POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer, is working alongside and Warrington and Halton borough councils and Queensberry Alternative Provision to deliver an educational programme which aims to tackle child exploitation.
The project will be delivered by Queensberry AP who have been supporting young people, families and professionals through one-to-one intervention, group workshops and specialist training for the past four and a half years.
Their work covers a range of topics including school engagement, child exploitation, county lines and youth violence with the aim to educate, raise awareness and tackle the issues that affect communities.
Founders Nic Martin and Paul Cooper developed Queensberry AP based upon their personal experience working directly with vulnerable and hard to reach young people and families in a number of roles across the education sector and local authority. Having worked within Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties schools (SEBDs), mainstream secondary schools and as senior leaders within a Pupil Referral Unit setting with permanently excluded young people, Queensberry AP are committed to tackling exploitation and youth violence using their ethos of “prevention not cure”.
Mr Dwyer, said: “I am delighted to be supporting Queensberry AP on this project. Protecting vulnerable and at-risk people is a priority in my Police and Crime Plan and young people can be some of the most vulnerable members of society. They are most at risk of victimisation, particularly when the crime involves coercion or manipulation such as child exploitation or county lines drug activity.
“I believe education is key to keeping young people on the right tracks and this programme will help to empower them in recognising the signs and making positive choices.”
Queensberry AP’s wider team includes specialist youth workers and volunteers who have been selected based upon not only their professional experience but also their lived experience and understanding of the current issues faced by young people.
The new project provides early intervention for young people through preventative educational school-based workshops and a one-to-one mentoring programme delivered within schools and community settings for those considered the most vulnerable to exploitation or youth violence. The project will educate young people around the risks of exploitation, build their resilience to reduce their level of risk and includes real-life accounts from both serving and ex-offenders whose real-life experience forms part of Queensberry AP’s wider offer.
All work is underpinned by restorative practices which encourages young people to reflect upon the impact of their actions, consider the consequences of their choices and helps them to make positive changes with the aim of building stronger and safer communities.
The project will see Queensberry AP working in partnership with a number of statutory services across Warrington and Halton including schools, children’s social care and the local policing teams. The workshops and intervention will encourage young people to actively engage with support from these partner agencies, while also meeting the Commissioner’s key priorities of preventing and tackling crime and protecting vulnerable and at-risk.
Paul Cooper from Queensberry AP said: “We are delighted that the Police and Crime Commissioner has chosen Queensberry AP to deliver this extremely important project that will support young people and families throughout Warrington and Halton.
“The cost of living crisis, impact from Covid and the added pressure upon public services has created the “perfect storm” for those looking to exploit vulnerable young people.
“This project will not only provide much needed support to those who may already be on the brink of involvement in criminality, but it will also provide early intervention and prevention for young people at the other end of the spectrum, something that we believe is absolutely vital in keeping children and young people safe from exploitation and harm.”
Commissioner supports project to tackle child exploitation.
If you would like to find out more about Queensberry AP, contact the team at [email protected]
