Professionals

Page updated April 2025

The Slough Safeguarding children and young adults from exploitation strategy was launched in October 2024. 

Slough Safeguarding Children and Young adults from Exploitation Strategy

Check out our resources below for information  and tools.

New Strategic Multi-agency Child Exploitation (MACE) group formed.

This new group, made up of strategic leaders aims to bring together the work of the key partnerships, Youth Justice Board, the Community Safety Partnership and the safeguarding partnership to ensure we have a cohesive approach to tackling the challenges faced by young people and young adults to age 25 in Slough around violence and exploitation. The group is currently working on a new strategy and action plan, to include transitions to adulthood. More news on this will be available soon.

Are you concerned that a child is being exploited?

Complete the  Pan Berkshire screening tool: Simple Screening Tool

This tool is for anyone who works with children, including those who work in the voluntary sector. If you are worried that a child may be being exploited, this tool gives you a list of indicators to help you work it out and take appropriate action. Often, children do not recognise themselves as victims, or that they are being groomed. This tool aids the identification of exploitation. If you are concerned a child is being exploited, complete the tool and make a referral. Click on this link for further information on how to make a referral. Emergencies/Concerns - Slough Children First

If you are worried that a child is in immediate danger dial 999

Investigators  CLICK HERE  for the risk analysis and indicator tool

If you suspect that a child is missing, the following protocol can be used.

Protocol Thames valley police and children's social care missing children

For more information about child exploitation refer to the National Working group on the following link:

https://www.nwgnetwork.org/

Sharing intelligence

Everyone in Slough can help safeguard children  by sharing information with police when they have a concern that a child or a group of children are being exploited.  Information may at first seem unimportant, but when pieced together with other information the police have, it may lead to someone being made safe.

See links and numbers below which with can be shared with the community in Slough to promote awareness and share information about any suspected exploitation.

https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/pre-form

Sharing intelligence: The role of the professional community including volunteers

All staff working or volunteering in Slough should be aware of what we mean by "intelligence" and what to do if they have a concern about.

Police intelligence BRIEFING NOTE>

POLICE INTELLIGENCE FORM

The Slough operational MACE (Multi-Agency Child Exploitation), meeting  ensures that  there is a multi-agency risk management focus on children and young people who have been exploited or are at risk of exploitation in Slough.

This includes:

• Children at risk of sexual exploitation
• Children at risk of criminal exploitation
• Children who are involved with gangs, county lines and serious youth violence.

The Panel aims to reduce risks to children and young people by developing a contextual understanding of the links between victims and offenders, locations and hotspots, identifying themes and trends, and using this knowledge to inform diversionary measures, intervention, disruption and enforcement.  It will achieve this by:

• Understanding the relationship links and how exploitation is occurring between perpetrators and the victims.
• Triangulating and sharing intelligence/information from partners to ensure all agencies are working together to address abuse and exploitation
• Mapping victims, perpetrators, local hotspot addresses through data analysis to provide a strategic oversight of trends and themes to inform a strategic partnership response and/or resource allocation
• Assessing the effectiveness of interventions in place to reduce risk
• Identifying and highlighting service gaps and barriers to the Slough Safeguarding Partnership.

The MACE does not at any point replace the management and oversight of any individual child’s case, this responsibility remains with the agency that has lead professional responsibility and those supporting multi-agency plans.

INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT

Information sharing is supported through the Pan Berkshire Information Sharing Agreement which has been signed up to be all partners https://www.berkshirewestsafeguardingchildrenpartnership.org.uk/assets/1/info_sharing_agreement.pd.pdf

National Referral Mechanism (NRM) E-Learning Training and Best practice guidance

An NRM is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery to ensure they receive the appropriate support. The new online process allows First Responders to submit an NRM referral through a single online form. Further information can be found here NRM guidance

The following training links listed below are to opportunities for safeguarding professionals to gain further learning, understanding and confidence around their role within the NRM process.

Modern slavery organised immigration and crime have set up a 45 minute programme aimed at guiding all safeguarding partners through the NRM referral process, exploring best practice to equip you with the specific knowledge required to respond to child cases of modern slavery. The training covers child-specific indicators of modern slavery with particular focus on more prevalent forms of exploitation.

The aim of this course is to provide you with the knowledge and confidence needed to identify potential child victims directing them to receive the appropriate support. Click below to begin:

Child Victims of Modern Slavery Programme

The Home Office have set up a 45 minute programme aimed at guiding all First Responders to identify potential victims of modern slavery and how to refer a case into support. The training is sectioned into bitesize chunks the topics included are; Overview, Identify, Explain and Refer. Click below to begin:

Modern Slavery First Responders

Information sharing: new guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office

Following recent serious case reviews in the UK where children have died or been seriously harmed through abuse or neglect the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has released new guidance to improve information sharing practices and help safeguard children.

Data protection laws can make it challenging for those working with children to determine what personal information is safe to share. This guidance aims to build confidence about sharing information when you have concerns that a child or young person is at risk of harm.

The guidance is for any organisation that works with children and sets out 10 steps around:

• Being clear about data protection;
• Identifying objectives for sharing information;
• Following the data protection principles. 

The ICO has also created free marketing materials and a video to help organisations raise awareness of the benefits of sharing information to protect children and young people from harm.

What is FGM?

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sometimes referred to as cutting, female circumcision or sunna, is a painful and illegal process that involves cutting and removing a girl's external genitalia. FGM is practised in many parts of the world. It largely affects people who are from or who are descendants of people from the sub-Saharan region of Africa but it is not exclusive to this region and is not supported by governments there. It is illegal in the UK . There are no references in any religious text to support this practice. There are myths around a girl's marriageability that are carried through generations through the female lines. It can cause severe and long-lasting damage to physical and emotional health.

FGM can have a lasting impact on a young girl. Initially, it will cause physical pain, bleeding and infection and can lead to more serious problems, haemorrhage and even death.  Months and years later, it can cause menstrual difficulties, frequent infections, difficulty having sex and birth complications which women put down to "Being a woman".  There are also emotional and mental affects, for example, depression, anxiety and loss of confidence.

All types of FGM have been illegal in the UK since the 1985.  It is now an offence to take UK nationals and those with permanent UK residency overseas for the purpose of the procedure, to aid and abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of Female Genital Mutilation.

FGM is a serious criminal offence in the UK with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for anyone found guilty. Anyone found guilty of failing to protect a girl from the risk of FGM faces up to 7 years in prison, a fine, or both.

There can be a lot of pressure from families to undergo FGM. If you believe someone is arranging for a child to have it done, either in the UK or abroad, make a referral

The resources below will help you to promote awareness of FGM.

If you are concerned that a child needs protection see the link below.

Emergencies/Concerns - Slough Children First

The resources below will help you to promote awareness of FGM.

• Slough FGM pathway
• Multi-agency statutory guidance
• Female genital mutilation: resource pack - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• FGM guidance for health professionals
• FGM and forced marriages letter from police

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Terminology

FGM is non Islamic-leaflet

URDU

Tigrinya

Swahili

SOMALI

FRENCH

FARSI

ARABIC

AMHARIC

Below a statement that girls can carry with them when they travel abroad. They can show this to people who are pressurising them or their parents to have the procedure done and has been effective in deterring people from proceeding with FGM.

STATEMENT OPPOSING FGM

POSTERS

FGM poster

FGM Poster for professionals

The current thresholds document  has been reviewed following the publication of Working Together 2023.  

Thresholds document

This is a live document and is regularly reviewed, so always use the online version. 

Contact us if you have any queries.

Consult with Children's Social Care Services on the link below if you have any queries.

Emergencies/Concerns - Slough Children First

See also The "Well Being Tool" designed to help you help parents and carers approach the idea that they may need and/or want help.

Children Well Being Tool

Well Being Tool guide for parents

Guide for practitioners

Safeguarding Partnership neglect strategy will be reviewed in 2025. 

The strategy describes safeguarding partners strategic approach to neglect and is on THIS LINK.

Practitioners guidance is on THIS LINK.

The Neglect tool is designed to help gain an understanding of whether the case you are concerned about is neglect,  understand the degree of neglect and its various aspects and it should also be completed when making referrals where there is a concern about neglect. The tool is on THIS LINK.

On THIS LINK you will find the new Well-Being tool and guidance. This helps practitioners to create a dialogue with parents/carers and their children and can be used where there are any issues to discuss, not just neglect. Rooted in the UN convention on the rights of the child, the tool helps parents, carers and professionals to evaluate any areas they will need help and support with. This tool is ideal for initiating conversations which might otherwise be difficult and empowers parents/carers to seek help and guidance with the fear of stigma or judgement. Practitioners who use the tool are asked to feed back their observations and comments to Betty Lynch. The tool is a new approach so may need to change over time as people use it more and more. 

The Well-Being guidance for professionals is on THIS LINK.

The Well-Being guidance for parents is on THIS LINK.

The above work is the result of safeguarding partners working together, creating together and delivering together. The "Advancing Safeguarding Practice" group, continues to work on key areas of practice.

Please find the updated Multi-agency Referral Form (MARF).

If the child or young person requires immediate protection please call 01753 875362 and send the electronic multi-agency, to sloughchildren.referrals@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk. The operating hours (for this team only) are 9am to 5pm.

Please click here to find more information via Slough Children First Website. 

The Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service, run by SWGfL in partnership with the Marie Collins Foundation, is now available to safeguarding professionals across England and provides the tools to equip and empower practitioners to address the alarming normalisation of harmful sexual behaviour in children and young people.

The telephone and email support, which is funded by the Home Office and developed in collaboration with the Department for Education, is available Monday – Friday, 8am to 8pm.

Call: 0344 255 0623  or  Email: hsbs@swgfl.org.uk

How will it support you?

The Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service is for education and safeguarding professionals and will provide:

1. Advice on individual cases or incidents of harmful sexual behaviour, to ensure an appropriate response both for children displaying this behaviour and others affected by it
2. Guidance on policy development on tackling harmful sexual behaviour
3. Relevant resources, best practice and contacts around harmful sexual behaviour, both locally and nationally 

Find out more about the service 

Why act now? The service has been established in response to the 2021 Ofsted review, which revealed a prevalence of child-on-child sexual harassment and abuse so widespread that, for some children, incidents are ‘so commonplace that they see no point in reporting them’ and ‘consider them normal’.

What is Harmful Sexual Behaviour? Developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour which is displayed by children and young people (under the age of 18) and which may be harmful or abusive. It can be displayed towards younger children, peers, older children or adults. It can be harmful to the children and young people who display it, as well as those it is directed towards.

Transitioning into adulthood can often be a vulnerable period for young adults we therefore need to ensure that risks which may sometimes be contextual/ extra familial are still managed and monitored for those who do not have care and support needs.

A Multi agency risk tool (MART) has been developed to assist in support for these individuals transitioning from Slough Children First who may not access services due to various reasons. This tool is available to download here

The Multi agency Risk Framework has been reviewed and can be found on this link.

MART training is available as a 2 hour virtual seminar via Microsoft Teams. The Training can be accessed via the events section  of the website, it recommended to attend the training before using the tool.

The following Multi Agency Risk Tool Case Studies will help with learning and can be viewed below:

Case Study 1 

Case Study 2 

Published Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (including Practice notes) - CSPR

Learning from a SPR.

A SPR was completed in March 2022 and publication has been suspended until the completion of the criminal investigation.

The following 3 practice notes provide anonymised information about the case highlighting learning.

Briefing note four children

Practice note 2 (January 2022)

The Learning and Development Forum considered the difference in effective communication and efficient information sharing in local Safeguarding Practice Reviews and Safeguarding Adult Reviews. This important distinction was highlighted in a number of reviews and it is important that all practitioners and managers are aware and understand the need for Effective communication, not just Efficient information sharing. 

The full Practice note can be found below.

Efficient Information Sharing is not the same as effective communication

Practice Note 3 regarding epistaxis and bone healing (September 2021) 

The following practice note was shared after a Rapid Review identified learning prior to the full SPR process.  

Practice note regarding epistaxis and bone healing

Child - John (March 2021)

Below links to the Safeguarding Practice Review, action plan and briefing note.

Safeguarding Practice Review Report (Child John)

Safeguarding Practice Review Briefing Note (Child John)

HARRY- completed 2020 published August 2023

Briefing note-Harry

Harry Position Statement

Harry SPR report

About Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

Our guidance is governed by Working Together to safeguard children 2018

All the guidance and templates are below.

SPR group terms of reference

Statutory Reviews Framework and guidance 2022

USE THIS FORM to refer a case to the Safeguarding Practice Review Group.

Template for single agency rapid review reports

How to complete single agency rapid review reports

Decision making template for us at RR meetings

Agenda template for rapid review meetings

SPR annual report 22-23

We are aware of the rise in mental health concerns for children and young people.  Many different practitioners may come into contact with children or young people who are considering or threatening to take their own life which is a very difficult situation for a practitioner who does not normally deal with severe mental health concerns. 

Slough Safeguarding Partnership has worked with Public Health Colleagues and Mental Health Practitioners to develop guidance to support practitioners working with children and young people as well as adults who are at risk of suicide ideation. Click below to access the guidance.

Guidance for supporting practitioners supporting adults and children and young people

The KCSIE group is a sub group of the Safeguarding Partnership to enhance collaboration between partners to keep children safe in schools and ensure those missing school/education are safeguarded. It also promote the best safeguarding practices in early years settings, primary, secondary, and special schools, as well as further education colleges in the maintained, academy, voluntary, and independent sectors. The terms of reference can be found attached.

Ofsted policy and guidance for whistleblowers

This policy outlines what Ofsted will do when it receives certain concerns about children’s social care services from a whistleblower. The policy covers all children’s social care establishments, agencies, services and providers that Ofsted inspect and/or regulate.

If you believe that a child is or children are at immediate risk of harm, you should refer your concern to the children’s social care department of the local authority area where the child lives or report this to the police. This includes children living in or supported by agencies that are run independently of the local authority. 

NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line.

This has been developed to provide support to employees wishing to raise concerns over how child protection issues are being handled in their own or other organisations.

The NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line can be reached on 0800 028 0285. 

Whistleblowing Procedure for Maintained Schools

Every maintained school should have a whistleblowing procedure that protects staff members who report colleagues they believe are doing something wrong or illegal, or who are neglecting their duties. Information for employees on ‘blowing the whistle’, including a definition of whistleblowing has been published by the Department for Education and is available here.

Governing bodies of maintained schools are responsible for agreeing and establishing the school’s whistleblowing procedure. All schools should base their whistleblowing procedures on the procedure of the local authority.

Local Authorities should have a Designated Officer (previously known as LADO) or a Team of Officers to be involved in the management and oversight of allegations against people who work with children. In Slough, the Designated Officer is employed by Slough Children's Trust

The Designated Officer or Team of Officers provide advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations, liaising with Police and other agencies to monitor the progress of cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible, using a consistent, thorough and fair process. 

Organisations and individuals working with children should have in place clear policies for dealing with allegations against people who work with children.

Contact Details:

Designated Officer (previously LADO)
Slough Children's Services Trust
St Martins Place, 51 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3UF
Tel: 01753 474053
Email: lado@slough.gcsx.gov.uk

Useful Links:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (March 2015).
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2016).
• Berkshire Child Protection Procedures.

OOSS are organisations or individuals that provide tuition, training, instruction or activities to children in England without their parents’ or carers’ supervision. These settings generally provide their services outside of normal school hours (for example, evenings, weekends, school holidays), although some settings are run part-time during school hours to help meet the needs of those in home education. This page provides information to providers to help them with their safeguarding responsibilities and includes information on  where they can seek support & training. 

provides guidance for providers on responsibilities.

Prevent e-learning is available on this link: INTRODUCTION TO PREVENT E-LEARNING PACKAGE;

Domestic abuse e-learning is available on this link:  E-learning-courses-2020.pdf (womensaid.org.uk);

Basic easy to understand Safeguarding training is on this link: Slough Safeguarding Basics and Covid-19 - YouTube

Local contact list for advice and support: Essential contacts

Please click here to read letter sent to Out of school settings providers

Please click here to access a fact sheet regarding alcohol awareness. 

Please feel free to contact Alison Finlay  Operational Service Manager at Turning Point, Slough Treatment Advice and Recovery Team (START) via email: alison.finlay@turning-point.co.uk

Action for Children – a national charity that provides services for children, young people and families, as well as carrying out research on child abuse and neglect.

Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) – a national charity that has been advising parents and carers of children aged 5-16.

AFRUCA – Africans Unite against Child Abuse.

Barnardos– every child has the right to grow up in a safe, secure and loving home. Vulnerable children need your help.

Barnardos Spot The Signs – advice for parents, professionals and young people on the signs of sexual exploitation and how to keep safe.

CEOP– is dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children by tracking and bringing offenders to account either directly or in partnership with local and international forces.

Child Bereavement UK – support children and families when facing bereavement and offer training to professionals.

ChildLine – free confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK. You can call them on 0800 1111 to talk about any problem. They have counsellors who are always there to help you sort it out.

Department for Education (DfE) – UK government department with responsibility for infant, primary and secondary education.

Disclosure and Barring Service – The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). CRB checks are now called DBS checks.

Family Lives– Family Lives is a national charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life.

The Hideout – Women’s Aid have created this space to help children and young people to understand domestic abuse, and how to take positive action.

i-HOP: Supporting Children and Families of Offenders  – a national one-stop information and advice service for all professionals working with children and families of offenders.

Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners and 7 Golden Rules of Information Sharing.

NSPCC– runs a wide range of services across the UK for both children and adults. Help for children and young people via ChildLine 0800 1111 and help for adults concerned. about a child 0808 800 5000.

PACE – Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation  – helps parents to recognise the signs and act.

UK Safer Internet Centre - For information on how to make reports regarding website content, and also whether particular content breaches relevant terms and conditions. The helpline provides information to professionals working with children and young people to keep them safe online.

Scope –  support disabled people and their families to have the same opportunities as everyone else.

SupportLine  –  a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue.

Women's Aid –  the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children.

Working Together to Safeguard Children - A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015.