“North Yorkshire charity to provide UK training in online sexual abuse”, Darlington & Stockton Times
Emily Flanagan, Darlington, 23 July 2017
A CHARITY has received ministerial backing to train up to 15,000 frontline professionals in supporting child victims of online sexual abuse.
The Marie Collins Foundation (MCF), based in Masham, North Yorkshire, is to deliver a national training programme to help it better understand young victims’ needs after a lack of understanding and expertise was uncovered.
A UK survey recently highlighted the lack of confidence and knowledge among professionals working in the field. Teachers, social workers, police officers, health workers and people working in children’s charities and the criminal justice system are all encouraged to take up the training. The Click: Path to Protection programme, devised by the chairty, was launched in London with ministerial backing and the support of BT.
Sarah Newton, minister for crime, safeguarding and vulnerability, said: “This is a very important offer from Marie Collins Foundation for frontline professionals working with children to better understand their needs. This training programme is going to play a really important role.”
Chief executive of MCF is Tink Palmer, who after running a national programme set up for abuse victims in Middlesbrough, worked on her first referral from the police regarding the sexual abuse of children via the internet in 1998.
She said: “The purpose is to ensure that the professional response is one that places the needs of abused children and their families at the centre of any investigation or intervention.
“The aim is to empower safeguarding professionals by equipping them with the skills and knowledge required to respond adequately to the needs of children, so they can go on to lead safe and fulfilling lives.”
The launch was chaired by Sir Richard Tilt, former director General of the Prison Service and chair of the Internet Watch Foundation and was attended by around 60 representatives of Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, NCA CEOP, police forces, criminal justice, charities, NGOs, academia and the Home Office, some of which immediately signed up for the training.
They also heard from the father of a victim who was groomed at the age of 13 after coming out as gay on Facebook.
He said: “Our problems were compounded by too many individuals who were responsible for safeguarding who were not properly trained and who failed to operate within a culture that cared.”
A survey carried out by Professor Emma Bond in 2013 of nearly 700 professionals working in health, education and children and young people’s services confirmed that more than 95 per cent would value training.
Only a quarter of those working in health services said they felt confident in assessing online risk and, in children and young people’s services, only 30 per cent said they had ever received training in assessing online risk.
Organisations interested in the training can contact MCF by visiting mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk