SIPPS & Testimonials
SIPPS: A Model of Assessment & Intervention
SIPPS provides practitioners and investigators with a new approach to the investigation / assessment of, and intervention in, cases of Sexual Exploitation, Modern Slavery, Trafficking of Human Beings and general violence, harassment and intimidation.
The model emphasises that abuse and exploitation can be placed upon both a temporal and developmental continuum.
There is a Past: Exploitation and abuse does not happen in a vacuum, it exists because there is a demand for children and vulnerable adults to exploit and some people may be more likely to be exploited or exploiters than others. Therefore, it is crucial to make sense of the context from which the victim and abuser have come.
The Present is the Current Context in Which The Perpetrators and Vulnerable Person Exist: How do they make sense of their predicament? What are their beliefs and relationships to and with each other?
There is a Future to Plan For: What will happen in the short, medium, and long term both with and without intervention?
SIPPS is a pathway intended principally for use in the assessment of risk and can be used to contribute to safety and rehabilitation planning, Achieving Best Evidence (ABE), Suspect Interview Strategies, and disruption and prosecution strategies in cases of actual or suspected Trafficking, Slavery, Servitude and Sexual Exploitation. It works especially well in the context of multi-disciplinary or team settings and is well suited to the Systemic Unit Model of Social Work and Joint Police and Social Care investigations. It can be used as an initial assessment tool, or as a method of monitoring and measuring progress by applying and coding the items periodically during the implementation of safety plans and direct working with victims and perpetrators.
The Adapted SIPPS for Child Sexual Exploitation:
The Adapted SIPPS for CSE was developed specifically to respond to criticisms of Social Workers and Police officers with regard to identifying child sexual exploitation and, more importantly, preventing its occurrence. The Adapted SIPPS uses the same methodology and theoretical principles as the SIPPS for modern slavery but focuses on the specific characteristics and dynamics of sexual exploitation. The tool is supported by a handbook, a three day training programme and the resources within this website.
A 12 month Pilot project in South London helped to establish its validity and was extremely well received by practitioners.
What people have said about SIPPS:
“I am delighted to endorse Craig and the SIPPS Model - not only have I deployed his outstanding services repeatedly but I have given lectures with him to a variety of academics, practitioners and investigators at all levels.
His contribution to my specialist field of work has transformed my practice. His ability to absorb the nuances of a criminal case, apply known theory and support it with the material provided, organize this within the SIPPS Model and then give me a path through which to prosecute the case is priceless.
I have learned more in 18 months of utilizing Craig’s specialist skill set than I have in 17 years of practice.”
“I found the CSE risk assessment tool very useful. It helped me to organise the information that I already had about the case and highlighted areas that I did not have any/enough information about and needed to explore further.
Exploring the different possible risk factors for CSE enabled me to identify which areas of my intervention with the young person should be prioritised.
The tool also helped in working with other professionals on the case, I used the tool to structure a strategy meeting and I think that this eased the anxiety of some of the other professionals.”
Social Worker, London
“The SIPPS has been invaluable in the complex area of Child Sexual Exploitation. The SIPPs links with the FRaSA in the methodology of organising information to identify gaps and meaning, however the SIPPS has the multi-faceted dimension of drawing the practitioners attention to issues of trafficking, exploitation, modern slavery in addition to risk of, or actual sexual exploitation.
The SIPPS enables the objective analysis of behaviour and information to create multiple hypotheses for a young person. The SIPPS training provides an advanced level of knowledge regarding the legal options that the Police might use to disrupt the behaviour, and encourages Social Work staff to make suggestions using this knowledge to their Police colleagues.”
Head of Child Safeguarding, London
"Excellence in Practice."
Graham Ritchie at the Office of the Children's Commissioner
"I was the senior investigating officer in the UK’s first successful prosecution of Domestic Servitude within a marriage. The SIPPS Model was crucial in a case plagued with complexities of Honour Based Violence, Human Trafficking, Modern Slavery, and control and coercion.
The SIPPS assessed vulnerability and risk to the victim and other witnesses, proving useful not just to the investigation but the Prosecuting Counsel also. Outside of the trial process, Craig Barlow expertly assisted police in achieving a multi-agency safeguarding plan. The successful prosecution was hailed as groundbreaking and Craig should be credited for his input into this high-profile and complex case."
Detective Sergeant, London Metropolitan Police
"It is a very detailed and effective tool and helps our team around assessments and putting protective measures in place in order to safeguard children that we are responsible for.
I was also impressed by how well the tool was introduced and explained, it helped me to think about sexual exploitation in a different way and be much more hopeful about ways we could attempt to protect our young people."
Clinical Practitioner - Systemic Family Therapist