Children identified as at risk of or victims of exploitation

This request relates to data held by the local authority concerning children known to children's services who have been identified as victims of, or at risk of, criminal exploitation and/or sexual exploitation, including where exploitation is linked to organised criminal groups, county lines, or gangs, where recorded.

For the purposes of this request, please interpret 'child' as anyone under the age of 18.

1) Children identified as at risk of or victims of exploitation

For each of the following categories, please provide the number of individual children recorded in each financial year:

a) Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
b) Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
c) Both CCE and CSE
d) Please provide this data for each of the following financial years:

2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26  

If your authority uses a different reporting period (calendar year, quarterly etc.), please provide the closest equivalent.

2) Exploitation flags, categories, or indicators used

Please confirm whether your children's services case management system contains any of the following structured fields/flags (tick yes/no and provide field names if possible):

a) Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) flag/marker
b) Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) flag/marker
c) Modern slavery / trafficking flag
d) County Lines flag Gang association flag
e) Organised crime group (OCG) involvement flag
f) Missing episodes linked to exploitation marker
g) 'Contextual safeguarding' indicator
h) Exploitation risk assessment score/level (e.g. low/medium/high)

3)If yes, please provide the names of the relevant fields/categories as they appear in your system.

1a-d) See table below

 Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)                      

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)                          

Both CCE and CSE

2-3) These are recorded in the Child and Family Assessment under assessment factors and are reportable

11A - Child sexual exploitation - a person under the age of 18 has been coerced / controlled / manipulated (this may appear consensual) into sexual activity in exchange for something they need or want and / or for gain by the perpetrator and / or through the threat or use of violence.

24A - Child criminal exploitation - a person under the age of 18 has been coerced / controlled / manipulated ( this may appear consensual) into criminal activity in exchange for something they need or want and / or for gain by the perpetrator and / or through the threat or use of violence.

12A - Trafficking - a person under the age of 18 who has been transported (regardless of distance) for the purpose of exploitation, whether or not they have been forced or deceived.

13A - Gangs - Groups of young people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group's identity.

10A - Missing

Missing Episodes are recorded within the child missing workflow

Episodes are recorded

Risk level; set by police for current incident is recorded as

Low, Medium, High, Not identified at point of contact