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 Wirral is a metropolitan borough council based in the North-West of England. In January 2019, the Wirral
Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSCP) established a multi-agency steering group to provide strategic direction for Contextual Safeguarding (CS). This was set up to design, develop and implement a Wirral CS Strategy to ensure a multi-agency response to identifying contextual safeguarding risks. This reflected growing recognition of the need to respond more holistically to the harms faced by adolescents in the community.
What has been put in place?
The steering group has undertaken the following activities: a review of the academic and policy literature on
adolescence; a multi-agency dive deep audit of service responses to criminal and sexual exploitation; and a survey of practitioner’s understanding of CS. Crucially, over 2000 children and young people in Wirral participated in the Contextual Safeguarding survey. This was supported by their school, youth club or community group.
In April 2021, the Wirral Safer Adolescence Strategy was launched. This sets how the Wirral will adopt a CS framework approach to adolescent safety at three levels:
- Ensuring and enabling professionals and organisations to consider extra-familial contexts within assessments, plans and direct work
- The development of practice, systems and structures for identification, assessments and interventions in response to groups and locations where extra-familial harm (EFH) occurs
- Strategic-level oversight of partnership activity in response to EFH and the maintenance of links with statutory safeguarding partners
The Adolescence Strategy and CS workplan is overseen by the CS steering group
At an operational level, CS approaches have primarily operated within the service’s exploitation and missing service. This service area includes youth justice and detached youth work, which already work in localities and communities. Two new posts have been created to support staff to practice more contextually with other forms of EFH. Work is underway to align CS with the service’s work theme on harmful sexual behaviour; an area where staff need further support for practice.
To support embedding of CS approaches, awareness raising has been undertaken, including development of a 7-minute briefing. CS champions within children’s services have been identified and deliver in-house, CS training packages. Staff can consult with champions to further embed CS resources into their practice. The service has also received funding (via the Home Office for their criminal exploitation work) to draw on training input delivered by the University of Bedfordshire.
What were the challenges?
CS is not a ‘lift and drop’ type of approach and hence embedding practice change can be difficult for busy
practitioners. Careful consideration was given to how best to support practitioners, drawing on specialist input and support from the exploitation and missing team to steer development of CS practice.
What were the key mechanisms of change?
The development of the Wirral Safer Adolescence Strategy provided a partnership-wide mandate to redevelop the service in with CS principles and practice. This was co-produced with young people and is supported by the WSCP, underling strong political, executive and strategic buy-in for CS principles and practice.
CS provides a language and a framework for responding to EFH. To enhance accessibility, the Adolescence Strategy parred down some of the academic language to appeal to a practitioner audience. This included focusing on the types of vulnerabilities and types of EFH they might encounter contexts beyond the home environment.
Multi-agency partners have been supported through training and provision of CS network resources. While it is recognised that resources may need further adaptation to aid accessibility, they have provided a valuable platform for introducing CS to partners, particularly those in public health and policing.
The CS Network website and available tools are promoted to staff. To date, the peer assessment tools produced by the CS programme had been utilised in the service