The toolkit is primarily aimed at frontline staff, including law enforcement, social care, education, housing and the voluntary sector, working to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 from sexual and criminal exploitation.

Additionally, it is intended to help all safeguarding partners to understand and access existing legislative opportunities at their disposal and to target specific risks and threats.

The use of existing legislative powers, such as orders and injunctions, are an essential part of the safeguarding process. The toolkit aims to set out many of the tools useful for police and other safeguarding professionals to disrupt the sexual and criminal exploitation of children and young people, break the cycle of abuse and send a signal to perpetrators about the consequences of their actions.

The toolkit incorporates relevant legislation to address:

- abduction and trafficking

- sexual offences

- victim care

- unusual or harmful behaviour

- locations of specific concern

- In addition, the toolkit includes best practice in information sharing and multi-agency working as well as intelligence and evidence gathering.

Published 15 April 2019

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