New Beginnings: Supporting Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation: Evaluation Report

New Beginnings is a holistic, person-centred service for adult survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE), delivered in Oxford by Elmore Community Services and funded by Oxfordshire County Council. The service was introduced in 2016 in the wake of Operation Bullfinch which uncovered 300 people who had potentially been victims of CSE in Oxfordshire between 1999 and 2014. CSE is a serious form of child sexual abuse (CSA) that is associated with pernicious and potentially long-term effects. These are further compounded by the fact that the perpetrators of CSE typically target adolescents who are vulnerable by dint of their life circumstances and thus who lack protective resources that might otherwise foster resilience. This group of individuals often have complex needs that are difficult to meet by statutory services alone. Recovery is a cyclical rather than linear process, and efforts in moving forward from these experiences can be hampered by the needs of, and the demands made by, the criminal justice system. The New Beginning service was therefore established to provide practical and emotional support to this group of people who otherwise fell between the gaps in existing services.
This independent evaluation, undertaken between February and April 2021, aimed to provide a 360-degree reflection on the operation and impact of the service.