Centre for Child Protection (CCP) receives 2024 ESRC Societal Impact prize
An interactive simulation training programme developed by the University of Kent’s Centre for Child Protection (CCP) in collaboration with Kent Police has been recognised in the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Prize 2024.
The prize-winning team was led by Dr Tracee Green, Head of CCP and a Core Member of iCSS, with the following two other contributing members:
- Dr Aravinda Kosaraju, Senior Lecturer in Child Protection of CCP and an Associate Member of iCSS, and
- Emma Soutar, Training Officer in child exploitation at CCP and Educator for CCP’s MOOC on ‘Effective communication with vulnerable children’.
This innovative programme, known as ‘Robyn and Molly’, was developed in partnership with Kent Police to foster a trauma-informed approach within police responses to girls with lived experience of child sexual exploitation (GLE-CSE), aiding in the disruption of violence against women and girls. A successful pilot of the programme has so far trained 77 police officers, improving their confidence and understanding in conducting child-focused, trauma-informed investigations of child sexual exploitation, which has been linked to higher prosecution rates. Additionally, evidence shows that the training has reduced victim-blaming language in officers’ case notes for up to six months afterward.
CCP first started working with Kent Police on the project in early 2022 and went on to secure funding from the ESRC ‘Partner with police to tackle violence against women and girls’ fund later that year which enabled them to develop their knowledge exchange and partnership further. They are now using additional impact funding provided by the University to develop a training video and website in advance of rolling the programme out nationwide.
Dr Tracee Green said: “We are delighted that our new ‘Robyn and Molly’ interactive simulation training programme was the runner-up in the Outstanding Societal Impact category for the ESRC Impact Prize 2024. This collaborative project between the Centre for Child Protection and Kent Police has brought about a significant transformation in local policing, fostering a trauma-informed approach, particularly in cases of child sexual exploitation. By strengthening empathy, understanding, and a victim-centred focus into everyday policing practice, this project has improved the support and protection of vulnerable children which is linked to improved prosecution outcomes. As we prepare for a national rollout of this new training programme, this cultural shift is set to enrich how law enforcement agencies across the country handle complex cases, supporting a compassionate and effective justice system.”
A video created by the ESRC focussing on the prize-winning work of CCP
The project builds on CCP’s 10+ years of creating research-informed immersive ‘serious game’ simulation training tools targeting child protection issues. These have been disseminated in over 90 countries to over 11,000 practitioners, directly benefitting 500,000 young people.
The ESRC Impact Prize 2024 awards were announced on Wednesday 20 November at the Royal Society in London.