Transitional safeguarding Adolescence to Adulthood Angela Parton Operations Director YSS Beth Raynor-Smith ARC Keyworker

Who am I? YSS Operations Director YSS designated lead for Safeguarding Social Worker Former Head of ST&W YOS

YSS who we are and what we do YSS has been working with children, young people, adults and families in West Mercia for 30 years YSS offers a person centred and holistic approach offering intensive one to one interventions YSS working with young people, adults and families who are vulnerable with multiple and complex needs

YSS – West Mercia Appropriate Adult ARC (Accessing Resources in the Community) 16-24 yr olds Divert 13 -16 years old Early Help Enhanced Support Service (ESS) Meet and Mentor Remember Veterans Young Carers

Transition to Adulthood (T2A) YSS T2A pilot in West Mercia funded by Barrow Cadbury for young adults in the criminal justice system A distinctive service for young adults offering one-to-one, person- centred mentoring support Practical support recognising levels of cognitive and emotional maturity Support in negotiating transition from childrens services to adult https://www.t2a.org.uk/

Transitional Safeguarding Adolescents may experience a range of risks and harms, and so may require a distinctive safeguarding response. Harm, and its effects, do not stop at the age of 18. Many of the environmental and structural factors that increase a child’s vulnerability persist into adulthood, resulting in unmet needs and costly later interventions. The children’s and adults’ safeguarding systems are governed by different statutory frameworks, which can make the transition to adulthood harder for young people facing ongoing risk. Young people entering adulthood can experience a ‘cliff-edge’ in terms of support. http://www.rip.org.uk/

Contextual Safeguarding young people experience harm beyond their families recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. Parents and carers have little influence over these contexts, and young people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships. Carlene Firmin University of Bedfordshire https://www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/

Contextual Safeguarding

Contextual Safeguarding peer on peer and relationship abuse criminal/ sexual exploitation/ online abuse missing episodes risks associated with gangs risks associated with radicalisation safeguarding risks in public spaces trafficking and modern slavery

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful events occurring in childhood including domestic violence parental abandonment through separation or divorce a parent with a mental health condition being the victim of abuse (physical, sexual and/or emotional) being the victim of neglect (physical and emotional) a member of the household being in prison growing up in a household in which there are adults experiencing alcohol and drug use problems.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

those with 4 or more ACEs are more likely to have been in prison develop heart disease frequently visit the GP develop type 2 diabetes have committed violence in the last 12 months have health-harming behaviours (high-risk drinking, smoking, drug use).

Why are ACE’s important? When children are exposed to adverse and stressful experiences, it can have a long-lasting impact on their ability to think, interact with others and on their learning. ACEs should not be seen as someone’s destiny. There is much that can be done to offer hope and build resilience in children, young people and adults who have experienced adversity in early life. Research has found that a relationship with one trusted adult during childhood can mitigate the impacts of ACEs on mental and physical wellbeing.

We can help reduce ACEs by preventing household adversity supporting parents and families building resilience in children and wider communities enquiring about ACEs routinely in our services to respond appropriately encouraging wider awareness and understanding about ACEs and their impact on health and behaviour using encounters with adults in services such as homelessness services, addiction, prison or maternity services, to also consider the impacts on their children or future children. Ref NHS Scotland

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