Transitional safeguarding approaches requires curiosity and tenacity. Many young adults may not recognise they are victims of exploitation, or they remain under threat not to speak out, so may not agree for a safeguarding response. Professionals need to look beyond the young adult as a person with capacity to decline support and focus instead on their safeguarding needs. Many young adults experiencing Risk in the Community may not have formal care and support needs, but without intervention they will experience further trauma and abuse resulting in more complex and intrusive interventions later on.
This approach requires professional not to walk away if support is initially declined, whilst being sensitive to a young adult's consent and rights yet mindful of their trauma responses. It requires identification and disruption of exploiters and understanding the different types of exploitation that impacts on adults. It requires proactive engagement from community safety partners to understand the picture of exploitation locally and plans to tackle this both for individuals but for the wider community.
Young adults must not face a cliff edge of support when they reach 18 years. Essex hold Multi-Agency Transitional Enablement (MATE) meetings for young adults over 18 years who are believed to be experiencing harm from Risk in the Community. These are chaired by Adult Social Care and members include the Violence and Vulnerability Unit, Children's Social Care, Housing, The Children's Society, Essex Police, Community Safety Partnerships, EPUT, NELFT, Public Health and Independent Child Trafficking Guardian Service.
Any professional can refer a young adult to this meeting using this MATE referral form.
We also ensure all Care Leavers receiving a service from Children's Social Care can also be heard in the Missing & Child Exploitation (MACE 1) meetings too. Representatives from Adult Social Care also attend MACE 1 and MACE 2 meetings to ensure a joined up approach across Children's and Adult's Social Care.