• Needs for care and support • Learning disability/difficulty • Unstable housing situation. At risk indicators:
• Forced or coerced into making decisions • Going missing for periods of time • Unexplained increase in goods or money • Reduced contact with family, friends and other support networks • Concerning use of internet, social media and mobile phone • Meeting adults/older peers through the internet • Evidence of risky/inappropriate sexual behaviour • Inconsistent use of contraception (risk of STIs) • Regular and/or concerning access of sexual health services • Self-harming. Critical risk indicators:
• Groomed or abused via internet or mobile technology • Physical injuries without plausible explanation • Controlling partner, e.g. preventing access to services • Fear of partner • Disclosure of domestic abuse • Exchanging sexual activity for accommodation • Being trafficked for the purpose of sex • Change in presentation or demeanour • Change in appearance and/or sexualised dressing • Involvement in petty crime 32
• Funding use of drugs/ alcohol/ legal highs or tobacco through unknown sources
• Unexplained contact with hotels/ taxis/ fast food outlets • Reported to have been in locations where there are known concerns relating to sexual exploitation
• Associating with known perpetrators of sexual exploitation • Unexplained patterns of engagement, i.e. disappearing from support systems with no contact or explanation.
The presence of an indicator on the above list may not mean a child will face exploitation, but a combination of indicators, with consideration to the context, should result in concern for a child’s welfare.139 Barnardo’s have used risk assessments to develop their Sexual Exploitation Risk Assessment Framework (SERAF) and their new evidence- and practice-based Complex Abuse and Exploitation Risk Approach for working with children and young people at risk of or experiencing CSE. The development of these tools demonstrates the strength of multi-agency collaboration and evidence the importance of effective guidance to go alongside tools and essentially, a strong relationship with a young person.140 Ensuring a young person’s agency throughout the support process is essential, as exploited children have previously expressed varying levels of disempowerment. Young people have recounted not feeling listened to or valued, highlighting the need for a more child-centred process. 141 A lack of collaboration with a child can lead to adverse impacts on their mental health; children shared examples of difficulties sleeping over concerns about the outcome of their cases and fear of repercussions from their abusers. It is particularly important that young people receive regular updates on the progress of their cases and have a consistent trusted case-worker to ensure that their views are both listened to and respected.142 However, there is a need to look beyond the child, to who is associating with them (and why), in order to better identify and protect those who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation.143 Contextual safeguarding will be
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