4 LSCB Missing, Exploited and Trafficked (MET) Strategy
Joint message from the LSCB Chairs:
As chairs of the 4 LSCB s covering Portsmouth, Southampton, the Isle of Wight and
Hampshire, we are collectively committed to tackling the problem of Child Sexual
Exploitation (CSE), and trafficking and their consequential impact on children and
young people who go missing in our region.
Child Sexual Exploitation is one of the most important challenges for our
Safeguarding Children Boards. We recognise and understand that it is our joint
responsibility to prevent children becoming victims of this form of abuse.
All agencies have a responsibility to help identify those children and young people at
risk of sexual exploitation; agencies also have a responsibility, both individually and
collectively, for ensuring that children and young people are protected from any risk
of harm. This includes children who go missing and are trafficked. We can only
achieve his by working together.
As chairs, we endorse this important 4 LSCB strategy document that sets out how
we will take our joint work forward and protect the children of our region.
Our Vision:
Our children will be safe and protected within their communities, free from
exploitation and abuse.
What is Child Sexual Exploitation?
CSE is a form of sexual abuse that involves the coercion of young people into sexual
activity in exchange for various ‘rewards’ such as money, accommodation, affection
or status. The young person may believe they are in a loving relationship.
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Inappropriate relationships: usually involving one perpetrator who has
inappropriate power or control over a young person.
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Peer exploitation: the perpetrator befriends and grooms a young person into a
“relationship” and then coerces or forces them into sexual activity
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Organised/networked sexual exploitation or trafficking: young people (often
connected) are passed through networks, possibly, between towns and cities
where they may be forced/coerced into sexual activity with multiple men.
Children who frequently go missing are more often victims of CSE and it can be a
sign of abuse. Children who are trafficked are similarly much more likely to be the
victims of CSE and this makes a joint approach to these children so key.
Why do we need a strategy?
A growing number of research reports published since 2011 have highlighted the
increasing issue of child exploitation; there are clear links between trafficked
children, missing children and child sexual exploitation (CSE). The research that
supports this is highlighted in the following key documents;
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DfE, (2011), ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ Action Plan
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Home Office, (2011), Missing Children and Adults.
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HM Government, (2011), Ending Gang and Youth Violence
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The Children’s Commissioner for England, (2012), interim report - Child
Sexual Exploitation in Gangs and Groups (CSEGG).
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HM Government (2009 / 2013), Safeguarding children and young people from
sexual exploitation:
An increasing number of high profile complex police investigations have further
evidenced that this is a national problem, with child sexual exploitation prevalent in
every town and city across the UK. The abuse can be organised involving one or
more adults or be peer on peer. CSE is difficult to detect and as a result no single
agency can tackle this problem alone; it requires the collaboration of all partners to
ensure the exploitation of children is eradicated.
This strategy document explains how we will achieve this.
Objectives:
The 4 LSCB MET strategy has 4 key strategic priorities for 2014 -2017
1. Understand and Identify.
2. Prevent.
3. Intervene and Support.
4. Disrupt and Bring to Justice.
Our 3 year priorities:
1. Understand and Identify
 Develop and maintain a CSE problem profile across the 4 LSCB.
 Ensure systems are developed to incorporate Missing and Trafficked
children’s data from all relevant agencies at a local level.
 Share relevant intelligence / information across the 4 LSCB.
 Identify victims / profile of victims of MET and those vulnerable to MET
 Identify specific locations /areas of greater risk – hot spots.
 Identify perpetrators /perpetrator profiles.
 Identify and implement learning from SCRs and high profile police
prosecutions
2. Prevent
 Raise the understanding and awareness of CSE, Missing and Trafficked
amongst professionals
 Promote a culture of professional curiosity – to encourage professionals to
actively look for MET and ask appropriate questions.
 Raise the understanding and awareness of the risks of CSE, Missing and
Trafficked amongst children and their families
 Work with education establishments to embed MET learning within the
curriculum.
 Develop training pathways across agencies to ensure staff are equipped to
recognise the signs and symptoms of CSE and understand how to refer any
concerns
 Develop and promote regular publicity to ensure CSE is a priority for all
communities
3. Intervene and Support.
 Develop MET victim charter.
 Ensure wide range of appropriate support services are accessible and in
place for victims of MET and those children vulnerable to MET.
 Develop agreed multi agency response pathways that reflect the SERAF
outcomes, from Early Help to specialist level 4 services.
4. Disrupt and Bring to Justice.
 Through the sharing of CSE, Missing and Trafficked information, support the
Police to disrupt and successfully prosecute those intent on abusing and
exploiting children and young people
 MET requires proactive, multi agency investigation and should not be reliant
on the young person making a complaint
 To pursue opportunities to interact with offenders in order to develop an
understanding of their behaviour and motivations
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Monitor the use and impact of Ancillary Orders. Section 2 Abduction Notices,
Risk of Sexual Harm Orders, Sexual Offences Prevention Orders, Restraining
Orders.
Monitor the use and impact of EPOs, PPOs, Care Proceedings and Secure
Orders in respect of keeping children safe from exploitation.
Learn from previous, current and future prosecutions to ensure all
investigations into CSE are undertaken by specifically trained staff.
5. How we will know we’ve made a difference?
 Increased understand across all agencies of the size and scale of the CSE
issues across the 4LSCB.
 A children’s workforce who are trained and actively considering MET issues in
their day to day contact with children.
 Local actions plans in place to reduce the risk to individual children.
 Children report that they feel safer in their local communities.
 An increase in the number of convictions of perpetrators of CSE.
About the 4LSCB MET Board
The Chairs of all four individual LSCBs have agreed that a joint focus on child sexual
exploitation (CSE) and where appropriate to also focus on the related issues of
missing children and trafficked children. This work will be undertaken within a single
Board at ‘4 LSCB’ level.
The specific aims of the Board will be to reduce incidents of Missing, Exploited &
Trafficked Children by:
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Improving raising awareness of issues relating to CSE.
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Promoting partnership working to tackle the issues.
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Deliver on national guidance and professional best practise where this would
be effective to do pan-Hampshire.
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Deliver a Pan Hampshire Problem Profile.
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Reduce the risks to children by coordinating multi agency responses across
Hampshire where this would be expedient to do.
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Coordinate plans that ensure good outcomes from children affected by CSE.
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Enable all four LSCBs to respond to the changing trends and risks based on
local and national intelligence, research and best practice.
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To recommend changes via the 4LSCB Procedures Committee.
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Develop Regional and National Networks and seek opportunities to share
best practice.
June 2014.