Seeing the Signs, Hearing the Voice, Disrupting the Harm
Practitioners from across Devon came together in Tiverton, Ivybridge and Exeter during October for a series of Best Practice Events focused on missing children and child exploitation.
Our ‘Seeing the Signs, Hearing the Voice, Disrupting the Harm’ events explored how professionals can spot the signs of exploitation earlier, listen more carefully to children’s experiences, share information effectively and take action before harm escalates.
A powerful contribution from keynote speaker Joshua Chisling, who shared his lived experience, provided a thread throughout the sessions and kept the focus firmly on what children need from the adults around them. Alongside learning from Devon’s thematic review and multi-agency discussions, attendees reflected on how they can apply the learning in their own roles and strengthen partnership working across services.
The key messages from the events were simple:
- Notice earlier
- Ask better
- Act before crisis
- Work together
Resources
Presentations, learning materials and further reading from the events
Our keynote speaker was Joshua Chisling:
Putting learning into practice
The events were extremely well received, with attendees highlighting both the practical learning and the opportunity to hear directly from someone with lived experience.
Joshua Chisling’s contribution had a particular impact, with one participant describing his story as “incredibly inspiring and the highlight of this conference”, while another said it was “really impactful having a young person with lived experience talking to professionals.”
Attendees also valued the opportunity to come together across agencies, with feedback noting that “it is great to get everyone talking together and hearing different perspectives” and that “the networking with other professionals was invaluable.”
Most importantly, many participants left reflecting on how the learning would shape their future practice. As one attendee commented, “Joshua’s message was really powerful and made me look at my approach towards young people.”
A huge thank you to everyone who presented, participated, shared their experience and contributed so openly across the three events, and a very special thank you to Joshua for helping us keep the child’s experience at the centre of our learning.