The majority of the young people exploited by County Lines are London children. While boroughs and the Mayor have taken steps to better plan for and respond to knife crime and serious youth violence associated with, though not exclusively, drugs and gangs, less progress has been made in publicly highlighting the safeguarding needs of young people and the role that boroughs and their partners can play.
London Councils County Lines Summit gave greater voice to the need to protect young Londoners from criminal exploitation.
Listen to some of the sessions from the day.
Welcome and overview
Cllr Nickie Aiken, London Councils’ Executive Member for Schools and Children's Services
Safeguarding as everyone’s business
Dr Carlene Firmin MBE, Principal Research Fellow, University of Bedfordshire
- The contextual approach to safeguarding
- The limitations of traditional safeguarding responses
- The policy framework that underpins this contextual approach
Rescue and Response – Boroughs’ response to County Lines exploitation
Karina Wane, Head of Community Protection, LB Brent and Geeta Subramaniam, LB Lewisham, Director of Public Protection and Safety
- Context and meaning
- Scale and profile in London
- Borough case studies
- Q&As
Public Polling Findings
Ian Neale, Research Director, YouGov and Marianne Moore, Director, Justice Studio
- Objectives and methodology of the research
- Brought together experts in modern slavery, county lines and communications
- Scale of the issues discovered in London
Roundtable discussion
Greg Hurst (chairing), Social Affairs Editor, The Times
Tim Champion, NPCC Silver Lead - Prevent Prepare Protect, National County Line Coordination Centre
Ian Neale, Research Director, YouGov
Karina Wane, Head of Community Protection, LB Brent
Geeta Subramaniam, LB Lewisham, Director of Public Protection and Safety
Addressing the following:
- Working with partners outside of London
- Safeguarding as a shared responsibility across the community
- Leading the conversation with communities
- Highlighting the signs of exploitation
- Use of modern slavery powers and the NRM
- Approaches to sharing effective practice
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