Survey for Parents – Working Together to Tackle Exploitation in Gloucestershire Strategy

The Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Child Exploitation Strategy is changing. The new strategy will guide how statutory agencies such as the police, social care and health along with other government, voluntary and commissioned organisations will work together to tackle the risk of exploitation children and young people in our county may be exposed to.

Child exploitation occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. This can result in them engaging the exploited child into sexual or criminal activity. Coercion can take many forms including giving the child gifts of money or clothing for example. Violence can also be used or debt bondage.

This new strategy will include the counties response to children who are risk of such abuse, as well as children who have been abused in this way. Although the definition relates to under 18s the strategy will include the counties provision for all young people up to the age of 25 including care leavers.

As most exploitation takes place whilst children are living in the family home, parents, caregivers and communities play a key role with statutory and voluntary sector agencies to tackle exploitation. Therefore it is important that we listen and that your voice is heard to then help shape the new strategy where parents are valued as safeguarding partners in Glos.

Please share your views in order to help improve how we can all will work together to safeguard young people who are affected by this issue.