How can we support children who might be being exploited?
Many children who become involved in exploitation would have had missed opportunities for diversion and intervention, so it’s always encouraged to try and speak to the child firstly, and very honestly, about what your concerns are and why you have them.
Many services listed below can be accessed via self-referral, but if you have immediate safeguarding concerns please call 999, 101 for non-urgent matters or to report intelligence, or you can speak to your DSL (designated safeguarding lead) if your child is in education.
You can also report your concerns directly to COMPASS.
Depending on the level of need, and in most examples, intervention will require consent from parents and carers, and the child themselves. However, we'll recommend to the lead professional and referrer a number of potential solutions, including:
- Support from Early help
- Drug and alcohol support from With You
- Criminal and sexual exploitation support from STEPS
- Safety planning with the family
- Sharing police intelligence (where appropriate) with parents/carers to directly help safeguard children
- Support from Steer Clear where there are concerns with weapons or knives
- Accessing the Support and Information Directory for lots of other available services
- Keep up to date with TREES newsletter and leaflets
Depending on the exploitation concerns, we will work with partner agencies to consider disruption and mapping methods to safeguard children and prevent further harm. This may include:
- Issuing of a child abduction warning notice (CAWN) to adults who are potentially exploiting young people
- West Mercia Police may carry out proactive arrests or speak to individuals and administer exploitation warning notices
- We may hold a formal ‘exiting gang strategy meeting’ which will look at robust disruption techniques to end the exploitation
- Agencies may speak to associates and friends to understand whether they too are being exploited
- The police may pursue a slavery and trafficking risk order (STRO) or a slavery and trafficking prevention order (STPO) against adults who continue to exploit children
- The police may seek gang injunction orders against individuals to prevent reoffending and harm