Child Exploitation

The four Safeguarding Partnerships of Hampshire, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight and Southampton are working in partnership to tackle child exploitation.

Visit the Child Exploitation Toolkit, developed by Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

Although safeguarding risks are traditionally associated with the home environment and linked to parenting capacity, children can also face significant safeguarding risks outside the home (extra-familial harm), for example from drugs, gangs and youth violence and sexual and criminal exploitation.

Adolescents may be more vulnerable to these forms of extra-familial harm as they become more independent and enjoy more freedom, and as peer influence increases and family influence declines. This occurs against a backdrop of physical, emotional and cognitive changes present during adolescence that results in young people being more open to risky behaviours.

This HIPS toolkit has been developed to support professionals working with children who may/are at risk of child exploitation.

The new full CERAF (Child Exploitation Risk Assessment Framework) is now available for professionals to use. A CERAF should be completed as soon as potential concerns regarding any form of child exploitation are identified; this updates and replaces the previously used SERAF risk assessment tool.

The CERAF resources and guidance can be found on the HIPS Procedures website.

Help on how to complete a CERAF (short presentation)

Spotlight on child exploitation

You can read our spotlight on child exploitation by visiting out spotlight briefings page.

Safe4Me

Safe4Me is a website run by Hampshire Constabulary. Here you will find key information including resources for schools, information on campaigns such as #NeverChooseKnives, harmful sexual behaviour, healthy relationships, radicalisation, extremism and cyber bulling. The website also hosts CPI forms which are the key way for professionals to share intelligence confidentially with the Police. CPI forms are available here. 

Child Exploitation Strategy

The HIPS Missing, Exploited and Trafficked Information Strategy sets out how all agencies will work together to ensure the most effective and coordinated response to identify and protect children (all those under 18yrs) at risk of exploitation both within and across the areas.  

‘Are You Listening?’ – New film to tackle Child Criminal Exploitation

Leicestershire Police created this short film with partners about knowing the signs of Child Criminal Exploitation. Funded by their local Violence Reduction Network, and developed with Leicester City and County safeguarding leads, they have produced this version for use beyond Leicestershire and Rutland. The powerful three-minute film was produced by Affixxius Films who previously won awards for two films with Leicestershire Police: “Kayleigh’s Love Story” and “Breck’s Last Game”, which looked at online grooming. The call to action is specifically aimed at adults who are in positions of trust or respect for child or young people.

The impacts of CCE are complex, many children caught up in it do not see themselves as victims, but it is vital that others see them in this way and get help and support. Children are also often reluctant to speak up when in trouble so this film encourages those around them to be aware of the signs which could indicate young people are in danger.

NRM for new referrals and One Minute Guide

The National Referral Mechanism is a framework for identifying victims of modern slavery.

Children must first be safeguarded. Please read the One Minute Guide for more information.

Please see the NRM for new referrals and NRM One Minute Guide.

Tackling Child Exploitation Support Programme

The Tackling Child Exploitation (TCE) Support Programme was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop a set of Practice Principles intended to inform local and national responses to child exploitation and extra-familial harm.

This document identifies common themes, how to put principles into practice, why these principles matter and what they mean for children.