CEO update – Parent Participation

It has been a busy first half to the year, which has seen the launch of new services, training and awareness programmes. We have been humbled to support  so many members of the parent participation group to speak at conferences and awareness events across UK, sharing the critical message that parents deserve equity and respect from services who there to support them to safeguard their child.

Therapeutic parenting group

“Empowering parents: A group for parents navigating exploitation and trauma”

We have launched a new 5 week support programme with the aim of providing parents with therapeutic support, reducing isolation in a safe, supportive space with their peers. We have been given funding to pilot the programme, and our hope is we can propose the programme to local authorities as an alternative to the Triple P Parenting Programme, which evidence shows has poor outcomes for families experiencing exploitation.

School Awareness Programmes

We have secured funding in North Yorkshire and Northumbria to run extensive early awareness programmes in partnership with their schools, where we will host a mix of in-person and remote sessions for school staff, children in Years 5 through to 10, and their parents and carers. We hope this holistic approach will equip the whole school community to better understand the signs of exploitation, and what to do if they have concerns.

Train the Trainer – Lived Experience programme

Thanks to a fantastic group of parents and young people from the participation programme, we are nearing the end of a pilotted Train the Trainer programme. We filmed testimonies of young people and their parents and used the recordings as the central part of a training programme for professionals in the police, family services, health and education. Centring the programme on the lived experience of affected families has given professionals a better understanding of the true impact exploitation has on families, so they can go on to champion practice change with a family centric, relational approach.

Fundraising

Thank you as ever to our fundraising superstar from our parent participation group who has arranged a fundraising walk with colleagues from the company she works for.  They are very bravely taking on Snowden / Yr Wyddfa this August to raise funds for Ivison Trust, good luck to you and your team.

In the news

Well done to a parent from parent participation for her work with a Burnely journalist, sharing her experience and raising awareness about child exploitation in her community.

Policy

As some may be aware, the government has announced new amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, which amongst other changes includes a legal definition of child criminal exploitation, which we hope is a step towards ending the postcode lottery of safeguarding responses famiies affected by criminal exploitation receive.  I would like to extend a thank you again to the parents who were interviewed for BBC Politics North back in 2023, where we campaigned for the need for a series of legislative changes.  Read our full response in our latest blog.