Benefits

CR3, CR5, CR6, CR8 

Need

In West Belfast, an increase in “house parties” led to disclosures from young people about Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Criminal Child Exploitation (CCE). Youth Workers supported these disclosures to the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and Social Services. However, the community faced challenges from Social Services and the CSE Unit in PPU, citing GDPR as a barrier to community involvement. 

Action

To address this, CiT (Communities in Transition) partners researched and discovered the Sunrise Project in Rochdale. Established in 2013, this multi-agency team includes social workers, police, health workers, and PACE (Parents Against Child Exploitation) workers. The team works on tackling CSE and related harm in Rochdale. The approach, known as the ‘Four P’s Approach,’ focuses on Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Public confidence. In February 2023, CiT partners reached out to the Sunrise Project to learn about their model. 

Result

A delegation, including a CI from the PSNI, support workers from Sure Start and USCSF, and representatives from Footprints Women’s Centre, visited Rochdale to understand the Sunrise model. The trip was informative, showcasing a good practice model, and helped identify practical barriers to implementation in Northern Ireland. This visit aims to improve inter-agency relationships, support community responses to emerging problems, and adapt best-practice models to Northern Ireland’s context.