Child Exploitation Team and Operational Group: Roles and Responsibilities of Children's Social Care

AMENDMENT

This chapter was reviewed in January 2020 and updated throughout to reflect current arrangements for responding to concerns around child exploitation in Calderdale. An updated Appendix 1: Child Exploitation (CE) Referral Flowchart was added.

1. Purpose

Calderdale has a multi-agency Child Exploitation (CE) Team that works directly with children to ensure that they are safeguarded and supported when they have experienced or are at risk of child exploitation. The team work with children at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Criminal Exploitation, Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery.

The Child Exploitation Operational Group meets quarterly to share information and ensure a co-ordinated multi-agency response is in place for children at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Criminal Exploitation, Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery. The agencies represented at the Operational group include: Children’s Social Care, Calderdale Early Intervention services, Family Intervention Team (Missing Coordinator), Police, Youth Justice Service, CAMHS, Branching Out, School Nursing, Housing, Women Centre, Parents against Child Exploitation (PACE).

It is imperative given the link between child exploitation and safeguarding that the Calderdale Council Children's Social Care Social Work Teams:

Have an awareness of the Child Exploitation Team;
Make appropriate referrals to Child Exploitation Team;
Have a designated officer attending CE Operational Group:(Team Manager CE);
Co-ordinate information for and from the CE Team Meetings which ensure children are safeguarded.

2. Further Information

The following guidance must be referred to and used in conjunction with this procedure where appropriate:

West Yorkshire Consortium Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures: Safeguarding Children and Young People from Child Sexual Exploitation: Policy, Procedure and Guidance.

3. The Child Exploitation (CE) Team

The CE Team is a multi agency team which works directly with children thought to be involved in or at risk of CE.

The team is comprised of a team manager, two social workers, two CE project workers, a Police Sergeant, two Detective Constables, a Police Officer and a PACE project worker.

4. Referrals to the CE Team

The CE Referral flowchart (see Appendix 1: Child Exploitation (CE) Referral Flowchart) demonstrates how information should be responded to when referrals to victims of CE are to be considered by the CE Team.

If there are concerns about imminent harm, a referral should be made to the Police. For all others cases where CE is suspected or identified, professionals will complete a referral to the MAST team. The MAST team will screen the referral and agree next steps which can include a Strategy Meeting or other interventions depending on the level of identified risk. They will liaise with the CE Team and agree allocation where appropriate.

The child’s name will be placed on the CE assessment list and the case will be reviewed by the multi-agency CE (MACE) meeting. A multi agency CE risk assessment will be completed and support may be provided as required. If a child is deemed at on-going risk of CE they will be placed on Calderdale’s CE Matrix, reviewed and managed on a weekly basis. If the child is deemed to be low risk but support is required, a plan will be implemented and the case will continue with the relevant support, for example CIN and or Early Intervention plan.

For information please contact: MAST@calderdale.gov.uk

Appendix 1: Child Exploitation (CE) Referral Flowchart

Click here to view Appendix 1: Child Exploitation (CE) Referral Flowchart