Safe and Sound CEO Shortlisted For National Award
The CEO of Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity Safe and Sound, has been named as a finalist in a national awards scheme recognising and celebrating the role of women in business and society.
Tracy Harrison is a finalist in the leadership category of the Women Who Awards 2022 https://www.womanwho.co.uk/woman-who-achieves-awards/2022-finalists-winners/which is in its sixth year. The winners will be announced at an event at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Warwickshire on 1 July 2022.
Safe and Sound celebrates its 20th anniversary this year as the county’s only dedicated charity which supports children, young people and families whose lives have been affected by exploitation including sexual exploitation, trafficking, County Lines, modern slavery and radicalisation.
Tracy Harrison said: “I am obviously delighted to be shortlisted for these awards but a leader is only as good as the team around them.
“I therefore look forward to representing all the amazing people who work so hard to support and protect children, young people and families in our local communities.
“Furthermore, a key priority for us as a charity is to raise awareness of the issue so platforms such as this are important to engage and educate more people that any child is in danger of exploitation both online and in person – regardless of their sex, age, family background or culture - but that help and support is available should they have concerns.”
For more information about the work of Safe and Sound and how to support them during their 20th anniversary year, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk
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About Safe and Sound
Formed in 2002, Safe and Sound supports children, young people and their families whose lives have been affected by child exploitation.
The charity initially focused on child sexual exploitation which, whether that is bribing young people to share indecent images online or grooming them to be raped and abused, remains one of the largest forms of child abuse in the country.
It can potentially destroy the lives of any young girl or boy – regardless of where they live, their family situation, cultural or social background and a particular focus during the pandemic has been the increased risk of online grooming due to young people spending more time on gaming and social media platforms.
In recent years, Safe and Sound expanded the remit of its work to reflect the increase in criminal exploitation – particularly County Lines - and has campaigned for young people involved in drugs operations to be recognised as victims of exploitation just as those who are forced into sexual activity. We also support young people groomed for trafficking, Modern Slavery and radicalisation.
Child exploitation significantly affects the wider family and we now provide wider support for parents and siblings in a variety of ways.
The charity offers a range of innovative, hands-on programmes including:
- 121 and group support
- Outreach work in local communities
- Practical support for families
- Positive activities for young people
- Longer-term support to transition into positive outcomes such as education and employment
- Specialist support for New Communities and young people with special educational needs.
In 2019 we supported 100 children and young people. In 2020 this rose to 150. In 2021 we worked with 292 individuals. This includes 203 young people and 49 families whose children are being groomed and exploited; 31% of young people had Special Educational needs and or disability and 29% did not identify as white British.
Safe and Sound is led by former police superintendent Tracy Harrison with the support of a specialist team; an experience board of Trustees and now a team of Ambassadors who are helping to raise the profile of the charity and the issue of child exploitation.
Safe and Sound’s expertise came to the fore during the 2010 landmark case – Operation Retriever – which was Derby’s first prosecution for child sexual exploitation and abuse. The charity’s specialist team supported every young person affected by the criminal actions of 13 defendants who were jailed in total for up to 22 years for 70 offences.
For more information about child exploitation, Safe and Sound Derby and how to support their work, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk