Safeguarding Young People at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation

1. Safeguarding Young People at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation Multi-Agency Workshop

2. Aims of the session • To identify Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) • To recognise the signs and indicators of CSE • To understand the referral process and intelligence requirement • To gain an awareness of the work being carried out in Rotherham to tackle CSE

3. What is Child SexualExploitation? • Any involvement of a child or young person under the age of 18 in sexual activity for which remuneration in cash or in kind is given to the young person (in kind, clothing, place to stay, gifts etc.) • It is an abuse of vulnerability, differential power (age, gender, strength or intellect) or trust for sexual purposes: this includes profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. • It can involve Trafficking from one place to another for the purposes of sexual exploitation. • CSE is child abuse and often involves the young person being raped or sexually assaulted by several different people over a significant period of time in the young persons life.

4. What is a Child? • A child is anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. • The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or in custody, does not change his/her status or entitlements to services or protection. • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013

5. A multi-agency approach Rotherham LSCB promotes a multi-agency approach which emphasises the need to: • Recognise the problems of the sexual exploitation of children and young people • Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people • Work together to provide children and young people with strategies to exit sexual exploitation • Investigate and prosecute those who coerce, exploit and abuse children and young people in this way

6. 3 Phases Leading to CSE • Initial Contact • Grooming • Exploitation

7. Initial Contact Home Social networking/media sites/ BBM School School friend or relative Shopping Centres Groups of boys and girls Entertainment Centres Groups of boys and girls Bus/Train Stations/Taxi ranks Groups of boys and girls/ lights/warm Late night Takeaways Bright Lights/warm/Free food Payment Services Fast food delivery / taxi’s Green Areas Parks / carnivals / fairs

8. Grooming Attention Invest time with the victim, eventually introduced to other male ‘friends’ Gifts May not be expensive, takeaway food, adult clothing, cheap jewellery, possibly a phone Isolation from family and friends I’ll look after you – you are an adult. They don't understand you. They can’t do that to you Supply of drugs and or alcohol Initially no cost to the victim, but will be introduced to crime to fund the supply Criminal Association Introduced to crime shoplifting/Supply of drugs Chaotic Lifestyle Lose structure to their life. Become secretive, Misper, Sexually active.

9. Exploitation Groomed Seen by victim as Boy and Girlfriend. Victim fully compliant Sexual Abuse Broadens Adult ‘friends’ introduced sexually Compliance You would if you loved me Exploitation Victim may receive money for sex and to keep quiet. Criminal lifestyle will become a way of life Photo/Video Blackmail Threats Violence threatened and used Abducted Kept at location and systematically raped/links with missing from home

10. Warning Signs • Change in behaviour & Friendship Groups • Links to unknown adults • Mood changes • Mobile phones, Sim cards, snapped Sim cards • Seen in different cars • Increased Internet activity • Change in language • Unaccounted monies or possessions • Night Time Economy • Truanting/absences from School/missing from education • Large amounts of condoms • Frequent attendance at GuMed

11. National Picture • 60% of data linked to perpetrators is not collected • Faith and Nationality incorrectly recorded by agencies • 50% of perpetrators are under 29 years old • 20% of perpetrators are under 19 years old

12. SICK PARTY - DVDSick Party DVD costs £50 and is available to order from www.basis-at-genesis.org.uk/sitemap/sick-party-dvd/ Genesis/Basis is a Leeds based project for young people and professionals

13. CSE Operations in Rotherham Operation Central Lessons Learned Review Operation Czar Creation of the Specialist Safeguarding Co-ordinator Post Operation Cooling Serious Case Review Operation Chard Lessons Learned Multi-agency Discussion and Way Forward

14. Missing from Home or Care • In 2011-12, 128 of the children and young people who contacted the charity ‘Missing People’ were identified as either experiencing or being at risk of CSE. • Analysis of the cases revealed that all the victims were female and the majority aged between 13 and 17 years. • The experiences of those young people reflected recognised methods of coercion (ie, exchange of sexual acts for accommodation, grooming and use of the internet) • Exploitation was initiated by strangers, older ‘boyfriends’, relatives and networks of perpetrators. • Barnardos (2011) identifies going missing as one of the top four risk factors for CSE and estimates that around 50% of the sexually exploited young people they worked with in 09/10 went missing on a regular basis. • Research identifies that looked after children are at particular risk of CSE

15. Child Trafficking • Child trafficking is the recruitment and movement of children for the purpose of exploitation. During the process of trafficking, children suffer from neglect, emotional abuse, physical and sexual abuse. • There are documented cases of teenage girls, born in the UK, being targeted for internal trafficking between towns and cities for sexual exploitation • The Children Act 1989 and 2004 applies to all children in the UK who need protection, including those who are brought to the UK. • Children are trafficked from every part of the world into the UK for: • Sexual exploitation • Domestic servitude • Exploitative labour (eg, nail bars, restaurants, agricultural work) • Criminal activity (eg, cannabis cultivation, pick pocketing, moving drugs) • Benefit fraud, sometimes under the guise of unregulated private fostering arrangements • Forced marriage

16. Child Abduction Notices • A Child Abduction Warning Notice can be used by police to disrupt the activities of an individual who repeatedly associates with a young person (under 16 yrs if living at home, under 18 years if in the care of the LA) • In many cases the children involved will have repeatedly gone missing from home or care and may have formed relationships which leave them vulnerable to exploitation.

17. Child Abduction Notices • The Child Abduction Notice identifies the child/young person and confirms to the suspect that s/he has no permission to associate with or to contact or communicate with the child. • A child’s parent or carer can make a statement to the police stating that they do not give permission for the child to be with a particular adult. • If the suspect continues to do so they may be arrested and prosecuted under S2 of the Child Abduction Act 1984 (max sentence of 7 years imprisonment) • An offence may also be committed if a child goes willingly with an abductor as a result of an inducement.

18. Multi Disciplinary Teams • Less systems inflicted trauma • Better agency decision making • More accurate investigations • More appropriate interventions • Better use of resources • Better trained and more capable professionals • Creates SPOC’s for continuity and professional relationship building

19. Multi Disciplinary Teams • Identify victims early, win their confidence and trust and help them recognise themselves as victims through one to one support • Advocacy • Emotional Support • Support families to understand CSE and preventative measures • Co-ordinate extensive prevention work in Schools

20. Prevention and Training in Schools • The CSE Team run preventative workshops in Schools aimed at Year 8s • The team are also keen to develop this programme further and revisit Schools in Year 10 or 11 to evaluate if the original interventions have been successful and to provide further support to schools when they have identified specific issues (such as internet safety) • Multi Agency CSE training workshops are also available for anyone who works with children and young people

21. Seeking AdviceCYPS • Advice and guidance about the referral process is available from the: • Contact and Referral Team (CART) 01709 823987 • CART replaced the Access Team as of 23.1.12 • Social Care Out of Hours service for children and adults – 01709 336080 • If a child already has an allocated social worker they should be contacted direct.

22. The Referral Process • Refer – by telephone to Contact & Referral Team (CART) on 01709 823987 • Record – all referrals must be followed up in writing within 24 hours and sent to CART using a Multi-Agency Referral Form • Retain – keep the original copy of the referral form in your workplace – securely and separate from any academic records • Remember – your record may be needed in any subsequent investigation, child protection conference or any Court action by Police or Social Care

23. Seeking Advice South Yorkshire Police • In an emergency, the Police should be contacted on 999 • The sharing of information or intelligence related to CSE should be completed by contacting the Police on 101

24. Information Sharing The following information would also be useful when making referrals regarding CSE: • Adults or other children/young people who are involved in the exploitation – names, street names, descriptions, addresses • Is the adult already known as a person posing a risk to children? • Cars – colour, models, registration numbers • Gifts received

25. What happens next? • It may be, as a result of a referral, that an assessment or investigation is carried out. • The only agencies who can investigate child abuse are Social Care, the Police and the NSPCC. • If the abuse is confirmed or the child considered to be at risk of significant harm, a child protection case conference may be called to consider whether to place the child on a child protection plan. • Those professionals who work with the child or the parents will be invited to attend or be asked to submit a report to the conference about their involvement with the child and family.

26. Assessment A brief assessment (under section 17 of the CA 1989) of each child referred to children’s social care to determine: ‘whether the child is in need, the nature of any services required, and whether any specialist assessments should be undertaken to assist the local authority in its decision making’ Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013 – A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

27. Strategy Meetings • Where there are concerns that a child or young person may be at risk of significant harm through CSE a strategy meeting will be called by Social Care (usually within 5 days of the Safeguarding Unit being notified). • The following agencies may be represented at the meeting: • Social worker/EWO/Youth Worker • Police • School/Health/Housing • Other agencies such as Probation/Bridges project etc.

28. Strategy Meetings in Rotherham • During the 2011-2012 financial year there were a total of 146 Strategy Meetings held in Rotherham regarding CSE. • 139 regarding females and 7 held in relation to boys and young men • During the period 1st April to 20th October 2012 there were a total of 63 Strategy Meetings held of which 60 featured young women and only 3 regarding young men.

29. South Yorkshire and Rotherham Child Protection Procedures • The South Yorkshire and Rotherham LSCB Child Protection Procedures are available on-line on the Rotherham LSCB website. There is a direct link to the procedures as well as other safeguarding information including Serious Case Reviews and the training prospectus. • The ‘Working Together 2010’ link gives access to a Resources Library which contains key publications, Government guidance and regulations. • All paper copies of old procedures should now be destroyed and the on-line version used. The procedures will be continuously updated by Tri.X • www.rscb.org.uk

30. Final Thoughts • Any sexual exploitation of a child is unacceptable – it takes away their childhood, their self-respect, dignity, their future and, in some parts of the UK, ultimately their life • Professionals can use the legislation around CSE in a pro-active way – if we cannot prosecute we can at least disrupt • Understanding other Professionals roles and responsibilities is key to positive joint working • There are no experts in this field • How professional’s record information from young people who may be at risk of CSE can have a massive impact on a case • Confront and challenge yours and others attitudes and values to CSE • All professionals must know what to look for and how to deal with it