Services

ABEL is a charitable organisation and as such is a free confidential service, providing independent advocacy, information and support for parents and pupils attending school in East Lothian who are suffering the effects of bullying behaviour.

We also deliver  bespoke workshops and training to pupils, staff and other organisations within East Lothian.

Information for Parents

ABEL is a charitable organisation and as such is a free service, providing independent advocacy, information and support for parents and pupils attending school in East Lothian who are suffering the effects of bullying behaviour.

Your child maybe displaying bullying behaviour or experiencing it or both. Initial contact is usually by phone and we would be happy to give you all the information we can. This may be all that is required.

If you felt further support was necessary, we would arrange an appointment. We are happy to come to your home or you are welcome to come to our office or we could arrange to meet you in your child’s school. You can also self refer by completing our referral form (copy at foot of this page), giving us as much information as you can and returning it to our office either by post or email.

Once we have talked through all the issues and discussed what has been tried we would inform you of the possible routes you could take and support you in your decision.

We can arrange meetings with your child’s school and/or other agencies and support you at these if necessary.

As well as our advocacy work, we can offer your child one to one support in school, usually on a weekly basis.

We can also work with groups of young people to support them to  resolve issues around bullying, friendships that have broken down and to work on improving communication and relationships.

Self esteem plays a large part in our relationships. Low levels of self esteem can often lead to bullying or victimised behaviour. We offer the support of a self esteem coach to help address these issues, in a positive way.

Information for Teachers and other Professionals

ABEL is a charitable organisation and as such is a free service, providing independent advocacy, information and support for parents and pupils attending school in East Lothian who are suffering the effects of bullying behaviour.

What do we do in schools?

We provide:

  • Support for staff in East Lothian to resolve bullying issues in school and in the community
  • Information and training for staff working with young people and families in East Lothian
  • Anti-bullying and bespoke workshops for pupils
  • Self esteem courses for staff
  • One to one and small group self esteem/support work with children/young people
  • Self esteem workshops for pupils

How to make a referral:

ABEL referral forms are available to download from this website or by contacting our office.

The referral forms have to be completed in full, the more information we receive at this stage will help us to assess the type of work and level of urgency required for the child/young person.

We can only accept referrals from professionals if parental permission is given and the young person wants work with us.

Aims

  • Act with, or on behalf of, parents and young people to progress and resolve issues of concern, including bullying, through our service.
  • Represent the broadest possible spectrum of parents to enable effective communication.
  • Provide East Lothian Council with a consultative body on bullying issues, ensuring parents and young people’s views are taken into account.
  • Assist East Lothian in the monitoring and updating of their Anti-bullying guidelines.
  • Work in partnership with parents, pupils, staff of East Lothian Council and other voluntary and statutory organisations throughout East Lothian.
  • Provide appropriate training and support for parents, young people and staff within East Lothian.
  • Work in a supportive way to raise the self esteem, confidence and resilience of the child/young person in one to one or small group sessions.