Agenda item

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Children and Families, the Director of Early Help, Children in Need and Family Front Door (the Director) and partnership representatives had been invited to update the Panel on developments relating to GET SAFE and GET THERE for 2021-22. 

GET SAFE was Worcestershire’s multi-agency partnership and collaborative approach to tackling criminal exploitation of children and young people.  In December 2021 this approach had been strengthened with the launch of the GET THERE initiative which supported 18–25-year-old care leavers and young adults with challenges faced in the transition to adulthood, recognising risks and vulnerabilities and building safety.

The CMR stressed the importance of the whole Council’s support for this partnership initiative. The Director introduced Det Sgt Steve Wiggins from the West Mercia Police, the Group Manager for Get Safe and a Get Safe Link Worker from WCF.  She also passed on the apologies of Supt Rebecca Love, who had been planning to attend.

The GET SAFE Group Manager highlighted the different statutory and voluntary agencies which were involved in the Partnership. A Strategic Partnership group met quarterly and focused on ensuring the strategic response was on track and the annual action plan was driving forward the delivery of the Strategy, addressing any issues that arose. There was also an Operational group who delivered actions and progress against the GET SAFE action plan. The Operational group, based in WCF, was made up of a team of practitioners and they worked directly with young people where criminal exploitation had been identified.

The Group Manager explained the benefits of the ‘contextual safeguarding’ approach and the GET SAFE risk assessment which was available for use by all practitioners. The importance of working within the community to raise awareness of criminal exploitation was also highlighted, and for instance, during the recent location of the Knife Angel in Worcester City Centre, the GET SAFE team had been proactively involved.

The Panel was informed of the format and purpose of the weekly multi-agency GET SAFE meetings, with a focus on reviewing the risk assessment forms completed by professionals and then agreeing an appropriate response pathway. The importance of identifying and recognising vulnerabilities and then sharing that information across all partners was crucial to ensure that a co-ordinated approach across all agencies could be undertaken. In Autumn 2021, the implementation of the West Mercia Police knife crime prevention and awareness programme, ‘Steer Clear’ was also incorporated into these meetings.

The GET SAFE Link worker then provided details of two recent case studies which herself and one of her colleagues had been involved with. She explained the process of how she receives a new referral from the weekly GET SAFE meeting and then what her role involved, including regular contact meetings and interventions with the CYP as a trusted adult, exploring options available to the CYP and completion of an intervention plan. The Director advised that the trusted adult role was important as it gave the Link Worker the flexibility to respond to the needs of the CYP within set boundaries. The outcomes and learning from these interventions were crucially fed in to inform the strategic overview process. 

The Panel was provided with further details on the GET THERE initiative for 16–25-year-olds who were vulnerable to criminal exploitation, with a specific focus on care leavers and SEND young people. The Group Manager provided details of a successful event carried out in conjunction with the Heart of Worcestershire College to launch GET THERE, which had involved drama productions involving the college students. The event was well supported and demonstrably improved the young people’s understanding of exploitation as well as providing useful feedback for the future direction of GET SAFE. The Director highlighted that it was planned to take this event to Malvern and to the other Districts in the County. 

The Panel was informed that the three-year anniversary of the GET SAFE programme would take place in June and that all the partners agencies would be marking the milestone with promotional work highlighting the success of the programme.

Det Sgt Wiggins advised that he was in charge of a team of detective constables who worked closely and collaboratively with WCF on the GET SAFE themes. He highlighted that the GET SAFE workers were a great asset, and their trusted relationship with CYP was particularly helpful as CYP’s trust in the Police was not always present. Det Sgt Wiggins confirmed that his Officers signposted individuals to the GET SAFE team.

Members asked a range of questions as follows:

·       In terms of the Multi Agency Response Pathway (appendix 2), a Member raised a question as to the numbers of children and young people (CYP) who were identified as Green (level 3/2 needs) who later ended up in the ‘amber’ or ‘red’ pathway. The Director advised that the different pathways were reviewed and tracked regularly and carefully. This this included the process of some CYP being stepped down to leave the portal, following a final review by the partnership meeting.

·       The Director provided clarification on the specific purpose of the partnership strategic meetings as compared to the weekly Get Safe meetings and how staff fed into and received communications from each according to their role.

·       A Member queried how the impact of the service was assessed, both in terms of initial identification and then at improving a CYP’s situation. The Director highlighted that the sessions on awareness training for professionals had been very well attended, with staff from a wide number of agencies taking up the training. She explained that the referrals that were being received at the weekly Get Safe meeting demonstrated that the ‘4P approach’ was being effectively implemented in order to identify and respond to the needs of vulnerable CYP. The thoroughness of the tracking and action responses meant that outcomes for these CYP could be measured. The variety of proactive work being carried across the county, as detailed in the report, would continue to improve the identification of vulnerable CYP.

·       In response to a question about online exploitation, the Director advised that this was an issue that the partnership campaigned on, particularly to educate parents and carers. The Independent Chairman of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership (Independent Chairman) commented that online safety was a serious challenge particularly with the social media footprint that CYP widely used, but that the Get Safe Action Plan had a specific focus on this area. He also highlighted that Young Solutions had been engaging with CYP to find out their views on learning approaches for this area.

·       A Member queried whether the contextual approach was applied in terms of the selection of location in the process of transitioning vulnerable care leavers to independent living. The Director advised that during the risk assessment process all relevant safeguarding factors were carefully taken into account.

·       The issues of sexual harassment, abuse and bullying in schools was highlighted. The Director advised that there was a lot of work on these themes in safer communities’ work and considerable interaction with schools and colleges about vulnerable CYP.

·       A Member raised the issue of ensuring there was awareness of services for vulnerable CYP when their parents were also ‘at risk’ or isolated.  The Director explained the current measures in place and the network of professionals involved in this process. She confirmed that they had been out to communities to raise awareness and seek to engage with vulnerable adults, and that more of this activity was needed. The Member commented that there might be a role for Councillors in this area.

·       The Chairman asked how Councillors could get involved in marking the 3- year anniversary. The Group Manager explained that there were different themed communications due to be issued and she would ensure that Members were included in the distribution list to receive these.

·       In respect of the GET SAFE Child Exploitation Risk Assessment (appendix 1), a Member queried whether consent being given or not led to different routes being taken. The Group Manager advised that it was a starting point for conversation and that for some CYP it could take a long time before they were comfortable to be open about their experiences. The Director assured the Panel that the assessment was completed anyway whether consent was obtained or not, but that it was important work to try and get the CYP on board with the process, to help them move forward positively. 

·       The Panel was informed that the feedback from parents about the GET SAFE interventions and support was very positive, with relationships having improved and CYP being ‘brought back into’ the family.

·       The Chairman asked whether when referrals were made to CAMHS, whether there was a transfer of information so that the CYP didn’t have re-tell their story again. The Panel was informed that this was the aim, so that a complete account of the CYP background was transferred, although occasionally it was unavoidable. The Director stressed that the key emphasis of the partnership working was that sensitive information should be able to be accessed without a CYP having to be re-traumatised and that this work was ongoing.  

·       The Healthwatch representative added her support for the partnership safeguarding working taking place and the importance placed on the voice of young people, which was pivotal to progress matters.

The Chairman thanked all the partners for the valuable work they were doing to safeguard vulnerable CYP and for their contribution to today’s meeting.

The Panel requested that they receive an update on GET SAFE and GET THERE in 12 months’ time.