Convenor: Professor Jenny Pearce University of Bedfordshire The International Centre, Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking

1. Symposium 7:
Extending the Reach of
Child Sexual Exploitation Services:
Reflections on Family, Community,
Religion and Geography
Convenor: Professor Jenny Pearce
Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

2. Dimensions of Family Work in
CSE Prevention
Findings from an evaluation of Barnardo’s
Families and Communities against Sexual
Exploitation (FCASE) Programme
Roma Thomas
BASPCAN April 2015

3. Presentation outline
1. FCASE Programme and Evaluation overview
2. Direct work with parents/carers and young
people
- Family work programme
- Direct work programme - evaluation findings

4. FCASE Programme Overview
Community
Parents/Carers
Young Person

5. FCASE Programme Overview
• A distinctive model linking direct work with young
people and their families with training of
professionals and awareness raising among different
communities
• Two year DfE funded pilot 2013 - 2015, University of
Bedfordshire commissioned by Barnardo’s to
evaluate effectiveness
• Piloted in three sites across England, urban,
suburban & rural settings

6. FCASE Programme Overview
3 distinct programme elements:
1. Direct work with young people and
their parents/carers (parallel support)
2. CSE training for professionals
3. Community awareness raising events

7. Significance of FCASE
• Existing literature: Lack of evaluated
studies on parenting support and little
research on CSE community
awareness raising
• Contribution to evidence base relating
to practice in CSE
prevention/intervention

8. Evaluation Overview
Evaluation Aims
• To evaluate the outcomes of the FCASE model in
relation to its aims and objectives in the three areas of
training, direct work and community awareness.
• To identify the key mechanisms of change through which
these outcomes were achieved.
• To explore the experiences of a sub-sample of 30 case
studies as part of the direct work component of FCASE

9. Mixed methods included:
• 31 case studies - interviews
with parents, carers, young
people & workers
• 20 stakeholder interviews
• 2 focus group discussions
with project workers
• 2 literature reviews:
- Community awareness
raising
- Parental support
• Project documentation
reviewed
• Observations

10. FCASE Direct Work with families
A structured programme of 6 - 8 weeks direct work with young
people and their parents/carers where a risk of CSE has been
identified, therapeutic intervention & family support
Referral
Allocation by FCASE
Lead Practitioner
Introductory
Meeting
& Programme
Delivery

11. FCASE Direct Work
Key Features
• Separate but parallel sessions for young people &
their parents/carers
• A separate key workers assigned to each young
person & to their parent/ carer
• A Safer You meeting - based on family group
conferencing principles
• Strengths based family work

12. FCASE Direct Work - Findings
Key mechanisms of change through which outcomes were
achieved:
• FCASE staff as experts and advocates
• Flexibility
• Work with Parents
‘Working with [name of FCASE worker] was like talking to your
best friend, I could tell her my deepest fears, and I trusted her, a
trust that I’d never felt with an outside worker before’(Caroline,
Carer)
‘It [the programme] was driven by what we needed’ (Tariq and
Laura, parents).

13. FCASE Direct Work - Findings
Key mechanisms of change
• Special role of the Voluntary sector
• Educational Value and risk reduction
‘I’ve dealt with lots of different agencies. A lot of them make you
feel talked down to; they can make you feel a little bit like you’re
out of the circle ‘ (Ava, parent).
‘I learnt about types of abuse, how to avoid arguments, about
internet safety... and I learnt more about myself... it gave me peace
of mind because they were working with my family’
(Louise, young person).

14. FCASE Direct Work - Findings
Challenges for the programme
• Referrals and inter-agency working
• Time pressures
• Escalation of risk factors
• Sustaining and embedding learning
‘As is often the case when other professionals are involved,
once FCASE become involved professionals want to step away.
Whereas it’s much better if there is a package of support
around the child’ (Moira, FCASE worker).

15. FCASE Direct Work - Findings
Additional Benefits:
• Educational benefits – families sharing
learning
• Adaptation and innovation in programme
materials
• Longer term support and learning for some
young people

16. FCASE Direct Work -Findings
Key benefits identified by young people and
parents/carers included:
• Information & knowledge about keeping safe
• Improved trust & strengthened family relationships
• Improved self esteem in young people
‘You have to be aware without being frightened.
We’ve got knowledge now’ (Joanne, parent).

17. FCASE Direct Work - Key Messages
• Working with parents and carers alongside young people
using a strengths based approach
• Equipping families with the knowledge and information to
help them safeguard their children.
• Promoting the role and value of the voluntary sector in
developing working relationships with families
• Engaging workers with specialist knowledge, relational
skills, and family centred/victim centred working.

18. FCASE Direct Work - Key Messages
• Assigning separate key workers to parents/carers and young people
& providing worker continuity.
• Ensuring flexibility of sessions with families & young people.
• Promoting ‘Safer You’ family meetings as important spaces for
resolving conflicts, improving communication and devising action
plans to increase protective factors.
• Having wider CSE support within a service.

19. FCASE Direct Work
‘I went out and I was safe’
(Rosie, young person)

20. References
• D’Arcy,K.,Brodie,I.,Dhaliwal,S.,Thomas,R., with Pearce,J. (2015)
Families and Communities Against Child Sexual Exploitation
(FCASE) Final Evaluation Report, University of Bedfordshire
Available at www.beds.ac.uk/ic
• D’Arcy,K. (2015 forthcoming) Exploring effective approaches to
support the parents of adolescents who have been affected by CSE:
mapping and reviewing the literature. University of Bedfordshire

21. roma.thomas@beds.ac.uk
For more information on our work including
research publications, short films and outputs from
young people please visit
www.beds.ac.uk/ic
@uniofbedscse