Young runaways (WS36)
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Young runaways – the issues encountered with this group of young people, (Experiences of Refuge) why they run away, and what can happen to them as a result, (Well- being, Quality of life) and how social workers can play an essential part in identifying risk and supporting longer term successful outcomes for this very vulnerable group. (Change). Contributor: Aberlour
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Young runaways (WS36)
- 1. Young Runaways Fiona Anderson Evie Mcculloch - Aberlour Young Runaways Service
- 2. Who we are. • Aberlour Young Runaways Service • Refuge, Outreach, PSE and RHWI Aims: • To minimise the risks associated with young people running away • To link young people and families to appropriate support in order to improve outcomes
- 3. Who is a young runaway? • Child or young person, under sixteen, absent without authority , needs service to find and return them, or to • (a) keep them safe • (b) ensure response to needs • (c) meet statutory requirements • Children between the ages of 16 and 18 : IF • (a) history of running away which predates their 16th birthday • (b) looked after, or looked after and accommodated. Scottish Government 2008
- 4. Legislation and policy • UNCRC (1991): overarching framework; includes right of children and young people to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation. • Children (Scotland) Act 1995 Section 38(1): provision of safe place at child’s request
- 5. Scottish Legislation and Policy • Guidance Pack on Vulnerable Children and Young People: Young Runaways (Scottish Executive, 2003): ‘enables local authorities to provide short-term refuge - concern that not enough provision - Scoping Study 2007 (initiated by The Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways) • Getting It Right for Every Child (2007) : integrated system of multi-agency provision for all Scotland’s young people
- 6. Challenges Faced • The majority, 60-70 %, of young people who run away from home are not being reported to the police as missing while away • In Scotland: 1 in 9 young people run away over night before the age of sixteen each year (Wade,2001) • Only 1 in 5 asked for help on last occasion they ran away • This increases the level of vulnerability and risk that young people will face.
- 7. Scottish Based Research • The value for young people in a safe ‘refuge’, as an alternative to the streets; reduction of risk factors while running; supportive staff. (Malloch, 2006) • Inadequate services – sometimes choice between going back home or being accommodated. The worse case ‘solution’ can eventually be secure accommodation for own ‘safety’. (Malloch & Burgess, 2007) • Running- Other Choices Evaluation (Malloch, 2006); • A Scoping Study of Services for Young Runaways (Malloch & Burgess, 2007); • Grampian Police Return Home Welfare Interview Pilot for Young Runaways (Burgess et al, 2010) • Glasgow Refuge Report (Smeaton, 2011);
- 8. Reasons for Running. •Difficulties at home 78% school 25% personal 41% •Triggers for running: Family conflict 39% Child abuse and neglect 20% Parental problems 11% •Cumulative complex problems •Difficulties within the family can often link to other issues, eg. – School/ mental health/ peers/ additional need
- 9. Risks of Running • 1 in 7 of those away 2 or more nights resort to risk taking behaviours • 15% of all young runaways are physically assaulted • 6% sexually assaulted • Assaulted staying with friends 16% • Assaulted staying with relatives 5% • Online exploitation • Males more likely to sleep rough (national statistic) • Glasgow children less likely to sleep rough • Nearly 60% stay in same city or local authority area • Young Runaways Service’s experience is that mostly young people remain in their local area.
- 10. Aberlour Young Runaways Service
- 11. Refuge • Section 38 Children's (Scotland) Act 2001 • 3 bedded house for short term crisis accommodation • in a discreet location • 24 hour helpline for young people • Solution focussed approach • Collaborative working with multi agencies • Advocacy for young person
- 12. Aberlour Young Runaways Service Outcomes : • Safe - Immediate safe accommodation. Prevents young people’s exposure to further risk helps resolve issues leading to the crisis • Healthy – health needs are reviewed and young people are linked in with the relevant services • Achieving – young people are encouraged to meet their potential and are provided with access to educational supports • Nurtured – an environment that respects views and needs, promotes wellbeing • Active – encouraged to join in activities. Provided with links in own communities
- 13. Outcomes (continued) • Respected - young peoples views are listened to and they are supported in sharing these • Responsible – work in regard to their own actions and the implications on themselves and others • Included - opportunity to reflect / consider options. Supported in making choices and informed decisions about their next steps IMPACT: • Prevention is crucial • Listening to the voice of the young person • Parents need support • Agencies communication/ better understanding
- 14. Outreach, PSE & Participation • 2001 Service Community Based Outreach Service • 1:1 support, advice and advocacy • Can be accessed independently of Refuge, with outreach support available also following period in Refuge. • P.S.E. lessons - 2900 young people received in 2011-2012 academic year across 22 Glasgow and South Lanarkshire schools. • Young Peoples Participation Group • Aim to prevent further running
- 15. Partnership Working with Strathclyde Police Return Home Welfare Interviews • Grampian pilot 2010 recommended joint working between police and independent agencies in addressing runaways. • Recommended return home and welfare interviews • Aberlour Young Runaway Service facilitates this in partnership with Strathclyde Police
- 17. Responding to Runaways Needs Improved recognition of risk factors •Physical well-being •Mental health and wellbeing •Detachment from family/community •Educational/employment opportunities •Experiencing traumatic events – longer term impact •Development of on-going negative coping mechanisms - we need to be proactive in preventing young people running away. •Improved response needed: (universal, police) ; more specialist emergency provision. better information . (The Children’s Society, 2011)
- 18. Responding to Runaways Needs • The link between running away and future homelessness: 84 per cent ran away before the age of 16. • Young people who are persistent runaways at greater risk of homelessness in later life. (Shelter Scotland 2011) • Many young people do not seek help while away; some actively avoid contact with services. Response must be supportive & flexible. • Crisis response services should be embedded within a network of responses (Rees et al, 2009)
- 19. Young Runaways Service Link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ6H2gJj8P8&feature=share&list=UUIfMZZMK3wCjWE8IISET
- 20. CONTACT US Aberlour Young Runaways Service 2 Green Wynd Glasgow, G40 2TD. Tel: 0141 551 3824 runaways@aberlour.org.uk laura.irvine@aberlour.org.uk http://www.aberlour.org.uk/runaways.aspx REFUGE 08702 40 38 24 Scottish Coalition For Young Runaways - www.scyr.org.uk
- 21. Policy across Scotland •Briefing paper: Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways. Aberlour Child Care trust. http://www.aberlour.org.uk/1in9.aspx •Make Runaways Safe Launch Report (2001) The Children’s Society-www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/.../make_runaways_safe_report.pd... •Wade, J. (2001) Missing Out: Young Runaways in Scotland. Aberlour Child Care Trust. •Malloch, M. (2006) Evaluation of the Aberlour Running Other Choices Refuge- http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/pubs/Running--Other-Choices-An-Evaluation-of-the-ROC-Refuge/127 •Malloch, M. and Burgess, C. (2007) A Scoping Study of Service for Young Runaways, Stirling: Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways. •http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/pubs/A-Scoping-Study-of-Services-for-Young-Runaways-for-1-in-9-Scottish-Coalition-for-Young-Runaways/30 •Burgess,C., Malloch,M., Mitchell,F., Chan,V., Eunson, J. and Murray, L. (2010) Grampian Police Return Home Welfare Interview Pilot for Young Runaways. Edinburgh, Scottish Government.-www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/317710/0101168.pdf •Malloch, M and Burgess, C. (2011) Responding to Young Runaways: Problems of Risk and Responsibility. Youth Justice 2011(1) 61–76 •Rees, G. (2011) Still Running 3: early findings -www.childrenssociety.org.uk/research •Rees, G. , Franks, M., Medforth,R and Wade,J.(2009) Commissioning, Delivery and Perceptions of Emergency Accommodation for Young Runaways. DCSF-www.dcsf.gov.uk/research DCSF-RR181 •Running Away and Future Homelessness – the missing link? (2011) - www.scotland.shelter.org.uk/.../running_away_and_future_homelessness _-... •Smeaton, E. (2009) Off the Radar: children and young people on the streets in the UK. Sandbach, Railway Children.- h ttp://www.railwaychildren.org.uk/wcore/showdoc.asp?id=1168 •Smeaton, E. (2011) Best Practice in the Commissioning of and Delivery of Emergency Accommodation in Scotland for Children and Young People Who Run Away. Edinburgh, Scottish Government.- www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/28091200/11 •Vulnerable Children and Young People Guidance Pack (2003) Scottish Executive (now Government) •www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/children.../10257
Editor's Notes
- A child or young person, under the age of sixteen, who is absent from their domicile without the reasonable authority of those responsible for, or in charge of them, and who needs a service either to find and return them to that place (where it is safe or in the child ’ s interests to do so), or to (a) keep them safe (b) ensure an appropriate and proportionate response to their needs (c) meet statutory requirements Children between the ages of 16 and 18 will be included in this definition when (a) they have a history of running away which predates their 16th birthday (b) they are looked after, or looked after and accommodated. Scottish Government 2008
- UNCRC (1991): overarching framework which includes the principle of the right of children and young people to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation. Children (Scotland) Act 1995 Section 38(1): provision of safe place at child ’ s request For Scotland ’ s Children: an Action Plan (2001) - Integrated Children ’ s Services Plans in every local authority - 8 of the 32 specifically mention young runaways (Malloch & Burgess, 2007)
- Guidance Pack on Vulnerable Children and Young People: Young Runaways (Scottish Executive, 2003): ‘ enables local authorities to provide short-term refuge in designated or approved establishments and households for children who appear to be at risk of harm and who can request refuge ’ . - concern that not enough provision - Scoping Study 2007 (initiated by The Scottish Coalition for Young Runaways) Getting It Right for Every Child (2007) : integrated system of multi-agency provision for all Scotland ’ s young people
- Difficulties with estimating prevalence: The majority of young people who run away from home are not being reported to the police as missing while away ( out of 56 in 2011 only 9 were formally reported missing! Partial picture – inconsistency in statistical collection across country. In Scotland: 9,000 or 11% or one in nine young people run away over night before the age of sixteen each year (Wade,2001) Need for new research and evaluation of services to runaways in Scotland
- Refuge opened July 2004 3 bedded Refuge with access for young people with mobility issues Registered as a Care Home for Children and Young People Inspected and regulated – SSSC registration
- Aberlour Young Runaways Service Adopts a holistic approach with the young person at the centre and in line with the GIRFEC approach Outcomes for young people: Safe - Immediate safe accommodation staffed by trained and experienced workers practiced in using Solution Focused Brief Therapy as an intervention, with training in self harm, Scottish Mental Health First Aid, sexual health and substance misuse. Prevents young people ’ s exposure to further risk and helps them to resolve the issues that created the crisis Healthy – health needs are reviewed and young people are linked in with the relevant services for their physical, emotional, sexual and mental health needs. Achieving – young people are encouraged to meet their potential and are provided with access to educational supports either at their registered school or alternative educational establishment and/or supported within refuge to continue and address their educational attainment
- Achieving – young people are encouraged to meet their potential and are provided with access to educational supports either at their registered school or alternative educational establishment and/or supported within refuge to continue and address their educational attainment Nurtured – they are provided with an environment that respects their views and needs and which promotes their wellbeing Active – they are encouraged to join in activities and are provided with links into such in their own communities Respected and Responsible – young peoples views are listened to and they are supported in sharing these with the adults who undertake the decision making in their life. Staff work with the young person in regard to their own actions and the implications of such on themselves and others Included - Young people are given the opportunity for timeout to reflect and consider their options and be supported in making choices about the crisis that has occurred and make informed decisions about their next steps Impact: a Realist Evaluation (what works, for whom, under which circumstances) by Prof Kazi, an expert in this field, tells us we have greatest impact if we get there in time – much better results before 14 than after!. Young people need to feel listened to, the research suggests if parents are happy with the service we have provided these outcomes are much more sustainable, so re occurrence is less. Agencies need to find time to communicate about this crucial issue- also to avoid longer term impact and associated costs to society!
- Solution focussed Adolescent wellbeing scale Pathways Artwork Pro social modelling Animation, radio 4 play, youth parliament, truth about youth Young Scot, Tron Theatre, SCCYP,
- Stats of pilot scheme & experience, response. Grampian pilot etc.
- Improved recognition: increased awareness of the risk factors associated with running away as early as possible - proactive in preventing young people running away Improved response needed: by universal services and more informed advice about where to get help; an improved and more consistent police response; more specialist emergency provision and better information for young people. (The Children ’ s Society, 2011) The link between running away and future homelessness: the vast majority of young homeless people (84 per cent) had also run away before the age of 16. Young people who are persistent runaways are also at greater risk of homelessness in later life. ( Shelter Scotland 2011)
- Many young people do not seek help while away and some actively avoid contact with services. Response must be supportive & flexible. Crisis response services should be embedded within a network of responses which also includes generic prevention, targeted prevention and early intervention, and - after running away incidents - follow-up response including assessment of need, and longer-term support where appropriate.