Gill Brown Chief Executive Brighter Futures www.brighter-futures.org.uk
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“Psychological problems and linked patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours which tend to result from prolonged exposure to traumatic experience.”
“Repeated situations in which the individual loses control or is disempowered … from which there is no apparent escape”
Difficulties with personal relationships – avoidant, anxious, mistrust, guilt, self-blame, low self-esteem.
Difficulties regulating emotions – uncontrolled anger and intense emotions, aggression, self-harm, substance misuse, anti-social behaviour links to homelessness.
http://ncb.org.uk/media/476004/young_people_and_complex_trauma_-_final.pdf
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Children’s Society estimates up to 100,000 a year.
Children run from a problem.
Children run to somewhere they want to be.
25% are at risk of serious harm.
Links between running away and risk from sexual exploitation, violent crime, gang exploitation drug and alcohol misuse.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missingfrom-home-or-care
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Children in residential care are at particular risk of going missing and vulnerable to sexual exploitation
Distance from home, family and friends is a key factor for looked after children running away.
Having a sense that they are not being listened to or taken seriously.
Children trafficked from abroad.
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2002 Base 58 support for children being sexually exploited
2011 Pilot with Staffordshire Police interviewing all 12 – 18 year olds who went missing in Stoke on Trent.
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103 individual children and young people referred to the pilot.
69% were female
31% were male
71% were aged between 12-15,
66% of these were female
11% had a learning disability or difficulty
75% of all CYP referred were in the care a local authority;
- 63% of all CYP referred were in the care of Stoke on Trent Local Authority
- 63% lived in independent foster care placements
- 37% lived in residential care
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14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Children and Young People - out of area residential placements
LA residential care
LA foster care
Independent residential care
Independent foster care
CYP placed in Stoke on Trent CYP placed outside Stoke on Trent
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83% had a single intervention
17% were referred more than once
14% were frequently reported missing with a total of 386 episodes prior to the pilot
73% required further support from other services
“I have moved to a new care home now and everything is much better. It did help somebody coming out to see me………………… I suppose it was good the
Police didn’t come to see me I don’t get loads of questions from my friends then”
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20
15
10
5
0
35
30
25
T3
Base58
Younger Minds
Ruby Girl
CYPS
Savana
MASH
CAMHS
Teenage Pregnancy
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Sexual exploitation was the primary reason for children going missing in 25% of cases.
44% had sexual exploitation as a secondary factor
Some young people were at risk from other young people in a care setting
Children and young people said they were more likely to open up to a
Base58 worker than a social worker or police officer.
“I’m no longer hanging around with lads that made me run away, taking drugs and drinking”
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Identify local hotspots
Identify perpetrators
Support young people to make statements
Support & initiate police investigations
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Cost to police of each missing child investigation
Before pilot 386 episodes
£1,044
During pilot 72 episodes
Total saving to Police £327,816
Social and emotional impact on young people = immeasurable
“I’ve moved foster placements now and things are much better, it was good that the same person came to see me, it didn’t matter how many times I went missing,
Sammi came to see me every time – four in all I think”
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