GangS & County lines Identifying risk

1. GangS & County linesIdentifying risk Anita Humphrey – Suffolk Youth Offending Service Grant Chinyuku– Suffolk Youth Offending Service

2. Session Plan Welcome & Introductions • What is a gang? Understanding County Lines Local Picture & Risk factors • Activity ( 15 minutes) Coffee Break (10-15 mins) • Girls & gangs • Who can help? • Questions to the facilitators Finish

3. Learning Outcomes • To enhance your knowledge of the exploitation of children and young people that can happen within gangs • To increase your awareness of the risk factors that can lead to children and young people joining a gang • To enhance your knowledge of the services that can assist to manage and reduce the risks associated with gang involvement – who you can signpost / refer to • To provide you with additional resources to further your learning in this area

4. What is a gang? • In 2015 the Home Office revised statutory guidance to reflect changes to the legislation on gang injunctions to include gang-related drug dealing. It had previously just covered gang-related violence. • These changes also amended the statutory definition of a gang to make it less prescriptive and more flexible. • A gang is now defined as having one or more characteristics that enable its members to be identified as a group by others.

5. What is a gang? • A gang is usually considered to be a group of people who spend time in public places who: • See themselves (and are seen by others)as a noticeable group, and • Engage in a range of criminal activity and violence • They may also have any or all of the following features: • Identify with or lay a claim over territory - Have some form of identifying structural feature and; - are in conflict with other, similar gangs

6. County Lines • County Lines are operating from the London Boroughs into more rural areas outside of London. Young people are being ‘recruited’ by gangs / serious organised crime networks and used to facilitate the establishment of drug markets in the more rural locations as a result of the saturation of the markets in suburban areas • ( Running the Risks, Catch 22 The Dawes Unit, July 2015) • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33889406 • http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09911tc(16th October 2017)

7. The Suffolk Picture • County lines • Establishment of drug dealing groups • Young people being used to distribute • Active recruitment of additional members • Cuckooing • Young people going missing ( and for longer) and being located in areas further away • Weapons • Drug debts – linked violence

8. Why are we concerned?Impact A child or young person who is affected by gang activity or youth violence can be at risk of significant harm. • Exploitation to commit crimes such as selling drugs, stealing phones etc. • Retaliatory violence • Psychological harm due to the trauma gang members experience and witness • Physical harm suffered – whilst committing a crime or due to drug debts • Violence to assert authority in the local area • Sexual violence and sexual exploitation

9. Activity Identifying Risk

10. Risk Indicators for Exploitation • Poor self-image/self esteem • Experimenting with drugs or alcohol • Poor mental health • Eating disorders • Self-harm • Changes in behaviour, e.g. secretiveness • Parental domestic abuse • History of neglect/physical/sexual abuse • History of domestic violence • Reduced contact with family and friends • Unaccounted money or gifts • Missing from home and/or education • Being a Child in Care • Obtaining a sexually transmitted disease

11. Risks– Research findings • There are a number of factors that would be deemed strong indicators that a young person may be involved in gang related activity and could be at risk of offending: • Presenting with physical injuries and or refusal to seek/ receive medical treatment • Associating with peers who are involved / suspected to be involved in gang related activity • Started adopting certain codes of group behaviour (e.g.hand signs, wearing specific colours) • Refuses / scared to enter certain areas • Expressing aggressive or intimidating views towards other groups of young people ( some of whom may have been friends in the past) • Multiple mobile phones / frequent change of phone number

12. Risk of offending – Research findings • The signals of risk have a cumulative effect – the greater the number of indicators experienced by a young person across the greater the likelihood of gang involvement / youth violence ( EIF, 2015)

13. Girls & Gangs • Used to hold or transport drugs or weapons • More likely to be asked to move drugs as thought to be less likely to be stopped • Usually in a relationship with or linked via family to a male associated with gangs / organised crime networks • Risk of CSE is increased • In some areas there is evidence that sex is exchanged for status within a gang • Sex has been used by some gangs ( no evidence in Suffolk) as part of the initiation process as a way to control, humiliate and demonstrate group loyalty • May be used to actively recruit new members locally

14. Girls & Gangs - examples • The ‘honey trap’ girl - National high profile case • In 2008 Samantha Joseph had arranged with her boyfriend, Danny Mclean to set up Shakilus Townsend • Samantha delivered Shakilus to a cul-de-sac in South London where he was stabbed and beaten and left to die crying for his mum • Samantha, her boyfriend Danny Mclean, and 4 other teenagers were convicted of murder • Samantha was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her involvement in this offence • short film (BBC 3, January 2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHKccU2NYDQ

15. Interventions – Youth Offending Service (YOS) • What works? • Approaches that appear promising but have limited evidence include: Mentoring and community based interventions. • Mentoring – can improve behavioural, social-emotional and academic outcomes. • Community – Sports programmes aiming to engage young people in pro-social activities & increase self esteem. • What does not work? • Diversion Programme http://www.suffolkyos.co.uk/diversion/ • Gangs Toolkit • Statutory intervention

16. Interventions – Make A Change (MAC) • Make A Change team operates and is managed within Children’s Social Care. The team consists of four Social Workers and 3 family support practitioners and offers a Countywide service for children and young people who are at risk, or are victims of child exploitation. This includes those who engage in sexual acts for reward, those subject to female genital mutilation, forced marriage and honour based violence, radicalisation as well as children and young people who go missing from home or care or are involved with gangs and groups. • The Make A Change team works to provide expertise to the mainstream teams in all areas of exploitation. The team will offer direct work with young people and children who have an allocated social worker. The team will also offer support, and advice to professionals. • The Team is represented at monthly meetings of the Tactical Tasking Co-ordination Group which identifies and coordinates planning for young people most at risk as a consequence of going missing. • The Team is also represented at bi-monthly meetings of Chanel Panel which identifies and coordinates planning for young people most at risk as a consequence of radicalisation.

17. Response • National - Multi-agency response required – mapping, profiling, sharing intel – build a picture • Recognising young person as victim • Use of trafficking legislation in some cases • Strategic plan in place with clear pathways out • EGVE & County Lines Action Plan – currently being shaped by the Home Office – could include legislation around shutting down phone lines, CPS advising prosecutors of trafficking / modern slavery legislation and how this can be used • Local • Multi-agency team • Increased partnership working • Police Operations

18. Useful contacts • Make A Change MAC@Suffolk.gcsx.gov.uk http://www.suffolkscb.org.uk 01473 263 507 • Suffolk YOS http://www.suffolkyos.co.uk Diversion referral information: http://www.suffolkyos.co.uk/diversion/ Ipswich - 01473 260 110 Bury - 01284 758230 Lowestoft - 01502 674880