Exploitation

Purpose and scope

Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership works closely with local agencies to ensure that the priorities laid out in Working Together 2023 are met, and that all agencies take joint responsibility for protecting children from harm and abuse. The aim of the strategy is to set out Coventry’s approach to tackling exploitation.

At the heart of this strategy are Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership’s key values:

• To put children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do.
• To ensure that partners work together achieving better outcomes for children, young people and their families.
• To recognise and share examples of good practice so that these can be replicated in other areas.
•  To be innovative and to try new approaches to ensure continuous improvement.
• To be open and honest about barriers that may be preventing improvement so that we can collectively agree how these may be overcome.
• To ensure that poor practice is challenged appropriately to ensure that it leads to improvement in the system.
• To take an anti-racist approach in all aspects of our practice.
• To ensure that children, young people and their families receive the right service, at the right time in the right way.

Our approach to child exploitation encompasses child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and, where there are links to child exploitation, gangs, county lines, knife crime, radicalisation, youth violence, modern slavery and child trafficking.

The strategy focuses on four key areas:

• Prepare
• Prevent
• Protect
• Pursue

This strategy should be read in conjunction with other key strategies, policies and procedures including the regional Child Protection procedures for West Midlands Child affected by exploitation and trafficking including gangs, Effective Support for Children and Families in Coventry, the Early Help strategy and the Coventry Serious Violence Duty.

Context

The One Coventry Plan has a strategic objective to improve outcomes and tackle inequalities within our communities.

Tackling child exploitation is a complex task.  Children do not always recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and do not always see themselves as at risk of exploitation. There is growing national recognition of the similarities between different forms of exploitation and the criminal and sexual exploitation of children may overlap and link.  Victims of child exploitation may, at any one time, be subject to both.

Perpetrators of Child Exploitation (CE) can share patterns of behaviour in respect of coercion, violence, intimidation, and the power imbalance inherent in them and many other offences.  However, circumstances in which the exploitation occurs can demand different approaches. It should also be recognised that children may be both victims and perpetrators of exploitation.

It is increasingly recognised across the country that all forms of exploitation take place irrespective of social class, race and ethnicity, gender, urban and rural areas.  However, it is also widely recognised that perpetrators are more likely to target children who are more vulnerable due to social, economic or emotional factors.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation by organised networks noted that in relation to  “Child Sexual Exploitation often leads to children suffering one or more of the following:

• mental health consequences, including low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-harm and suicide attempts;
• adverse effects on future behaviour and development, including age-inappropriate sexual activity, alcohol and drug misuse, a lack of ability to trust others and build relationships, and involvement in the sexual victimisation of others; and
• physical health implications such as sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy and possible termination, physical injury and genital injury. Some of the effects may take time to manifest themselves after exposure to the abuse has ended”

Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership recognises that there is also a long-term profound impact on victims, families and communities of Child Exploitation which demonstrates the importance of partners working together to address this issue.

Working Together 2023 states that, ‘Protecting children from abuse, neglect or exploitation requires multi-agency join up and co-operation at all levels.’ It also states that ‘Safeguarding Partners should publish clear procedures and processes for exploitation’ and ‘that all practitioners require appropriate training so that they are able to identify and recognise all forms of exploitation. Furthermore it states that, ‘Practitioners should be alert to the potential need for Early Help for a child at risk of sexual/ and or criminal exploitation’.

Locally the Horizon team reported that 40 children known to their service were at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation. 124 children were at risk of Child Criminal Exploitation and 65 children were at risk of multiple types of exploitation in the last quarter of 2023/2024. Throughout the year there were 47 reports of Child Sexual Exploitation to West Midlands Police in Coventry which is approximately 11% of the total regional reports of Child Sexual Exploitation, six children were taken into police protection as a result of Child Sexual Abuse in 2023/2024.

Definitions

Child Sexual Exploitation

Child Sexual Exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child Sexual Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. (Dept. for Ed: Definition and a guide for practitioners, local leaders and decision makers working to protect children from child sexual exploitation, Feb 2017)

Child Criminal Exploitation

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence.  The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual.  CCE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. (Home Office: Serious Violence Strategy, April 2018)

Networks

A ‘network’ is defined as “two or more individuals (whether identified or not) who are known to (or associated with) one another”. Offender networks are often loosely interconnected rather than formally organised and older children or teenagers may also be involved in grooming victims.( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/iicsa-child-sexual-exploitation-by-organised-networks)

Domestic Servitude

This involves a victim being forced to work in predominantly private households, usually performing domestic chores and childcare duties. Their freedom may be restricted, and they may work long hours often for little or no pay, often sleeping where they work. 24% of reported victims of domestic servitude referred to the NRM were minors at the time of exploitation.

Forced labour

Victims may be forced to work long hours for little or no pay in poor conditions under verbal or physical threat of violence to them or their families. It can happen in various industries including construction, manufacturing, laying driveways, hospitality, food packaging, agriculture, maritime and beauty (nail bars). Often victims are housed together in one dwelling. 47% of reported victims in the UK are forced into labour. 18% of all forced labour victims in the UK are children- an increase of 62% since 2015.

Indicators of exploitation

• Going missing for periods of time, regularly returning home late or staying out late or overnight. Missing episodes can also occur in the day especially for children who are home educated.
• Regularly missing school or not in education due to part-time timetables and exclusion.
• Appearing with unexplained gifts or money.
• Being in a controlling relationship or having an older boyfriend or girlfriend. I would say having adult relationships or associations.
• Having a new group of friends. – Maybe regular change in friendship groups and visible change in behaviours as a result of this.
• Receiving more calls/texts than usual. Often receiving phones calls late at night and early in the morning, young person does not feel comfortable sharing who they are communicating with.
• Being very protective of their mobile phone or having multiple phones or SIM cards.
• Suffering from sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy or anal/vaginal injury.
• Uncharacteristic and significant mood swings or changes in behaviour and emotional wellbeing.
• Carrying drugs, unexplained amounts of money or weapons.
• Talking about an individual or group who have a lot of influence over them.
• Hanging around with older individuals or new groups and breaking ties with old friends.
• Dropping out of positive activities and hobbies with no explained rational.
• Unexplained physical injuries and/or refusal to seek or accept medical treatment with no rational.
• Travelling alone to places far from home or being found by services out of area.
• Unexplained bus, train tickets or hotel fobs.
• Using new language, words or hand signs you wouldn’t expect them to know.
• Changing their appearance, e.g. particular style, colours, wearing particular types of clothes and indicating this is as a result of belonging. (thinking locally different groups have wore different colour bandanas in the past).
• Refusing to enter certain streets or parts of the city. Feeling worried, anxious or scared of frequenting certain parts of the city for fear of being attacked and or targeted.
• Drug and alcohol misuse. Unable to understand how this is being obtained.
• Self-harming.
• Displaying sexualised behaviour or language.
• Concerning use of mobile phone and internet. Accessing sites or material online which would cause concern such like adult social media sites etc.
• Involved with gang activity or gang affiliated. Glamorising gangs and or gang affiliations.  
• Spending time regularly in CSE/ CCE known gang territories or hotspots.
• Being frightened of certain people or places.
• Unexplained physical signs of abuse, such as bruising, burns or lacerations.

This is not an exhaustive list and indicators can be very specific to individual children. Practitioners should use their professional judgement.

How we will measure success

• No of children or young people at risk of, or experiencing exploitation identified.
• No of children or young people with a reduction in their exploitation risk.
• No of children supported at risk of exploitation supported by early help or child in need plans,
• No of attendees at multi-agency exploitation training.
• No of hits to exploitation resources on the website.
• Number of civil orders/ prosecutions used in relation to exploitation.
• No of perpetrators, locations and networks identified.
• Evidence of positive outcomes seen in multi-agency exploitation audits.
• Positive impacts described by the children and young people that we work with