Last updated by Stephanie Rosser on Tuesday, October 14, 2025

CARE (Children At Risk of Exploitation) Together, is a new service from The Children’s Society East, funded by Essex County Council.

This innovative service is designed to support children, young people and young adults aged 10-18, who are assessed to be at medium risk of exploitation. Support is also extended to care leavers and young people with identified SEND up to age 25, as well as parents and carers through targeted group work.

The CARE Together team deliver trauma-informed, therapeutic support that helps young people build resilience, understand exploitation, and move forward with confidence. They offer:

• One-to-one sessions — focused on emotional wellbeing, safety and empowerment. 
• Targeted group work - an 8-week programme for schools and settings where multiple young people are identified as at risk. Topics include exploitation, grooming, consent, and healthy relationships.

Who is eligible?

Young people must :

• Live in Essex (excluding Southend and Thurrock).
• Be at medium risk of exploitation (with clear indicators of concern).
• Not currently be receiving other exploitation-related support.

If a young person is at high or active risk, referrals should be made to the Essex Risk in the Community (RiC) team via the Children and Families Hub.

Find out more and access referral forms.