PROTECT is a KA2 YOUTH Strategic Partnership project that seeks to provide Youthworkers (YWs) with targeted training materials that will promote better YW, safeguarding, knowledge and prevention around CSE, and improve staff competencies in dealing with the issues. PP is made up of 5 youth organisations and 1 formal educational training provider from the UK, Poland, France, Cyprus and Turkey. YWs are a first point of access for vulnerable young people in communities, yet CSE remains a largely neglected area in YW training. Whilst there is international concern, there needs to be holistic packages of protective support implemented at the local level that incorporate protection against both online and offline grooming, with knowledge needed by YP to build resilience, and that recognize how a range of issues intersect including healthy relationships, involvement with gangs, drugs and crime as well as staying safe from grooming online and in community. Whilst online grooming is a key issue, attention needs to also be given to community based and other safety, resilience and protection factors that emerge in our work with YP. YWs are well placed to offer holistic intervention at the local level and through positive relationships with YP. The target group for such interventions are young people in disadvantaged communities who face a number of vulnerability factors including involvement with gangs, drugs or crime, engagement in risky and unsafe relationships, and young women in particular. A trans-national approach will enable the development of an innovative toolkit based on collaborative development activities that can be delivered locally and that fills an international gap in YW training that requires an urgent fix. The project will seek to improve the competence level of a new generation of 76 emerging leaders in YW (particularly those under 30). The formal education provider will support the development, evaluation and implementations of the training materials. The objectives of the project will be to enhance 76 YWs skills and understanding of CSE and related issues through the change of practices, achieved through 3, 5 day training activities taking place in year 1 of the project. As well, to evaluate these training events and use the findings to inform the collaborative development of a new toolkit by partner organisations and their emerging leaders in year 2 of the project. Furthermore, to test and embed the toolkit into the training and practice of YWs in each of the partner countries through 6 multiplier events, delivered in year 2 by partner countries and the integration of the toolkit with free access on their websites beyond the end of the project. Finally, to launch the toolkit at an international conference for YWs in the UK at the end of year 2. The potential long term benefits for YWs will be a greater skill set and development of knowledge on CSE, the risks and skills needed to support YP who are affected and or involved in CSE. As well as this, the development of a sustainable toolkit, accessible to anyone within the partner countries to further educate YWs on CSE and good practice in addressing the issue.
1)To enhance YWs skills and understanding of CSE and related issues through the coming together to develop and share new ideas for training activities, achieved through 3 5-day training activities taking place in year 1 of the project. 2)To evaluate these training events to inform the collaborative development of a new innovative toolkit by the partner organisations and their emerging leaders in year 2 of the project. The training activities and toolkit will incorporate specific sections on CSE and related issues. The partners will each contribute to developing ideas for each section. Partners will share activities and interventions as part of the training events that are developed and reflected on as a group then incorporated into the toolkit. 3) To test and embed the toolkit into the training and practice of YWs in each of the partner countries through multiplier events delivered by the partners in year 2 of the project and the integration of the toolkit into their ongoing training of YWs and the hosting of the toolkit in a free to access space online beyond the end of the project
PROTECT provided Youthworkers (YWs) with targeted training to support safeguarding and knowledge around Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and overlapping issues. We recognised the need for holistic packages of protective support implemented at the local level that incorporate protection against both online and offline grooming, and that recognize how a range of issues intersect including healthy relationships, involvement with gangs, drugs and crime as well as staying safe from grooming online and in community. A trans-national approach enabled the development of an innovative toolkit based on collaborative development activities that can be delivered locally and that fills an international gap in YW training that required an urgent fix. The project improved the competence level of a new generation of emerging leaders in YW (particularly those under 30). The long term benefits for YWs are a greater skill set and knowledge on CSE and overlapping issues, and skills needed to support YP who are affected and or involved in CSE. As well our toolkit is accessible to anyone within the partner countries to further educate YWs on CSE and related issues.