New exploitation hub builds 'team around a child'

A new Child Exploitation (CE) Hub that opened earlier this year is aiming to better protect children vulnerable to criminal or sexual abuse.

Two reports by the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) in October concluded that signs children were being sexually abused were missed, with one of the cases eventually resulting in a conviction for rape.

In response, the organisations involved highlighted the creation of the hub to provide specialist support.

But what does it do, and how will it help prevent child exploitation in Northamptonshire?

The CE Hub opened in July at the Criminal Justice Centre on the Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton.

Det Sgt Simon Manwaring, from the Missing Person Investigation Unit based at the hub said: "The missing person investigation unit is set up to be force experts in missing investigations - we deal with anybody from children in care to adults.

"As a hub we are a one stop shop for anything to do with child exploitation and all of our research shows that often missing instances in relation to children will go hand in glove with child exploitation, and whether that is sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation."

In the last year, there were 4,599 missing reports in Northamptonshire, of which 66.4% were children under 18 - and 52.5% of those were looked-after children.

Government data also suggests at least 43,000 children face criminal or sexual exploitation in England.

For the first time, a new disruption team has been set up by the police, led by Sgt Abdul Salique.

"When [children] are missing from their homes and truanting from school that’s when they are most susceptible to being exploited by gangs or individuals," he said.

"That’s why as a team, we start our day locating the most high risk missing children within our county."

Police officers and social workers are based at the hub and are specialised in safeguarding children and young people who are at risk of exploitation.

The teams also work closely with people from health, education and other services.

Laura Isherwood, the team manager for the seven social work advanced practitioners, said: "We work with the police and look at welfare led approaches to tackling exploitation and looking at how we can safeguard children and support them to exit the exploitation they maybe experiencing safely.

"Working together we’re able to share information in real time so it avoids any delays."

The hub is already seeing an increase in the number of exploitation cases it is dealing with.

Det Sgt Ray Anderson, who leads the Child Sexual Exploitation team, said: "Since the CE Hub launched a couple of months ago the number of child sexual exploitation cases has almost tripled.

"I want to bring everyone that is exploiting to justice and stop the exploitation.

"That's what we will always work towards - the best possible outcome with the resources we have available."

Karen Hoer is a director at We Nurture Childcare and a volunteer with the police.

She said having all the teams in one place made it easier for them to share information.

"We’re often very reactive so when there are children being let down across the whole country there are always reviews that take place and it is always about joint working.

"I think this hub is really forward thinking, they want everyone to come together to have this team around a child, it’s very much about prevention and instead of being on different floors, they’re all in one place."

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