Cordis Bright supported FitzRoy and KeyRing with development work to improve practice in responding to cuckooing of people involved with social care services, and especially people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs.

What is cuckooing?

Cuckooing happens when someone’s home is taken over or controlled by others, often as part of criminal exploitation. It is a serious issue, but one that is still not consistently recognised by people who are affected and by communities and professionals who might be able to identify it and intervene to prevent it happening or support people when it has happened.

Why is cuckooing a focus for social care providers like FitzRoy and KeyRing?

FitzRoy and KeyRing had already identified that cuckooing is happening in their communities and that people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs might be disproportionately affected by it.

For the people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs affected, cuckooing can be deeply harmful, dangerous and difficult to recognise early. It does not always look how we expect and can often emerge quickly through changes in relationships, routines or patterns of activity in someone’s home.

For social care staff, the challenge is recognising the signs early, feeling confident to respond and knowing what steps to take. Preventing cuckooing and supporting people when it happens requires input from different services. Communities also have a key role to play. This means that developing and tapping into effective partnership responses is crucial.

What we did

FitzRoy and KeyRing undertook research exploring what services are seeing in practice, where responses are breaking down and what needs to change to support earlier and more joined-up action. This drew on existing literature on cuckooing, a community of practice with people with learning disabilities and/or autism who were victims of cuckooing, professional experience and a Round Table discussion with organisations who encounter cuckooing. Cordis Bright worked closely with FitzRoy and KeyRing to review existing literature, facilitate the Round Table discussion and produce the white paper.

What we found

Available literature and discussions with professionals revealed a range of challenges in effective responses to cuckooing of people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health issues. Some are challenges in the awareness and understanding of cuckooing, like limited understanding of how cuckooing might play out differently for different people, and gaps in evidence on the scale and impact of cuckooing. Others are challenges in the ability of agencies and partnerships to respond effectively, such as limited professional awareness of local support pathways and a focus on reacting to cuckooing once it has happened rather than preventing it.

Discussions with professionals identified eight strategies to improve understanding and practice on cuckooing:

1. Training and awareness raising for professionals.
2. Awareness raising and education for people at risk.
3. Engaging individuals and communities to understand their experiences and co-develop responses.
4. Understanding, codifying and bolstering existing specialist teams and partnerships.
5. Changing organisational processes to support better identification and intervention.
6. Developing, evaluating and rolling out specialist roles and interventions.
7. Tapping into place-based programmes and networks.
8. Recognising and advocating for national-level improvements.

Who should read this paper

This paper will be useful for people working in social care, housing, safeguarding, community safety and related services. It is particularly relevant for organisations supporting people who may be at greater risk of exploitation, including people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues.

It is also intended as a starting point for commissioners, policy colleagues and partner organisations who want to strengthen local responses, raise awareness and build shared understanding.

Next steps: a starting point for action

The paper is a starting point to open up wider conversation, encourage shared learning and support stronger partnership working across organisations.

FitzRoy and KeyRing are keen to hear from organisations and professionals who have experience of cuckooing – particularly for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues – and want to help build a more consistent and effective response.

To be involved in the next phase of FitzRoy and KeyRing’s work, please get in touch with diane.mee@fitzroy.org or tracy.hammond@keyring.org.

Full report

FitzRoyKeyRing White Paper

For more information, please contact Hannah Nickson.