Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Families and Communities

Contextual Safeguarding is a theoretical response to safeguarding vulnerable adolescents outside of their family developed by Bedfordshire University. The Select Committee had first considered this approach at their meeting of 23 July 2019 and at a joint workshop with members of the Corporate Parenting Panel on 2 March 2020.

The Select Committee were aware that a Contextual Safeguarding Implementation Plan was in place to support improvement. This was a live working document to enable learning during development to be incorporated into the plan. There was now a Child Exploitation Strategy shared by Safeguarding Boards across the city and county. It had been intended to launch the Strategy in March 2020 but due to the pandemic this had been delayed until  December 2020, at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Virtual Child Exploitation Conference. The launch had included over 250 professionals and had focused on spotting and understanding the early signs of child exploitation. At the conference people with lived experience of exploitation had shared their experiences, both parents and children.

Members heard that extensive training had been delivered with all partners, with feedback from this being very positive and helping shape future practice. A level 2 Child Exploitation Training package was being developed which would be available through the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children’s Board (SSSCB) to all partners. Several champions had been established across all local authority children and family services who worked to share specialist knowledge, embed good practice and raise professional awareness. “Top Tips” guides had also been developed around early identification, mapping of associates and safety planning to reduce risks.

Extra capacity within the existing service had been built to support development and had allowed the addition of a CSE co-ordinator and administrator. To support identification of vulnerable adolescents the existing Risk Factor Matrix (RFM) had been revised to include all exploitation. Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Panels (MACE) received referrals from completed RFMs, with information cross referenced to identify links between vulnerable children and those causing harm, and to identify vulnerabilities. Vulnerable locations were also identified through this process, with the focus of Panels on disrupting and preventing those causing harm to children from doing so. Members were satisfied that the linkages made through the MACE Panels provided a joined-up approach to this work and noted that recommendations from the Panel were included on an individual’s young person’s care plan. They were also pleased to note that engagement and attendance at Panels was excellent, supported by digital technology and effective panel agenda management.

Members heard that District and Borough Council’s had engaged well in supporting this work helping to make spaces safe for young people through safeguarding assessments of spaces and places.

A performance framework was being developed to help demonstrate impact and identify areas for improvement, best practice and trends. National funding had been secured to help with this, with work over a number of months with partners to develop the performance framework. A Child Exploitation Steering Group had been developed with responsibility for driving forward improvements in this key area.

Members raised the risks associated with social media and concerns at how young people could be safeguarded from these. Social media had a huge impact on safeguarding. Work was undertaken with schools, Police colleagues and parents to help identify and warn children about harmful sites. Whilst new sites were created all the time work was ongoing to mitigate the risks they presented.

Difficulties in engaging exploited young people was raised as a concern and Members heard that there was a need for patience and tenacity when working with these young people. It was necessary to target the exploitation and address this, recognising that child exploitation was a safeguarding issue.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    the considerable progress made on Contextual safeguarding be noted; and

b)    details of how the County Council is meeting the statutory requirements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who were being exploited or at risk of being exploited be welcomed.