The focus of this conference is moving from understanding the criminal exploitation of children to taking action. Whilst there has been growing impetus on multi-agency safeguarding, there is still a lack of legislation on modern slavery and the criminal exploitation of children. It is a safeguarding issue that needs to be addressed with urgency, and the focus of these webinars is moving from understanding to action.
The conference will be introduced by Dawn Bowden MS in a video address, and the Welsh Gov will be launching their Anti Slavery Wales online learning tool shortly.
The conference also draws current research and the notable Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children: Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures and a study undertaken by the Modern Slavery Network on trafficking and exploitation of children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Webinars
“They’re not seeing young people as victims of exploitation”: Multi-agency responses to the criminal exploitation of children in Wales
Explore why the UK’s approach to child criminal exploitation falls short and how Welsh professionals are working to fix it through better multi-agency safeguarding.
Presenter: Dr Nina Maxwell, CASCADE, Cardiff University
Date: Wednesday 1st October
Time: 1-2pm
Location: Online
Strengthening the System for Criminally Exploited Children – From Awareness to Action
As awareness of child criminal exploitation grows, confusion remains over what truly helps. This webinar dives into the policy shifts, ethical dilemmas, and insights from the Jay Review to uncover what’s working and what still needs fixing.
Presenter: Sharon Maciver, Criminal Exploitation Director (UK), Action for Children
Date: Monday 13th October
Time: 1-2pm
Location: Online
Falling through the net – Prevention and Protection
The exploitation of learning disabled and neurodivergent children and young people is a concern given the higher rates of abuse and exploitation experienced by children with special educational needs and disabilities. This presentation will consider the needs of these children and their parents for help and support.
Presenter: Sarah Goff and Anita Franklin, Manchester Metropolitan University
Date: Tuesday 4th November
Time: 1-2pm
Location: Online
Podcast
Coming soon…
In the meantime, check out the new season, and previous episodes of the ExChange Wales podcast:
Video
Hot Chicks – a powerful tale of exploitation and lost innocence
This is a hard hitting play about child criminal exploitation, in which writer Rebecca Jade Hammond has cleverly demonstrated the chilling charms of the groomer and the trap that the children fall into. The audience is helpless and harrowed as the story unfolds and Ruby and Kyla become pawns under Sadie’s compelling and often brutal rule.
Resources
- Complex Safeguarding website – https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/complex-safeguarding-wales
- Links to NWG website – https://nwgnetwork.org/
- Youth Justice Board resource hub – https://yjresourcehub.uk/
- Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children: Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures – https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/our-work-and-impact/policy-work-campaigns-and-research/policy-reports/the-jay-review-of-criminally-exploited-children/
- Modern Slavery Network study: Trafficking and exploitation of children with special educational needs and disability – https://www.modernslaverypec.org/resources/children-special-needs-disabilities
- ‘Hot Chicks’ review – a powerful tale of exploitation and lost innocence – https://cascadewales.org/hot-chicks-review-a-powerful-tale-of-exploitation-and-lost-innocence/
- Police in Schools research (CASCADE) – https://cascadewales.org/research/police-in-schools/
