East Riding’s Voices Mean Choices service informs national learning for a better response to child exploitation risks

The Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University has published a blog featuring East Riding’s Voices Mean Choices service.

The IPC captured the learning from Voices Mean Choices, a partnership between East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Barnardo’s, and evaluated how it was set up, how to operates and the outcomes it achieves.

John Wilkinson, Associate Visiting Research Fellow at IPC, stated Voices Mean Choices is an innovative partnership creating a better response to child exploitation risks and harms. The IPC highlights that the project aimed to improve the response to child exploitation so that children are safer sooner. Instead of jumping to conclusions that professionals knew best, the project heard the voices of children, young people and families affected by exploitation, and co-designed and tested ideas for changes to the system.

The evaluation also notes the success of Our Place – the mobile detached youth outreach service which can be deployed flexibly to wherever the need is greatest, which was winner of the Children’s Services category at the LGC awards.

Helen Jones-Brown, strategic youth lead & child exploitation, East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: “What started as a strategic partnership, hearts and hopes of young people from the East Riding created a vision — Our Place. Through collaboration, creativity, and co-design, a mobile youth space has been created that travels with their dreams, listens to their needs, and leads with their voices.”

Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education said: “It’s fantastic that the hard work from professionals, children and young people has been recognised by the Institute of Public Care. The evaluation notes the commitment and passion from leaders, the relentless partnership building, the creativity, and the co-design of the service with our children and young people.

“Voices Mean Choices is positively impacting the lives of our more vulnerable young people and helping ensure young people are safer sooner. The IPC’s evaluation will help other areas to learn and benefit from the best practice that is being delivered here in the East Riding.”

Read more: https://ipc.brookes.ac.uk/improving-the-response-to-child-exploitation-so-that-children-are-safer-sooner/