May 2021

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Toolkit to identify vulnerable children and young people

A Practitioners toolkit is now available to download from Quick Links section on the practitioners area of the Families First Portal. This toolkit should be used to identify children/young people who may be vulnerable to exploitation; criminal, sexual, gang and youth violence.

What is child exploitation?

Child exploitation is the act of using a minor child for profit, labour, sexual gratification, or some other personal or financial advantage.

The purpose of this screening toolkit is to assist designated safeguarding practitioners/leads to consider the health, welfare and safety of a child/young person for whom there are concerns that they may be vulnerable to exploitation, including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE); Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE); and/or association with gangs, youth violence.

Whilst elements of this toolkit relate more to use within educational settings, the toolkit can be utilised by all partners in a way that suits individual agency needs.

The toolkit should:

  • support professional decision making about the level of risk
  • help identify an appropriate response
  • provide a framework and suggestions for educational settings, to assist in developing a whole school approach to embedding preventative education and learning into the curriculum.

The indicators and resources referred to within this toolkit cover many safeguarding issues, due to their interconnectivity.

The Document is divided in to two parts:

  • Part One - Indicators checklist – support screening, analysis and pathway guidance to address children/young people’s immediate unmet needs. The indicators checklist can be applied to all children (male and female) under the age of 18 years (children with additional needs /LDD require special consideration up to the age of 25 years).
  • Part Two - Resources hub - for use within the curriculum, 1:1 work with children and young people, information for parents and carers and to develop staff training and knowledge of these areas.

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