Managing emotions and occupational demands: A phenomenological exploration of the experiences of child exploitation support workers

Abstract

Abstract Protecting children from criminal and sexual exploitation is a priority for safeguarding teams across the globe. Supporting children who are at risk of exploitation is a demanding role with high staff turnover. Experiences of third-sector child exploitation support workers, commissioned to deliver interventions to safeguard children from exploitation, have been neglected. This study presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of semi-structured interviews of eight child exploitation support workers employed by a service in England. Three experiential group themes were developed that captured the emotional and occupational complexities of their experiences performing their role. ‘Costs and Rewards of Emotional Labour’ depicted how emotions were managed to meet the requirements of the role. ‘Navigating Autonomy: The Double-Edged Sword of Empowerment and Loneliness’ highlighted unique perceptions of autonomous working. ‘“We are in really vulnerable situations at times”: Exploring Perceptions of Risk’ demonstrated how, collectively, participants felt vulnerable to risks when carrying out their role. The study provides insight that these third-sector employees face similar challenges as the regulated workforce and that it is crucial that policymakers and senior managers develop safety and system improvements to increase employees’ perceived and actual safety and well-being.