Dr Paul Nelson
Dr Paul Nelson is Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing and Co-chair of Ethics at ARU, and Lead Co-ordinator on the ARU in the Community: A Trusted Adult Scheme (TAS). His background is in social work, and he has previously taught social policy at ARU before joining the criminology team.
Tell us about your different roles at ARU, and what you’ve learned from your time here.
My professional background is rooted in the field of social work, and my association with Anglia Ruskin University commenced not in the capacity of a practitioner lecturer, but during the pursuit of my doctoral studies. Within my academic discipline, I draw extensively upon my practical experiences, endeavouring to integrate first-hand knowledge into the pedagogical delivery of my lectures, seminars and workshops.
This approach affords me a distinct vantage point in contrast to colleagues who predominantly anchor their decisions in theoretical frameworks. While acknowledging the proficiency of my academic counterparts in theoretical constructs, my unique perspective emanates from direct engagement in the field. This dichotomy underscores the potential for mutual learning, where practitioners, through their experiential insights, contribute valuable knowledge to academic discourse. In advocating for a more cooperative relationship between practitioners and academics, I believe in the notion of practitioners not merely serving as subjects for research endeavours, but rather engaging in collaborative initiatives. Such collaborations can harness the complementary strengths of both practitioners and academics, thereby fostering a richer and more comprehensive research landscape.
This perspective is exemplified in the development of TAS the summer of 2023. The initiative involved a diverse team, encompassing not only academic professionals but child protection practitioners, individuals from all four faculties and ARU students who were trained in youth work by Cambridgeshire County Council. Together, we invited some of the most vulnerable and deprived children and young people in Cambridgeshire, offering them access to our campus facilities, including music studios, the gym, gaming consoles, virtual reality headsets, and the chance to engage in street art with a specialist called Kilo.
This six-week project not only provided recreational opportunities but also addressed essential needs, such as providing refreshments to children and young people for whom school closures equated to a lack of regular meals. More importantly TAS provided a safe space for children and young people. This initiative serves as a testament to the potential collaboration arising from collective efforts between practitioners and academics in creating impactful interventions within the community for children and young people.
As well as consulting with the university on policies we've completed a lot of really exciting projects. We've created posters informing students on services at ARU, trying to break down rape cultures. We're making podcasts around sexual violence as well. They're currently recruiting the next cohort, but last cohort there were around seven or eight of us, all from different roles, different disciplines, different jobs, different cultures and beliefs. That’s one of the great things about it.
What projects are you currently working on, both at ARU and outside?
Since completing my PhD, titled The Child Protection Paradox Model: Child Sex Trafficking in England and Wales, I have facilitated workshops on child sex trafficking for over 700 child protection practitioners. Additionally, we are currently conducting a national study on child sex trafficking (CST). Our survey has been distributed to every local authority in England and Wales, yielding approximately 600 responses. This data will enhance our understanding of CST at a national level, enabling us to refine our training programs and identify gaps as exploitation types evolve or emerge.
We are in the process of developing the first-ever practitioner guidance on child sex trafficking. This guidance will be presented at a conference at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Autumn 2024 and is slated for publication later in the year. The guidance is being developed in collaboration with Cambridge County Council and an advisory board that includes Simon Bailey, the former national safeguarding lead for England and Wales.
The Trusted Adult Scheme had a successful first run last summer, even receiving a visit from Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner. How did it all start?
We have three project coordinators: myself, Vicky Gadd and Anna Markovska. Anna, who was my PhD supervisor, is deeply committed to social entrepreneurship and has long been interested in developing a project centred around social enterprise. Over time, our shared passions and ideas led us to collaborate closely on this initiative. In April 2023, I attended a knowledge exchange event at ARU Cambridge, where I had a conversation with the manager of the Safe team, who works in Cambridge. The manager expressed concerns about the underutilisation of campus facilities, noting that many of them remained empty, and questioned why the local authority could not make use of these spaces to support the young people they work with. This discussion further motivated our efforts to develop a socially impactful project that addresses these needs.
Anna and I initiated inquiries, which led to the Council offering our students complimentary training valued at nearly £100,000. We suggested that in exchange for the Council's generosity, we could grant them access to our facilities. Over 200 students have conducted the training to date and more than 20 students are directly involved with the running of TAS.
At that time, we did not have a clear vision of the project's direction. As interest began to grow, we organised focus groups with the Local Authority (LA) to explore the preferences of young people. The discussions revealed a strong interest in music, sports, and art, along with food and gaming consoles. Despite our initial setbacks, with two funding applications being rejected, we persisted and eventually succeeded with a third application. Matthew Day (former Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation) was particularly supportive, and we were able to secure some funding. Following this, we worked out the next steps with the Council, and together developed the project's framework.
James Ward (former Head of Cambridge School of Creative Industries) put me in touch with street artist Kilo and Tim Webster, a music lecturer at ARU, who is also a studio engineer with over 20 years' experience in recording, mixing, and producing. We started building a programme around music and art, and got access our gym. We got momentum, spoke to the right people, and built a programme to the point where we had a referral system, and help building a webpage. Exposure is important, you need people to understand what you're trying to do and once you convince them they open doors.
What outcomes have you seen from the project?
The level of success we have achieved has exceeded our expectations. We initially engaged 46 young people, establishing strong relationships that have led to their continued participation, with plans to return during the half-term break on 25 and 26 October. Our goal is not only to sustain this momentum but also to expand the initiative to include sports. 85 young people have now attended to date. We are actively working toward the sustainability of this initiative, in collaboration with practitioners, the LA, and ARU.
During TAS, we observed the meaningful relationships that developed between these young people and our students, as well as the connections our students formed with the practitioners who were present daily. We have documented several compelling case studies. For example, one young person chose to visit ARU instead of joining his friends in a stolen car, which was later involved in a police chase around Cambridge. The police discovered drugs and weapons in the vehicle. Thanks to his participation in our program that day, this young person avoided involvement in the incident.
The evaluations also reveal that these young people felt safe and respected within our program. They appreciated that we did not label or judge them but simply welcomed them and allowed them to use our facilities. The feedback from both the young people and practitioners has been overwhelmingly positive. Notably, one young person who had not engaged with mainstream education for two years has, since participating in our project, attended school consistently without missing a single day.
MP Daniel Zeichner with Tim Webster, Paul Nelson, Dean of Faculty Catherine Lee, and a Trusted Adult Scheme participant
What makes you want to work at ARU?
ARU offers a distinctive environment that uniquely supports students who may lack confidence rather than ability, and who may need further development in functional skills. The calibre of students we attract is somewhat impressive, and I have had the privilege of supervising dissertation projects that surpass the quality of work I could have produced at the undergraduate level. Notably, one of my students from last year is about to publish the research she conducted for her undergraduate dissertation, is just about to complete her MA and will be starting a Faculty funded PhD in September 2025 demonstrating the cutting-edge research being advanced at ARU.
Our university is home to exceptional research institutes and outstanding scholars. It is only when you become part of this community that you truly appreciate the high standards and accomplishments within ARU. We are deeply committed to a student-centred approach and provide a robust support network throughout the university. For those seeking to gain practical vocational skills, life skills, and a degree, ARU is an ideal place. The opportunities I have encountered here since completing my PhD are unparalleled, and I doubt I could have found such support and resources elsewhere.
Is there any one thing that inspired you to do what you do now?
This narrative is quite distressing and profoundly saddening. As a Child Protection Practitioner, I once worked with a young person who had been trafficked for sexual exploitation. I quickly realised that our understanding of child sex trafficking at the time was severely lacking. We were unable to distinguish it from child sexual exploitation, and didn't know how to report it effectively or correctly. We were unfamiliar with the National Referral Mechanism and the relevant provisions within the Modern Slavery Act. It became apparent to me that social work had devolved into a box-ticking exercise, where following procedural checklists could absolve one from accountability. This realisation led me to question my role in a profession where I felt powerless to effect meaningful change, ultimately motivating me to pursue a PhD.
My doctoral research focused on social workers’ understanding of child sex trafficking, aiming to shed light on the issues within the field. Social workers are often overworked and under-resourced, conditions that inevitably lead to mistakes. Moreover, as crime and child exploitation evolve, training programs frequently fail to keep pace. By stepping away from direct practice and adopting an academic perspective, I have gained insights that differ from those of frontline child protection practitioners. This intersection between academia and practice is crucial. I hope that my current and future research will contribute to addressing and ultimately eradicating this form of exploitation, or at the very least, to developing more effective strategies for tackling it.
What’s the most valuable thing you took away from your own education?
Coming from a typical working-class background, my father was a miner and my mother a stay-at-home parent—there was little encouragement for me to pursue higher education. Consequently, I attended university later in life. However, I do not believe that education has necessarily made me a better person; rather, it has broadened my outlook on the world. Growing up in a small city with limited exposure to the outside world, that environment became the epicentre of my existence. Attending university introduced me to a diverse array of individuals from different parts of the world, each bringing their own unique perspectives, and some of my closest friends today are those I met during my studies.
Education has undeniably enriched my life, providing me with a broader perspective. When I began my PhD, I was an impassioned practitioner, but by the time I completed it, I had developed a more objective view, not only of academia but also of my profession. This experience opened my eyes to how we can effect real change and make a tangible difference. One of the factors that contributed to the success of TAS was the platform I had as a lecturer in a criminology department, with a PhD and access to a network of practitioners and academics. Outside of academia, I would not have had the resources or influence to establish TAS in the way that I did. Thus, the most valuable takeaway from my education has been this platform to drive meaningful change.
This is the potential that academia offers. Often, one might feel that their research and perspectives will not effect change, but engaging in policy development and reform is precisely why academics and practitioners pursue this type of research, it is vital. My aspiration is for my research to extend beyond the academic sphere and have a significant impact on the wider community.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Regret often stems from the opportunities we do not pursue. When my father retired from the mine, he used his redundancy to buy a pub, where I worked as a glass collector. During that time, I frequently overheard patrons expressing sentiments like, "I could have done this" or "I could have done that." I understand the challenges that prevent people from pursuing their ambitions — whether due to financial constraints or lack of time. There are indeed things I wish I had done but have not. Growing up on a council estate, I was often told that I would never amount to anything and that I lacked the ability to achieve my goals. Reflecting on this, I realise that it is crucial not to listen to those who doubt your potential. I likely did not attend university at 18 because I internalised those negative voices.
What do you like about working and living in Cambridge, and have you learned anything about the city that others might not know?
Cambridge is a remarkable city to reside in, characterised by a strong sense of safety. Unlike in Liverpool, where there are certain areas I would avoid at night a concern common to many cities — Cambridge generally feels secure. Although I miss aspects of Liverpool, such as watching football and spending time with family, friends, and others, there are elements of the city that I do not miss. When discussing deprivation, it is clear that the two cities are not directly comparable.
However, one surprising aspect I have discovered about Cambridge is that pupils in state schools here receive less funding than those in any other part of the country. I have inquired with various practitioners and individuals involved in the City and County Councils about the reasons behind this disparity, but clear explanations have not been forthcoming. It seems that Cambridge is often perceived as a wealthy city, which may contribute to this issue.