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.
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