Over the past 3 years, as Sussex PCC I've provided over £680,000 to Barnardo's and the YMCA DownsLink Group's WiSE project to fund an initiative called SOLAH.
Standing for ‘Safer Online At Home’, SOLAH began in November 2021 as a pathway for the Sussex Police Online Investigation Team to refer children and young people into especially where they were either uploading self-generated images to the internet or sharing indecent images of children between themselves, in person or online.
Children and young people who have been identified as being at risk are offered safeguarding advice and online education sessions delivered by specialist staff at YMCA DownsLink Group’s WiSE project and Barnardo’s. The young person’s parent or guardian is also offered sessions.
The programme covers a wide variety of topics and is tailored to the young person’s needs and experiences. The sessions can focus on: education looking at what online grooming and sextortion is; how to use apps safely; exploring where messages may end up; talking about what privacy means and the implications of sharing photos, as well as discussing online content, contact and conduct.
Specialist caseworkers also discuss with children and young people how to make reports and the types of scenarios when they may need to use reporting tools. The aim of the sessions is to understand how a child or young person is feeling about their experiences and provide education and learning tools through various activities, videos and conversations.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Last month, the NSPCC issued a report that revealed online grooming against children has increased by 89% in the last six years with more than 7,000 Sexual Communication with a Child offences being recorded by police last year.
“As a parent, these statistics are shocking and it is clear there is still much more to do when it comes to keeping our children and young people safe online.
“Technology plays a role in everyday life we cannot prevent young people from being online. Programmes like Project SOLAH are vital in ensuring we teach children essential skills on how to navigate the internet and social media apps safely as well as how to spot any red flags, behaviour or any requests that make them feel uncomfortable.
“The previous Government made great strides to pass the Online Safety Bill and it’s important that further pressure is maintained so that companies ensure their platforms are safe and secure for children. We must not give criminals a master key to our homes and the lives of our young people.”
YMCA DownsLink Group ‘What is Sexual Exploitation’ (WiSE) project manager Harriet Nixon said: “We have seen the continued increase of online grooming within our work with Sussex Police on the SOLAH project. This includes an increase of primary aged school children and young people with multiple needs.
“The impact on children and young people groomed online is significant. In can lead to self-harm, suicide ideation and have negative impact on mental health and wellbeing.
“Our WiSE work is vital. We support children, young people and their families to understand the risks online and we create safety plans. Importantly, we give them a space to understand their experiences through a non-judgemental trauma-informed lens to process what happened for them.
“Our specialist Advanced Child Sexual Exploitation Practitioners (ACSEP) trained team continues to deliver child led sessions using psychoeducational tools to safely explore the online world.”
Barnardo’s Assistant Director of Sussex Children's Services, Amanda Storie said: “Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime that can cause lifelong trauma. Children are spending more and more time online, where they can be targeted by abusers, often acting anonymously and posing as young people.
“Social media companies need to be much more proactive in their attempts to tackle child sexual abuse on their platforms. The Online Safety Act will improve protections, but children cannot be left at risk in the meantime. That’s why we are asking tech companies to introduce stronger safety measures as a matter of urgency.”
