We recognise both CSE and CCE are forms of abuse. They both occur where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual or criminal activity, it may involve being in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased threat of violence. CSE and CCE can affect children, both male and female and can include children who have been moved for the purpose of exploitation. Information on CCE definition can be found on p.48 of Home Office’s Serious Violence Strategy.
We know that different forms of harm often overlap, and that perpetrators may subject children and young people to multiple forms of abuse, such as criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation.
In some cases, the exploitation or abuse will be in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or will be to the financial benefit or other advantage, such as increased status, of the perpetrator or facilitator.
Children can be exploited by adult males or females, as individuals or in groups. They may also be exploited by other children, who themselves may be experiencing exploitation – where this is the case, it is important that the child perpetrator is also recognised as a victim.
While the age of the child may be a contributing factor for an imbalance of power, there are a range of other factors that could make a child more vulnerable to exploitation, including, sexual identity, cognitive ability, learning difficulties, communication ability, physical strength, status, and access to economic or other resources.
Some of the following can be indicators of both child criminal and sexual exploitation where children:
- appear with unexplained gifts, money or new possessions;
- associate with other children involved in exploitation;
- suffer from changes in emotional well-being;
- misuse drugs and alcohol;
- go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late; and
- regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.
We will provide additional support to children who have been exploited to help maintain them in education.
This support could come form our in-house interventions such As:
CATE referral
CLIMB
ST GILES SOS
Comprehensive Personal Development curriculum
Bespoke Enrichment Days
Staff understand that the experience of girls who are criminally exploited can be very different to that of boys. The indicators may not be the same, they are aware that girls are at risk of criminal exploitation too. It is also important to note that both boys and girls being criminally exploited may be at higher risk of sexual exploitation.
If we feel that children may be being abused through exploitation, we will follow the Telford & Wrekin Council exploitation care and support pathway. We will always consider the Telford & Wrekin Council, ‘explore more’ document to support us in working with children and young people to understand what sort of matters may indicate that a child or young person is being sexually exploited. We will consult in the normal way with the relevant local authority children’s services team to seek advice through consultation. The concerns will be followed through sensitively and appropriately with fellow professionals and the appropriate referral form will be completed. In relation to the CATE Risk Panels, where concerns are expressed around a child attending our setting, we will ensure attendance whenever possible as part of the established multi-agency process. Alongside this, we have taken the same steps and made all staff aware of the TWSP, A guide for professionals CATE leaflet.
We will make parents and carers, children and young people aware of the relevant TWSP CATE leaflets. We will provide them with information on the National Crime Agency CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command. Children and adults can use CEOP to report if they are concerned that a child is being sexually abused or groomed online.
We will take a proactive approach to minimising the risk of all types of exploitation. We will engage with lived experience work to benefit the whole-school/college community, including staff, children and parents. All staff will receive training and updates on child exploitation.
As a secondary school our curriculum includes a programme of appropriate exploitation awareness, especially CSE raising awareness.
The Principal and DSL or a deputy DSL will exchange any relevant information with local partners in relation to exploitation as required to enable all professionals to react, monitor and protect children.
As a secondary school/college training provider the DSL will work with one of their deputies/CSE DSL to focus on child exploitation, especially CSE and provide any required information to partners. The CSE DSL will be known to parents and children. We will ensure the CSE DSL is accessible to children.
We record all concerns about a child’s welfare, including those relating to exploitation, especially CSE. We detail what the concerns are, what action was taken and what follow up is needed. The DSL will review all recorded safeguarding concerns, especially those pertaining CCE and CSE, as a minimum every six months to ensure all concerns are routinely recorded and shared with partner agencies.
We will carry out an annual review to consider the adequacy of our site security provision, including monitoring and recording any unauthorised access to our site, to ensure that our pupils are protected from potential perpetrators of child exploitation, especially CSE while at school/college. Any concerns will be shared as required with the police and/or Family Connect. Our site security audit findings will be used to update and review our site security risk assessment. We are committed to involving parents in the annual review of our site security arrangements.
We act in the spirit of the recommendations pertaining to schools and colleges from the published report of the Independent Inquiry Telford Child Sexual Exploitation, published July 2022.
We will use the Telford & Wrekin Partnership Threshold Guidance, Child Exploitation Risk Threshold Indicator and ‘explore more’ document to identify the care and support needs of children involved in exploitation. Where care and support needs are identified as ‘vulnerable,’ ‘complex’ or ‘acute,’ we will refer to Family Connect. We will complete the West Mercia Police Protected Partner Intel form to share any relevant exploitation intelligence, this will be emailed to protect@westmercia.pnn.police.uk. In emergencies we will report information to the police via 999 for non-emergencies we will report information to the police via 101 or contactus@westmercia.police.uk
Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
Some specific forms of CCE can include children being forced or manipulated into transporting drugs or money through county lines, working in cannabis factories, shoplifting or pickpocketing. They can also be forced or manipulated into committing vehicle crime or threatening/committing serious violence to others.
We recognise that this type of exploitation can trap children as perpetrators can threaten victims (and their families) with violence or entrap and coerce them into debt. They may be coerced into carrying weapons such as knives or begin to carry a knife for a sense of protection from harm from others. As children involved in criminal exploitation often commit crimes themselves, their vulnerability as victims is not always recognised by adults and professionals, (particularly older children), and they are not treated as victims despite the harm they have experienced. They may still have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears to be something they have agreed or consented to.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
We use the Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership definition of CSE. CSE is a type of modern slavery when a male or female under 18 is sexually exploited for the benefit or gain of someone else. The benefit or gain can come in many forms such as increased social status or financial gain. Some victims are also trafficked for the purpose of exploitation. Multiple tactics are used to exploit the child such as 'grooming' which is when the victim is given something, such as food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts or money in return for performing sexual activities or having sexual activities performed on them. Other methods may include violence, bullying and intimidation, with threats of physical harm or humiliation. Abusers are increasingly using the internet to target vulnerable children. It can happen across any device that's connected to the web, like computers, consoles, tablets, mobile phones and smart speakers. Children can be at risk of online abuse from people they know or from strangers. It might be part of other abuse which is taking place offline, like bullying or grooming.
We also acknowledge the definition of CSE set out by the Department for Education. CSE is a form of child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside clothing. It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in the production of sexual images, forcing children to look at sexual images or watch sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse including via the internet. CSE can be a one-off occurrence or a series of incidents over time and range from opportunistic to complex organised abuse. It can involve force and/or enticement-based methods of compliance and may, or may not, be accompanied by violence or threats of violence. It may happen without the child’s immediate knowledge e.g., through others sharing videos or images of them on social media. CSE can affect any child, who has been coerced into engaging in sexual activities. This includes 16- and 17-year-olds who can legally consent to have sex. Some children may not realise they are being exploited e.g., they believe they are in a genuine romantic relationship.
Some additional specific indicators that may be present in CSE are children who:
- have older boyfriends or girlfriends; and
- suffer from sexually transmitted infections, display sexual behaviours beyond expected sexual development or become pregnant.
We will make the following further information on signs of a child’s involvement in sexual exploitation available to staff. Child sexual exploitation: guide for practitioners
County lines
County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line.” This activity can happen locally as well as across the UK - no specified distance of travel is required. Children and vulnerable adults are exploited to move, store/ sell drugs and money. Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims.
Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in a number of locations including our setting, other education settings, children’s homes and care homes.
Children are also increasingly being targeted and recruited online using social media. Children can easily become trapped by this type of exploitation as county lines gangs can manufacture drug debts which need to be worked off or threaten serious violence and kidnap towards victims (and their families) if they attempt to leave the county lines network.
A number of the indicators for CSE and CCE as detailed above may be applicable to where children are involved in county lines. Some additional specific indicators that may be present where a child is criminally exploited through involvement in county lines are children who:
- go missing (from school/college or home) and are subsequently found in areas away from their home;
- have been the victim, perpetrator or alleged perpetrator of serious violence (e.g. knife crime);
- are involved in receiving requests for drugs via a phone line, moving drugs, handing over and collecting money for drugs;
- are exposed to techniques such as ‘plugging’, where drugs are concealed internally to avoid detection;
- are found in accommodation that they have no connection with, often called a ‘trap house or cuckooing’ or hotel room where there is drug activity;
- owe a ‘debt bond’ to their exploiters; and
- have their bank accounts used to facilitate drug dealing.
We will make the Home Office guidance on the signs of a child’s involvement in county lines available to staff.
If a child is suspected to be at risk of or involved in county lines, a safeguarding referral will also be considered alongside consideration of availability of local services/third sector providers who offer support to victims of county lines exploitation, such as CLIMB.
Mrs A Vickers
CSE lead (only appliable to secondary schools and colleges) and
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
