Running the Risks - Catch22

1 July 2015 Rachel Sturrock and Lucy HolmesIn partnership with: Running the Risks :The links between gang involvement and young people going missing ForewordThe growing public concern around child sexual exploitation (CSE) has led to a focus on the link between CSE and going missing and this is now beginning to have an impact on policy and practice. The link between gang involvement and young people going missing from home and/or at risk of CSE has not had the same policy attention. This report shows that too often children and young people are still being criminalised rather than safeguarded, and the needs and Risks surrounding gang-involvement not recognised.

2 Our findings highlight the coercion and exploitation affecting children and young people who become involved with gangs. We found evidence of young people both overtly coerced and more subtly exploited into travelling to unknown areas to sell drugs for weeks at a time in what has been described as county lines . For girls involved with gangs, the risk of going missing was linked to child sexual exploitation (CSE) as well as the illegal drugs market. There is currently no national data available to gauge the prevalence of this issue, it is an unseen problem, hidden from services and with damaging consequences for children and young research highlights the need for all professionals working with this group, regardless of their sector to be trained to understand the safeguarding needs of those affected by gangs.

3 In order for this to happen, multi-agency working that bridges the gap between safeguarding and criminal justice is essential. Promising approaches are clear in areas such as Greater Manchester and Greenwich where services are working in partnership to ensure that safeguarding is prioritised alongside a criminal justice response. However, with no specific Government guidance on the link between gang-involvement and going missing this is happening in isolated pockets rather than on a national through multi-agency working across Local-Authority boundaries, and across all sectors will we be able to understand the scale of the problem and address it effectively.

4 Catch22A forward-looking social business, Catch22 has more than 200 years experience of providing public services that help people turn their lives around. We work with troubled and vulnerable people, helping them to steer clear of crime or substance misuse, do the best they can in education or employment, and play a full part in their family or community. Catch22 missing and runaways services work alongside children , young people, their families and the police to find out what has caused them to run away and prevent them from Running away again in the Catch22 Dawes Unit brings together research, policy and practice in order to understand how to reduce the harm caused by gangs and gang-related Wright, Chief Executive, Catch22 Running the RisksIRunning the RisksWe would like to thank missing People for their support in the production of this Youle.

5 Chief Executive, missing PeopleIt s hard to imagine the fear and hurt of a child coerced into a gang and subject to abuse and exploitation. We know that children and young people find it hard to reach out for help from such a dark hope that all of us, professionals across a wide range of sectors, and those in positions of policy influence, will heed the recommendations in this report. We must not make judgements between children who some believe are genuinely exploited and those who people think make a choice.

6 I call on us all to commit to working together, and working better, to safeguard vulnerable children and young a young person returns from being missing this is not the end of the story. It s an opportunity for learning and understanding what happened whilst they were missing . It is a time for care and support. Each and every missing incident gives us an opportunity to reach out to a young person, to find out what s going on, and to offer them the help and support they desperately PeopleMissing People provides free, 24-hour confidential support, help and advice by phone, email, text and online.

7 We listen in confidence, and support missing people and their families to explore their options and, where possible, to reconnect. For those left behind we provide specialised support to ease the heartache and confusion, and help search for their missing loved ones. The charity coordinates a UK-wide network of people, businesses and media to join the search for the estimated 250,000 people who go missing each 000 is the number for advice, support, help and options if you, or someone you care about, goes missing . Call or text the charity missing People on 116 000 it s free, 24 hour and confidential.

8 Partnership The key challenges5 Promising Specialist Multi-agency Care Improving practice6 Conclusions Are there links between gang involvement and going missing , and what form do they take? What are the consequences if those affected do not come to the attention of services? What are the challenges of working with children and young people experiencing both gang involvement and going missing ? What would make it easier to work with gang-involved children and young people going missing from home or care?

9 7 Understanding and using data Early identification and intervention after missing incidents Building relationships to drive Relocation and the care system 8 References Contents1 Executive summary Research context Key findings Areas for improvement Promising practice Conclusions and recommendations 2 What do we know about gang-involved children and young people going missing from home? The policy Methodology3 The relationship between gang involvement and going Contact with children and young people who have experienced gang involvement and going missing from home or Illegal drugs Relocation and the care Debt, fear and Relationships and Risks and impact of experiencing gang involvement and going Recruitment and A group with specific needs?

10 4 Challenges Identifying and understanding gang involvement Referral and Relationships and engagement: Breaking the wall Running the RisksRunning the Risks45667810465052535557596162636364646 6676768686970121519222326293030313234363 73941425 Running the Risks1. Executive summaryChildren and young people experiencing gang involvement and going missing are at risk of sexual exploitation and serious violence. This research provides an overview for the first time of a group who are rarely reported, and often misunderstood. The report explores some of the key links between gang involvement, those who go missing from home and/or are at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE), and the overarching issues affecting this group.