THE achievements of a Dorset-wide project to keep children safe was celebrated at an event in Dorchester.

The Dorset Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Project has been looking at the most effective ways to respond to child sexual abuse and prevent it from happening in the first place.

The project has included a far-reaching awareness-raising campaign in which the Local Safeguarding Children Boards have partnered with the NSPCC to shine a light on the importance of talking to children about sexual abuse.

The PANTS campaign, fronted by the dinosaur mascot Pantosaurus, has helped give professionals and parents the resources and tools to have early non-scary conversations with children about how a child's body belongs to the child and what to do if someone asks to see or touch under their underwear. It is funded by the office of Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The project is now coming to an end, with the hope that local professionals have all the tools they need to take messages forward, but there will be some additional activities in the coming weeks.

Guests from the local multi-agency safeguarding partnership gathered at Kingston Maurward to recognise the achievements and hear from various people.

This included key note speaker Donald Findlater from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation who was able to share expertise on understanding, preventing and responding effectively to child sexual abuse.

Other speakers included PCC Martyn Underhill, Head of Safeguarding in Communities at the NSPCC Chris Cloke and Chairman of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Sarah Elliott.

Exhibitors at the event include The Truth Project, The National Child Sexual Abuse Centre of Expertise, The Shores, Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Acts Fast, Dorset Rape Crisis and You Trust.

More information about PANTS is available on the NSPCC website nspcc.org.uk