Safeguarding responses to county lines and youth violence
This report was commissioned to evaluate how multi-agency safeguarding partnerships across England respond to serious youth violence/county lines exploitation.
Applies to England
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This report was commissioned to evaluate how multi-agency safeguarding partnerships across England respond to serious youth violence and county lines exploitation, particularly in the context of heightened vulnerabilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation aimed to identify promising practice, learning and recommendations by engaging 164 professionals across statutory and voluntary sectors. A rapid review of 108 policy documents informed the literature base, while safeguarding partnerships were selected based on risk rankings and geographical spread. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive approaches, and triangulated across strategic, operational and voluntary perspectives.
- re-structuring and tripartite ownership
- the role of universal services
- policy, guidance, and risk tools
- cross-boundary working
- best practice examples
- county lines typology
- risk factors and unmet needs
- critical safeguarding moments
- contextual safeguarding
- National Referral Mechanism (NRM)
- child-centred theory vs practice
- the impact of COVID-19
- national improvement strategies
Key findings highlighted fragmented strategies, gaps in legislation, and inconsistent safeguarding responses, particularly around the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Recommendations call for a unified child exploitation strategy, improved integration of health and education sectors, a national youth drug response, and investment in universal services. The report advocates for a whole-systems approach, recognising that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and must be underpinned by collaborative, well-resourced, and trauma-informed practice.
The report was commissioned under the last government.