Tackling localised grooming of young, vulnerable girls
14 June 2012
Sheffield
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The 2011 CEOP national thematic assessment (Out of Mind, Out of Sight) concluded that localised grooming, referred to more colloquially as 'on street grooming', may be more widespread than previously thought. This model of grooming refers to the activities of organised groups, which are usually run by older men, but use personable young men to 'reel in' the girls, many of whom are in their early teens.
In contrast to the overwhelming majority of grooming cases where perpetrators are White men working alone, localised grooming has become disproportionately identified with British Asians of Pakistani origin. This racial profile has made organisations unsure how to tackle the issue without being branded racist.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 introduced a raft of new offences relating to coercion and control of children. However, prosecution rates remain very low, with hard evidence difficult to come by. Victims are often trafficked around the country, and they and other witnesses are both intimidated and seen as unreliable. This means that other approaches must be stepped up: changing attitudes to sexual exploitation among young men, building resilience among young women, early intervention and outreach work among at risk groups.
At present there are very few specialist initiatives, and one striking feature of recent cases is how many parents of victims feel completely abandoned.
The CEOP report recommended that:
- All LSCBs should co-ordinate a multi-agency response to sexual exploitation.
- LSCBs must ensure that at risk children are identified at an early stage.
- Children's services must ensure that cases of child sexual exploitation are assessed and responded to.
- All frontline agencies should record data relating to known or suspected cases of sexual exploitation.
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This seminar offers service providers an early opportunity to get up to speed with information and research on localised grooming, including the forthcoming Child Sexual Exploitation - Gangs and Groups Inquiry; to gain practical knowledge which can be used in local services, and to hear from speakers who are doing amazing work to tackle the problem.
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"There is a huge gap in the knowledge of professionals working with children between 10 to 18 years old".
Sheila Taylor, Director, National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People
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| 9.30 – 10.15 |
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Coffee and registration |
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| 10.15 – 10.20 |
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Chair's introduction |
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| 10.20 – 10.50 |
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The unmet needs of on-street grooming victims and their families
Sheila Taylor, Director, National Working Group |
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| 10.50 – 11.20 |
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Effective police approaches based on shared experience with the Netherlands
Det Ch Insp Alan Edwards, West Mercia Police |
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| 11.20 – 11.30 |
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Q&A session |
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| 11.30 – 12.00 |
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Coffee |
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| 12.00 – 12.15 |
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Changing community attitudes to abuse of girls
Alyas Karmani, Street UK |
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| 12.15 – 12.45 |
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Prevention work with young men in West Yorkshire
Shakeel Aziz and Alyas Karmani, Street UK |
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| 12.45 – 12.55 |
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Q&A session |
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| 12.55 – 1.45 |
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Lunch |
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| 1.45 – 2.15 |
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Identifying vulnerable girls and recognising the signs of grooming
Teresa Roe, Walsall Street Teams |
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| 2.15 – 2.25 |
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Quick break |
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| 2.25 – 2.55 |
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Supporting parents, families and victims
Nick McPartlan, Manager, Engage Project, Blackburn with Darwen
Lindsay Dalton, Parent Worker, CROP
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| 2.55 – 3.05 |
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Q&A session |
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| 3.05 – 3.35 |
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A coordinated multi-agency approach to on-street grooming
Ann Lucas, Sexual Exploitation Service, Sheffield LSCB
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| 3.35 – 3.45 |
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Q&A session |
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| 3.45 |
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Final comments and close of seminar |
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- An understanding of the extent and nature of localised grooming
- Ability to recognise signs of localised grooming
- Knowledge of services to which vulnerable children can be referred
- Example of specialist prevention and early intervention services to tackle grooming
- Examples of specialist services which support sexually exploited children and their families
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- Local Safeguarding Children Boards
- Children's social services
- Education services and schools
- Police
- Probation
- Youth justice services
- Projects working with vulnerable children
- Drug and alcohol professionals
- Community health practitioners
- Sexual exploitation specialists
- Sexual health centres
- Domestic violence services and rape centres
- Family and parent support workers
- Victim Support and other advocacy services
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Programme
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Delegate rates
• Standard delegate rate £165 + VAT
• Reduced delegate rate £140 + VAT
(Limited number available to small community organisations with 10 or fewer employees)
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SPECIAL OFFER |
| Discounts available for multiple bookings. |
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To make a booking
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To make a booking
NOTE: the booking form on-line and paper format both include full terms and conditions of booking.
> CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Confirmation of booking:
Your booking will be confirmed by email where possible (and by fax or post otherwise), and you will be provided with directions to the venue and details on nearby hotel accommodation. If you do not receive such acknowledgement, please contact Central Conference Consultants Ltd on 0115 916 3104. |
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Sheila Taylor was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to children, taking up her post as Director of the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People in July 2011. The National Working Group (NWG) is a charity and UK wide network of practitioners, policy makers and researchers working with children and young people (under 18) who are at risk of, or who experience, sexual exploitation.
The National Working Group has developed as a support group for individuals and service providers working with children and young people who are at risk of or who experience sexual exploitation. Membership is from voluntary and statutory services and includes representation from health, police, education, youth work, social care, the voluntary sector and central government. The National Working Group plays a role in developing policy and practice in the field.
Previously, Sheila was Chief Executive of Safe and Sound Derby.
For further information see http://www.nationalworkinggroup.org
Alan Edwards is a Detective Chief Inspector with West Mercia Police. In addition to his work in the UK, he has had the opportunity to study approaches to tackling localised grooming in the Netherlands.
Alyas Karmani and Shakeel Aziz work for STREET UK, an organisation which works with disadvantaged young people from British Pakistani communities. They devise and deliver ground breaking training which is targeted at young British Pakistani men in West Yorkshire with a view to changing attitudes and behaviour towards girls from outside their communities. Their work has generated considerable interest and praise for their willingness to tackle the attitudes and behaviour which has led to localised grooming. A 12-month programme of workshops has been part-funded by Unltd and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Alyas Karmani is the director of STREET (Strategy to Reach Educate and Empower Teenagers) UK Ltd, a counselor and an Imam. The following quote from Alyas is taken from the Channel 4 Dispatches website (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/britains-sex-gangs-alyas-karmani-feature):
Like the vast majority of people of Pakistani Muslim background, I was deeply outraged and appalled by the high profile stories about child sexual exploitation and sexual violence that have been perpetrated by men of Pakistani origin.
This prompted me to develop and deliver our ground breaking workshop programme with young people at risk of sexual violence in London and West Yorkshire, as well as send out a strong and clear message that sexual violence in all its forms is unacceptable and needs to be vigorously challenged by the community.
Shakeel Aziz has been an active volunteer in his local Keighley community for several years. He now delivers STREET UK's workshops to groups of young men. His article can be read at http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/britains-sex-gangs-shakeel-aziz-feature
Teresa Roe is the Operational Manager for Walsall Street Teams, which runs a range of projects designed to support young people at risk. Jigsaw is a project for young women under the age of 18 who feel that they are being pressured into situations with which they feel uncomfortable. This often means a sexual relationship, but may also be pressure to use drugs or alcohol. Walsall Street Teams are proactive and aim to prevent serious outcomes where possible. They work with Year 7 in schools, train practitioners to recognise which young people are at risk, and aim at depth of local knowledge through measures such as interviews with runaways.
For further information, see http://www.walsallstreetteams.co.uk
Nick McPartlan is the Manager of the Engage Project in Blackburn, one of Barnardo's specialists sexual exploitation projects. The project has won national acclaim for being the first in the country to bring a wide range of agencies together as a single team to tackle the problem of grooming; it holds an Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) award.
The team is made up of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council social workers, a young persons worker, Lancashire police officers and workers from Brook sexual health clinic, the NHS and charities Lifeline, Barnardo's and the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping (CROP).
The Engage team use their skills and expertise to track down offenders who groom children for sex whilst offering support and protection to young victims and their families.
Lindsay Dalton works alongside Engage as a parent worker funded by CROP. She was previously a probation officer. Lindsay has set up groups for parents to support each other and network. She also delivers a six-week programme for parents highlighting the grooming process, ways to address self-esteem, looking at the impact on the family, communication between the family, reporting and intelligence gathering. CROP provides additional support for parents needing further help via their 'befriender' scheme.
She said: "The project is leading the way because in most areas the focus is all on the children and parents often feel neglected. It becomes difficult to get the parents' voice heard but that's where parent workers can make a difference.
"Some parents are resistant because of a fear about what we are going to do, most parents are frightened, imagining their child will be taken from them. I am there to reassure them that we are there to support and help them to safeguard their child and not to blame them."
Ann Lucas manages the Sexual Exploitation Service for Sheffield Local Safeguarding Children Board. The Sexual Exploitation Service is a multi-agency partnership between:
- Children and Young People's Service - Safeguarding Children Service
- South Yorkshire Police - Public Protection Unit
- Sheffield Futures: Taking Stock
- Turning Point: SHED
The Service's Mission Statement is: "A multi-agency approach that educates, identifies, and offers protection and long term support to young people up to the age of 19 who are at risk of, or involved in, sexual exploitation."
Sheffield Sexual Exploitation Service uses a Child Protection model to identify young people at risk of sexual exploitation. There are clearly defined indicators of risk within the child protection procedures, which alert professionals to the warning signs that a young person may be at risk. |
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The event will take place in Sheffield.
Directions and details of nearby accommodation will be provided following booking.
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Enquiries
If you have any queries about the event please contact the organisers, Central Conference Consultants Ltd, on 0115 916 3104 or email ccclimited@aol.com |
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