In 2017, the Contextual Safeguarding programme (CSP) began partnering with local authorities to begin testing the Contextual Safeguarding (CS) framework in practice. This project was the first systematic attempt at evaluating the extent of the programme’s reach and impact. The Reach and Impact (R&I) workstream aimed to evidence the value that the CSP adds in terms of influencing policy and practice in response to extra-familial harm (EFH). Below is one of the case studies from the Reach and Impact Project. This case study describes how Contextual Safeguarding has influenced local systems and practice to improve the lives of young people experiencing or at risk of extra-familial harm. Names and some details have been changed to preserve young people’s anonymity.
What was the issue?
The Council’s community safety team received a series of complaints from local residents regarding groups of young people within a public space near residential properties and businesses. There were reports of high levels of noise in the night and young people playing sports within the location. Reports included use of alcohol, substance misuse and low-level criminal damage. Separately, a local school reported that a peer group of pupils – young women - aged 13-14 - had disclosed they were spending time in the space and young adults were buying them alcohol from a nearby shop. There was a subsequent allegation of sexual assault. There were also concerns that a group of young men - aged 13-15 - known to the girls were being targeted and exploited by adults within the location to sell drugs.
The response
The community safety team were piloting Contextual Safeguarding (CS) approaches at level 2 through the introduction of peer group conferences (PGC). PGCs are monthly multi-agency meetings held to discuss concerns about groups of young people or locations of concern where young people are spending significant times. A PGC was convened to discuss the location of concern and identify any risks of extra-familial harm (EFH) to the young people using the space. Following an incident of serious youth violence in the location, an emergency meeting of relevant multi-agency partners and community stakeholders was held to plan a response.
The multi-agency CS response involved:
- Completion of peer group mapping exercise to understand group dynamics and a neighbourhood assessment to plan to response to risks identified.
- Youth outreach workers were commissioned by the community safety team to engage with young people, including during evenings.
- The team’s CS coordinator developed connections with school staff, businesses, and council professionals, to help attain additional information and initiate partnership work and guardianship in the community.
- Partnership work between the team, neighbourhood policing and the security company introduced additional safety measures, including increased presence and new CCTV surveillance.
- The police worked to disperse the adults of concern into open areas.
Licensing investigated and visited the local shop selling alcohol that was being supplied to the underage peers.
The team organised letters to be distributed to local residents and parents and carers of pupils in local secondary schools to raise awareness of the concerns in the location. - The location was due to be transformed into an open space area for food outlets. A request was made to the
developers to share the plans. The Council’s estates team worked in partnership with community safety and the developers to consider how to create safety for young people.
What did we learn?
Building relationships across the multi-agency partnership – including community stakeholders - is essential when developing a coordinated approach to creating safety within a specific location. It takes a significant amount of time to map out all agencies’ roles in the plan and put in place resources. The PGC provided community safety teams - who do not have a statutory safeguarding function - with a defined role in helping increase safety for young people in their communities.
What were the challenges?
CS approaches that target contexts of harm outside the home was yet to be introduced into children’s social care processes. This posed a challenge in initiating partnership work with social care practitioners to respond to harms at a peer group. Practitioners were engaged in individual with each of the young woman but were less confident about the value of work at peer group level. The participation of the young people could have informed a safety plan that drew on their perspectives on contextual risks and what would increase their safety in the community.
What difference did it make?
The community safety team were instrumental in coordinating information from multiple sources, including from police intelligence on the concerns identified within the location. The team’s CS coordinator proved to be an important link person between the team, multi-agency partners and community stakeholders, therefore facilitating a coordinated response to the identified risks posed to young people. Schools put in place pastoral support for the peers to support their wellbeing needs. The team laid the groundwork to build community guardianship in the area through supporting residents, security staff and local businesses to identify and report safeguarding concerns.
The pilot work helped the team to develop ideas for further resources to enable them to respond to extra-familial risks and harms in other community locations. These include a database for recording locations where safeguarding concerns have been reported, a planning document for community partnership work in response to serious incidents involving young people, and bespoke learning resources for partners and potential community guardians with distinct roles within the community.