The ‘Hub and Spoke’ Evaluation 2013-17

Dr Julie HarrisPrincipal Research Fellow

Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

The International Centre

• Committed to increasing understanding of, and improving responses to, child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking in local, national and international contexts

• Achieved through:– academic rigour and research excellence– collaborative and partnership based approaches to

applied social research– meaningful and ethical engagement of children and

young people– active dissemination and evidence-based engagement in

theory, policy and practice

Presentation outline

1. Overview of the CSEFA strategy2. The Hub and Spoke Evaluation – aims,

challenges, design and scope.3. Progress in year 1 and early themes emerging4. The focus for year 2

The Child Sexual Exploitation Funders Alliance (CSEFA)

• Building on previous research (Jago et al. 2011)• A group of charitable funders aligning resources to

safeguard children from CSE• Funders will each resource different elements of a strategy

to achieve the aim

• Overall aim: to position CSE as an integral part of mainstream safeguarding (child protection) activity

THE CSEFA STRATEGY

Four key strands

1. Extending services using the ‘Hub and Spoke’ model for service development

2. Supporting the development of local strategy and agencies’ responses to CSE

3. Facilitating young people’s participation4. Sharing the learning through knowledge exchange

The ‘Hub and Spoke’ Model

HUB

Spoke 1

Spoke 2

Spoke 3Spoke 4

Spoke 5

Expanding into new LSCB areas

HUB

LSCB 1 LSCB 2

LSCB 3LSCB 4

LSCB 5

Expanding reach within one LSCB

HUB

District 1District 2

District 3District 4

District 5

HUB

Established and sustainable

service

Capacity to expand

Experience of multi-agency partnerships

Criteria for Hub services

The Hub and Spoke Evaluation

Overall aim

•To provide knowledge about the potential of this model to bring about cultural and systemic change in the way that children’s services respond to child sexual exploitation

Research Questions

• How does the Hub and Spoke model develop strategic influence and promote effective CSE policy frameworks, procedures and protocols that support cross agency responses?

• What is the impact of the model on increasing the awareness, identification and response to CSE amongst key agencies working with children and young people?

• What local conditions and arrangements determine and best support the development of sustainable and effective Spoke services?

• How should Hub services support Spoke staff in working within host agencies and over geographical distance?

• How do services effectively engage young people?

Challenges

• Multiple sites• Variation in models of practice intervention• Length of intervention linked to outcomes achieved• Multiple objectives of pilot programme

Potential variables:

• Existing local networks and relationships• Service structures• Procedures and protocols• Availability of resources• Physical setting of service• Levels of engagement of various participants• Local demographics• Local models of exploitation

Realist Evaluation

• Evaluate results over multi-sites and different time periods – building cumulative knowledge as project progresses

• Treads middle path between qualitative and quantitative data collection – combining depth with rigour

• Supports formative and summative approach• Reveal and explain the collective outcomes

footprint • What works, for whom, in what circumstances

and why?(Pawson and Tilley, 1997)

Three key aspects:

• Direct work with young people and individual case consultancy

• Strategic influence and local policy development• Training and awareness raising of practitioners in

key agencies

National

Local policy

Operational / Service

Practitioner (Spoke)

Young person

Multiple ‘contexts’ for consideration

Early themes emerging 2013-14

East Sussex

Lewes

Hastings

Eastbourne

Newcastle

Gateshead

Sunderland

South Shields

Middlesbro’

Stockton

Redcar

Durham

Hartlepool

Darlington

Year One Hubs and Spokes

Spoke worker locations

HUB

Vol Org

Children’s services

PoliceUniversal service

MASH

Role of the Hub in supporting Spoke development

Multi-agencies

• Local policy• Safeguarding

structures

Statutory agencies

• Location• Referral

Staff • Training • Support

Role of the Spoke

• Training• Identification

• Consultancy • Support

• Direct work• Caseload

Young people

PractitionersAgencies

11 Spokes

Direct work455 young people

197 individual work

258 Group work sessions

Trained 3708 professionals

Consultancy on 239 cases

Spoke worker activities in year 1

Key themes emerging

Local strategy

• Similar structures developing within LSCBs for tackling CSE

• Hub involvement can engender learning across a region and LA boundaries

• A local voice in these structures help to secure appropriate arrangements for Spoke and their integration

Operational issues

• Location is vital to visibility• Development of referral

pathways• Funding streams may

determine make up and size of caseload

• … and ultimately balance and focus of the work

Focus in year 2

• Consistent data collection about activities and outputs, referrals, characteristics of young people across the sites

• Unique contribution of voluntary sector provision to safeguarding agenda and provision

• Effectiveness of Hub and Spoke at extending reach into different communities

• Development of participation strand to evaluation

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Year 2 Hubs and Spokes

Geographical coverage in years 1 and 2

Key themes emergingSupporting Spoke workers

• Funding streams and location also determine management, support and supervision arrangements.

• Spoke worker identity and maintenance of voluntary sector ethos are key.

• Importance of regular and various contact with Hub

• Breadth of the Spoke role

Engaging young people

• Visibility of Spoke to young people

• Diverse venues• Use of creative methods• Voluntary sector ethos and

approach• Personal qualities

Year 3 Hubs and Spokes

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Julie.harris@beds.ac.uk

For more information on our work including research publications, short films and

outputs from young people please visit www.beds.ac.uk/ic