Thurrock Children's Services CSE, CE and Missing Arrangements 2019-2020
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Thurrock Children’s Services CSE, CE and Missing Arrangements 2019-2020
Introduction
The past decade has been punctuated by numerous, high-profile inquiries into the sexual
exploitation of children and adults throughout the UK. During the latter part of this same decade,
cases of children exploited criminally by groups and gangs, often in the context of County Lines, have
proliferated. These same children and young people are increasingly recognised as experiencing
overlapping types of exploitation. Incrementally, our collective professional understanding of those
targeted and exploited has been re-conceptualised from their being ‘offenders’ to be pursued and
prosecuted, to ‘victims of exploitation’ in need of support and protection.
A sometimes-important associated indicator that harm may be being experienced, is reflected in
children and young people being reported as missing from home or care. Nationally, according to
the charity, Missing People, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds, with 186, 000 people
being reported missing in the UK every year. Of this total, 86,000 of these individuals are children
(Missing People, 2019). Locally, across Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET), the average number of
missing episodes seen each day is 2.5 times higher for adults and children than it was five years ago
with this trend assessed likely to continue. While more individual adults go missing each year than
children, there are higher numbers of children who go missing multiple times per year. Of these, the
majority go missing from their homes; around a quarter of episodes originate from Children’s
Residential Care Homes (Essex Police, 2019).
The reasons children go missing are varied and often complex: each individual has varying degrees of
intentionality and agency, sometimes with more than one reason for having gone missing. Some
children may unintentionally go missing – for instance, being home later than planned, or having
forgotten to tell someone. They may simply have lost track of time. For other young people, going
missing may be means of rebelling against boundaries and taking back control. Research and
practice experience however, recognises that some children and young people are more vulnerable,
and at risk than others because of their circumstances, and that there can be an association between
going missing and harm: Nationally, Missing People assessed that of sexually exploited children,
seven in ten had been reported as missing. For children assessed to have been trafficked, one in
four were Looked After by a Local Authority and had been reported as missing. Nearly one in ten
children had been victim of criminal or other forms of exploitation (Missing People, 2019).
These complex interplay of factors coalesce to require our ever-more sophisticated, collaborative,
contextual safeguarding and disruption responses to what are evolving, complex safeguarding
challenges. The following sets out how these are managed as part of the CE and Missing
Arrangements across the SET, and how these are translated into practice in Thurrock.
The Southend Essex and Thurrock (SET) Context
In 2015, the Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs),
responded to these inter-related threats by launching the SET Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy,
which outlined a coordinated, multi-agency response to sexually exploited and missing children.
Since then, evolving research and practice-informed understanding of the interrelated nature of
extra-familial harm has informed the development of the 2019-2024 five-year SET-wide child and
adult focused linked suite of Missing, Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Gangs and Youth Violence
Strategies (due for publication October 2019). Overseeing this development among others, including
development and implementation of a generic SET-side Child Exploitation Assessment and
1associated ‘Child Exploitation Toolbox’ to replace the current CSE Risk Assessment and Toolbox, is
the SET CSE Strategic Board, chaired by Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable. This board
coordinates the response to exploitation and missing across agencies, across the SET.
The Thurrock Context
The Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Constitution (2019) sets out the governance
and operational arrangements for Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) following
legislative and statutory changes to the way agencies are required to work together to safeguard
children. It became operational on 7th May 2019 and will be reviewed annually.
1.2 This document builds on the new safeguarding arrangements Implementation Plan and is
designed to assist members in interpreting their role in and contribution to the Thurrock LSCP, so
that it can achieve its objective of securing effective inter-agency arrangements to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children and young people living in Thurrock.
1.3 It sets out the accountability and responsibilities of Partner Agencies in discharging their duties
in respect of membership of the Thurrock LSCP and assists in communicating the aims and
objectives.
1.4 It sets out the requirements, making it clear what individuals, organisations and agencies must
and should do to keep children safe. In doing so, it seeks to emphasise that effective safeguarding
is achieved by putting children at the centre of the system and by every individual and agency
playing their full part.
1.5 These new multi-agency arrangements offer the opportunity to reflect on our existing practice
and procedures and be innovative and flexible in our response to safeguarding children. All
Agency contributions are encouraged in the development of these operating procedures.
1.6 This document covers:
The legislative framework and requirements placed on individual services under the Multi-
Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA).
The local Safeguarding Partners agreed arrangements to work together to safeguard and
promote the welfare of local children including identifying and responding to their needs.
The accountability and responsibilities of Relevant Agencies of Thurrock LSCP in
discharging their duties as a member of the Partnership.
The operational functions and processes of Thurrock LSCP together with appendices of its
annually reviewed Policies and Procedures
1.7 This document applies in particular to:
Thurrock Council
Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group
Essex Police
All other organisations and agencies as set out in Chapter 2 Working Together 2018.
Those organisations identified as “Relevant Agencies” by the Safeguarding Partners for
Thurrock LSCP.
It applies, in its entirety, to all Schools and Education Establishments (WT2018)
Any individual representing an organisation or position identified by the Safeguarding
Partners that have functions relating to children as part of these arrangements.
Multi Agency Child Exploitation (MACE)
2The MACE is a strategic partnership group led by the Safeguarding Partner’s representatives to
ensure a tactical response to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and
associated Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT). It is responsible for developing the local
multi-agency response to child exploitation in Thurrock, linking with any SET arrangements and
activities undertaken locally by the Community Safety Partnership, Gang Related Violence group,
and other strategic groups. It will also ensure that contextual safeguarding forms a part of the
understanding of the impact of exploitation and how to respond.
Weekly CSE and CE Case Tracking Surgery
This weekly meeting focuses upon reviewing and tracking the progress of children assessed to be at
Medium or High risk of CSE and or CE, or who are assessed as being exploited in the contexts of
trafficking, serious youth violence, County Lines, by individuals, groups or gangs. It is chaired by the,
CSE CE and Missing Children Manager and involves the relevant Service Manager to provide case
direction and supported by a quality assurance manager. Cases are presented by allocated Social
Workers and their Team Managers. The aim of this meeting is to oversee effective multi-agency
planning and impact, to reduce the risk of the child being exploited, including the disruption of
possible perpetrators and locations of concern. This process is being developed and will grow to
include multi- agency partners and will be part of developing contextual Safeguarding in Thurrock.
Weekly Risk Management Meeting (RMM)
The Risk Management Meeting is comprised youth and criminal justice, local authority, voluntary,
third sector and adult services, who review from their agencies’ perspective, the cases of children
who have gone missing from Thurrock, or who are open to Thurrock and placed outside of the
Borough, in the preceding week. The primary lens through which these children are reviewed is Child
Exploitation and Trafficking. It is to oversee that engagement, planning and coordination is in place
to reduce missing episodes, and the risks associated with being missing. Insufficient response from
any agency is escalated. Focus is equally upon identifying locations and people of concern;
opportunity for enforcement action is investigated with a view to disrupting potential perpetrators,
and to identify associations which might warrant the triggering of an organised and complex abuse
investigation.
Claire Pascoe, CSE CE and Missing Children Manager, September 2019
Appendices:
Appendix 1: Child Exploitation Structure Chart
3Appendix 1 Child Exploitation Structure Chart
Southend Essex Thurrock
Local Safeguarding Childrens Partnership
CSE/CE Strategic Board
CSE Plan on a Page 2015 (being reviewed)
CSE Strategy 2015
Aspect incorporated it on LSCP Delivery Plan
Consultation 0n 2019 -2024
2019/20
underway
Ci
(
LSCP/Learning and Practice Review Group
CSE/Missing/CE Training Plan
CSE/Missing/Knife Crime/Gang/CE
Toolkits/Guidance
CSE/Missing CE Local Arrangements
LSCP MACE
Police
6 Weekly Meeting
Gangs
Report from Coordinator on RMM and Safety Plans
Missing
Community Safety
CSE Report from SM for CLA
Police Disruption Activity /Complex & Organised Abuse Carers/Young
People
Feedback
CSE/CE/Missing Co-ordinator
Community
Safety Weekly CSE/CE Tracking Surgery
Safety Plans/ CSE Badge applied
Successful –remove badge
Risk Management Meeting (weekly) Safety
Plan
Weekly Triage of all missing reports Needed
Track Return Home Interviews and concerns arising
Service Manger CLA picks up all CLA children needing CSE/CE Assessments
Identify Young people who need CE/CSE Assessments
CSE/CE Risk Assessment –Allocated to team to complete
Team completes assessment and determines level of response required
Lead S 47Strategy Complex Abuse
Professional Early Help CIN Meeting Inquiry
4
Diversion Plan Diversion Plan Safety Plan Disruption Disruption
Standard Safety Plan Safety Plan
Standard Medium High High5
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