Impacts of the Preventative and

Recovery Programmes Final evaluation of PEP (2008-

11) & interim evaluation of Recovery

London Councils, 2nd February 2012

Dr Caroline PaskellBarnardo’s Policy, Research and Media

Unit

Today’s presentation

• Child Sexual Exploitation - definitions & guidance• Barnardo’s work on child sexual exploitation• Preventative Education Programme 2008-11

– Delivery– Outcomes

• Recovery Programme 2009-2013– Delivery– Outcomes

• Priorities for preventative and support programmes

Child Sexual

Exploitation PEP used B’s original definition of child sexual exploitation (Palmer, 2001) “any involvement of a child or young person below 18 in sexual activity for which a remuneration of cash or ‘in kind’ is given to the child or young person, or a third party or person. The perpetrator will have power over the young person by virtue of one or more of the following: age, emotional maturity, gender, physical strength and intellect”

Government guidance emphasises the importance of awareness-raising:Safeguarding from Sexual Exploitation (2009) & National Action Plan (2011)“It is important that all young people develop the knowledge and skills they need … to avoid situations that put them at risk of sexual exploitation and know who to turn to if they need advice and support.” NAP, p.11

Barnardo’s workBarnardo’s has been addressing sexual exploitation since 1994 when: • First project began in Yorkshire - now 21 services in 4 Nations• First report: CSE in the context of children's rights and child protection • The Four A’s – Access, Attention, Assertive Outreach, Advocacy

Research and evaluation• Ongoing work to understand the problem and to improve responses• Materials for awareness-raising and guidance on protection from CSE• Evaluating services and efforts to raise awareness of sexual exploitation

Policy • Influenced government recognition of victims of abuse not ‘criminals’• Informed statutory guidance, legislation and local practice• Cut Them Free campaign success: Minister and National Action Plan

PEP operationDeveloped from a pilot programme delivered in 3 boroughs (2005-07)

and based on Barnardo’s B-Wise-2 Sexual Exploitation resource

Delivered to 5,543 people in 25 boroughs by Barnardo’s YWPYear 1 Camden, City of London, Croydon, Hackney, Hounslow,

Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston, Richmond-upon-Thames

Year 2 Barking and Dagenham, Barking, Enfield, Haringey, Havering, Lambeth, Southwark and Waltham Forest

Year 3 Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Westminster

Young people: schools, short-stay schools and residential units = 4,723

Frontline staff: day’s training for multi-disciplinary professionals = 460

Strategic staff: presentations to borough’s LSCBs = 360

PEP evaluationEvaluation was a condition of the London Councils funding and

assessed four core outcomes:1. Professionals are better able to identify children at risk of, or

experiencing, sexual bullying and exploitation by adults and peers.2. Young people have increased knowledge about sexual exploitation

and greater ability to resist and report it and to seek protection.3. Young people and professionals better understand how to protect

and support those at risk or experiencing sexual exploitation, and have increased knowledge of services available to improve health.

4. Equality for disadvantaged groups has been promoted through the delivery, marketing, evaluation and management of the service.

Questionnaires assessed impacts and interviews/focus groups assessed recall and opinion. Reports to London Councils every 6 months.

Outcome 1: Improving professionals’ ability to identify at-risk children

• 96% said they gained additional knowledge (36% said “a great deal”)

• 53% gave a better definition of child sexual exploitation

• 58% identified a greater number of risk factors

• Frontline and strategic professionals had already used the learning:

– identifying young people who may be at risk– using tools to talk about risks with young people or parents– sharing learning with colleagues– seeking to improve joint-working

“I think it signalled the start of a broader approach to sexual exploitation in [borough] as a whole. The bringing together of a working group was really important. We started to consider related issues of sexual bullying, for example. It’s led to the pulling together of different strands of activity” LSCB

Outcome 2: Improving children’s knowledge of SE and resistance to it

• 88% correctly identified the four stages of the grooming process and recall in the focus groups was excellent • 50% had a better understanding of risk factors (from a very low base, 82% could not identify any relevant risk factors before PEP)• 48% had improved understanding of exploitation’s negative impacts, especially physical and emotional harm, less for relationships• A minority retained idea that young person is to blame in some way - clothing, attitude, choices - but majority challenged this view• Indications that understandings of exploitation remained:

– Gendered – Culturally-bounded – ‘Normalised’

“It was very useful to learn how people use grooming so it will make us more vigilant. Also the fact that they told us a real story shows us that these things do happen” “It showed the harsh reality of sexual exploitation”

Outcome 3: Improving knowledge of safety strategies & support servicesProfessionals

• 53% identified more support services despite already high awareness (72% identified two or more services before the PEP delivery)• 67% gained a better knowledge of protective policies and legislation

“recently at a Core Group Meeting … it became very apparent to me that she was being sexually exploited … partly due to the PEP training course”

Young people• 50% identified more ways to keep safe • 62% listed more appropriate support services for victims (clear shift from informal support of friends or family to formal services)• Health services widely mentioned, but not mental health support

“I feel that pupils are definitely more aware of the services they can access”“Yes, they are definitely more aware of support services related to this now”

Recovery operationDeveloped from PEP – for at-risk young people identified after

sessions

Funded by Metropolitan Police Service – for all boroughs 2009-2013

To protect from further exploitation, to improve sexual, emotional and mental health and to encourage personal and social development

Provides 6-month intensive support to a minimum of 6 people/borough

– one-to-one sessions with Recovery Project workers– one-to-one sessions with a sexual health nurse – group work sessions (if appropriate)

Delivered to 115 young people in 24 boroughs by Barnardo’s YWP

Recovery evaluation

Evaluation was a condition of the London Councils funding and assessed four core outcomes:

1. Children and young people who have been sexually exploited have improved sexual, mental and emotional health and are better placed to achieve personal and social development.

2. Young people have increased knowledge about sexual exploitation and greater ability to resist and report it and to seek protection.

3. Families are better able to cope with their situation and support child/children involved in a sexually exploitative situation.

4. Equality for disadvantaged groups has been promoted through the delivery, marketing, evaluation and management of the service.

Monitoring data assesses impacts and interviews assess experience and opinion. Reports to MPS via London Councils every 6 months.

Outcome 1: YP’s sexual, mental and emotional health and development

• 51% accessed health services at YWP or locally

• 42% reduced sexual health risks

• 44% reduced risk of going missing– 50% self-evaluations said Recovery influenced positive change– 4% increased risk 52% no change (most at low risk)

• 28% reduced risk of substance abuse– 50% self-evaluations said Recovery influenced positive change– 12% increased risk 60% no change (many at low risk)

• Personal development supported by greater stability and ‘mentoring’

“I soon found the work we did together extremely helpful to my happiness, confidence and well being … I know there is still a lot of work to do but already I feel happier, safer, more stable within myself and most importantly supported thanks to Barnardo’s.”

Outcome 2: Improving children’s knowledge of SE and resistance to it

• 86% actively engaged with the service • 67% made a disclosure about sexual exploitation• 80% improved ability to identify safety strategies• 70% reduced risk of sexual exploitation • 66% reduced overall risk on factors associated with CSE• Participants, stakeholders and carers said RP had a positive impact on YP’s knowledge and confidence to resist unwanted sexual advances “at least I know I have more of a boundary and understanding of the law. It’s helped me quite a lot.”“They’ve got the knowledge, they know there are alternatives, they know there are other things so they can make choices and get help to do that”“I think [it] has allowed her time to reflect on behaviour. … She insists it’s not done anything for her but she does take what the service says on board”

Outcome 3: Families are better able to cope & support the young people

• Meeting targets to support families - but not always with direct work as tension between relationships with young person and parent/carer

• Staff may discuss young person’s needs or direct parents to support

• “We would talk about her son’s safety and talk about appropriate ways of contacting social services and what they could do and what they couldn’t do, and kind of sharing that information as well as about the safety of their son”

• “When I rang her mum to arrange the visit, she poured all this stuff right out: ‘I don’t know what to do, I think she’s run away.’ So I supported her around contacting the police [and] gave her contact details for CROP. To protect my relationship with the young person, I need to limit my relationship with the family, but she needed something that wasn’t being offered to her”

• Indications that intervention supports relationships within families – both from YP and parents’ perspectives – but more research in Yrs3/4

SUCCESSES• Active engagement with the issue• Indication of protection• Learning has been shared• Identification of victims• Interim support catalyses strategy

CHALLENGES• Problematic view of relationships• Sense that it happens to ‘others’• Supporting subsequent discussion• Tailoring sessions to audience• Ongoing strategy and support

PRIORITIES• Target young people & professionals• Challenge assumptions about CSE• Tailor sessions to audience• Support ongoing discussion & work• Foster appropriate response to CSE

Thank you.

Dr Caroline Paskell caroline.paskell@barnardos.org.uk

Policy, Research and Media Unit