1. Children’s Social Care Threshold for referral
Presented by:
Claire Winter, Acting Operations Director, Children’s Social Care
September 2014

2. Objectives By the end of this session you should know:
The agreed threshold criteria for accessing getset and Children’s Social Care services
Understand their application and when to refer a service

3. Continuum of Need & Intervention

4. Continuum of Need & Intervention
Tier 1 Child achieving expected outcomes
– has no current additional needs, for example:
Physically and Emotionally well
Appropriately cared for within own Family
Good social networks exist
Universal services, such as: GP
Health Visitor 
Nurseries and Play Groups
Youth Clubs
CAF assessment is not required

5. Continuum of Need & Intervention
 Tier 2A Vulnerable child with one or two additional needs,
for example:
Susceptible to minor health problems
Not always engaged in learning such as poor concentration
Family may be new to the area
Targeted services within / alongside universal services:
getset
CAF assessment always considered 

6. Continuum of Need & Intervention
Tier 2B Vulnerable child with some additional needs, for example:
Minor concerns with diet, hygiene and clothing
Pattern of regular school absences
Can be over-friendly or withdrawn with strangers
Parents require advice on parenting issues
May have different carers which in the context of other issues causes concern
Targeted services outside universal services, for example:
PFSA
other getset services
CAF Assessment required

7. Continuum of Need & Intervention
Tier 3 Vulnerable child with multiple and complex needs,
for example:
Some concerns regarding mental health of Child
Child smokes or is using substances
Child not achieving key stage benchmarks
Difficulty dealing with anger, frustration and upset
Parent is struggling to provide adequate care
Incidence of Domestic Violence between Parents
Targeted and coordinated services, for example:
getset services
Children’s Social Care, Social Work involvement
CAF Assessment required, Children’s Social Care assessment may be required

8. Continuum of Need & Intervention
Tier 4 Vulnerable child with acute or highly complex needs,
for example:
Subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse/ neglect
Persistent domestic violence
Parents unable to provide ‘good enough’ parenting
Persistent discrimination or social isolation
Permanently excluded from school (as one of a number of factor)
Periods of being looked after by the local authority
High threshold targeted and coordinated services:
Mulit-agency Child protection investigation (section 47)
CAMHS including tier 4 drug and alcohol services
getset 
Children's Social Care Assessment required

9. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
Presented by:
Claire Winter, Acting Operations Director, Children’s Social Care
September 2014

10. Objectives By the end of this session you should know:
The role of the MASH
Understand your role within it

12. What is MASH? Colocation and shared systems between key agencies:
To enable early identification of the most
proportionate response to a Child or Family.
In the future:
Will incorporate Vulnerable Adults to provide
whole Family MASH

13. The Vision Vulnerable people and their families within Somerset are:
Able to live safe lives,
Free from abuse and neglect
Free from the risk of abuse and neglect
This will achieved through an integrated approach to the sharing of information and collaborative decision making.
So that proportionate interventions are justified at the earliest opportunity across the partnership

14. Why MASH? Face to face information sharing Professional judgement
Joined up risk assessment and management
Diversity of professional opinion
- becoming a MASH Team

15. Who gets MASHed? Now - Vulnerable Children:
Where referral is unclear about current risks to a Child,
Safeguarding referrals,
Domestic abuse
High risk referrals
Repeat referrals
Planned developments for Autumn 2014
Missing Children,
Child Sexual Exploitation
Longer term plan
Vulnerable Adults
A whole Family approach

16. “Eating an Elephant in small bites”
This is not easy!
“Eating an Elephant in small bites”

17. Progress in Somerset November 2013
Signing of multi-agency information sharing agreement by Health, Local Authority and Police
Police and Safeguarding Adult and Children Health Staff move to same building as Somerset Direct (First Response) Social Work team
March 2014
Daily MASH meetings developed for strategy discussions, including: Police Sergeant, Safeguarding Lead Nurse and First Response Children’s Social Work Manager
To address high level safeguarding referrals.
Other Agency information provided by phone.
October/November 2014
Health, First Response and Police teams co-located at
Police Station, Express Park, Bridgwater.

18. Where does Education fit in?
Key component of MASH is information sharing and response.
Currently consulted by phone, as have not been able to identify the capacity to provide a full-time MASH worker from the Education sector.
Can you help?

19. Facilitator: Claire Winter
Child Sexual Exploitation
Facilitator: Claire Winter
Interim Operations Director – Children’s Social Care, Somerset County Council.
24 September 2014
September 2014

20. Introduction Definitions National and Local context Who is at risk
Who might sexually exploit young people?
Recognising risks and concerns
How do we respond

21. Sexual Abuse Definition
Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.
The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing.
They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).
Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

22. DFE Definition of Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) receive ‘something’ (e.g. Food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result them performing, and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities

23. DFE Definition of Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition: for example being persuaded to post sexual images on the internet/mobile phones without immediate payment or gain

24. Definition of Trafficking
Includes adults & children under 18 years
the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs
The consent of a victim of trafficking in person to the intended exploitation is irrelevant where any of the means above have been used

25. DFE Definition of Sexual Exploitation
In all cases, those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources.
Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child or young person’s limited availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability

26. The nature of sexual exploitation
Imbalance of power within the relationship
Varying degrees of coercion, intimidation or enticement
Grooming into sexually exploitative relationships, particularly “party” lifestyles where children ad young people go to houses/flats with numerous adults and other children/young people
Can be organised group of adults or young people or “lone wolves”
Can include friends, peers and friends of older siblings as perpetrators

28. Categories of sexual exploitation
Inappropriate relationships
usually involves one perpetrator who has inappropriate power or control over a young person (physical, emotional or financial). May be a significant age gap. The young person may believe they are in a loving relationship.
Boyfriend model and peer exploitation
Perpetrator befriends and then grooms young person into a relationship before forcing and coercing them to have sex with multiple friends or associates
Organised/networked
Child or young person trafficked through criminal network – often between towns and cities – where they may be forced or coerced to have sex with multiple men and used to recruit other victims

29. Consequences
Sexual exploitation results in children and young people suffering significant harm, and causes significant damage to their physical and mental health.
Some young people may be supported to recover whilst others may suffer serious life-long impairments which may, on occasion, lead to their death, for example through suicide or murder.
Child sexual exploitation must be tackled effectively to prevent further problems in later life

30. Consequences Remember it could happen to anyone........
Disengaged from education
Involved in gangs / criminal behaviour
Mental health issues
Substance misuse
Looked After Children
Homeless/ Missing from home or care
Disabilities / special needs
& those with Vulnerable adults as carers.

31. Who might sexually exploit young people?
Perpetrators come from wide range of backgrounds – 87 to 96% male, 4% female
Disproportionate number of young men between ages of 18 and 24
(CEOP data 2011)

32. CSE Local Guidance Somerset Safeguarding Children Board CSE strategy
Prevent
Protect
Disrupt
Pursue and prosecute

33. Local Context - Somerset
It does happen here
Ongoing police investigations into groups of perpetrators
Lone wolf perpetrators prosecuted due to victims coming forward
Grooming activity identified by a G.P and preventative measures put in place by multi-agency group.

34. Recognition of Risks & Concerns
What might you see in your work with children & young people & families that may indicate sexual exploitation?

35. Possible signs of Sexual Exploitation
Adults or older youths loitering outside school or home or places frequented by young people
Leaving home or school in “unusual” clothing
Suddenly or over time having expensive clothes, phones etc without a plausible explanation
Truancy or disengagement with education or significant change in performance.
Becoming isolated or hostile to friends and family
Mood swings – more extreme than usual
Petty crime
Increased use of alcohol or drugs

36. Somerset’s Response to CSE
Progress so far:
Established a CSE multi agency Strategic Group that has developed a clear Vision and Ethos that frees children and young people from sexual exploitation
Developments:
Ensure there is clear robust governance and partnership oversight
Awareness raising in schools
CSE screening and risk assessment toolkit, that measures risks and vulnerability for each child/young person, using the continuum of need and response framework
Every CSE issue reported via MASH and logged on county wide police intelligence data base, leading to earlier identification and disruption activity

37. Lunch