Hull City Council wants young people, parents, carers, professionals and communities to understand the signs of child exploitation, to help protect young people in Hull.
Humberside PCC has developed some informative videos and resources to help understand exploitation, through a campaign called Not In Our Community.
A recently launched animation, Anywhere Kids, delivered as a collaboration with the Humber Modern Slavery Partnership and produced by local company My Pockets, can be used by teachers, parents and support workers to educate 10–12 year-olds on the dangers of child criminal and sexual exploitation.
Councillor Shane McMurray, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services said: “I’d like as many people as possible to watch this video which demonstrates how children and young people can be exploited, and what others should look out for to spot the signs. New clothes, gifts, money can all be indications that a young person is being groomed.
“Education about this difficult subject is a vital part of protecting our children and young people.”
The Not in Our Community campaign has produced a wide variety of films and includes resources for schools to display and use, information and advice for young peoples, a section aimed at parents and guardians and a section for professionals and partners.
Films come with accompanying session plans and can be filtered by age and by topic, with the Humberside PCC recently also launching the campaign’s new e-learning platform, NIOC Interact.
Hull City Council works with partners across the city to identify young people at risk, to support them and to disrupt any potential perpetrators.
Pauline Turner, Director for Children’s Services said: “Every child and young person in our community must be protected from abuse in all of its forms and we take this responsibility for the children in our city extremely seriously.
“We have a specifically trained team – the Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked (VEMT) team – who are dedicated to supporting children and young people, and helping to prevent abuse beyond the family network. They also deliver training to a range of partners and organisations across the city, including schools, Police, GPs, health visitors and Neighbourhood Networks. Anyone who would like to book onto training should contact the VEMT team on 01482 613560.”
“If any young person is worried or would like some help or advice, please speak to a trusted person such as a teacher or parent. Young people can also make contact with the VEMT team through Facebook and Instagram. We also want parents and communities to know that they can seek help and advice, and, along with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, we have set up a dedicated phone service for people to talk to us on 01482 613560. The phone line is available between 1pm and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
“I would encourage anyone with concerns about children to report them to either Humberside Police, or the Safeguarding Hub on 01482 448 879.”
Understanding the signs of child exploitation, can help protect young people
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison said “Child exploitation is a form of modern day slavery and one we are working hard to raise awareness and encourage the reporting of through the Not In Our Community campaign.
“Early intervention needs to do just that; start early, and this animation provides a new tool for teachers and youth engagement professionals to raise awareness across younger age groups.”
