Crest Advisory has published a report on looked after children and county lines in England and Wales. The report finds that: looked after children are disproportionately represented in county lines networks, but they are not being systematically identified by police or local authorities; a growing number of looked after children are placed in care settings which do not protect them from criminal exploitation; and inadequate information sharing between agencies leads to a poor safeguarding response. Recommendations to government include: the creation of a statutory definition of child criminal exploitation (CCE) and county lines; and a national strategy to tackle CCE.
Read the news story: County lines and looked after children
Read the report: County lines and looked after children (PDF)
Source: Crest Advisory
Date: 03 December 2020
