Child Exploitation (CE) Guidance and Resources

Child exploitation appropriate use of language guidance for professionals, seeks to provide guidance to professionals on the appropriate use of language when discussion children and their experience of exploitation in a range of contexts. 

Child Exploitation Appropriate Use of Language Guidance (Child Society)

Language matters - use of language in child sexual abuse and exploitation practice from Barnardos - this guide is for anyone working in the field of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Those working with children and families or those working in influencing, fundraising or communications. 

Language matters (Barnardos)

This toolkit has been developed to support frontline practitioners to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 from sexual and criminal exploitation.  Additionally, the toolkit sets out supportive information to assist information sharing and multi-agency working as well as intelligence and evidence gathering and profiling.  It is vital that people working in frontline roles effectively identify exploitation of children and work together proactively with other agencies to disrupt offending, and safeguard victims.  

Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit (GOV.UK)

Child Exploitation Risk Assessment Review (CERAR) is Cumbria's multi-agency approach to child exploitation assessment and review process. 

Find more about the CERAR process

If you are worried about a child/young person experiencing child exploitation, please complete the vulnerability checklist, which you can find within the Child Exploitation procedure (16. Appendices – Appendix 1: Vulnerability Checklist). You will you need to complete a Single Contact Form and upload your vulnerability checklist upon completion of the Single Contact Form and submit to the appropriate Safeguarding Hub.

You may want to seek guidance from the Complex Safeguarding Team – you can do this by emailing the appropriate CERAR mailbox.

Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to understanding, and responding to, young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the different relationships that young people form in their neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. 

Parents and carers have little influence over these contexts, and young people’s experiences of extra-familial abuse can undermine parent-child relationships. Therefore children’s social care practitioners need to engage with individuals and sectors who do have influence over/within extra- familial contexts, and recognise that assessment of, and intervention with, these spaces are a critical part of safeguarding practices. 

Contextual Safeguarding, therefore, expands the objectives of child protection systems in recognition that young people are vulnerable to abuse in a range of social contexts.

Watch a video explaining contextual safeguarding

You can also read Contextual Safeguarding website for more information

The University of Bedfordshire also has a Contextual Safeguarding programme that is currently engaging in a number of projects that explore systems change in children’s services, the nature of and responses to extra familial harm, contextual interventions in peers, schools and communities, and sector engagement.

Read more on the University of Bedfordshire website
 

Take a look at our online procedure manual for CSCP Child Exploitation (including Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation)

Download the CSCP Child Exploitation Risk Assessment Tool Guidance pdf (PDF 327.6KB)

Download the CSCP Child Exploitation Parent Leaflet

Short Films for Practice - CSE Research

These 12 films are aimed at anyone who wants to access learning from the latest research on child sexual exploitation (CSE), in a short accessible form.

The films share the findings of a range of studies undertaken by researchers in ‘The International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking’ at the University of Bedfordshire, as well as drawing on wider CSE literature.

10 Key facts about child sexual exploitation

Child sexual exploitation - a social model of consent

Peer on Peer child sexual exploitation

Gang associated sexual exploitation and violence

Safeguarding teenagers from sexual exploitation and violence outside the home

What young people affected by sexual exploitation have told us about the support they want from you

Raising community awareness of child sexual exploitation

Parents as partners in safeguarding children from sexual exploitation

Managing child sexual exploitation workers in multi-agency teams

Making justice work for victims and witnesses in child sexual exploitation cases

Multi-dimensional safety for children in care affected by sexual exploitation

Successful reintegration for separated children 

Further videos relating to abuse and access to health services

Happy Ending? The dangers of on-line grooming

Exploitative Relationships: Spotting Sexual Exploitation

Poster: Social Media Dangers

Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2023 - NWG Awareness Raising Video - this short vide was launched as part of the 2023 Child Exploitation Awareness Day 

Child Sexual Exploitation - How Public Health can support prevention and intervention: literature search - Public Health England (PHE) has published a literature search to identify the latest international research about effective interventions to prevent child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 - 2013) - Information relating to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham 

Support Services for Cumbrian parents of victims of child exploitation

CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION (Cumbria Police) - Cumbria Police guidance on spotting the signs of child sexual exploitation.

PACE - PACE helps parents across the UK understand what is happening to their child and how parents are the prime agents in helping their child exit exploitative relationships.

BIRCHALL TRUST - The Birchall Trust provide a free confidential counselling service for male and females, children, young people and adult survivors of recent or historic rape and sexual abuse. The services is also available for partners, relatives and friends who want to talk about the effects of rape and sexual abuse in order to support their loved one.

VICTIM SUPPORT - Victim Support Core Community Service provides a free confidential support service which includes emotional support, practical help and advocacy across the county.  This services is available to parents/guardians of children/young people who have been victims of CSE/SA.

SAFETY NET - Safety Net is a free and confidential service, offering information and counselling to anyone who has been affected by rape, exploitation, sexual and domestic abuse at any time in their lives across Cumbria. . We understand that the road to recovery is different for everyone, our specialist trauma-informed team is with you every step of the way. For further details on the services above, please click here

HARMFUL SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT SERVICE - run by SWGfL in partnership with the Marie Collins Foundation, is now available to safeguarding professionals across England and provides the tools to equip and empower practitioners to address the alarming normalisation of harmful sexual behaviour in children and young people. The telephone and email support, which is funded by the Home Office and developed in collaboration with the Department for Education, is available Monday – Friday, 8am to 8pm. Call: 0344 255 0623  |  Email: hsbs@swgfl.org.uk

Cumbria's Child Exploitation Strategy 2021 to 2024

Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) has been developing the Child Exploitation Champions Network. 

The CSCP aims for each organisation signed up to the partnership to have a Child Exploitation Champion. 

The purpose of the Child Exploitation Champion role is to: 

• Be a key contact for staff within an organisation/department to go to for support and advice in relation to child exploitation
• be a key contact for CSCP to share updates, resources and examples of good practice. Keep up to date with local arrangements, such as how and who to share concerns about child exploitation with and referral processes
• To provide advice and signposting in relation to the CERAR process and pathways
• To raise awareness, disseminate resources and information in relation to child exploitation within their organisation
• For those who wish to undertake CSCP Child Exploitation Train the Trainer course and become a designated trainer for their organisation
• To identify gaps in provision/practice and feed this back to the CSCP through Child Exploitation Forums/Network Meetings
• Keep up to date with local policy and procedures in relation to child exploitation which is supported by the CSCP

For more information please refer to the CSCP Child Exploitation Champions Leaflet