Major study to explore new ways to prevent child exploitation Fiona Simpson Friday, May 7, 2021
A £1.9m project studying safeguarding risks faced by young people outside their home will look at new ways of combating threats such as sexual and criminal exploitation and gang affiliation.
The study will look at ways to combat child criminal and sexual exploitation. Picture: Adobe Stock Register now to continue reading Thank you for visiting
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University of Sussex
Researchers have begun analysing the innovative approaches taken by six organisations and partnerships across the country in addressing extra-familial risks faced by young people.
The £1.9 million Innovate Project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, is exploring new ways of combating safeguarding risks beyond the family home, such as sexual and criminal exploitation, peer-on-peer abuse, and gang affiliation.
The research, led by Professor Michelle Lefevre at the University of Sussex, launched last year with innovation mapping projects which included three reviews and a practice survey.
Now the study is moving into its fieldwork stage where experts from the universities of Sussex, Oxford and Bedfordshire, and counterparts from Research in Practice and Innovation Unit, will closely study three promising frameworks supporting service development in the six case study sites.
The idea is being piloted by a Bournemouth tech company in partnership with two London authorities. Bournemouth-based IoT Solutions Group has provided 200 home sensors to be used by Sutton and Richmond councils. They are being used in Sutton Housing Partnership and Richmond Housing Partnership properties as part of the InnOvaTe Project – but the project could pave the way for similar technology to be used nationwide. Emma Mahy, chief executive of IoT Solutions Group, said: “We are excited to be working with Sutton and Richmond councils to enhance their social care provision. “We know how much pressure social care services are under at this time and how concerned relatives are about the wellbeing of family members they aren’t able to visit.