No.43: Adolescent Safety Framework (ASF)

Overview of ASF

The Adolescent Safety Framework is Devon’s response to concerns regarding contextual safeguarding and the impact on children and young people’s safety outside of their family home from exploitation risk.

It is a strengths based approach that works alongside children and their families to identify risks outside of the family home. These risks can include:

• Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
• Criminal Exploitation (including County Lines)
• Modern Day Slavery
• Gangs
• Radicalisation (PREVENT)
• Peer on Peer abuse

If you have concerns regarding a child or young person aged between 10 – 18 years (25 years if a care leaver) and you feel the risks are weighted to being contextual risk outside of the home rather than familial risk within the home you should undertake a Safer Me assessment. The Safer Me assessment will support decision making on the type of risk, level of harm and how to seek additional support, either through the Individual or Context pathways.
 

Individual risk

If following the Safer Me assessment the risk is associated with an individual child / young person you should hold a Safer Me or Safer Me Plus meeting to agree a plan of support to help minimise the identified risks.

Safer Me meeting

Instead of a TAF (Team around the Family) or CiN (Child in Need) meeting. If school feel that the family need additional support but threshold is not met for social care involvement they should undertake a Safer Me meeting using the assessment framework on DSCP and R4C (Right for Children). If a Safer Me assessment being submitted to MASH is felt to need social care involvement at Section 17 level this will result in a Safer Me meeting held by a named social worker.

Safer Me Plus meeting

Instead of the traditional Child Protection pathway. If threshold is met for Section 47 an initial child protection Safer Me Plus Conference will be held but using the Safer Me Plus model of support. Meetings will be chaired by IRO (Independent Safeguarding & reviewing officer).

Children looked after are also considered within the Framework, via a Safer Me CIC review. This meeting is in addition to the statutory meetings already in place. This meeting focuses on managing and responding to risk outside of the care placement. This meeting is facilitated by children’s social care but can be requested by colleagues within the multi-agency.

School assessment

There has been lots of research undertaken which highlights areas like toilets, drama studies and cloakrooms as potential high risk areas where children and young people feel most vulnerable in school. A school contextual safeguarding audit will help to identify any vulnerabilities a school may have and enables the school to address any concerns. This audit may be undertaken as part of the annual site risk assessment or as a result of a Safer Me assessment being undertaken and the outcome of the assessment is School Context Conference.

Where risks are identified school should hold a School Context Conference to ensure there is a clear and robust action plan. Depending on the risk school may decide to invite other agencies in supporting the plan (for example Police, Community Safety Partnership).

To find the Devon assessment tools, including the audit, parent/carer and pupil surveys please visit the DSCP website.

Neighbourhood assessment

If the identified concerns relate to a specific area within the community (for example building, park, area) a Neighbourhood Context Conference will need to be held. These meetings will usually be chaired by Community Safety Partnership and will take place after a number of reported incidents. It is important for schools to be involved in these meetings as they will be able to identify key individuals and offer additions support to these individual if appropriate.

If schools are being made aware of concerns within the community for example areas that children and young people are hanging out and places of risk, it is vital that this information is reported to other agencies.

Schools can report these concern by undertaking a Safer Me assessment and sending to MASH: mashsecure@devon.gov.uk this assessment will then be reviewed by the Exploitation Hub and a Neighbourhood context meeting will be called if appropriate.
Non urgent information can also be submitted directly to Devon & Cornwall Police Link. This Intel will help local officers to build a picture of what is going on in the community.

If the risk relate to a Person of Concern then this will be discussed as part of a MACE meeting (Multi Agency Child Exploitation) School can make referrals to MACE by undertaking Part 1 of the Safer Me assessment and sending the assessment to: missingchildexploitation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

Peer Group assessment

If the identified concerns relate to a group of young people a Peer context conference will be held. These meetings will usually be chaired by Children’s Social care.
If schools are being made aware of concerns about a group of young people in the community it is vital that this information is reported to other agencies.
Schools can report these concern by undertaking a Safer Me assessment and sending to MASH: mashsecure@devon.gov.uk this assessment will then be reviewed by the Exploitation Hub and a Peer context meeting will be called if appropriate.
Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 consent does not need to be sought before a Safer Me assessment is undertaken if the outcome is a Peer Context Conference, however for good practice where possible it would be helpful to speak to the parents/carers about the concerns and next steps.

Further information

Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership (DSCP) – Full information on ASF including resources
Safer Me assessment
Contextual Safeguarding Network
Child Exploitation information