Child Exploitation

Steve Willshaw and Lucy Purkiss discuss the vulnerability of teenagers to exploitation, highlighting the growing issue of child exploitation in the UK and the concept of "county lines" in drug distribution.

They explore signs that might indicate a child's involvement in criminal activities and emphasise the importance of educators and parents being aware of these indicators.

The first conversation also covers the changing landscape of safeguarding in schools, introducing the concept of contextual safeguarding and discussing the role of local authorities and Safeguarding Children Partnerships in addressing these issues.

In the second recording, Lucy outlines the steps to take when child exploitation is suspected, emphasising the importance of collaboration with other professionals and utilising local authority processes.

She explains that different areas have varying procedures but generally involve designated safeguarding leads and multi-agency partnerships, including the National Referral Mechanism to protect exploited children.

Lucy stresses the significance of schools working closely with other agencies and accessing resources to stay informed about evolving types of exploitation.