Safe and sound

1
Safe and sound?

• Andy McCullough
• Policy advisor
• (CHILDREN AT RISK ON THE STREETS)

2
To cover today

• Goal and targets
• Context to running away
• Our projects
• What is out there/ what is not
• Y.P abused through prostitution
• Where next

3
Goal and targets

• Goal
• The risk to young people on the streets is
  reduced by a new, flexible approach to child
  protection and support, that meets the needs they
  identify by 2014
• TARGET 1 Young people get the immediate help
  that they want from councils, as recommended by
  government, by 2006.
•  TARGET2 Under sixteens at risk can access a
  national network of safe, emergency
  accommodation, by 2009.
• TARGET 3 Preventative strategies lead to a fall
  in the number of young people who runaway by
  2009.
• TARGET 4 Young people who are sexually
  exploited are always helped and protected, not
  punished by 2009.

4
The recent journey

• 1999 DOH guidance awaiting approval
• 2001 SEU travels across country to look at issue
• 2002 SEU publish report.
• 2002 DOH publish guidance GOOD PRATICE WORKING
  WITH CHILDREN RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME OR CARE.
• 2003/4 Every child matters fails to recognise
  runaways as vulnerable

5
The issue

• Estimated 100, 000 children and young people
  runaway each year - reasons such as violence,
  peer pressure, abuse and neglect.
• 1 in 9 will have runaway or forced to leave by
  the time they are 16.
• 129,000 incidents, 77,000 being under 16.
• 67 of young people who stay with a stranger will
  get hurt.

6
Cont..

• Runaways under 16 are more likely to have
  problems with drugs and more likely to be in
  trouble with the police than their peers.
• 25 will sleep rough.
• 13 will get physically hurt.
• 8 will get sexually assaulted. ( under reported
  )

7
Safe and Sound ( thrown away )

• 15,000 children are thrown out of their homes
  every year.
• 25 of this group will end up being physically of
  sexually assaulted.
• Many are not reported missing.

• Family breakdown1 in 4 could not get on with
  their parents.
• Violence 13 spoke of being hit by their
  parents.
• 12 spoke of feeling totally rejected by their
  parents.
• ( THROWN AWAY, 2004 CHILDRENS SOCIETY )

8
Impact on services

• Each young person takes around five hours of time
  ( if they return quickly )
• 1200 for police on each episode
• Up to 4000 to stay in care a week
• In Greater Manchester 78 of missing persons in
  97 were under 18.
• Runaways are often in contact with several
  services e.g Social Services, Police, EWO,s,
  YOTS.
• Nearly 50 of sentenced prisoners reported having
  runaway when they were younger
• 50 of young people accessing organisations such
  as Centre Point ran away as children
• REES.G ( 2000 ), YOUNG RUNAWAYS SEU ( 2002 )

9
Significant policy / guidance

• Safeguarding children involved in prostitution (
  2000 ) DOH.
• Social Exclusion report - Young Runaways, ( 2002 )

• Children missing from home or care - a guide to
  good practice, ( 2002 ) DOH.
• Sexual offences act 2003
• Children act 2004
• Safeguarding guidance

10
The law

• Generally does not recognise under16 as being
  able to live independently.
• If y.p stays with person beyond 28 days, acts a
  private foster carer, failure to notify L.A may
  be an offence

• A person who unlawfully removes, keeps away,
  assists, encourages child to stay away may be
  guilty of an offence and liable to prosecution.

11
Law cont..

• Anyone who takes or detains a young person under
  the age of 16 without lawful authority may be
  prosecuted under Sec 2 , Child Abduction Act
  1984.
• Section 51 Children Act 1989, exempts agencies
  which provides refuge from prosecution.
• Recovery orders, P.P.O.s ( sect. 46 )and E.P.Os
  can be used.

12
Our projects

• Manchester ,Safe in The city- out reach, MISPER
  scheme, sexual exploitation, Family and
  parenting work, advice and info, work within
  schools and under 13s, some focused work with
  black and Asian young people.
• Birmingham, LAMP- MISPER scheme with young people
  who run away or go missing from the care system.
• Torquay, Checkpoint- Refuge, outreach, MISPER,
  advice and info some school and family work.
• Bournemouth, Junction- Drop in, counseling and
  advice, looking to become more targeted with
  young runaways.
• Weymouth,Waves Family work, advice and info,
  parenting work, drop-in.
• Newcastle, Contact- developing plans for a
  project in Newcastle.

13
Our projects

• Lancashire childrens rights- MISPER with looked
  after children, this is being rolled out for all
  children. Currently focusing on developing good
  practice across Lancashire.
• London, Youth at risk- youth campaign, supporting
  young people who are sexually exploited to have a
  voice with decision makers.
• Essex drugs awareness- though currently doing no
  targeted work with young runaways is working with
  local groups to develop services.
• Safe and sound task force- Currently providing
  advice, information and training for
  professionals wishing to develop their resources.
  This is set to expand

14
What is out there

• MISPER SCHEMES. ( will not reach most disengaged
  )
• OUTREACH( locations difficult, introduces young
  people to different services )
• EMERGENCY ACCOMIDATION
• REFUGE
• EDUCATION
• PEER EDUCATION
• HELPLINES
• DEVELOPING PROTOCOLS
• DEVELOPMENTS OF GOOD PRACTICE ( LONE WORKING,
  ENGAGEMENT, CONFIDENTIALITY, RISK ASSESMENT, )

15
Not enough of.

• Open access services
• Services to meet the needs of BME
• Street work( although a sticking plaster is
  essential )
• Services to back up protocols
• Refuge
• Any long term funding ( could echo guidance child
• prostitution2000 )
• Not recognised as a performance indicator (how
  will they be measured )

16
It,s a time honoured gentlemans pass time

• 5000 40,000

17
In this modern age?
Attitudes towards children Death of James
Bulger Death of Victoria Climbie. Operation Ore
( current waiting list) Children a commodities
Technology ( GMP 12-40,000 indecent images in 4
years )( 3G )
18
Whats in a name?

• Sexual exploitation
• Doing a foreigner
• Sex for favours
• Survival sex
• Sex industry
• Child prostitution.
• What ever the label, behind this is a child

19
What makes children vulnerable?

• Poverty
• May be looked after ( targeted )
• History of sexual abuse
• Young runaway
• Family with history of abuse
• Not attending school
• Spending a lot of times on the streets
• Thrown out ( 15,000 every year )
• Feel it is their only choice.

20
What they may experience

• Shock
• Health risks
• No freedom
• Physical emotional and sexual abuse
• May be attached to abuser
• Traumatised
• Dependant on alcohol or drugs.
• Feeling ashamed
• Isolated
• Not allowed to be children
• Its my lot

21
WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE TELL US

• People look down their noses, call you names
  like walking disease, easy lay and some people
  think it is ok to rape you
• Its not just purely sex for money, it is sex
  for favours
• What else could I do? I had nowhere to go and
  was hungry

• Somewhere safe to stay, not secure
• Responsive services.
• Treated like a human
• Better info on drugs, choices.
• Cautioning not to be on permanent record.
• Decriminalisation

22
The policy message

• Current guidance must be thoroughly reviewed
• Long-term funding for long-term issue
• Children need safe spaces to go to, eg refuge.
• Children deserve childhoods

• Young people need realistic, thought through exit
  routes.( that recognise complex needs e.g drugs,
  mental health )
• It is not alright to punish children if they
  return to prostitution ( recidivism )
• Children should not be criminalised for their
  involvement, there is a need to decriminalise it
  for this group.

23
Where next with child sexual exploitation

• Fed into Present governments review on
  Prostitution.
• Lead on work to develop a network of safe
  accommodation for those most at risk.
• Explore and feed in positive practice around
  engagement with young people abused through
  prostitution.( through TCS projects )
• Build on campaigns that capture young peoples
  experiences

• Work alongside statutory organisations to develop
  appropriate child protection for all children up
  to the age of 18.
• Enable young people to have a voice in
  environments where they may not be heard ( e.g.,
  within child protection systems)
• Help create better shared risk assessments.

24
Cont.

• Develop a real understanding of all forms of
  sexual exploitation.( internet, prostitution,
  trafficking )will do presentation in near future
• Paper on refuge

25
STRATEGIC REVIEW HEADLINES

• At least 5 MISPERS.
• 2 pieces of school work.
• 2pieces of street work.
• 2 refuges.
• 3 pieces of sexual exploitation work in addition
  to current work.
• 2 Parenting pieces of work

• Continue to develop relationships with DFES,
  ADSS, ACPO.
• Paper on refuge.
• Consideration of VI allocation
• Research child protection older yp.
• Still running 2
• Response to prostitution review