For the price of a pack of cigarettes

1
For the price of a pack of cigarettes

• Andy McCullough,
• National strategy and policy advisor,
• The Railway Children

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Rights

• If you have come to help me, you are wasting your
  time,But if you come because your liberation is
  bound with mine,Then let us work together.Lila
  Watson, Aboriginal Australian

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So who is this outsider?

• Involved in Social care for over 20years.
• ( including managing drugs services, mental
  health, youth work)
• Expert witness Victoria climbie enquiry.
• National policy and strategy advisor- Railway
  Children.
• Lecturer post grad Social work.
• Consultant child protection- consortium for
  street children.
• Involved in work with runaways for a number of
  years.
• Chair for English Coalition for Street children.
• Sits on national oversight group.
• General Blagger.

4
Who are Railway children?

• In operation 13 years, across India, Russia,
  Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh, Mexico, Guatemala,
  working with and on behalf of street children.
• 5 years ago looked to invest in U.K. with
  children and young people that runaway. Currently
  that is R.O.C., National Runaways Helpline,
  Street work U.K., A.S.T.R.A., Get Connected, Talk
  Dont Walk, Safe at Last.
• Launching research in 2009, focus on children and
  young people who have runaway and stayed missing
  for over 4weeks. ( research covers all of UK)

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Social capital
H.I.V
Conflict
Poverty
Poverty
Bridging extended family and friends
Bonding family
Linking external organisations
Governance
Human Rights

Poverty
Environmental disaster
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England's street children

• Running away not a new phenomena.
• Many large charities built on saving street
  children. ( EG.TCS)
• Street Arabs, Urchins, Orphans.
• Josephine Butler- Contagious diseases act.
• Not just Over there.

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Context to running away

• Nationally-100,0 00 CYP under the age of 16
  runaway from home.
• 52 returned home after one night away.
• 1 in 6 slept rough.
• 1 in 12 are hurt or harmed
• In 2007 only 12 of LA said they had services ad
  responses( stepping up tcs)

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The issue

• 67 of young people who stay with a stranger will
  get hurt.
• Females more likely to run than males.
• 30 of young people who runaway overnight do so
  before 13

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The issue cont

• 1 in 10 before 11
• Children with learning disabilities and other
  forms of disability are 20 more likely to
  runaway.
• Longer they are more likely to adopt survival
  strategies.
• Runaways under 16 are more likely to have
  problems with drugs and more likely to be in
  trouble with the police than their peers.
• 80 of runaways got no help
• 65 overnights missing not reported
• Only 11 refuge beds
• I thought he was just being friendly, I had no
  where else to go, I was passed round like a rag
  doll yw 13

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Cont.

• 65 of CYP that ran overnight not reported
• !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Why do young people runaway?

• ?

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Why do children runaway?

• Physical, emotional and sexual abuse
• Bullying
• Family conflict/being thrown out
• Trouble with the police
• Racism
• Pregnancy
• Peer pressure
• Emotional deficit

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What do young people gain?

• ?

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What do children gain?

• A sense of freedom
• Escape the problem
• Some support
• Access to some services
• Up the stakes
• Being with other people that believe them
• Feeling in control

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What happens to young people?
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What happens to these children?

• Cold Lonely
• Poor health
• No legitimate income ( under 16 )
• Issue not dealt with
• Missing out on education
• Not being around peer group
• Vulnerable to abusive adults
• Involvement in crime
• Death( estimated 50 a year, gov panel 2008)

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Not just a number.

• Children in Care.
• Children who are bullied.
• Children in trouble with the law.
• Y.P/children excluded from school.
• Children experiencing abuse.
• Nb. Running away affects families from all
  classes
• Domestic violence.
• Family conflict.
• Can end up sexually exploited, poor health, zero
  education, dead ( government panel 2007 attribute
  50 deaths a year)
• mum and dad were too busy working to notice I
  was falling apart ym 13

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Impact on services

• Each young person takes around five hours of time
  ( if they return quickly )( police time )
• Runaways are often in contact with several
  services e.g. Social Services, Police, EWO,s,
  YOTS.
• Nearly 50 of sentenced prisoners reported having
  runaway when they were younger
• 50 of young people accessing organisations such
  as Centre Point ran away as children
• 53 out of 55 women involved in prostitution
  reported running away as their route in.

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Law

• Generally does not recognise under16 as being
  able to live independently.
• If y.p stays with person beyond 28 days, acts a
  private foster carer, failure to notify L.A may
  be an offence
• A person who unlawfully removes, keeps away,
  assists, encourages child to stay away may be
  guilty of an offence and liable to prosecution

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Law cont..

• Anyone who takes or detains a young person under
  the age of 16 without lawful authority may be
  prosecuted under Sec 2 , Child Abduction Act
  1984.
• Section 51 Children Act 1989, exempts agencies
  which provides refuge from prosecution.
• Recovery orders, P.P.O.s ( sect. 46 )and E.P.Os
  can be used.

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Significant policy / guidance

• Safeguarding children involved in prostitution (
  2000 ) DOH.
• Social Exclusion report - Young Runaways, ( 2002
  )
• Children missing from home or care - a guide to
  good practice, ( 2002 ) DOH

• Sexual offences act 2003
• Children act 2004
• Safe guarding agenda
• Every Child matters
• Childrens Bill
• DCSF guidance

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Current guidance

• Is being reviewed
• Re-launched autumn 2009

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Children in Care, Strategies and procedures

• Drawing up of joint protocols, ( police, SSD,
  voluntary sector etc. )
• Protocols compatible with other procedures.
• Approved by A.C.P.C.

• Named senior management posts in each agency to
  be responsible for procedure implementation.
• Protocols setting, timescales, communication,
  risk assessment.

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Children in Care. Risk assessment

• Age.
• Time, day or night.
• History of self harm.
• Previous incidents.
• Suspected associates.
• Possible location.

• State of mind, mental health.
• Specific info on child.

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Children in Care, planning/ the return

• Planning before the return
• Should the child return to placement.
• Who will manage return.
• If child refuses, possibly recovery order.
• Arrange for independent person to interview

• Return interviews
• Opportunity to speak to independent person (
  could be social worker, missing persons liaison
  officer )
• Offer warm, non judge- mental welcome.
• Staff and foster carers offered support, training
  around procedures.

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Missing from home.

• CYP missing from home should be seen as child in
  need and afforded an assessment.
• Receiving authority needs to negotiate with home
  authority about return.
• Y.P offered access to independent interview upon
  return

• Protocols setting out roles, responsibility, info
  sharing, risk assessment.
• Named manager in each local authority to monitor
  policy and procedure of missing from home

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Current Government focus

• Young runaways action plan ( driven by DCSF)
• Performance indicator (new indicator 71)
• New guidance- police and local authorities
• Review of emergency accommodation

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What is out there

• MISPER SCHEMES. ( will not reach most disengaged
  )
• OUTREACH( locations difficult, introduces young
  people to different services )
• FLEXIBLE REFUGE( only 11 bed spaces )
• EDUCATION ( does appear on some curriculum )
• PEER EDUCATION
• HELPLINES
• MEDIATION
• DEVELOPING PROTOCOLS
• DEVELOPMENTS OF GOOD PRACTICE ( LONE WORKING,
  ENGAGEMENT, CONFIDENTIALITY, RISK ASSESMENT, )

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WHAT ISNT OUT THERE( well not enough of )

• Open access services (most have referral routes)
• Services to meet the needs of BME
• Street work( although a sticking plaster is
  essential )
• Services to back up protocols
• Any long term funding ( could echo guidance child
• prostitution2000 )
• A post code lottery across country