Q & A’s about the ABA and George & Barbara’s roles

The Anti-Bullying Alliance

Q: What is the Anti-Bullying Alliance?

A: The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) brings together 65 organisations from the voluntary, public and private sector to work together to reduce bullying and create safer environments for children and young people. ABA is based at the National Children’s Bureau.

For more information, visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org

Q: What is George and Barbara’s role in the ABA?

A: Until Christmas 2005, they were regional co-ordinators for the south-west of England. They had been contracted to do this and had worked successfully in these roles since September 2004.

Q: Are they still working in this way for ABA?

A: No. In December 2005, they were told by Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) – the host organisation for ABA – that their contracts would not be renewed.

Q: Why was that?

A: They were told that this action had been taken from a new policy perspective NOT from any suggestion of bad performance in the roles. The policy quoted was based on a review within the Alliance that it was not appropriate for anyone publicly associated with a single anti-bullying strategy to take up a role as regional co-ordinator.

Q: Was this new policy fully discussed with regional co-ordinators prior to December 2005?

A: No. In fact, it was subsequently discovered that it had not even been discussed with the ABA Advisory Group (the governing body of ABA). New contracts issued to regional co-ordinators since then do not include this policy change which can only be implemented if agreed by the ABA Advisory Group

Q: What has the reaction of the ABA been to this?

A: The ABA was told by Paul Ennals that he had received repeated telephone calls, both at home and at work, from the Prime Minister’s Office implying that if he renewed the contracts, the current funding from the Department of Education and Skills (DfES) of over £0.5m for the ABA would not continue.

In light of this, the ABA has very reluctantly agreed to Paul Ennals’ decision not to renew Barbara and George’s contract.

The matter will be communicated to all member organisations of the ABA at a meeting in London on 6 February.