Child Criminal Exploitation Risk Assessment Tool - to identify children who may be affected by a range of exploitative situations.

Children can be victims of multiple forms of exploitation. The Children Acts 1989 and 2004 define a child as anyone under the age of 18 years.

The purpose of this tool is to act as a prompt to enable practitioners to identify at the earliest possible opportunity, those children who may be affected by exploitative situations in order that the most appropriate action can be taken to ensure they receive the right help at the right time and avoid problems escalating.    

Tools such as this can assist in highlighting what to look for and can support decision making but they are no substitute for professional judgement. In some cases, a single factor may be enough to warrant further intervention although in most situations a combination of indicators are more reliable. The more YES answers, the more likely the child is to be at risk of, or already involved in some form of exploitation, including criminal and or sexual exploitation. The younger the age of the child, the higher the risk/vulnerability factors can be. 

Older teenagers are also vulnerable and at risk of harm themselves and can experience victimisation and emotional and physical trauma due to the nature of their behaviours and lifestyle.  

Remember: Exploitation is never the victim’s fault, even if there is some form of exchange. No child is responsible for their own abuse. Consider the language used in this risk assessment to ensure it is not victim blaming. The ‘Appropriate Language’ Guide can help if you are unsure.

Barking and Dagenham Professionals should use these tools:

Child Criminal Exploitation Risk Assessment Tool (DOCX, 65.35 KB)

Practitioners Risk Assessment Tool (DOCX, 212 KB) – to Identify Children who are vulnerable to or being sexually exploited:

The purpose of the Practitioners Risk Assessment tool is to act as a prompt to enable practitioners to identify at the earliest possible opportunity, those children who may be affected by child sexual exploitation in order that the most appropriate action can be taken to ensure they receive the right help at the right time and avoid problems escalating.  

Tools such as this can assist in highlighting what to look for and can support decision making but they are no substitute for professional judgement. In some cases, a single factor may be enough to warrant further intervention although in most situations a combination of indicators are more reliable. The more YES answers, the more likely the child is to be at risk of, or already being sexually exploited. The younger the age of the child, the higher the risk/vulnerability factors can be.