A presentation on the reality of Child Sexual Exploitation and how it should be tackled in Wiltshire will be made by Blair Keltie, Service Manager, Child Sexual Exploitation and Missing Children.
Minutes:
che Chairman introduced Blair Keltie, Service Manager, Child Sexual Exploitation and Missing Children who had attended the meeting to make a presentation on the reality of Child Sexual Exploitation and how it should be tackled in Wiltshire.
He explained that Child Sexual Exploitation happened to children and young people under 18, where they were exposed toexploitative situations, contexts and relationships. Young people (or a third person or persons) received something(e.g. food accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affections, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, sexual activities. It could also occur through the use of technology without the childs'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 had power over them. Exploitative relationships were characterised in the main by the child's or young person’s limited availability of choiceresulting from their social/economic and /or emotional vulnerability.
It was noted that the sexual exploitation of children and young people was a form of sexual abuse. It was not new. What was new was the level of awareness of the extent and scale of the abuse and of the increasingly different ways in which perpetrators sexually exploited children and young people.
Grooming referred to actions deliberately aimed at establishing an emotional connection and trust with a child or young person in order to increase the likelihood of them engaging in sexual behaviour or exploitation. Grooming referred to actions deliberately aimed at establishing an emotional connection and trust with a child or young person in order to increase the likelihood of them engaging in sexual behaviour or exploitation. Disturbing signs of grooming included:
• Regularly missing from home or school and staying out all night
• Change in behaviour – becoming aggressive and disruptive or quiet and withdrawn.
• Unexplained gifts or new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, mobile phones or money that can’t be accounted for.
• Increase in mobile phone use or secretive use
• Appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Being picked up or dropped off in cars by unknown adults
• A significantly older ‘boyfriend’ or ‘friend’ or lots of new friends
• Spending excessive amount of time online and becoming increasingly secretive about time spent online
• Sudden involvement in criminal behaviour or increased offending
• Sexual health problems
There were a number of ways in which local authorities, police and other key partners could reduce the prevalence of CSE.
• Prevent the abuse from happening;
• Protect young people who are victims or at risk of sexual exploitation;
• Prosecute offenders wherever possible;
• Publicise this activity, including how people can report Child Sexual Exploitation.
Blair Keltie explained that the area boards were a way of working to bring local decision making back into the heart of the community. They were a formal part of Wiltshire Council that tried to find solutions for local issues. By working in partnership with local communities, the council could achieve so much more than it ever could on its own. It was hoped this would lead to better services, better communities and a better quality of life for everyone in Wiltshire.
All councils should assume that CSE was happening in their area and take proactive action to prevent it. It was not just a job for the lead member for children's services.
Everyone had a role to play in keeping children safe, and councils could not stamp out CSE without the help of the wider community. Councillors had a key role to play in this, and should not be afraid to raise these issues within the communities they represent. –
• Tackling child sexual exploitation: A Resource Pack for Councils
If anybody considered that a child could be at risk of significant harm there should be no delay and the Child Protection procedures should be followed. Any concerns should be discussed with the safeguarding lead. Anyone could consult with or refer concerns to children’s social care the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 456 0108 (Wiltshire) Out of hours Emergency Duty Team: 0845 6070 888.