Child Exploitation JSNA

Summary

Strategic Issue 1

Despite efforts to tackle child criminal exploitation there is increasing prevalence of children being used in criminal activities

What needs to be done

Work to address the increasing prevalence of CCE and County Lines.

  • Early intervention in schools: targeted work with excluded pupils or those at risk of exclusion.
  • Youth-led prevention: peer-led or youth-informed programmes to build resilience.
  • Family support for CCE: specialist support for families affected by county lines.
  • Data on local prevalence: There is a need for local data and predictive analytics to track trends in CCE.

Strategic Issue 2

Lack of Coordinated Data and Intelligence Sharing which highlights gaps in Community Awareness and Professional Training

What needs to be done

Improve the coordination of data and intelligence sharing.

  1. Establish a multi-agency data-sharing protocol
  2. Create a shared exploitation intelligence dashboard
  3. Appoint a local exploitation intelligence lead
  4. Use consistent child identifiers
  5. Community Intelligence
  6. Mandatory exploitation awareness training for all frontline staff
  7. Expand community engagement campaigns
  8. Develop survivor-informed training resources
  9. Introduce safeguarding champions in schools and community settings

Strategic Issue 3

High-Risk Groups Not Being Reached Effectively

  • Underrepresentation in services: Trans, non-binary, SEND, and Gypsy/Roma/Traveller children are less likely to be referred or supported.
  • Barriers to disclosure: Fear of criminalisation, distrust of institutions, and lack of culturally competent services prevent many young people from seeking help.
  • Inadequate outreach: Services often rely on referrals rather than proactive engagement in schools, youth clubs, or online spaces.
What needs to be done

Improving reporting and recognition among minority and marginalised groups.

  • Targeted outreach to underrepresented groups
  • Embed contextual safeguarding in all services
  • Improve referral pathways for boys and SEND children
  • Develop peer-led and youth-informed interventions
  • Ethnicity and vulnerability data
  • Community partnerships