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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/31/abuse-child-protection-dangerous-places-safe-environments
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| New approach to child protection targets places where abuse happens | New approach to child protection targets places where abuse happens |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| “A stairwell, a park, a shopping centre, an alleyway, a takeaway, outside a hotel or hostel, or even a school playground or classroom: these are all places where young people are being abused or are at risk of abuse,” says Carlene Firmin. For six years Firmin, who is a campaigner on safeguarding adolescents, especially young women affected by gang violence, has been developing a new approach to child protection which recognises that young people are often vulnerable to abuse outside the family environment. “Current child protection is not designed to tackle sexual exploitation, gang activity, or criminality like carrying knives or drug dealing, which are often the result of abuse by peers,” she says. “The job of child social workers and the legislation and policy that underpins it focuses on protecting young people from risks posed by their own family.” | “A stairwell, a park, a shopping centre, an alleyway, a takeaway, outside a hotel or hostel, or even a school playground or classroom: these are all places where young people are being abused or are at risk of abuse,” says Carlene Firmin. For six years Firmin, who is a campaigner on safeguarding adolescents, especially young women affected by gang violence, has been developing a new approach to child protection which recognises that young people are often vulnerable to abuse outside the family environment. “Current child protection is not designed to tackle sexual exploitation, gang activity, or criminality like carrying knives or drug dealing, which are often the result of abuse by peers,” she says. “The job of child social workers and the legislation and policy that underpins it focuses on protecting young people from risks posed by their own family.” |
| Knife crime has left London’s young people reeling. We need action now | Seraphima Kennedy | Knife crime has left London’s young people reeling. We need action now | Seraphima Kennedy |
| Firmin’s approach involves targeting the place and circumstances in which abuse occurs. Traditionally, if a young woman were raped on a stairwell, for example, the child protection team would call a child protection conference with the victim and her family, who would be offered some sort of support. The young woman may have to be relocated if she can’t be protected by her family. Firmin’s contextual safeguarding framework, however, would focus on making the stairwell safer, by involving housing estate managers and the police, youth workers and the local community. An action plan could consider improving the lighting, or introducing CCTV, employing a youth worker to positively engage the young people hanging about, and supporting residents to take some form of joint action. | Firmin’s approach involves targeting the place and circumstances in which abuse occurs. Traditionally, if a young woman were raped on a stairwell, for example, the child protection team would call a child protection conference with the victim and her family, who would be offered some sort of support. The young woman may have to be relocated if she can’t be protected by her family. Firmin’s contextual safeguarding framework, however, would focus on making the stairwell safer, by involving housing estate managers and the police, youth workers and the local community. An action plan could consider improving the lighting, or introducing CCTV, employing a youth worker to positively engage the young people hanging about, and supporting residents to take some form of joint action. |
| “This would not replace support offered to the young woman, but it would ensure that the location in which she was abused was also considered a target of assessment and intervention because it posed a risk of significant harm to more children and young people,” she says. | “This would not replace support offered to the young woman, but it would ensure that the location in which she was abused was also considered a target of assessment and intervention because it posed a risk of significant harm to more children and young people,” she says. |
| The approach has been pioneered by the University of Bedford, where Firmin is head of its contextual safeguarding research programme. It is starting to be put into practice: since September 2017, Hackney council in east London has been working with Bedford University to embed it in its child protection processes. | The approach has been pioneered by the University of Bedford, where Firmin is head of its contextual safeguarding research programme. It is starting to be put into practice: since September 2017, Hackney council in east London has been working with Bedford University to embed it in its child protection processes. |
| A 10-strong contextual safeguarding team, including social workers, youth workers, and a forensic psychologist, is working alongside children’s social workers. The team has been involved in 135 children’s social care cases, putting greater focus on who young people are hanging out with – and where they are hanging out. In addition, 140 pupils in three schools in the borough have been surveyed about issues of safety, and two housing estates have been targeted, while local businesses, residents and young people have been asked about their sense of safety and how to improve it. | A 10-strong contextual safeguarding team, including social workers, youth workers, and a forensic psychologist, is working alongside children’s social workers. The team has been involved in 135 children’s social care cases, putting greater focus on who young people are hanging out with – and where they are hanging out. In addition, 140 pupils in three schools in the borough have been surveyed about issues of safety, and two housing estates have been targeted, while local businesses, residents and young people have been asked about their sense of safety and how to improve it. |
| This approach would ensure that the location of an attack was also considered a target for assessment and intervention | This approach would ensure that the location of an attack was also considered a target for assessment and intervention |
| “This is a very ambitious programme,” says Lisa Aldridge, Hackney’s head of safeguarding and learning. “We are changing everything from our recording systems to how to share information across peer groups which has implications for data protection, and setting up new multi-agency partnerships.” | “This is a very ambitious programme,” says Lisa Aldridge, Hackney’s head of safeguarding and learning. “We are changing everything from our recording systems to how to share information across peer groups which has implications for data protection, and setting up new multi-agency partnerships.” |
| A plan has been put in place on one estate to redesign a dark alleyway where an assault took place. On the other estate, where there have been three stabbings this year, including a 16-year-old boy reportedly stabbed by a group wielding machetes on the green near the community hall, the team is working with residents to think about how they regain ownership of the public space. It is also looking to bring together the parents of victims and the parents of perpetrators to empower them as a group to support one another. Multi-family therapy may also be offered to parents and young people. | A plan has been put in place on one estate to redesign a dark alleyway where an assault took place. On the other estate, where there have been three stabbings this year, including a 16-year-old boy reportedly stabbed by a group wielding machetes on the green near the community hall, the team is working with residents to think about how they regain ownership of the public space. It is also looking to bring together the parents of victims and the parents of perpetrators to empower them as a group to support one another. Multi-family therapy may also be offered to parents and young people. |
| After the team has completed neighbourhood assessments on both estates, it will decide whether to convene a formal conference to address how to make the area safer for young people. | After the team has completed neighbourhood assessments on both estates, it will decide whether to convene a formal conference to address how to make the area safer for young people. |
| Latest guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard children does recognise the value of contextual safeguarding, but current legislation could hamper its progress. If Hackney decides a “context” conference is more appropriate on the estates than holding statutory child protection conferences for each of the local young people at risk, because it has found that the primary risks to young people on the estates are outside the family home, it has to seek permission from the Department for Education to dispense with holding those individual conferences. | Latest guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard children does recognise the value of contextual safeguarding, but current legislation could hamper its progress. If Hackney decides a “context” conference is more appropriate on the estates than holding statutory child protection conferences for each of the local young people at risk, because it has found that the primary risks to young people on the estates are outside the family home, it has to seek permission from the Department for Education to dispense with holding those individual conferences. |
| Cuts to public services are another potential obstacle. In Queensland, Australia, where contextual safeguarding is common practice, refuse collectors monitor where drugs and alcohol are being consumed and where sex is taking place in public places. How can park managers or youth workers in the UK help to make areas safer, for example, if cuts mean there are fewer of them? “Austerity is a real challenge for all councils,” Aldridge says. “But this is about adapting resources or using them better.” | Cuts to public services are another potential obstacle. In Queensland, Australia, where contextual safeguarding is common practice, refuse collectors monitor where drugs and alcohol are being consumed and where sex is taking place in public places. How can park managers or youth workers in the UK help to make areas safer, for example, if cuts mean there are fewer of them? “Austerity is a real challenge for all councils,” Aldridge says. “But this is about adapting resources or using them better.” |
| With the cost of placing a young person out of borough for their own safety around £150,000 a year, contextual safeguarding is also about investing now to save in the long-term. | With the cost of placing a young person out of borough for their own safety around £150,000 a year, contextual safeguarding is also about investing now to save in the long-term. |
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| Hackney council received a grant from the DfE’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme to introduce the new framework. It has set up a learning group with 10 other councils with which it will share its procedures and protocols and swap best practice. The University of Bedford is looking to test the framework in three more areas in England and Wales. “This presents us with a real opportunity to identify the implications of contextual safeguarding for national policies, regulation, inspection and legislation,” says Firmin, who hopes to roll out the approach nationally. | Hackney council received a grant from the DfE’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme to introduce the new framework. It has set up a learning group with 10 other councils with which it will share its procedures and protocols and swap best practice. The University of Bedford is looking to test the framework in three more areas in England and Wales. “This presents us with a real opportunity to identify the implications of contextual safeguarding for national policies, regulation, inspection and legislation,” says Firmin, who hopes to roll out the approach nationally. |
| Back in Hackney, Aldridge says: local authorities will need “senior leadership buy-in, multi-agency support, and to be able to engage all the partners”. | Back in Hackney, Aldridge says: local authorities will need “senior leadership buy-in, multi-agency support, and to be able to engage all the partners”. |
| “It’s about great collaboration, and others taking responsibility.” | “It’s about great collaboration, and others taking responsibility.” |
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