The work of Barnardo’s Birmingham Space service, one year on

One year on from the conclusion of our former corporate charity partnership with Barnardo’s our fundraising support for the charity’s Child Sexual Exploitation work continues to be of benefit.

The Barnardo’s Birmingham Space service, which we helped to support, has continued to deliver essential intensive support to children who have been surviving victims of sexual exploitation (CSE) in Warwickshire and Staffordshire. Over the year, Barnardo’s highly skilled Project Workers have supported children and young people aged 13-18 to recover from their trauma. The Project Workers have also played a crucial role in raising awareness of CSE in Warwickshire, developing a campaign, launched this year, to bring the issue to the forefront of local communities and organisations and public services working with children.

Impact one year on:

The Warwickshire team, located with and working alongside Leamington Spa Police has been nominated for a Good Practice award as a result of the incredible work it has undertaken to protect and support children and young people in the area, aiding their recovery and bringing their abusers to justice.

In the last three months of 2014, the Preventative Education Programme delivered by one of the Warwickshire team Barnardo’s Project Workers reached:

• 200 children and young people in schools and children’s homes
• 242 professionals such as local authority social workers, teachers and medical professionals to spot the signs of CSE
• Ran parent sessions for 22 parents/carers

Staffordshire Counselling work ran for a year and ended in 2014. During that time, the counsellor achieved incredible outcomes for the children in her care, making a huge difference to the lives of children who would have struggled to get the support they needed, and deserved, otherwise.

• All children and young people re-engaged with education
• All ceased to be involved in exploitative relationships