Step 1 & 2: Identify Vulnerability Factors / Risk Indicators
Vulnerability Factors (tick all that apply)
Living in a chaotic or dysfunctional household (including parental
substance use, domestic violence, parental mental health issues,
parental criminality)
History of abuse (including familial child sexual abuse, risk of
forced marriage, risk of ‘honour’ based violence, physical and
emotional abuse and neglect)
Recent bereavement or loss
Gang association either through relatives, peers or intimate
relationships (in cases of gang associated CSE only)
Attending school with young people who are sexually exploited
Learning disabilities
Unsure about their sexual orientation or unable to disclose sexual
orientation to their families
Friends with young people who are sexually exploited
Yes/No
Risk Indicators (tick all that apply
Missing from home or care
Physical injuries
Drug or alcohol misuse
Involvement in offending
Repeat sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancy and
terminations
Absent from school
Change in physical appearance
Living in a gang neighbourhood
Evidence of sexual bullying and/or vulnerability through the
internet and/or social networking sites
Evidence of sexual bullying and/or vulnerability through the
internet and/or social networking
Receipt of gifts from unknown sources
Living in residential care
Recruiting others into exploitative situations
Living in hostel, bed and breakfast accommodation or a foyer
Poor mental health
Low self-esteem or self-confidence
Self-harm
Young carer
Thoughts of or attempts at suicide
Homeless/ sofa surfing
Yes/No
Step 3: Complete the CSE Risk Factors Matrix
RISK LEVEL
1 / Low
NUMBER OF
INDICATORS
BEHAVIOURS
Regularly coming home late or going
missing

REQUIRED ACTION
(BRIEF POINTS)
-
Overt sexualised dress
-
Low Risk
Low risk cases
do not usually
meet the
threshold for
Social Care
intervention but
should have
individual or
multi-agency
intervention
through the
EHAP.
Sexualised risk taking including on
the internet
ONE OR
MORE
INDICATORS
IDENTIFIED
-
Unaccounted for monies or goods
Associating with unknown adults or
other sexually exploited children
-
Discuss with
manager/NSP
Contact CSE &
Missing coordinator
Return interview (if
missing)
EHAP
Notify MISPER
Police if the child or
young person is
going missing
Keep detailed
records of
incidents/risks
Keep chronologies
Reduced contact with family/friends
Notes:
Sexually transmitted infections
Experimenting with drugs/alcohol
Poor self image, eating disorder,
some self-harm
CONSIDERATIONS
No child under 13
can be categorised
as LOW.
No child with a
learning disability
can be categorised
as LOW.
RISK LEVEL
2 / Medium
NUMBER OF
INDICATORS
Getting into cars with unknown or known
CSE adults
Being groomed on internet
Medium Risk
As indicated
above, the
indicators are a
guide to assisting
the exercise of
professional
judgement. In
relation to the
medium level
indicators, should
professional
judgement
determine that
there is
reasonable cause
to suspect that
the child is
suffering or likely
to suffer
significant harm
requiring
investigation
under S47 of the
Children Act, then
the procedures
detailed under
the higher level of
risk should be
followed.
BEHAVIOURS
Any of the
above AND
ONE OR
MORE
INDICATORS
IDENTIFIED
Clipping i.e. offering to have sex with the
intention of robbing the victim, then
running before sexual activity
Disclosure of physical/sexual assault
with no substantiating evidence to
warrant a S47 enquiry, followed by
withdrawal of complaint
Reports of involvement in CSE such as
seen in “hot spots”
Older boyfriend/girlfriend

REQUIRED ACTION
(BRIEF POINTS)
As above for low risk
level plus:
- Referral into ECIRS
(if not an allocated
case)
- Strategy meeting
- Refer to MASE
- If not S47, EHAP to
be completed within
10 working days
- Police discussion
regarding
investigation
needs/MISPER.
Non school attendance or excluded
Staying out overnight with no
explanation
Breakdown of placements due to
behaviour
Unaccounted monies or goods i.e.
mobiles, drugs, alcohol, clothing
Self-harm requiring medical assistance
Multiple sexually transmitted infections
Repeat offending
Gang association or membership
Notes:
CONSIDERATIONS
Where a child/young
person is considered
to be at risk or likely
to be at risk of
significant harm or if
the NSP is not
available, a referral
must be made
immediately to
ECIRS.
RISK LEVEL
3 / High
NUMBER OF
INDICATORS
High Risk
It is envisaged that
the use of an Initial
Child Protection
Conference (ICPC) in
cases of sexual
exploitation will be
relatively rare, but will
take place where
there are a number of
other concerns
alongside the sexual
exploitation, in
particular neglectful
or collusive parenting.
Where sexual
exploitation remains
the critical issue, the
CSE & Missing
coordinator will chair
the ICPC. Where the
other issues indicate
significant harm, but
sexual exploitation is
not the primary risk
factor, the case will
be passed to a Child
Protection Advisor.
Any of the
above AND
ONE OR
MORE
INDICATORS
IDENTIFIED
BEHAVIOURS

REQUIRED ACTION
(BRIEF POINTS)
Child under 13 engaging in sexual
activity
Pattern of street homelessness and
staying with an adult believed to be
sexually exploiting them
Child under 16 meeting different adults
for sex
Removed from red light districts by
professionals due to CSE
Being taken to clubs/hotels for sex with
adults
Disclosure of sexual assault and then
withdrawal of disclosure/statement
-
Abduction and forced imprisonment
-
Disappearing from the system with no
contact with support
Being bought/sold/ trafficked
Under 16 with multiple miscarriages
and terminations
Indicators of CSE in conjunction with
chronic alcohol and drug use
Indicators of CSE alongside serious
self-harming
Receiving a reward for recruiting other
peers to CSE
-
-
-
-
Discuss with
Manager/NSP
Discuss with CSE
& Missing
coordinator
Referral into
ECIRS (if not an
allocated case)
Strategy / CP
conference
Refer to MASE
Joint investigation
with the Police and
Social Care
Ensure information
is recorded
Use chronologies
Notes:
CONSIDERATIONS
Where a child/young
person is
considered to be at
risk or likely to be at
risk of significant
harm or if the NSP
is not available, a
referral must be
made immediately
to ECIRS.