Children who are looked after should be accommodated in care provision that meets their needs and is in their best interest. Does placing a child many miles away from their home area weaken safeguarding measures? What are the correct procedures? Read More →
The NCA have produced their latest assessment into county lines drug supplies. Find out more here.
Is it lawful to prevent a child from leaving a care or foster home? Can anything be done if you believe that they might come to harm? Read More →
The new Clever Never Goes programme, developed by the charity Action Against Abduction, seeks to moves the focus away from strangers and instead teaches children to recognise when someone (anyone) is asking them to go with them.Read More →
When dealing with a vulnerable child or adult, safeguarding practitioners will create and update numerous documents. If the investigation leads to a criminal case, what information is recorded about the victim could well be disclosed to the accused. What professionals write about the victim is important and we should avoid ‘victim blaming language’. Read More →
The term ‘streetwise’ is often mentioned in missing children cases. It wrongly gives the impression that a child is wise to the risks they may face, and able to get themselves out of dangerous situations. It is mistakenly used to justify a reduced response from safeguarding professionals. This can lead to tragic circumstances. Read More →
Can the police search addresses for missing children? What powers do police have to return missing children safely home? Can they use force? What exactly is the law around missing children? Read More →
Street slang has evolved into an extensive vocabulary, a combination of slang words and phrases, supplemented by texting jargon, hashtags and emojis. We ask how safeguarding professionals can understand street slang. Read More →
There are numerous pieces of legislation, both civil and criminal which deal with the protection of children. This article looks at the various court orders that can assist us in our safeguarding role. Read More →
A father takes his child out of the UK without the permission of the mother and refuses to return. Parental Child Abduction is more common than you think. What can the mother do? What is the law? Who can help? Read More →
There are approximately 130,000 missing incidents involving children each year in the UK. It is impossible for the police and social care to provide the same level of service to every missing and returning child. Proper risk assessment is the key to identifying and responding to those children who are the most vulnerable. Read More →
Many missing children are harboured by adults when missing. We take a look at Child Abduction Warning Notices (CAWNS), what they are used for, the processes involved and the law if they are breached. Read More →
The reasons adults and children are trafficked into, or within the UK are many. There are however, some distinct areas where children are more lucrative to the trafficker or slave master. Find out more. Read More →
Missing and vulnerable children often gravitate to a ‘friendly’ address in their area. Some are safe, many are not. Find out what the law says, when a person persistently ignores requests and warnings by the authorities not to harbour a child. Read More →
Police are the lead agency when a child is reported missing. In this article we take a look at their role and what procedures they should follow to locate a child safely. Read More →
Each year across the UK, hundreds of children are removed from harmful situations by the police and placed into ‘Police Protection’. We take a look at this valuable tool, which if used responsibly, can be a very valuable tool in safeguarding vulnerable children. Read More →
We identify some indicators that point to a child’s involvement in gangs and also take a look at those young people that are more likely to be at risk of being drawn into gang culture. Read More →
We put forward and argument as to why the guidance that requires local authorities to offer and conduct Independent Return Home Interviews, is not fit for purpose and needs to be reviewed.Read More →
In the last of our child sexual exploitation factsheets for safeguarding professionals we take a look at the actions that should be taken when dealing with a young person at risk of CSE, and also provide some tactics and options that are at our disposal.
National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day on 18th March. In the second of our factsheets for safeguarding professionals we look at the indicators that might suggest CSE is taking place , those that are likely to be more at risk, and also take a look at ‘hot spot’ CSE locations. Read More →
We take a look at the recent NCB report highlighting the volume and lack of national response to children missing from education.Read More →
We look at the safeguarding implications when a person with Autism goes wandering or missing, the challenges faced by the police and what can be done to reduce the riskRead More →
Missing People – “the only charity in the UK which is dedicated to bringing missing children and adults back together with their families”.Read More →
Here we outline the reality and scale of missing children in the UK, we also outline the expectations on all those involved with a child when they go missingRead More →
