SAFEGUARDING: EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY

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.

Criminal exploitation of children is a geographically widespread form of harm that is a typical feature of county lines criminal activity: drug networks or gangs groom and exploit children and young people to carry drugs and money from urban areas to suburban and rural areas, market and seaside towns. Key to identifying potential involvement in county lines are missing episodes, when the victim may have been trafficked for the purpose of transporting drugs and a referral to the National Referral Mechanism⁹⁸ should be considered.

The fabrication or induction of illness in children is a relatively rare form of child abuse. Where concerns exist about fabricated or induced illness, it requires professionals to work together, evaluating all the available evidence, in order to reach an understanding of the reasons for the child’s signs and symptoms of illness. The management of these cases requires a careful medical evaluation which considers a range of possible diagnoses. At all times professionals need to keep an open mind to ensure that they have not missed a vital piece of information.

A forced marriage is a marriage in which one entered into without full and free consent, of one or both parties and where violence, threats or any other form of coercion is used to cause a person to enter into marriage. Threats can be physical or emotional and psychological. A lack of full consent can be where a person does not consent or where they cannot consent (if they have learning difficulties for example).

Being homeless or being at risk of becoming homeless presents a real risk to a child’s welfare. The designated safeguarding lead (and any deputies) should be aware of contact details and referral routes in to the Local Housing Authority so they can raise/progress concerns at the earliest opportunity. Indicators that a family may be at risk of homelessness include household debt, rent arrears, domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour, as well as the family being asked to leave a property. Whilst referrals and or discussion with the Local Housing Authority should be progressed as appropriate, and in accordance with local procedures, this does not, and should not, replace a referral into children’s social care where a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm.

Occurs when a child under the age of 16 (18 if disabled) is provided with care and accommodation by a person  who is not a parent, person with parental responsibility for them or a relative in their own home. A child is not privately fostered if the person caring for and accommodating them has done so for less than 28 days and does not intend to do so for longer. Such arrangements may come to the attention of staff.

Peer on peer abuse can take on many forms this can include:

• Domestic Abuse – an incident or pattern of actual or threatened acts of physical, sexual, financial and/or
• Child Sexual Exploitation – children under the age of 18 may be sexually abused

in the context of exploitative relationships and situations by peers who are also under 18.

• Harmful Sexual Behaviour – Children and young people presenting with sexual

behaviours that are outside of developmentally ‘normative’ parameters and harmful to themselves and others

• Serious Youth Violence – Any offence of the most serious violence or weapon

enabled crime, where the victim is aged 1-19′ i.e. murder, manslaughter, rape, wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm. ‘Youth violence’ is defined in the same way, but also includes assault with injury offences.

• Sexual violence can include rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault
• Sexual Harassment -unwanted conduct of a sexual nature

The term peer-on-peer abuse can refer to all of these definitions and a learner may experience one or multiple facets of abuse at any one time.

An estimated 200,000 children in England and Wales experience the imprisonment of a parent each year. This is far greater than the number of Looked After Children. Using the national estimate and population figures for 0 – 19-year olds across Greater Manchester from Public Health England’s 2014 Child Health Profile it is possible to estimate that around 10,700 children across Greater Manchester are affected. However in reality nobody really knows how many children are actually affected as this data is not routinely collected therefore there is no way of ensuring their needs are met.