Opening Conversations: Improving the early identification of children and young people with SEND
‘I’ve noticed…is everything ok?’
In England over 1.57 million children and young people are identified as having special educational needs (SEN), over 17% of all pupils.6 The most identified needs are associated with Autism, Speech Language and Communication (SLC), and social, emotional and mental health. This group of children and young people are more likely to have experienced high levels of isolation, exclusion, and bullying (Centre for Young Lives, 2024, Lamrhari et al, 2022, Chatzitheochari et al, 2016). In addition, existing research indicates that having a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) can lead to increased risk of being criminally and/or sexually exploited within the UK (Franklin et al, 2015, 2018; Franklin et al, 2022). Although prevalence data is not currently collected, anecdotal evidence from our previous study suggests anywhere between 50- 80% of children and young people identified as experiencing exploitation, on practitioner caseloads, have some form of SEND (Franklin et al, 2024).
Often professionals become aware that a child or young person is being trafficked or exploited when it is happening, or indeed after harm has occurred (Franklin et al, 2024; Franklin et al, 2018). Exploitation toolkits can be used by professionals to identify risk and harm associated with criminal and/or sexual exploitation, but the effectiveness of such tools in prevention before harm occurs is less clear. Opportunities to identify risk/vulnerability when intervention could be actioned earlier are being missed. Our previous research has illustrated clear pathways into exploitation for children and young people with SEND where vulnerability was increased through service omissions and risks were not identified. The study particularly highlighted the links between unmet needs in education, isolation in school, school exclusion and the increased opportunities this created for all forms of exploitation (Franklin et al, 2024). This nuanced understanding allows us to identify possible sites for intervention and support where harm might have been averted. It is at this possible prevention site that this study explores.
Jones et al, (2017) indicated in their study with disabled children and young people, who had experienced child abuse, that they had struggled to be heard, be believed and be taken seriously when disclosing their abuse. Several participants described using behaviour to seek and draw attention, needing and wanting people to notice and ask. Assumptions that distressed or anxious behaviour is linked to SEND needs, as opposed to questioning what it may be communicating, is an issue that has arisen across a number of studies concerning the exploitation of children and young people with SEND (Franklin and Smeaton 2017, 2018; Franklin et al, 2024). Research illustrates that such misinterpretations and a lack of understanding or training in SEND needs can lead to exploited children and young people with SEND not being referred for, or receiving, the right help or responses. Alongside this, issues when children and young people with SEND are themselves seen as a problem rather than what is happening to them can lead to serious and devasting consequences for both the emotional, psychological and physical safety of children and their parents/carers and siblings (Franklin et al, 2024).
Professionals such as youth workers and teachers can use their relationships with children and young people to build trust and provide a safe space to talk; young people want professionals to be ‘interested’ in their lives and to be trustworthy so they can seek help when they feel unsafe (Franklin et al, 2019). The importance of early conversations and help is crucial to avoid actual harm, but researchers have raised the concern that for many children and young people early opportunities for recognition and support are missed and go unidentified (Allnock et al, 2013; Hernon et al, 2014; Lloyd et al, 2023; Barnardos 2023). Cultures of waiting for harm to occur, or for a young person to let staff know or ‘disclose’ mean that harm will have occurred, when in fact research shows that children want adults to notice and respond when they see signs or behaviour showing distress. They would like to be asked ‘how they are’ and for adults to be ‘friendly, approachable and caring’ (Allnock et al, 2019 p2). Earlier conversations with staff in educational settings, youth services or first encounters with police/youth justice, could also support earlier identification of risk.
‘Working Together’ statutory guidance7 describes the safeguarding duty as belonging to all practitioners and is often interpreted in practice as a duty to ‘report’, or to refer, connected to sharing information and recording. Yet it is the capacity of those practitioners to become aware of information, or concerns or noticing that something is ‘not right’ which lies at the heart of that duty (HM Government, 2023).8 The ability to notice, listen, relate and facilitate an air of comfort that normalises and makes it alright to talk and broach difficult subjects, or even just talk or share basic feelings, or a basic ‘hello’ in a relaxed way sits at the heart of holistic safeguarding.
Although the importance of relationship-based practice is well-established, and of course, children and young people with SEND have the same needs and wants from adults as all children, however, as will be detailed below, they also require staff around them to understand their specific needs, ways of ‘being’ and of communicating. There is a lack of research as to how specifically children and young people with SEND build trust, approach and respond to staff in places where practitioners and professionals interact with children and young people. And importantly, how staff can build those relationships.
This small-scale study aims to address this gap in understanding by providing evidence to support more preventative, relationship-based practice with children and young people with SEND and to understand directly from young people who identify as disabled, and/or have experience of exploitation, what they need from staff when they first feel unsafe or are struggling.