Report: Child sexual exploitation: Durham Aycliffe innovation project evaluation
By Reports & Resources, , , , ,

An evaluation of the Durham Aycliffe Secure Centre specialist unit working with young victims of child sexual exploitation. The report looks at how the specialist unit’s programme can improve the mental health and well-being of sexually exploited young people.

Executive Summary

The rise in concern about sexual exploitation and the difficulties of keeping exploited young people safe in the community has resulted in more referrals of sexually exploited young women to secure accommodation.

However, depriving young people of their liberty on welfare grounds is a contentious issue, particularly given a lack of evidence of its effectiveness in improving outcomes. Within this context, the central question being tested by this pilot was: can secure accommodation provide a therapeutic environment, engage sexually exploited young people with appropriate therapeutic support and support their transitions into a safer life inthe community?  

Key Findings Development of the pilot:

  • The pilot project was efficiently established and, by June 2015, staff for the specialist house were appointed and trained and the first young women were admitted.
  • A strong core team was created which included Barnardo’s and Odysseus staff working alongside residential workers. A shared ethos was developed, although in the first few months, consistency of approach was sometimes impeded by under-staffing and reliance on cover staff.
  • Over the course of its implementation the planned model of working has evolved with a number of changes made to its original design:
    • The step-down facility was not pursued;
    • Individual trauma-focused therapy was not provided for most young women;
    • After a brief period of education being provided in the house, almost all young women attended Aycliffe’s main provision.

However, the biggest difference between what was planned and what occurred related to the source of referrals. Rather than coming mainly from the north east, referrals came from much further afield and this has amajor impact on the sustainability of the transitional and throughcare support that has been provided….

To download the report: visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-sexual-exploitation-durham-aycliffe-innovation-project