Protecting Vulnerable Children
Preventing children from becoming victims of abuse and exploitation is a key priority at Rotherham. This page explains why this is an important area of work for us and describes what we will do to keep children safe from abuse and exploitation.
Why Is This a Priority?
Child abuse is physical, emotional, sexual, or online sexual abuse, harm, or neglect of a child, and it’s something that we’re taking very seriously in Rotherham.
Abuse could take place in the family home or in an institutional or community environment. It could be happening in a place where a child should feel safe and may be instigated by people the child trusts.
The harm may be being caused by an adult or by another child. Abuse could be coming from people they know, or strangers using the internet and social media.
49% of child abuse victims were abused by a family member and 34% of victims were abused by an acquaintance.
The number of online child sexual exploitation offences have increased by 41% compared to 2019-20.
The number of offences related to indecent images of children increased by 113% compared to 2019-20.
Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are currently the most commonly used platforms to carry out child criminal exploitation related activity.
What Have We Done?
The Safer Rotherham Partnership worked alongside the Safeguarding Children Partnership to develop a strategy to tackle child criminal exploitation.
The strategy provided a focus for the delivery of core operations and the Epic project that supports vulnerable young people, alongside Barnsley and Doncaster partners.
Successes include engagement with almost 12,000 secondary age pupils in Rotherham.
Referrals to the Police have increased, therefore we are safeguarding more children at risk. The Safer Rotherham Partnership’s role ensured targeted disruption activities.
Child sexual exploitation referrals and intelligence reports continue to be an area for close monitoring and improvement action.
The ‘Spot the Signs’ campaign raised awareness for the importance of safeguarding. The impact of an awareness raising video aimed at the hospitality sector has been tested and results used to work with the sector to tighten safeguarding.
Online offending was adopted as a priority in 2019-20 due to concerns about increasing online incidents against young people. A Digital Champions Network was established to co-ordinate training across the partnership and raise awareness of new technologies. Messages have been promoted directly to young people through social media, with the aim of preventing online offending and promoting online safety.
What Are We Doing?
Child Abuse
Our aims: increase understanding of the potential signs of neglect and child abuse through training and awareness raising with partners. Raise awareness with the public around the signs of early abuse and mechanisms for reporting.
Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)
Our aims: increase understanding of CCE, reporting and responses, with professionals and the public through training and awareness raising. Work together with partners and the public to reduce the risk of CCE and ensure accurate recording of investigations and quality outcomes.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Our aims: increase understanding of CSE, reporting and responses, with professionals and the public through training and awareness raising. Work together with partners and the public to reduce the risk of CSE and ensure accurate recording of investigations and quality outcomes
Useful Links
Rotherham Children’s Safeguarding Partnership
This site provides important information on safeguarding children for the public, young people, parents, carers, school staff and other professionals.
