New programme launched to keep Liverpool’s young people safe
by Educate Magazine December 3, 2025 · All News
Liverpool School Sports Partnership (LSSP) has launched a new personal safety course. It has been developed to help children and young people learn essential skills to protect themselves.
LSSP’s team of specialists developed the new programme, DADDR – an acronym for detect, avoid, defuse, defend, report. It supports pupils in upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 to follow a framework for personal safety.
Pupils inevitably gain greater independence as they approach their teenage years. Thus, the two-week programme gives them the opportunity to learn and apply the DADDR concept.
Through DADDR, the children and young people of Liverpool will gain a greater understanding of personal safety, situational awareness and emergency preparedness. Ultimately, this will ensure they know what it means to keep oneself safe.
Adella Dando, joint CEO of LSSP, said:
“Ensuring our children and young people feel confident and safe in all environments, not just sporting arenas, is extremely important to us here at LSSP. Our new DADDR programme gives them the practical skills and a clear framework to make smart decisions and respond effectively in unfamiliar or challenging situations.
“Having trialled the programme at the end of the last academic year with some of our affiliated schools, we were really pleased with the response we received from staff, students, and their families. We are thrilled that it is now one of the regular programmes we offer to schools across the city.”
Pupils from Hunts Cross Primary School took part in LSSP’s DADDR programme as part of the trial. The school noticed positive changes almost instantly.
Teacher at Hunts Cross Primary School, Miss Louise Moore, said:
“We enjoyed all of the DADDR sessions. LSSP’s team were fantastic and the children really enjoyed it. They have spoken about the skills they have learnt, including self defence, and were very excited to share the important messages with each other.”
As part of the DADDR programme, pupils learn techniques to defuse tense situations. They also explore various protective actions that they can take and make beyond physical confrontation.
The DADDR programme is available to all LSSP-affiliated schools through its Enhanced Membership Package. LSSP is offering this to schools at a significantly reduced rate for 2025/26 due to the not-for-profit organisation receiving a £208,000 grant from The Steve Morgan Foundation in September.
