WEST MERCIA PCC: DISCLOSURE LOG
RESPONSE TO REQUEST
Reference: 2023 – 328 / WE7427
Date of response: 26th April 2023
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST
Request
I am writing on behalf of Barnardo’s with a Freedom of Information request.
We would like information regarding the number of services commissioned by the Office of the
Police and Crime Commissioner in the past 12 months.
We are looking to find:
- The number of services commissioned by Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in the past 12 months for :
a. Child Victims of Child Criminal Exploitation
b. Child Victims of Child Sexual Exploitation.
Barnardo’s will use the information provided to inform research that we are doing on child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation. This research will be used in our work with the Government on strengthening protection for and responses to child sexual and child criminal exploitation.
Response
Please see the below response to your request.
Children and young people CSE Services.
BRANCH 3 year contract 2021-2024 (+1+1) Provider: West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC).
The Branch Project offers tailored 1:1 support to children and young people aged 5 to 18 who are impacted by Child Sexual Exploitation in whatever context that presents (considering the virtual /‘real’ world are one and the same thing for CYP’s)
Support is extended to young people up to the age of 24 who have an additional need(s) (e.g.: Neurodiversity / Physical Disability) and who may be at risk of or impacted by sexual exploitation and would benefit from tailored support to educate, develop awareness, reduce risk and improve the resilience / safety network of those supported. Staff are qualified Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) with additional skillsets such as play therapy, utilise wide ranging resources to best engage and deliver key messages. They provide bespoke person-centric support for as long as is required, for both non-criminal justice and criminal justice circumstances to support with the rippling impact of CSE.
The service has recently been uplifted with additional funding to provide a Tech-Assisted CSE worker, a specialist role for when technology is a feature of the exploitation risk, but all Branch workers are trained to deliver specialist support around online harms and incorporate this into their wider support offer.
For reference only to support research request we also fund a:
BRANCH PLUS WORKER (Adult exploitation).
Branch Plus is a project that recognises sexual exploitation may not end or start just because someone is over 18 years of age. Some people may exchange sex to access a necessity such as foot, items for children, money, accommodation or drugs. Branch Plus workers are specially trained to support and explore options to provide the individual with information to empower informed choices.
PURPLE LEAF 3 year contract 2021-2024 (+1+1) Provider: West Mercia Rape and Sexual
Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC).
The Purple Leaf Training and Education Children and Young People’s Programme is an
educational resource, run by West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC), created to increase young people’s awareness of sexual abuse, to equip them with the skills, knowledge and tools to be able to identify uncomfortable feelings, and to know where to go for help and support.
The resource is designed for children and young people aged from 10 to 18, and has successfully delivered to both primary and secondary school settings. Each session is tailored for the relevant group, using age-appropriate materials. The Purple Leaf Programme covers the following outcomes:
- Young people will have an increased understanding of consent, both in the context of seeking consent and giving consent
- Young people will be able to identify factors that might make a relationship healthy or unhealthy
- Young people will be able to identify uncomfortable feelings
- Young people will have a better understanding of how to access support and information
These outcomes will support schools in meeting the guidelines of ‘Respectful Relationships’ and ‘Being Safe’ for primary and secondary schools, plus ‘Intimate and Sexual Relationships’ for secondary schools, as outlined in Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education (Department for Education, 2019).
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write to the Information Compliance Unit; Information Compliance Unit, PO Box 55, Worcester, WR3 8SP. Email: [email protected]
Yours sincerely,
FOI Officer
West Mercia PCC
