‘She Knows Sh*t’: a Comparison of Young People and Professional Perspectives of a Specialised Child Sexual Exploitation Support Service

Concerns relating to child sexual exploitation (CSE) are increasing within the UK, with safeguarding policy and practice moving towards a multiagency approach to identifying and managing this form of abuse. Traditionally, collaborative approaches have primarily involved statutory organisations, with the knowledge and expertise of third sector organisations being overlooked. This research, therefore, aimed to explore the role and impact of a specialised third sector service on supporting young people at risk of CSE. Located in the north of England, the service provided a child-centred, therapeutic approach to exploring CSE. Observations and interviews with young people (n = 4), professionals from the specialised service (n = 7) and other safeguarding professionals (n = 7) were conducted. A thematic analysis was conducted across all interview transcripts, with three broad themes emerging: defining CSE, labelling CSE, and impact of service. Through this process, the paper compares the perspectives of young people referred to the service with those of professionals linked to the service. Recommendations around best practice are presented towards the end of the paper, with the importance of including voices of young people in the design and delivery of CSE support being highlighted.