Why this matters for schools and education settings
Schools and education settings are a key protective factor in the lives of children and young people. Staff often notice changes in behaviour, attendance, engagement or wellbeing before concerns are visible elsewhere, placing education providers at the heart of early safeguarding and prevention.
Exploitation can affect learning, attendance and emotional wellbeing and often takes place outside the home, in everyday contexts such as peer groups, neighbourhoods, transport networks, online spaces and leisure settings.
In Essex, our response to exploitation is guided by the Risk in the Community (RIC) approach. This recognises that safeguarding is not only about individual behaviour, but also about the places, peer influences and wider contexts shaping a child’s experiences beyond the school gate.
This page supports education providers to understand Risk in the Community, their role in responding to exploitation, how to communicate safely with children and young people, and how to engage with Child Exploitation (CE) Awareness Week, including use of the school assembly pack.