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Exploitation

The following links will be useful to those working/ volunteering with Children, Young People, Families and/ or Vulnerable Adults across Bedfordshire.

  • Pan Bedfordshire Procedures online- click here and scroll down to section 3.8 to find a range of Exploitation themed resources, practitioner guidance and briefings.
  • Bedfordshire Against Violence & Exploitation (BAVEX)- please visit BAVEX to view a wide range of exploitation toolkits, resources and local support services.
  • Bedfordshire Child Exploitation Tool: This indicator tool aims to help practitioners focus on specific exploitation indicators and determine whether further investigations are needed by Children’s Social Care (CSC) and Bedfordshire Police. This tool therefore informs both assessment of need, planning and referrals to Children’s Social Care. This tool should be attached to your Children’s Social Care referral regarding a potential child exploitation (CE) case. Watch the video guide to learn more.
  • Home Office Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit
  • Fearless is the dedicated youth service from independent charity Crimestoppers, it provides young people with the opportunity to give information about crime 100% anonymously.
  • NWG disseminate information to professionals working on the issue of child exploitation (CE) and trafficking. The NWG network covers voluntary and statutory services and private companies working in this field and offers support, guidance and raises the profile, provide updates, training, share national developments, influence the development of national and local policy informed by practice.
  • The Children’s Society: Get to know the signs of child exploitation by visiting the #LookCloser campaign website. They have also produced a range of resources on appropriate language.
  • NSPCC ‘Why Language Matters’ blog: The NSPCC have produced a range of briefings encouraging us to replace unhelpful terminology including ‘older boyfriend’, ‘attention seeking’, ‘hard to reach’ and ‘child pornography’. They also provide an overview of Child Sexual & Criminal Exploitation.
  • Barnados National Counter Trafficking Centre offer free awareness raising webinars.

If you have concerns that a child is being exploited, please contact:

Philomena Protocol - from 1st April 2025

From 1st April 2025, Bedfordshire Police and Children's Social Care (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton) will implement the Philomena Protocol.

The Philomena Protocol is a scheme that asks carers to identify children and young people who are at risk of going missing, and to record vital information about them that can be used to help find them quickly and safely.

The protocol is named after the Patron Saint of Babies, Infants and Youths and was introduced by Durham Constabulary in 2019.  It has been successfully implemented in a number of forces across the country. The scheme focuses on the recording of vital information that is required to assist police with a missing person investigation. Often, missing young people head for familiar locations or try to find people who they think are their friends or who they can rely on, so having details of these people and places written down in case of emergency can really help to speed up our search.  

The form is owned, completed, updated and shared by carers to ensure the most up to date information is recorded. It can be via Bedfordshire Police website (scroll to foot of page). An information presentation is available here.

Awareness briefings;

Bedfordshire Police and all three local Children Social Care authorities in Beds (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire & Luton) are now implementing the National Philomena Protocol.

The Philomena Protocol is a scheme that asks carers to identify children and young people who are at risk of going missing, and to record vital information about them that can be used to help find them quickly.

We have arranged 2 virtual training sessions for you to attend for further information. Further information, including links to protocol documents, can be found at the Bedfordshire Police website.

The virtual training sessions and Teams link are below; no need to book, just join the session.

Practitioner briefings:

The Philomena Protocol is now widely used and has proven beneficial in not only saving time and resources but more importantly the potential to improve safeguarding of our vulnerable children and young people by locating them quicker. 

We appreciate your time, assistance, and support in this new protocol to Bedfordshire.

Exploitation Training

Safeguarding Bedfordshire offers a wide range of Exploitation themed training, including class based/ virtual classroom (costs apply) and eLearning (free).

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