Pan Cheshire Child Sexual Exploitation Media and Communication Strategy 2014 -2016 Version Number V3 Date January 2015 Owner Cheshire Review Date September 2015 Background The Safeguarding Children’s Boards of Cheshire (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington) have identified tackling the sexual exploitation of children as a key strategic priority. Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is child abuse and is completely unacceptable. The Safeguarding Children’s Boards of Cheshire (LSCB’s) are committed to combating the sexual exploitation of children via effective multi agency and partnership working. Each of the LSCB’s has their own CSE Operational Group that report to their respective board. They all work and coordinate activity through a Pan Cheshire CSE Steering Group that is chaired by Cheshire Police. This group has developed a Pan Cheshire CSE Strategy and a supporting CSE Action Plan. This includes a requirement to develop a CSE Communication Strategy. In accordance with the Pan Cheshire CSE Action Plan, the following Communication and Awareness Strategy has been developed through a task and finish group reporting to the Pan Cheshire CSE Steering Group. This strategy has been developed to assist and support each of the LSCB’s CSE sub groups in engaging with the public, professionals and key stakeholders and especially those at risk of child sexual exploitation. It is important that we engage with the public and partners to raise awareness and understanding of those at risk of CSE. It is critical to both victim and public confidence that there is a multi agency commitment to CSE and that communications activity reflects current service provision to victims and perpetrators of CSE. In order to develop this strategy and then implement it across all agencies and professionals, a consistent message must be communicated; this includes a consistent definition of what is CSE. Those speaking about CSE must be able to clearly explain what CSE is in a way that the public can understand. The Cheshire LSCB’s has adopted the definition of sexual exploitation that is set out in statutory guidance: “Sexual exploitation is child abuse and children and young people who become involved face huge risks to their physical, emotional and psychological health and well- being.” Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, attention, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, or others performing on them, sexual acts or activities. Child sexual exploitation grooming can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition; for example being persuaded to post sexual images on the Internet/mobile phones without immediate payment or gain. In all cases, those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child or young person’s limited availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability (The Department of Children, Schools and Families and the Home Office, July 2009) 2 Any reference to Cheshire within this document refers to the Unitary Authorities of Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester, Halton and Warrington. Communications objectives: Raise public awareness and understanding of CSE and the warning signs with the aim of increasing reporting Raise awareness and understanding of CSE and the warning signs across all professionals who have a responsibility for the care and safety of young people. Professionals are aware of the warning signs of CSE and are able to make informed decisions concerning the identification and investigation of CSE To provide the relevant communications tools that will aid accurate, informed and balanced reporting of CSE and the multi agency response Promote good work done nationally and locally by all agencies and partners using appropriate communication channels Ensure there is a coordinated local multi agency response to communicating issues relating to CSE Strategy aims: Provide Pan Cheshire key messages that reflect the national key messages around CSE for communication purposes that resonate with individual key target audiences locally Provide guidance on identifying opportunities to communicate CSE and the Pan Cheshire response to the public To ensure a coordinated, structured and accountable approach to media and communications Governance and Accountability: It is important that this activity is driven and directed through the LSCB’s. This provides a high level of scrutiny and accountability, through this multi agency platform. However, the respective groups have authority to progress with activity to ensure that business progressed is an effective and timely manner. It would not be acceptable for activity to be hindered or delayed due to the time period between board meetings or coordinating responses across the boards. The Pan Cheshire CSE Steering Group will own this strategy and associated Action Plan. The action plan activity will be driven and coordinated through this group, with activity carried out through the sub groups and task and finish groups as required. The Pan Cheshire Group reports to each of the four LSCB’s across Cheshire. There is a standing agenda item and the chair of this group prepares a briefing paper for each board meeting. Each of the four Operational CSE Sub Groups are represented on the Pan Cheshire Group. They also report directly through their Chairs to their respective LSCB. Target audiences: This strategy is aimed at communicating with a wide range of professionals, agencies and the public. Certain activity and campaigns will be focused and specific to target groups or agencies as required achieving the objectives. The following target audiences and stakeholders are identified; this list is by no means exhaustive. The strategy will be flexible to fit with a changing landscape and responding to regional and national activity. Internal: Local Safeguarding Children’s Board’s o All agencies, professionals and voluntary sector engaged with or part of each of the LSCB’s 3 Stakeholders: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) NHS England External General public with particular emphasis on potential victims and their carers Communications approach Internally and to stakeholders: Reporting through Pan Cheshire Steering Group to each LSCB Reporting through CSE Sub Groups to respective LSCB CSE Sub Groups to report to Pan Cheshire Steering Group Externally and to stakeholders: Support National Activity and Campaigns, driven through the CSE Steering Group. Identify ways of communicating the CSE definition, warning signs and key messages to the public. This could be through: o Responding to reactive media enquiries- as a result of operational activity, court cases, or speculative enquiries as a result of news reports, documentaries, specific interest of the reporter or comments made by a stakeholder, politician or campaigner. o Proactive media engagement- responding to CSE reports or publications, during a court case of a CSE offender, during an arrest operation, when there has been a national or local success in tackling CSE or on the back of wider discussions on CSE in the media or a link to other events such as Universal Children’s Day or Safer Internet Day. Identify ways of reaching potential victims and parents- articles in teen magazines, videos on You Tube, targeted campaigns on Facebook and Twitter and creating education packages for schools. Identify ways of reaching those who work with potential victims- pieces in trade press for teaching, social services and health services. Identify forces with best practice in dealing with CSE and build case studies of their success. Narrative: Tone Emphasise the positive work being done in tackling CSE but also make it clear there is more to do and a plan is in place to further improve the multi agency response Awareness of CSE and the multi agency response are the key messages for all target audiences If talking about one form of CSE, ensure reference the wider definition Language is important. Authorities have previously referred to victims as ‘promiscuous’, ‘prostitutes’ or ‘consenting’, which is completely unacceptable. A child abused by an adult in a position of power is not able to consent The use of the term “historic” has also been debated as it has been seen to undermine the victim’s experience as for them the abuse is not historic; they are still living with it. Nonrecent is a more neutral word to use Key messages: Awareness of CSE: Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child abuse where the victim is given somethingfood, money, drugs, alcohol, gifts- in exchange for sexual activity with the abuser. Offenders 4 target vulnerable young people and use their power- physical, financial, emotional etc- over the child to sexually abuse them Violence, coercion and intimidation are common. Involvement in exploitative relationships is characterised by the child or young person’s limited availability of choice as a result of their social, economic or emotional vulnerability A common feature of CSE is that the child or young person does not recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and does not see themselves as a victim of exploitation. This means that they are unlikely to report the abuse so police and partners must be alert to the signs of CSE and actively look for victims CSE can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition; for example being persuaded to post images on the internet/ mobile phones without immediate payment or gain Following high profile CSE cases in places such as Rochdale and Rotherham and allegations of child sex abuse against Jimmy Savile and others, we have all learnt much more about child abuse and child sexual exploitation. As a society, we have a greater understanding of CSE and a growing intolerance of it There is not one type of victim or offender of CSE. CSE can take many forms in many settings. If we look at just one model, such as group or gang CSE, we risk missing other victims who do not fall into that category. There is also a risk that victims don’t recognise their abuse as CSE because it doesn’t fit a particular model CSE is not an indictable offence but police and prosecutors can charge offenders with rape and other sexual offences as well as kidnapping and trafficking Example - Materials that have already been developed for Phase 1 in 2014 A4 posters 5 Staff Aide Memoir 6 CSE teenagers information card 7 Phase 2 Communication activity Period October 2014 Audience School and Education 17th November 2014 19th January 2015 Residential Children’s Care Homes Foster Carers young people, parents and general public 9th February 2015 Hotels and Taxi drivers 23rd March 2015 GP’s surgeries, health clinics, pharmacies, 25th May 2015 Late night economy (Fast-food outlets, Take away, pubs, clubs) Resource / Materials A4 posters CSE Teenagers information card A6 Stickers for inside changing rooms/toilet cubicles Posters for Staff Rooms highlighting the signs Updated website. www.knowandsee.co.uk A4 posters CSE Teenagers information card A6 Posters for Staff Rooms highlighting the signs Use of Social Media- use of a national #, websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts to engage with the public and get their opinions on the campaign. Live Tweets to run at times during the week highlighting partnership activities. Live chat forum answer questions from members of the public. Posters for hotel staff – signs of CSE (Cleaning cupboards, locker rooms, staff rooms) Stickers for hotel staff (Staff toilets, changing areas etc.) Desk calendars for reception areas in hotels. Book marks Stress ball Cups Stickers for inside taxi’s: One to be displayed to remind the driver of CSE, one for rear window in cab for potential victims. Car air fresheners Posters for staff in surgeries – signs of CSE Stickers for inside public toilet A4 posters Desk calendars Window stickers Posters staff – signs of CSE A4 posters Desk calendars Window stickers Stickers for inside public toilet Business page within www.knowandsee.co.uk Additional materials and resources will be added through 2015 and the below page shows some examples of the materials produced. 8 Example - Materials that have already been developed for Phase 2 in 2015 Posters for Hotels Inside of Buses Air Fresheners 9