New hub created to stop children being exploited

Statistics suggest at least 43,000 children across England face exploitation

A new hub has been created to protect a county's children from exploitation.

The hub in Northamptonshire will include police officers, social workers and health professionals.

The organisers say the agencies already "work closely with each other" but the hub will provide "greater opportunities to protect vulnerable youngsters".

Government data suggests at least 43,000 children face criminal or sexual exploitation in England.

The government describes child exploitation as "forms of abuse that occur where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into taking part in criminal or sexual activity.

"It may involve an exchange for something the victim needs or wants or through violence or the threat of violence."

Det Ch Insp Jen Castle said child sexual and criminal exploitation was a growing concern

Det Ch Insp Jen Castle, the police lead for child safeguarding, said: “Child sexual and child criminal exploitation is a growing concern nationally.

"Sadly, every region in the UK is affected by child exploitation and Northamptonshire is no exception.  

“This new hub will support us further in developing high quality practice and responsive exploitation support that children and their families need when exploitation is a risk."

Children becoming secretive or coming home late can be signs of exploitation

Det Ch Insp Jen Castle said there were several signs that could suggest a child is being exploited: "Children becoming more secretive, perhaps they go missing from school or from home, they're coming home late or with friends that you don't recognise, they have gifts, maybe new phones or clothes.

"When you put these things together, they create a picture and there may be something more sinister behind it."

The hub will be based at the Criminal Justice Centre in Northampton

The hub will be located at the Criminal Justice Centre on the Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton.

In addition to the representatives of the police, social services and health services who will be based at Brackmills, people from education and other services will join meetings virtually.

Cornelia Andrecut, director of children’s social care with the Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, said: "The launch of the hub is a really positive step forward in improving how agencies across Northamptonshire work together to safeguard and support children and young people who might be coerced or exploited."