No child should feel alone Making a difference OUR IMPACT IN LONDON 2017/18
We believe no child should feel alone. Each time I meet the young people we work with, I am struck by their incredible personal journeys. Their strength and resilience inspires us all to be ambitious about the change we make not only for individuals, but also for the world around them. I am proud that over the past year The Children s Society has supported so many young people to overcome challenges in their lives. This vital support comes both through our direct work and through our campaigning, where we can help improve the lives of young people we may never meet. Measuring and demonstrating the impact of the breadth of our work is difficult, but it s critically important to understand where change has occurred and our contribution, so that we can tenaciously strive to do the very best we can for children and young people. Our 2018 Regional Impact Reports aim to offer an honest account of the difference we are making in young people s lives. We believe that no child should feel alone, and this is why we are relentless in our desire to learn more about how we can make a difference in the lives of those who need us most. Many thanks, Matthew Reed Chief Executive The Children s Society 2
Services 2017/18 Camden CSE worked with young people at risk of sexual exploitation. Fresh Step worked with young women who were in or leaving custody or care who had been sexually and criminally exploited within gangs or other contexts where violence against women and girls is prevalent. Camden Missing and Tower Hamlets RHI supported young people who were going missing and helped them to stay safe. Destitute Youth supported migrant young people at risk of destitution. Stand by Me offered advice and advocacy to young migrants who had been separated from their families. Stride worked with young men and boys who were at risk of criminal exploitation related to county lines. Tower Hamlets Advocacy gave children in care a voice and also specialised in advocacy for disabled children. Family Voice supported migrant families at risk of destitution. RISE worked with young men and boys who had been trafficked. New services 2018 Disrupting Exploitation supported young people involved in labour, sexual and criminal exploitation, and changed systems to support them. By Your Side supported young people at risk of destitution and separated children. 3
Campaigning work The Debt Trap Problem debt leaves families and young people feeling stressed, anxious and depressed. Children living in families struggling with debt are five times more likely to be unhappy than children in families who don t have difficulty with debt. We ve been campaigning to end the Debt Trap for families since May 2014. In that time, we have tackled many of the biggest issues for families in debt, including: n Payday loan advertising on children s TV. n Energy companies and their debt collection practices. n Local councils and their use of bailiffs in homes of children and vulnerable young people. In 2017/18 we won a commitment from Government to introduce a Breathing Space for families in problem debt to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill. The introduction of this measure will give families time and space to repay their debts with no rising fees or visits from intimidating bailiffs, helping 530,000 young people. Locally, through our campaigning work we persuaded 17 local London councils to exempt care leavers from having to pay council tax, impacting over 6,000 young people. The councils included Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Croydon, Kensington and Chelsea, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Camden, Southwark, Lewisham, Havering, Westminster, Brent, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Newham and Hounslow. 4
17 local authorities changed their policy. That makes a total of approximately 6,670 care leavers who have benefitted in the past year. Hammersmith and Fulham also agreed they would no longer use bailiffs for families in arrears, benefitting 3,882 children in that borough. 5
Spotlight Family Voice Our Family Voice service (funded by the Big Lottery) ran from April 2015 to April 2018. The service provided advice, advocacy and support for migrant children and their families facing destitution in London. Thanks to the dedication, advocacy and intensive casework of our staff: 29 families had no recourse to public funds conditions lifted. 47 families secured adequate housing under Section 17 support. 54 families secured regular income under Section 17. 60 families secured immigration advice from solicitors. 6
I didn t go to places by myself before, now I go to the gym and to see my family by myself. No one helped me learn that before my worker did. Young person 7
Key results 67% of children and young people say their lives improved overall. 762 professionals trained. 54 families We worked secured with regular income under Section 17 following intensive 549 casework. children and young people. 60 families secured immigration 131advice children from solicitors. and young people reached via preventative work. 8
Needs in the area 667,557 number of children in poverty. 2,863 number of assessments of children in need due to concerns about sexual exploitation. 128,267 approximate number of children with a diagnosable mental health condition. 68,087 number of children classified as children in need. 23,944 number of incidents reported to police of children going missing. 11,680 number of care leavers under 25. 9
Demographics 18% 25% 14% 9% 35% 41% are female Asian or Asian British Black or Black British Mixed Heritage Other ethnicities White and White British 22% 11% 59% are male 67% *0.1% of the referral forms we received indicate the young person identifies as neither male nor female Aged 9 or under Aged 10 to 18 Aged 19 to 24 10
Huda Huda was sexually assaulted when she was 15, and afterwards faced honour-based abuse at home, which led to depression and two suicide attempts. Her issues at home escalated and, unable to return there, Huda found herself on the streets and sleeping under railway bridges. It wasn t long before she fell victim to child criminal exploitation and trafficking often known as county lines where she was forced to pack and carry drugs to trap houses, staying in horrific conditions. Struggling and unaware that she was being criminally exploited, Huda was referred to The Children s Society, who worked with her in one-to-one sessions, supporting her to break free from her abusers and recover from her traumatic experiences. Huda is now safe and living back at home. She hopes to use her experiences to raise awareness about the ways in which young women can be targeted and groomed into exploitation. Even the thought of girls going through the same thing right now burns my heart, so I would really like to help other people. I can apply my trauma and experiences towards someone who thinks they re alone when they re not. 11
Right now in Britain there are children and young people who feel scared, unloved and unable to cope. The Children s Society works with these young people, step by step, for as long as it takes. We listen. We support. We act. There are no simple answers so we work with others to tackle complex problems. Only together can we make a difference to the lives of children now and in the future. Because no child should feel alone. Find out more at childrenssociety.org.uk Contact us Gary Thomas: Area Director t: 07834 418 255 e: gary.thomas@childrenssociety.org.uk Tim Cooper: Business Development t: 07715 510 222 e: timothy.cooper@childrenssociety.org.uk Or to donate to support our work please contact: Jonathan Mann: Regional Relationship Manager t: 07725 639 446 The Children s Society 2018. The copyright of all material appearing in this publication belongs to The Children s Society. It may not be reproduced, duplicated or copied by any means without our prior written consent. All photographs posed by models. Laura McCluskey, Stella Scott. Charity Registration No. 221124 12 AI002bb/1018