What is Risk in the Community (RIC)?

Risk in the Community is the Essex partnership approach to tackling exploitation of young people.

Traditionally, safeguarding young people focused on risks within the home, but it is more apparent today that young people experience risks in various contexts outside their family unit, such as parks, high streets, leisure venues, hotels, public transport, schools, neighbourhoods, sports clubs and digital.

Young people can become victims of sexual or criminal exploitation sometimes they might be moved around the county or outside Essex, known as Trafficking or Modern Slavery.

Some young people might be exploited digitally and may not meet their abuser, or online exploitation may form part of the grooming process and occur before they meet.

Increasing safety for young people in these contexts requires a broad group of professionals to focus on community safety, whilst also supporting the young person and their family. Traditional safeguarding professionals need to team up with other partners, including the private sector in order to create safety in our community. We need to create safety in these vulnerable areas to prevent young people becoming victims, focusing on the place and exploiter is key. This can only be achieved if partners work closely together by identifying and responding to exploited children as well as prevention and disruption activities in communities vulnerable to exploitation.

Risk in the Community is the Essex partnership approach which weaves through and across the workforce.

The approach also includes:

• RIC pathway and RIC meetings which develop partnership plans to reduce harm from exploitation for children open to Social Care.
• District level community meetings which focus on increasing community safety and reducing exploitation harm that link to MACE. In addition, the disruption orders and responses by professionals to pursue exploiters (see Disruption Toolkit).
• A common language and application of assessing risk levels, plus key networks such as the Child Exploitation Champions - approximately 250 professionals from across the partnership in Essex who join together to tackle exploitation.
• Partnership awareness raising campaigns that take place regularly, such as Online Safety, Operation Henderson and Operation Make Safe where partners unite to prevent harm and communicate how the community can seek support.

Risk Levels – Quick Guide

High Risk – Known "It is known that exploitation is taking place”

The professional group is confident that it is highly probable that the child is a victim of exploitation. There will be information from a number of sources indicating signs of exploitation, this may also include the parent’s view.

Medium Risk - Suspected “It is suspected that exploitation is taking place”

The professional group is uncertain that the child is currently a victim of exploitation and consider further enquiries required to help determine this. There will be emerging concerns and grey areas that require further exploration, including seeking information from a wider range of sources.

Low Risk - Vulnerable “Vulnerable child but no exploitation taking place”

The child has multiple factors that could mean they are vulnerable to being exploited, but there is no current indicators that exploitation is taking place.

Spot the signs of exploitation

There are many signs that a young person may be being exploited including changes in mood or character, being secretive, staying out late, unexplained gifts or money. Stop CE has an in-depth list of all the potential signs of exploitation.

Signs and Indicators: A template for identifying and recording concerns of child sexual abuse - This template is from the CSA Centre and is designed to provide a common language amongst professionals to discuss, record and share concerns that a child is being, or has been, sexually abused.

Models and theories of exploitation

The exploitation of children is seen in varied forms; these are often described using models of exploitation. These models are devised through research and can therefore expand and contract. Find out more.

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.

Risk in the Community Videos

Exploitation podcasts