's in a difficult or dangerous situation, such as providing care and seeking medical attention.

Next, we have "uncomfortable".

In this context, this means feeling uneasy, worried, or unsafe, because of a situation or because of someone's behavior.

Today's lesson is split into three learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called, "When might someone need support?" Our second learning cycle is called, "Who can provide help or advice?" And our last learning cycle is called, "How can someone ask for support?" Let's make a start on our first learning cycle, "When might someone need support?" At some point in our lives, we may need to ask for support from the people around us.

This can be when we're at home, or when we're traveling.

Someone might need support for different reasons.

So these reasons might include feeling unsafe or uncomfortable because of someone's actions or words, being pressured into doing something that you don't want to do, getting lost or separated from friends or family, or being unsure how to get back to your accommodation or to a specific place.

Someone also might need support because they're unsure of how to navigate local transport.

There are lots of different reasons why someone might need support, just like these ones, and there are lots of other reasons, too.

In this scenario, someone is traveling and they've said, "I can't find my gate, and my phone battery is low.

Can you help me?" Asking for help in situations like this is completely normal, but some people have misconceptions about what it means to be independent.

They might think that truly independent people should handle everything on their own, without any support or help, or that asking for help is a sign of weakness, but this isn't the case, and everyone needs support sometimes.

Just like this person who can't find the gate in the airport and their phone battery is low.

So they're asking for help.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle so far.

I'd like you to decide, is Laura right? Laura says, "If you're an independent person, you should not need to ask for help." What do you think? Is what Laura's saying true or false? Well done if you said that Laura is not correct.

Can you explain why? Maybe you want to talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that Laura is incorrect, because being independent doesn't mean that you never ask for help.

None of us can predict unexpected situations, and getting support can help us to keep safe and in control too.

Well done if you got this right.

Ms. Walsh says that the key to staying safe is recognizing early warning signs, even when we can't explain exactly what feels wrong.

Sometimes we just know that something doesn't feel quite right.

That's when it's important to recognize the signs early and think about where to get help.

This includes whether we're in our community, or if we're on holiday.

If a situation feels wrong or makes you feel uncomfortable, that's enough reason to act and seek support.

You don't have to wait for something serious to happen before you ask for help.

Acting early can stop things from getting worse, and it can help to keep us safe, too.

Let's do another check for understanding, and this time I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

"You have to wait for something serious to happen before you ask for help." What do you think? This is true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false.

This is incorrect, but why? You might have said that you don't need to wait until something serious happens to ask for support.

If a situation feels wrong, or if you feel uncomfortable, it's always okay to speak to someone that you trust.

It can also prevent problems before they get worse.

Well done if your answer was anything like this.

We're now moving on to our first practice task, and you can put everything you've learned so far into practice.

For the first part of this task, I'd like you to answer the question, "Do you have to wait for something serious to happen before asking for help?" I'd like you to explain your answer.

And for the second part of this task, I'd like you to list two reasons why someone might need support in a public space.

Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For the first part of this task, "Do you have to wait for something serious to happen before asking for help?" You might have said that no, you can ask for help at any time if something feels wrong or if you feel uncomfortable, even if nothing serious has happened.

This is because acting early when we feel uncomfortable or unsafe often prevents problems from becoming worse.

For the second part of this task, where I asked you to list two reasons that someone might need support in a public space, you might have said, feeling unsafe because of someone's actions or words, being pressured to do something that you don't want to do, getting lost or separated, being unsure how to get somewhere, or navigating local transport.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, and we're gonna answer the question, "Who can provide help or advice?" When someone needs support, it's important to find the person who's most able to help.

These questions can help someone decide who to ask for support when they need support.

Is this person in a role of responsibility? Are they in a safe, public, and well-lit area? Can they act quickly to help? It's important to look for people wearing official uniforms, name badges, or working at established businesses, like shop assistants, security guards, or transport staff, if we need support.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing already.

Which of these are the best questions to help decide who to ask for support in a public space? I'd like you to choose all the correct answers.

So A, is the person in a role of responsibility? B, are they in a safe, public, well-lit area? And finally, C, are they wearing fashionable clothes? Which of these questions are the best questions to help decide who to ask for support in a public space? Maybe you want to talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that A and B are correct.

If we need support in a public space, we can ask ourselves the questions, is the person in a role of responsibility, and are they in a safe, public, well-lit area? To help us to decide who to ask for help in a public area.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Police deal with safety issues, emergencies, and situations where someone is at risk.

You can approach them if you feel unsafe, have been threatened, are lost, or need urgent help.

In addition to police officers, there are other systems in place that are specifically designed to help people who feel unsafe or are in risky situations.

So, many venues in the UK use something called "Ask for Angela" as a discreet way to get help if someone feels unsafe.

If it's discreet, this means that it's very subtle, which means that it's not always obvious to other people who aren't aware of the scheme about what it means.

It works without you having to explain any details in public about what's going on.

Someone can say this to staff, and they will help them to leave safely, or contact someone for them.

So in this illustration, we can see that someone's asking, "Is Angela working?" In the scenario, if the venue uses "Ask for Angela," they should be able to pick up that this is a sign that this person needs support.

Another helpful system to be aware of is the Safe Space Initiative.

Some shops or public buildings display what's called a "Safe Space Badge".

This means that staff are trained who can help you if you feel unsafe or if you need direction to somewhere.

They can also offer you a safe place to wait and contact friends or family or other services to support you.

Someone can also use nonverbal ways to ask for help.

So this means without using your words.

These include moving towards a safe personal place, so for example, a police station, shop, or reception desk, showing someone a written message on your phone or on paper, or using recognized hand signals, such as the signal for help, which is the palm facing out, tucking the thumb in and closing fingers over thumb.

So this would look a little bit like this.

This is a recognized hand signal called the signal for help.

It's a nonverbal way that someone can say that they need help.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Is this statement true or false? "You can only ask for help by speaking out loud." What do you think? True or false? Talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that you can also ask for help using nonverbal methods, which means not speaking out loud, such as showing a written message, for example, on your phone, or written down on paper, using recognized hand signals like the signal for help, which remember, looks like this.

Or moving towards a safe place or person, for example a police officer or a reception desk or shop.

Well done if you said the same thing.

There are services and organizations which can also provide help and support.

So these include the emergency services, which is 999 in the UK, or local equivalent abroad.

Non-emergency police, which you can contact by calling 101.

And helplines such as Childline.

There's also local tourist information centers, all of which can provide help and support.

While knowing who to contact is important, prevention through good communication can help to avoid problems in the first place.

It's important to stay in regular contact, especially when you're traveling.

For example, you might share your location with a trusted person and arrange regular check-ins.

In this example, someone's about to board a plane, and they've texted someone saying, "Hi, hope you're okay.

We're just boarding.

I'll message again when we land." This is an example of good communication, because they're keeping the other person in the loop about what's going on, and they're also saying that they're going to check in later on.

When you're in an unfamiliar place, it's especially important to trust your instincts.

Be particularly alert if someone offers you drinks repeatedly after you've already said no, asks personal questions about where you're staying or when you'll be alone, follows you between different locations or tries to separate you from other people, pressures you to go somewhere private or isolated, claims to be a local guide but wants payment upfront, offers help with directions but tries to lead you away from busy areas.

Remember that people with genuine intentions to help and support you won't pressure you or make you feel uncomfortable.

It's important to trust your instincts to make sure that you stay safe.

Let's do another check for understanding.

In what ways can you stay in regular contact, especially when traveling? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that you could share your location with a trusted person, arrange regular check-ins, and keep trusted people up to date with your travel plans.

These are all great ways that you can stay in regular contact, but this is especially important when you're traveling.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving on to our second practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

Let's have a look at this scenario.

Jamie is on his first holiday without his parents.

One evening, while walking back from the beach alone, someone Jamie doesn't know starts walking behind him and making comments.

Jamie feels uncomfortable, but he isn't sure whether to ignore it or find someone to talk to.

Task one is, I'd like you to identify three signs in the scenario that show Jamie might need support.

Task two is explain why it's better for Jamie to act early rather than wait to see what happens.

And task three is to suggest one safe action that Jamie could take straight away.

Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's have a look and see what you might have said.

For task one, identify three scenarios in the scenario that show Jamie might need support.

You might have said that Jamie is being followed.

He's also receiving unwanted comments and is beginning to feel uncomfortable.

For task two, explain why it's better for Jamie to act early rather than wait to see what happens.

You might have said that acting early prevents escalation and ensures Jamie's safety.

And finally, for our last task, suggest one safe action that Jamie could take straight away.

You might have said that Jamie could go into a well-lit public place, or approach a police officer or another person who looks like they're in a position of authority.

This could help Jamie to get support.

Well done if your answers looked anything like this.

We're now moving on to your final learning cycle, and well done for your hard work.

Our last learning cycle is called, "How can someone ask for support?" How we communicate when we need support can help us to access support faster and more effectively.

When asking for help, make sure that you say what's happened, and keep it short and clear.

Say where you are, so give a location or a landmark.

A landmark is, for example, something that you can see or something that is familiar to lots of other people.

For example, maybe a shop, a restaurant, or a fountain.

It's also important to say what you need, so be specific about the help that you want.

Police Officer Kofi reminds us to remember, "Tell us what happened, where you are, and what you need." So let's have a look and see how this might work in practice.

In this scenario, someone says, "I've been separated from my family near the park and I need help finding them." They've said what's happened, they've been separated.

Their location, near the park.

And the support needed, they need help finding their family.

In this scenario, someone says, "Can I wait here in this shop? I feel unsafe and I need to call my parents." They've said their location, in the shop, what's happened, they feel unsafe, and the support that's needed.

They want to wait there so that they can call their parents.

It's important to remember that if the first person that you ask for help can't help you, don't give up.

Try someone else.

And if you're told to wait and see, but you still feel unsafe or uncomfortable, it's okay to ask someone else for help, especially if you feel like your ask for help isn't being taken seriously.

Let's do another check for understanding.

You want to ask for help in a public space.

Which combination of information would make your request most effective? A, a detailed story of what's happened, the names of everyone involved, and your location? B, a short explanation of what's happened, where you are and what you need? Or C, a list of all the things you have with you, your location, and what you're doing tomorrow? Which combinations of information would make your request for help more effective? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the correct answer is B.

To make your request for help most effective, you could say a short explanation of what's happened, where you are, and what you need.

This would make your request for help most effective.

Well done if you got this right.

When traveling abroad, there are some additional considerations to keep in mind.

So asking for support outside of the UK.

If you lose your passport, if it's stolen or if it gets damaged, it's important to contact the nearest British Embassy or consulate.

If your money or bank cards are stolen, contact your bank immediately and ask them to freeze your account.

It's also important to know the local emergency numbers before you travel.

Let's have a look at some practical prevention strategies.

So, keep your phone charged, and it might also be helpful to carry a portable charger, just in case your phone runs out of battery.

Stay with your group whenever possible, and use a buddy system to make sure that everyone's keeping an eye on someone else.

Trust your instincts if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, even if they seem friendly.

Have a code word with your travel companion that means that you need help.

And plan your routes in advance.

These simple steps can help you to avoid dangerous situations and give you confidence when you're traveling as well.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Can you match the scenario to the method of support that you would need? So here are these scenarios.

A, lose your passport.

B, your bank card is stolen.

Or C, you feel uncomfortable.

The methods of support are one, contact your bank.

Two, trust your instincts.

Or three, contact the embassy.

Can you match these scenarios to the method of support that you would need? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Okay, let's match these up correctly.

So first of all, A, if you lose your passport, it's important to contact the British Embassy.

B, bank card stolen.

If this happens to you, you should contact the bank.

And if you feel uncomfortable, you should trust your instincts.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving on to our final practice task, and well done for your hard work already.

I'd like you to, for each scenario, write what the person in the situation could say to ask for support.

Each response must include what happened, where they are, and what they need.

Here are the scenarios.

Number one, a teenager has become lost in a busy town center.

Number two, a young person feels uncomfortable because someone is standing too close to them and making repeated comments in a public place.

And three, a traveler is abroad and has lost their passport while sightseeing.

Can you write what the person in each of these situations could say to ask for support? And remember to include what happened, where they are, and what they need.

Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For scenario one, a teenager has become lost in a busy town center, you might have said that they could say, "I'm lost.

I'm near the bus station and I need help finding the train back to my accommodation." Scenario two.

A young person feels uncomfortable because someone is standing too close to them and making repeated comments in a public place.

They might say, "I feel unsafe.

I'm at the shopping center, and I need somewhere safe to wait until my friend arrives." And for scenario three, a traveler is abroad and has lost their passport while sightseeing.

They might say, "I've lost my passport while visiting a museum, and I need help contacting the British Embassy." Well done if your answers looked anything like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that if a situation feels wrong or makes you feel uncomfortable, it's important to act early to stay safe.

Support can come from safe people and places such as police officers, venue staff, safe space shops, or a British embassy when abroad.

When asking for help, it's important to include what's happened, where you are, and what you need, so that the person that you've asked can act quickly and effectively.

Support can be given verbally or non-verbally, for example, by showing a written message, or using recognized hand signals, if you don't feel able to ask for help verbally.

Getting support is a positive choice that helps to keep you safe.

During this lesson, you might have found you've got some worries or some questions.

And if you do, it's really important that you speak to a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you in another lesson soon.