Jigsaw4u Young Runaways Project

1. Jigsaw4u Young Runaways Project Sutton LSCB Conference Trafficked and other Hidden Children 4 November 2011

2. Jigsaw4u? • Jigsaw4u is your local children’s charity • Working in Mitcham and Sutton for 11 years • Funded by charities, donations and projects commissioned by the local authority. • A variety of projects • Children and Young People experiencing grief, loss and trauma and who also need a voice.

3. Jigsaw4u Projects Sutton • Young Runaways • Advocacy • Transitions • Children and Young People with Disabilities • Participation • Grief, loss and trauma • Home School Links • Pre- bereavement Merton • Young Runaways • Bereavement • Pre Bereavement • Home School Links • Early Years • Domestic Abuse • Targeted Home School Links

4. Young Runaways Research (Children’s Society July 2011) • 1 in 10 children in the UK Runaway before the age of 16. • Every 5 minutes a child runs away from home. • 70 children are forced out of their homes by their parents or carers • Two thirds are not reported to the police • Eight out of 10 do not seek help

5. Definitions • The term runaway refers to a child under the age of 16 who has spent one night or more away from home without parental permission • ( Not necessarily the same as going missing - when a child goes missing it could be anything from getting lost to the most extreme cases of abduction. • Government definition: ‘The terms ‘young runaway’ and ‘missing’ refer to children and young people up to the age of 18 who have run away from their home or care placement, have been forced to leave, or whose whereabouts are unknown.’ ( DCSF 2009)

6. Jigsaw4u’s Involvement • Jigsaw4u has been working with Young Runaways since 2005 • Project now funded by the Big Lottery – October 2009 – September 2012 • Sutton and Merton • 2 Project Workers • Referrals • Steering Group/Multi Agency Working

7. Jigsaw4u Experience Who runs away? • More girls than boys • Most between the ages of 13 and 15 • A quarter before the age of 13 • 1 in 10 before the age of 10 • Children in care 3 times more likely ( children’s society 2011)

8. Why do young people runaway? • Looking for somebody to care for them • Chaotic Family Lives • Domestic Abuse • Substance Misuse • Conflict with parents (inc step-parents) • Family breakdown • Conflict between all family members • Emotional, physical, sexual abuse • Problems at school • Peer pressure • Parental mental ill-health • From care

9. Risks • Sexual Exploitation • Physical Abuse • Targeted for abuse • Sleeping rough • Crime • Begging or stealing • Substance Misuse • Missed education • Pregnancy • Lack of safety • Older children being perceived to be better able to deal with maltreatment. • Will not seek help • Mental health problems

10. Maria’s Story aged 14 years • WHY I LEFT HOME • Arguments with family • Felt ostracized - excluded from days out • Wanted attention from my mum but it was always negative attention • She would threaten to throw me out and pack my bags • Felt like I wasn’t wanted • My mum gets my sisters to tell me I wasn’t wanted there • Felt I was treated different • Didn’t get told any house rules but get punished and not told what I done wrong - set up to fail. • Mum used to tell me from a young age I was ‘unwell’ (mentally) - made me paranoid • Felt I was treated unfair • Treated differently from my sisters so I would behave differently • Didn’t talk to my sisters. • WHAT I DID WHILST I WAS MISSING • Stopped going to school • Drink alcohol all day, every day - any alcohol I could get, stealing or spend all the money I had - more confident, happy. • No rules • Always felt unclean, unhygienic • Missing for 7 months • Part led • Slept in different house all the time - paid rent with stolen food • I took Ketamine and Methadrone - my friends said it makes you feel really happy • Met and got pregnant by a 20 year old (boyfriend)

11. Maria’s Story cont’d RISKS • Fear of violence • Pregnant - relationship with a 20 year old - violent relationship • Walking the streets at 2 a.m. - drunk people approaching you - me approaching people when drunk • Always drunk • Taking drugs • Lost valuables - clothing/money • Lost weight • Unhygienic • HOW JIGSAW4U HELPED • Didn’t feel pressured, like Social Services made me feel • I trusted staff at Jigsaw4u so I engaged and told them what was going on • Engaged with Social Workers, etc. now. • Jigsaw made me realise it would be good to accept support - and I did • If I cancelled, T. kept re-arranging and persistent • Felt like someone cared • Got an Advocate from Jigsaw4u - even though I am no longer a runaway, I still get service from them • Staff listened to me • Kept voicing my opinions and needs • Never gave up on me • Got given good advice • Got the help I needed

12. Referrals to date Referrals come from the police missing persons unit in Suttondirectly to the project worker Since January 2010 • 78 referrals since January 2010 • October 2010 – September 2011 42 referrals Currently • 16 young people receiving 1:1 support • 4 Foster Carers supported • 16 parents 1:1 support • Child protection in 6 cases • Of 42 referrals Gender • 34 females • 9 males Ethnicity • 27 White British • 8 Unknown • 7 Black African Caribbean Looked After • 11 • 7 Sutton • 2 Out of Borough • 2 Supported Lodgings

13. Outcomes • Reduction in episodes of bring reported missing • Young people feeling heard • Improvement in family relationships • Young people accessing placements that meet their needs • Young People protected • Young people able to express their feelings appropriately • Attending school/college • Attending positive activities • Reduction of substance misuse • Accessing services to meet their needs • Able to identify sexual abuse/sexual exploitation • Knowledge of sexual health issues • Family accessing support services • Remains in regular contact with project worker as necessary • Recovering from sexual abuse or sexual exploitation

14. What we offer • Independence • Confidentiality • Persistence • Flexibility • Accessibility • Immediacy • Access to positive activities • Advocacy • Work with disclosure of sexual abuse/exploitation • Specialist provision • Mediation • Intensive 1:1 support • Work with parents • Therapeutic work • Safety training • Work with other agencies • Training • Support to return to school/college/attend \CAMHS • Referral to other agencies e.g substance misuse/parenting

15. Good Practice • Running away should be recognised as a child protection issue – an indicator of wider problems • Protocols in place endorsed by local LSCB’s (Sutton- yes) • Specialist provision in place ( Sutton- yes) • Increased awareness • Improved police response (Sutton -yes) Respond effectively/return interview/determine the nature and scale/develop effective links with other agencies

16. Closing statement • “Every child who runs away deserves to be protected. “

17. Reading • London Borough of Sutton & Metropolitan Police ( Sutton) Joint Protocol for Young People who go missing from Home and Missing from Local Authority Care and Accommodation.( 22/02/2011) • Statutory Guidance on Children who run away and go missing from home or care. (DCSF July 2009) • A summary of government guidance on children who run away or go missing from local authority care (For care workers and foster carers DCSF 2010) • Supporting young people who runaway or go missing – a briefing for lead members for children’s services ( DCSF 2010) • Young Runaways Action Plan (DCSF 2008) • Barnardo’s Make Runaways Safe Launch Report July 2011

18. Finally Thank you to the Big Lottery