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Contextual Safeguarding

Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to understanding, and responding to, young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It expands the objectives of child protection systems in recognition that young people are vulnerable to abuse in a range of different social contexts and from a range of external threats.

Contextual Safeguarding is relevant to a range of risks that includes:

  • Child Sexual Exploitation – including peer-on-peer exploitation
  • Child Criminal Exploitation – including County Lines
  • Risks associated with gangs
  • Modern Slavery and Trafficking
  • Missing young people
  • Radicalisation (PREVENT)
  • Harmful Sexual Behaviour.

The MSCP has published its Contextual Safeguarding Strategy 2021-23.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse and 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 clothing.

It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in the production of sexual images, forcing children to look at sexual images or watch sexual activities. Or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including grooming over the internet).

The definition of child sexual exploitation is as follows:

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

(Information taken from the Department of Educations Guidance on Child Sexual Exploitation.)

Child exploitation toolkit

Kent and Medway, with partner agencies, have worked together to produce a child exploitation identification tool.  The tool is designed to assist practitioners in identifying whether a child may be experiencing or be vulnerable to exploitation.  

The Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation - The Department for Education published Child Sexual Exploitation: definition and guide fro practitioners in 2017.  

The MSCP has a multi-agency network of exploitation champions who support the development of a safe, responsive and effective service for children who experience or are at risk of exploitation within their agency and make links with multi agency partners.

The exploitation champions support the implementation of this strategy, enhance professionals and public awareness of child exploitation in Medway; implement good practice on the issue of exploitation in Medway agencies and support the professional development of others in relation to exploitation.

Reporting child exploitation intelligence

The Kent Police Community Partnershipo Intelligance portal  allows for broader intelligence sharing including and beyond child expoliation. Hosted on the Kent Police website submissions are assessed by the Kent Intelligence Bureau and disseminated within Kent Police appropriately.

Please ensure the following is clearly communicated in your messaging:

  • Safeguarding concerns must still follow standard safeguarding procedures.
  • Do not use the portal to report crime or urgent intelligence. It is not monitored 24/7 and has no dedicated resource.

Alternative reporting routes:

  • 999 – For crimes in progress or immediate risk.
  • Live Chat / Online Reporting – For non-urgent crime or intelligence.
  • Crimestoppers – For anonymous reporting where source protection is needed.

Sharing information correctly ensures Kent Police can assess, act, and respond effectively. Even if the portal isn’t suitable, information must still be shared.

Reminder: Risk remains with the sender until Kent Police accepts it via the correct route.

Wherever a safeguarding concern is present please also ensure you follow guidance; 

Kent -  Worried about a child - Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership 

Medway - Worried about a child - Medway Safeguarding Children Partnership

It is vital for partners to share information about those vulnerable to child exploitation, as well as those who may be seeking to exploit a child, with Kent Police at the earliest opportunity. Sharing this information could prevent a child from coming to harm, or from experiencing ongoing harm.  

There are many potential criminal offences associated with child exploitation including but not limited to:

Child abduction, abduction of children in care, human trafficking, arranging, or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, meeting a child following sexual grooming, paying for sexual services of a child, causing, or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, controlling a child in relation to sexual exploitation, arranging, or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child.  New offences are anticipated later in 2025 relating to broader exploitation including criminal exploitation.

Child trafficking

Child trafficking and modern slavery is child abuse. Children are recruited, moved or transported and then exploited, forced to work or sold.

Many children are trafficked into the UK from abroad, but children can also be trafficked from one part of the UK to another and may even be returned the same day. Movement counts as trafficking. For further information on child trafficking see the NSPCC website

National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Use the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) form for referring potential victims of trafficking and modern slavery.

If the potential victim is under 18, or may be under 18, a NRM referral must be made. Child victims do not have to consent to be referred into the NRM and must first be safeguarded and then referred into the NRM process.

Helpful documents