Protect.

Strengthens protection for victims and potential victims of Child Sexual Exploitation.

Supports professionals to reduce the instances of CSE.

Security Industry Authority; engaging networks

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK.

In London the SIA had an action plan to raise awareness of CSE. It was decided to run a pan London event targeting all security staff who have a license with the SIA.

Workshops

The awareness raising workshop, ran in partnership with the London CSAE Prevention Officer, covered; the definition of CSE, statistics, the grooming process, models of exploitation, links to criminal exploitation and trafficking. It also covered how to identify exploitation in their roles, how to report intelligence and resources available.

The SIA produced Z cards, which were given out to all security staff who attended. NWG resources for small business were shared, alongside intelligence guidance.
How the model was rolled out

This model of CSE prevention has been replicated across other regions including the Eastern region and West Midlands where there was a focus on raising awareness amongst SIA staff working in the night time economy and on higher education campuses. Across the three regions over 360 security agents have engaged in awareness raising.

For sustainability, the SIA have agreed to develop a CSE webpage on their main website. Our night time economy toolkit will be uploaded alongside the presentation and resources used at the awareness raising events. SIA will promote this through their newsletters nationally, so the information will reach more security officers.

This prevention activity helps reduce the risk of CSA/E by increasing awareness, improving identification of risk and appropriate action being taken by engaging businesses and organisations

Intelligence Sharing - Motorway service stations

Across the West Midlands region there are 21 motorway service stations, which are an untapped source of intelligence. During the summer period in 2017, all the service station managers were visited by the West Midlands CSE coordinator and a central motorway intelligence officer. The managers were asked if they would display posters raising awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation and Modern Slavery. Of the 21 services stations, 19 were able to positively engage in the campaign.

The posters were placed in service station entrances, concourses and toilets, all the hotels which were linked to the service stations and the lorry parks. Immediate feedback from service station staff was positive. The poster is also available to download without logos on it.

Operation Sequence: Responding to intelligence

Derby College and British Transport Police (BTP) raised concerns about the safety of students travelling to and from the college. A transit area adjacent to the College, used by 3,000 students daily was identified as a potential exploitation hotspot where young people aged 16-18 were vulnerable to CSE and other forms of exploitation.

Working together Derby College, BTP, CSAE Prevention Officer and ROCU identified the need to increase understanding of CSAE with students, promote the BTP 61016 text number, increase the flow of intelligence to BTP, raise awareness with BTP, train and retail staff, East Midlands Train, teachers and students and to increase reporting of concerns and incidents.

What the response was
In response, the following activity was embarked upon:
- Development and delivery of tutorials to 5000+ students
- Presentation to safeguarding leads at the college
- Awareness raising sessions around CSE and vulnerability to BTP staff, train operators and staff and retail tenants.
- Focus groups with students to share concerns and shape future work
- Promotion of the BTP 61016 text resource to students through distribution of branded travel card wallets
- Linked digital social media campaigns
- Intelligence sharing procedures put in place.
This work is ongoing and further training will be arranged with key college and campus staff.
What were the results of the operation?

BTP and the ROCU noted an increase in intelligence following this work. Awareness has been raised between students who have the tools and awareness to keep themselves safe, as well as staff, transport and Police partners.

This multi-agency approach can be replicated in other settings, engaging wider networks and systems in tangible preventative work and has the potential for sustainability through involvement of CSE Champions, with students being key driver in delivering message within their college and communities.

Retailer Engagement - Dixon's retail stores

Children account for 1 in 3 internet users and while in school children and young people receive online safety education, there’s more that can be done to protect children online. By raising awareness with parents and carers, this can help prevent online CSE.

In Wales the CSAE Prevention Officer worked with Police on a retailer engagement proposal, aimed at developing partnerships with stores selling internet-enabled devices. Dixon's became a key retail partner in this work and awareness raising sessions were organised in conjunction with Police, Dixon's and the CSAE Prevention Officer.

Activity took place across a number of weekends including;

Awareness raising sessions with floor staff in stores, to increase knowledge and understanding of online CSE
Distribution of leaflets covering online child safety, to an estimated 5,000 members of the public
In-store online safety stalls, offering direct advice to customers on online safety.

Additional events have since been organised with other retail partners across Wales following this successful awareness raising work.

Disrupting CSE in shopping centres

This police-led operation was the Sexual Exploitation Team (SET East) response to a hotspot for CSE crime in Newham Borough.

Using intelligence to provide real results
The Sexual Exploitation Team (SET) within the Metropolitan Police identified four offences of rape within a four month period, from three victims under the age of 16. The SET identified the meeting point prior to these offences to be the same location within the shopping centre. There were numerous other vulnerable CSE victims and missing young people from across East London boroughs who were also linked to this location.

As a result, the SET team ran a police operation which aimed to:
- Identify and safeguard vulnerable females in the location of the shopping centre.
- Identify offenders of CSE and create maximum disruption to their activities, arresting suspects for criminality including drug offences and breaches of community protection orders.
- Create a visible presence in order to disperse groups and educate public through open communication and the distribution of literature.
Engaging with young people

The CSAE Prevention Officer supported the Operation, providing recommendations for CSAE prevention and awareness raising activity, resources and guidance. CSE resource packs were distributed to young people including lip balm, headphones, a wristband and information card, as well as vital information about services in the area for young people to access and where to go to for support. These ‘CSE packs’ helped police officers to start conversations with young people. Information and advice was also distributed to parents and carers on how to protect their children and young people.

This is an ongoing operation, with voluntary sector, local authority and police working together, aiming to identify and safeguard more young people and disrupt as many offenders as possible. The Operation has so far resulted in a number of arrests and numerous young people being safeguarded. It also raised intelligence regarding county lines.

Coverage in local and national media raised awareness with members of the public, highlighting the scale of the problem across England and Wales. It also prompted members of the public to contact Police and CSAE Prevention Officer, to share further intelligence and concerns.

Tackling CSE in football

Evidence shows a lack of CSAE reporting from Boys & Young Men (BYM) and lower awareness levels that BYM can be victims of CSAE. In the North East, the police action plan highlighted this group for targeted Prevention focused activity. Following research and scoping within the region it was felt that awareness raising should be targeted to those working with boys and young men but who weren’t necessarily working within the safeguarding arena. It was therefore decided that sport, particularly football would be a positive environment to target this particular piece of work.

Partnerships were established with various grassroots football teams, the Elite Football Academy and Premier League Training academy.

Helping to spot the signs of CSE

A training package was developed to use with sports coaches to raise their awareness around issues and covered CSE indicators, issues around consent, relationships, and how to safeguard children and young people by reporting concerns and sharing intelligence.

Currently two training sessions have been rolled out with a further five planned resulting in over 300 sports coaches receiving CSE training within the region.

This work has resulted in a partnership campaign between The Children’s Society, Northumbria Police, Newcastle Elite Football Academy, Sunderland Football Club and Middlesbrough Football club to tackle CSE in football, with the support from four Newcastle United Premier League footballers. The campaign has a video (below) aimed at young people, and involves footballers delivering key messages around CSE.

This work has increased awareness of CSAE in hard to reach groups and has improved identification of risk and appropriate action being taken. To support increased awareness of working with boys and young men we have also developed a toolkit for professionals.