The information below is designed for use by child protection professionals.
Practitioners should always consider whether CSE, CCE, county lines and/or trafficking is an issue. If it is, then the practitioner should report as follows:
- A Safer Referral should be considered and if open, a strategy should also be considered
- Additionally, a referral to the VEMT Practitioner Group (VPG) should be made to problem solve
To refer into the VEMT Practitioner Group (VPG), a lead professional must complete the VEMT Child Exploitation screening tool completing the applicable domains and complete the scoring tool within.
The referral will be discussed at the weekly multi-agency VPG meeting to determine exploitation concerns, identify any actions including alternative interventions and an outcome agreed.
Step one
Complete the Tees-wide child exploitation VEMT practitioner screening tool / referral form.
Please note, forms should be completed with partner agencies present so all information is presented.
Step two
Submit the form to missingchildren@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk
Partnership information sharing
Cleveland Police's 'partnership information sharing report' form can be used by practitioners working under the safeguarding agenda to inform the police of any information regarding child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, and county lines involvement.
Practitioners can include names (including nicknames) of suspected perpetrators, locations where exploitation may be taking place, car or vehicle details, locations including online and/or description of individuals seen in suspicious circumstances.
Download the partnership information sharing report form.
The information will then be recorded on the police intelligence system is strictly confidential and source information is and used to better understand the problem of CSE in Redcar and Cleveland, and to enable a coordinated response through VEMT.
Who to contact if you have concerns for a child
If you are worried about a child, call Redcar and Cleveland MACH on 01642 130700.
If there is a crime but not an immediate danger to a young person, report this to the Cleveland Police on 101. If there is an immediate danger to a young person, report this to the police on 999.
For confidential advice and support, call Barnardo's on 01642 300774.
More information about the VEMT practitioner group can be found below: