In a significant move to bolster the fight against child criminal exploitation, the Welsh Government has recommended the use of resources developed by CASCADE. This comes as part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance the safeguarding of vulnerable children across Wales.
The recommendation is detailed in the recent report by the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee, which investigated the plight of children on the margins, including those who go missing and those vulnerable to criminal exploitation. The report highlights the critical need for comprehensive resources and training materials to equip frontline professionals with the knowledge and tools to effectively respond to these challenges.
Recommendation 11 of the report specifically calls for the Welsh Government to collaborate with both statutory and non-statutory partners, leveraging existing work such as the Complex Safeguarding Wales Practitioner Toolkit developed by CASCADE. This toolkit, along with other resources, is designed to improve awareness and response strategies among professionals working in various settings, including social services, housing departments, educational institutions, and health boards.
Children on the margins Report 2024
Recommendation 11. The Welsh Government should work alongside statutory and non-statutory partners, drawing on existing work such as Cardiff University’s Complex Safeguarding Wales Practitioner Toolkit, to develop a set of resources and training materials to improve frontline professionals’ awareness of, and response to, criminal exploitation and the other forms of marginalisation explored in this report. These resources and materials should be targeted at professionals working in a range of settings that have direct contact with vulnerable children (such as social services, housing departments, education establishments, health boards, etc.). The Welsh Government should take steps to ensure that relevant frontline professionals across the statutory sector – including those employed by organisations commissioned by the statutory sector, such as charities – receive that training ‘
Dr. Nina Maxwell, Principal Research Fellow at CASCADE, has been instrumental in the development of these resources. The Complex Safeguarding Wales resources were developed through a collaborative research project titled “County Lines: A Co-ordinated Welsh Community Response to Child Criminal Exploitation.” This project involved extensive input from young people, parents, and practitioners, ensuring that the resources are grounded in real-world experiences and needs.
The toolkit was developed in response to the findings of the “Child Criminal Exploitation in Wales” report by Dr. Nina Maxwell and Catrin Wallace. This report highlighted the complex nature of child criminal exploitation, which arises from a combination of economic and social factors. The report noted that much of what is known about child criminal exploitation relates to county lines, a model of drug supply where individuals, groups, or organised criminal gangs manipulate or coerce children and vulnerable adults into transporting and storing drugs and money.
The toolkit provides practical guidance on identifying signs of exploitation, understanding relevant policies, and taking appropriate actions when a child goes missing. It also includes strategies for multi-agency working, which is crucial for sharing information and coordinating responses to exploitation.
The Welsh Government’s report emphasizes the importance of these resources in creating a unified and informed approach to safeguarding. It states, “The Welsh Government should take steps to ensure that relevant frontline professionals across the statutory sector – including those employed by organisations commissioned by the statutory sector, such as charities – receive that training.”
CASCADE’s resources have already made a significant impact since their launch. The Complex Safeguarding Wales website offers a wealth of information for parents worried about child criminal exploitation, including signs to look for and how to access help and support. The co-produced toolkit and assessment tool are available to practitioners upon request, providing essential support in the fight against exploitation.
For more information about the Complex Safeguarding Wales resources and to access the toolkit, visit Complex Safeguarding Wales.
This recommendation by the Welsh Government marks a pivotal step in ensuring that all professionals working with vulnerable children are well-equipped to protect them from exploitation and other forms of marginalisation. It is a testament to the impactful research and collaborative efforts led by CASCADE, aiming to create a safer environment for all children in Wales.