Why is it needed?

This course is designed for professionals working within education settings, including schools, colleges, alternative provision, pupil referral units (PRUs), independent schools, and wider educational safeguarding environments who have responsibility for protecting children and young people from exploitation and abuse.

Participants will explore the evolving nature of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), including the methods used by perpetrators to groom, manipulate, coerce, and control children both online and offline.

 The training examines how exploitation can occur within peer groups, families, communities, gangs, county lines networks, school environments, and digital platforms. The course provides practical guidance on identifying indicators of exploitation, understanding trauma and vulnerability, responding appropriately to disclosures and concerns, and applying safeguarding procedures effectively in line with statutory safeguarding responsibilities. The course reflects current expectations within Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), including the importance of whole-school safeguarding culture, early identification of vulnerability, low-level concerns, information sharing, online safety, filtering and monitoring, child-on-child abuse, attendance concerns, and the role of all staff in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

 The training supports education providers in meeting statutory safeguarding responsibilities and strengthening safeguarding practice across schools, colleges, and educational settings. Learners will also examine contextual safeguarding approaches, disruption strategies, online safety risks, peer-on-peer abuse, attendance concerns, children missing education, and the importance of child-centred and trauma-informed practice.

The programme is aligned with current safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, and relevant multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. The programme supports schools, colleges, and education providers in demonstrating effective safeguarding training, staff vigilance, and safeguarding compliance in line with KCSIE, Ofsted safeguarding expectations, and wider statutory safeguarding responsibilities.

The training strengthens professional confidence in recognising hidden harm, making informed safeguarding decisions, and contributing to prevention, intervention, and long-term support for children and young people affected by exploitation.

Learning Outcomes (Level 2–3 Safeguarding Aligned)

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

 • What is child criminal and child sexual exploitation? Demonstrate an understanding of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), including current safeguarding definitions, legislation and relevant UK safeguarding frameworks such as Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

• Understanding County Lines. Understand county lines activity and the definition of a ‘gang’, including the characteristic features commonly associated with gang culture, organised criminal exploitation, and serious youth violence affecting children and young people

• What are the warning signs? Identify and respond to indicators of criminal and sexual exploitation, including grooming, coercion, trafficking, county lines involvement, missing episodes, persistent absence, online exploitation, peer-on-peer abuse and changes in behaviour or presentation within education settings

 • Recognise safeguarding indicators linked to persistent absence, children missing education, exclusion, behavioural changes, emotional wellbeing concerns and peer-on-peer abuse in accordance with KCSIE expectations

• Risk indicators and grooming. Recognise how perpetrators exploit vulnerability, power imbalance, trauma, unmet needs, social isolation, exclusion and emotional dependency to manipulate and control children and young people

 • Contextual safeguarding and Risk Assessment. Assess contextual and environmental risks associated with exploitation, including the influence of peer groups, social networks, community settings, school environments, online platforms and organised criminal activity

• Reporting and escalating. Apply organisational safeguarding procedures effectively within education settings, including recording, reporting, information sharing, escalation pathways, and referral processes in accordance with KCSIE, safeguarding policies and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements

• Understand the importance of low-level concerns, professional curiosity and timely information sharing within education safeguarding systems

 • Demonstrate awareness of the safeguarding responsibilities of all staff, the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and statutory safeguarding procedures within schools and colleges

 • Helping children to understand protective factors. Understand how to help children and young people become more aware of their environments and identify risks, including early intervention techniques, online safety awareness, healthy relationship education and protective behaviours

• Talking to and supporting potential victims. Understand the impact of trauma, fear, shame, loyalty, coercive control, and trauma bonding on a child’s behaviour, engagement, attendance and willingness to disclose harm

• Understand the importance of student voice, trusted relationships, and creating environments where children feel safe to report concerns and seek support

• Make informed professional judgements. Make informed safeguarding decisions regarding threshold assessments, safeguarding referrals, contextual concerns and appropriate intervention strategies where exploitation is suspected

• Contribute to safer environments. Protect children and young people through prevention-focused safeguarding practice, professional curiosity, early intervention approaches and the promotion of a strong whole-school safeguarding culture within education settings

• Contribute to a strong whole-school safeguarding culture that promotes vigilance, early intervention, student voice and child-centred safeguarding practice

Additional Learning Outcomes 

•Apply trauma-informed and child-centred approaches when supporting children and young people affected by exploitation

• Recognise barriers to disclosure and understand why exploited children may not perceive themselves as victims

• Evaluate the role of technology, social media, gaming platforms, livestreaming, and digital communication in facilitating exploitation and recruitment

• Understand safeguarding expectations relating to online safety, filtering and monitoring systems, mobile technology, and digital safeguarding risks within education settings

 • Recognise the links between exploitation, mental health, attendance concerns, exclusions, SEND vulnerability, and children missing education

 • Understand the importance of maintaining clear, accurate, and contemporaneous safeguarding records in accordance with organisational policy and statutory guidance

 • Recognise the importance of early help and preventative safeguarding interventions in reducing vulnerability to exploitation

 • Demonstrate awareness of safeguarding responsibilities relating to peer-on-peer abuse, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and harmful sexual behaviour

• Support effective multi-agency collaboration by accurately communicating concerns and contributing to coordinated safeguarding responses involving education, children’s social care, police, and safeguarding partners

• Demonstrate awareness of legal and ethical considerations relating to consent, confidentiality, information sharing, online safety, and child protection responsibilities

 • Recognise when specialist intervention, disruption activity, or emergency safeguarding action may be required to reduce immediate risk

 • Apply professional curiosity and critical thinking when assessing patterns of behaviour, peer associations, unexplained possessions, attendance concerns, or changes in presentation that may indicate exploitation

 • Understand the role and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and wider safeguarding responsibilities within schools and colleges

 • Reflect on professional responsibility in maintaining up-to-date knowledge of emerging exploitation trends, safeguarding risks, online harms, and best practice guidance within child protection and contextual safeguarding frameworks