I submit the following request for information under the Freedom of Information legislation to your Local Authority concerning criminal exploitation of children and young people. This information will be used for a national policy report, and individual Local Authorities will not be identified.
National Referral Mechanism (NRM)
1. Does your Local Authority record information on the number of children under 18 who have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism for criminal exploitation?
Yes
2. Is this information retrievable from the 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
Yes
Children’s Social Care
3. Does your Local Authority record information on the number of children and young people who are classified as ‘at risk of criminal exploitation’?
Yes
4. Is this information retrievable from the 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
Yes
5. Does your Local Authority record information on the number of looked after children who are classified as ‘at risk of criminal exploitation’?
• Yes re. Gang Exploitation
• Yes re. Sexual Exploitation
• Yes re. Modern Slavery – though low numbers so unlikely could disclose.
6. Is this information retrievable from the 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
Yes
Missing from home and care
7. For children and young people who go missing from home, does your Local Authority record if they are at risk of ‘criminal exploitation’?
No
8. Is information on the number of children missing from home who are at risk of criminal exploitation retrievable from the 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
No
9. Does your Local Authority record data on the number of children missing from home who have been found outside the boundaries of your local authority?
No
10. Is information on the number of children missing from home who have been found outside the boundaries of your local authority retrievable from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
No
11. For children and young people who go missing from care, does your Local Authority record if they are at risk of ‘criminal exploitation’?
Yes regarding County Lines and CSE
12. Is information on the number of children missing from care who are at risk of criminal exploitation retrievable from the 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
Yes
13. Does your Local Authority record data on the number of children missing from care who have been found outside the boundaries of your local authority?
No
14. Is this information retrievable from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018?
No
Policies for criminal exploitation
15. Does your Local Authority have a policy or protocol in place for identifying, assessing and responding to children and young people affected or at risk of child criminal exploitation?
This is currently being drafted and in consultation; it will include economic, criminal and sexual exploitation