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 vision for Contextual Safeguarding?
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is situated within the West Midlands. In 2017, there was an increase in community safety issues arising from postcode conflict and serious youth violence (SYV). The Youth Offending Service (YOS) wanted to work with partners, including the police and youth services to develop its response to these issues. The response had tended to follow a crime prevention approach rather than a safeguarding one involving children’s social care. The YOS service manager, - and newly formed safeguarding partnership more broadly - identified alignment between Contextual Safeguarding (CS) approaches and developments within YOS. For instance, using mapping techniques to identify patterns of extra-familial harm (EFH) related to SYV and building capacity for partnership work with youth services and community stakeholders. The vision was to develop these approaches further and integrate CS into practice to improve outcomes for young people at risk of EFH.
What has been put in place?
Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership (DSPP) published a Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Strategy. An exploitation subgroup was put in place to oversee the implementation of strategy and report back to the DSPP on progress. The aim of the Strategy was to establish a unified exploitation pathway to ensure agencies work together in response to children at risk of exploitation. New structures and processes have been put in place to identify, assess and discuss concerns among the multi-agency partnership. These include the introduction of weekly DSPP exploitation panels, development of an integrated exploitation screening tool and an exploitation dashboard and dataset. The strategy draws on CS approaches to prevent and coordinate responses to EFH. Operationally, a dedicated multi-agency Exploitation Hub was established within children’s social care to develop and deliver the priorities of the strategy. The hub has a service manager and social who support young people where EFH has been identified. A Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) strategic and operational groups support the hub, who are overseeing the new processes. A daily triage meeting attended by the hub and MASH teams and police partners has been implemented for children that go missing to assess the level of related EFH risk posed. Furthermore, there is an integrated training package around exploitation, which includes trauma informed practice and the CS framework.
What were the challenges?
The Hub sits within children services alongside child protection, looked after children, early help, and child in need teams. However, a coworking model is yet to be implemented whereby a social worker from these teams work with the whole family and the Hub practitioners would work with young people in response to EFH. This can present a challenge to decision-making around referrals, service capacity and allocation of resources when there are younger siblings within the family that meet thresholds for support.
What were the key mechanisms of change?
Structures and processes have been put in place for the specialist hub to hold cases where young people are
experiencing significant harm. A ‘My Safety Plan’ framework has been developed to build a coordinated response for young people at risk or experiencing EFH. The YOS service and voluntary and community sector are commissioned for direct work as part of a bespoke support package. The hub recruits social workers that have the requisite skills and interests to work with adolescents, providing a firm foundation for relationship-based practice. Previously, children’s social care teams and multi-agency professionals were working in silo with individual young people to manage safeguarding risks. The development of YOS mapping software has advanced coordinated safeguarding responses where extra-familial risks have been identified for cohorts of young people.