The effectiveness of the 'Hub and Spoke model' for improving local multi-agency responses to child sexual exploitation
Lucie Shuker
University of Bedfordshire
Dr Lucie Shuker is a Senior Research Fellow in ‘The International Centre: researching child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking’ which is based at the University of Bedfordshire in England. She has worked as a researcher in the field of sexual violence and exploitation for the last five years since completing her PhD and has particular interests in the safety of children in alternative care who are vulnerable to exploitation, realist evaluation and improving the use of evidence in policy and practice.
Abstract
ObjectivesThis presentation will report on key findings from the evaluation of the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model of service development in England between 2014 and 2017. This three-year funding programme aimed to catalyse a shift... [ view full abstract ]
Objectives
This presentation will report on key findings from the evaluation of the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model of service development in England between 2014 and 2017. This three-year funding programme aimed to catalyse a shift toward all relevant authorities viewing child sexual exploitation (CSE) as a child protection issue. The model utilises the expertise, resources and infrastructure of an established CSE service (the ‘Hub’) and extends the service by locating project workers (‘Spokes’) into new areas without existing specialist CSE services. The core aim of the evaluation was to provide knowledge about the potential of the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model to trigger cultural and systemic change in the way that services supporting children and young people respond to CSE.
Methodology
Evaluators visited each of the 16 ‘Hub and Spoke’ services between one and three times over the three years, and collected a range of qualitative and quantitative data to understand how effectively they were achieving six core outcomes. The team used a realist evaluation approach, emphasising how context affects an intervention’s effectiveness, and allowing us to understand the key issues that might affect how the model could be applied in other environments.
Results and conclusions
Multi-disciplinary inter-agency approaches are vital components of an effective response to CSE, and the evaluation provides new evidence on the forms and impact of different multi-agency partnership/structures, including the vital relationship between government and voluntary agencies. This presentation will report key findings from the final report (published September 2017) regarding the impact of the model on:
- safeguarding young people from sexual exploitation through service delivery;
- supporting and equipping specialist CSE workers to work effectively in host agencies; and
- promoting stable CSE policy frameworks in new areas by raising awareness, developing procedures and advancing cultures of support from local policy makers responsible for CSE.
Authors
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Lucie Shuker
(University of Bedfordshire)
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Julie Harris
(University of Bedfordshire)
Topic Area
Multi-disciplinary Interagency Approaches (MDIA) and Child Protection Units [Micromanageme
Session
Oral 33 » Session1-Multidisciplinary Interagency Approaches (09:00 - Wednesday, 4th October, Asia Room)
Presentation Files
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