Requests for support
Professionals should access the SET Partnership CE Pathway for guidance on routes to support. This includes details on making a referral to Social Care, the Police, reporting intelligence to Police and accessing Essex services for families from the Directory of Services.
Essex and SET Procedures, Tools and Strategies
SET Procedures
The SET Procedures outline the identification, impact and professional responses to Child Exploitation in Essex. These should always be read in conjunction with the latest ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ guidance.
SET Partnership CE Pathway
The SET Partnership Child Exploitation Pathway has been developed to support those working with, and identifying, individuals at risk of serious violence or exploitation. The pathway complements the e-learning package and will give practitioners the tools they need to identify factors that could indicate exploitation and to make decisions regarding referrals where child exploitation is suspected.
The tool gives a pathway indicator for each local area which sets out appropriate courses of action for those needing support. It will be used within statutory agencies as a universal pathway which means there is a consistent tool across the whole of Essex which all workers will use.
Essex Police Partner Intel Form
Understanding your role within Risk in the Community
If you are working with or caring for children, you play a vital role within the Risk in the Community approach by recognising that behaviour can be influenced by factors outside the home. This means:
• Looking beyond individual behaviour
• Using professional curiosity to understand what may be happening in a child’s wider world
• Working in partnership to reduce risk and increase safety
Individuals can contribute to safeguarding by:
• Noticing changes in behaviour, mood, attendance or engagement
• Being professionally curious, particularly where behaviour appears out of character
• Understanding that behaviour may be a response to grooming, pressure or control
• Sharing concerns early through safeguarding pathways
• Continuing to support the child alongside referrals and partner responses
You are not expected to investigate or manage exploitation alone.
You can use this Child Exploitation Response Framework in Essex to help you understand what you are seeing and what you should do.
Safeguarding in Essex is guided by SET SCP Procedures Manual and Working Together to Safeguard Children, which emphasise partnership working and early information sharing.
“Behaviour that appears challenging may be a sign of harm, not poor choices”
C&F Thinking Tool
Children and Families Thinking Tool: Risk in the Community
SET Exploitation Strategy
ESCB SET Exploitation Strategy 2019-24 (PDF, 2019)
Overarching Safeguarding Protocol
Overarching safeguarding protocol across geographic Essex - Nov 2022
Risk in the Community and Missing Arrangements
RIC & Missing Arrangements (PDF, 2026)
National Resources
Child exploitation disruption toolkit, Home Office
This Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit is aimed at frontline practitioners from police, social care, health, housing, education, voluntary sector and partner organisations.
The Children's Society - Appropriate Language Guide
Appropriate Language: Child Sexual and/or Criminal Exploitation Guidance for Professionals The Children's Society
7 Minute Briefing: The NRM and Transitioning in to Adulthood - NWG in partnership with Children's Society, Barnardos and the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership.
The NRM and Transitioning in to Adulthood
Barnardo's online risk guide - Barnardo’s online risk guide helps those working with children maintain and grow their professional knowledge so that they can navigate the evolving world of online risks.
NSPCC - Podcast with Prof. Carlene Firman
Talking about the concept of contextual safeguarding and how practitioners can incorporate contextual safeguarding practices into their work with children and families.
Support services for children and families
These websites are useful sources of information when working with children and families.
The Children’s Society – C.A.R.E Together service
Essex Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service
Active Essex - Essex Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Project & Local Delivery Projects
British Transport Police – Text line 61016 & Railway Guardian App