Multi Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) and Contextual Safeguarding.
What is the MACE and contextual safeguarding strategy?
The Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) and Contextual Safeguarding Strategy recognises that children and young people can be at risk of, or subjected to harm through exploitation and abuse from adults and/or other peers outside of their family network. The vision for the strategy is shared below:
Click on the image to view the full strategy.
“All children in North Yorkshire who are being exploited and are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse are effectively identified and protected by services which are delivered in a coordinated and informed way that consistently responds to the harm and risks and improves the outcomes for our children, their families and the wider community”
NYSCP’s vision for our MACE and Contextual Safeguarding arrangements (2024 – 2027).
MACE procedures and practice guidance.
A full catalogue of procedures and practice guidance for partners can be accessed here.
There are two levels to the MACE and Contextual Safeguarding Procedure in terms of
how the process is structured across North Yorkshire:
Level One –this involves the identification, risk assessment and risk management of those children identified as being at risk of child exploitation and incorporates three key components:
- Initial identification of risk through a safeguarding referral into the MAST
- Multi-Agency risk assessment and risk management of children at risk of
exploitation through existing NYSCP procedures - Multi-agency Locality Tasking meeting held weekly to include a review of
MFH cases, new CSE/CCE cases, oversight of high risk and complex
cases and agreement of cases relevant to share at the MACE and
Contextual Safeguarding Level 2 meeting.
Level Two – MACE and Contextual Safeguarding – information relating to the links
between children at risk or subject to exploitation, perpetrators or individuals who may
pose a risk by exploitation and/or locations and community intelligence. This involves
the following four components:
- The identification and assessment of perpetrators and/or individuals who
may pose a risk by exploitation - The sharing of community intelligence related to perpetrators or individuals
who may pose a risk by exploitation as well as locations where harm is
being caused within communities. - The sharing of relevant details of children identified as at risk of or subject
to exploitation through the Level 1 MACE and Contextual Safeguarding
process. The purpose being to identify the community links between
victims, perpetrators/individuals who may pose a risk by exploitation and
locations through locality mapping exercises. This includes any concerns
raised by other Local Authorities and private residential home providers and
settings around OOLAC children placed in North Yorkshire - To develop robust locality partnership action plans to develop intelligence,
pursue and prosecute perpetrators and disrupt exploitation activity within
communities.
Below is a short video extract explaining the MACE level 1 and 2 processes.
One Minute Guides & Practice Guidance
All practice guidance and One Minute Guides can also be found in our professionals section: NYSCP (safeguardingchildren.co.uk)
What if I am worried about a child who is being exploited?
If you are worried about a child who may be being exploited, our usual safeguarding procedures should be followed. These can be found here:
Worried about a child? Make a referral.
What if I am worried about a person who may pose a risk of exploitation?
If a professional believes an individual to pose a direct or immediate threat to a young person, they should contact the Police on 101 (or 999 if an emergency). If a professional has concerns that an individual may pose a risk by exploitation towards a child, but does not require an immediate response, they should submit a Partnership Information Sharing form.
To find our more about what happens when a person is identified as posing a risk of exploitation click here, or view our One Minute Guide below:
MACE Persons who pose a risk by Exploitation One Minute Guide
What if I have information I want to share?
North Yorkshire Police relies on intelligence from communities, partners and other law enforcement agencies. Intelligence can come from a range of sources such as a concerned member of the community worried about a neighbouring address, a local authority worker who has received a disclosure from a person, or from police in another area.
North Yorkshire Police can now accept online reports from partners via our website. These will be directed to the Force Control Room (FCR) and dealt with just like a 101 call. In the case of partner intelligence, this will route directly to the Intelligence Unit from our website.
This service offers you (our partners) the opportunity to submit forms through a standardised format, used by a growing number of Police forces across England and Wales. There is no need to wait on the phone. Accessible on computers, tablets and mobile the forms make it easier to share details from your systems. They are structured around the details we need to act quickly and keep people safe.
These services are for agencies and partners of the police, they aren’t for public use.
In an emergency you should still use 999.
What can you report online?
The forms available for wider partners include:
1. Missing Persons (including returned persons and further information)
2. Request police help with a Mental Health Act Assessment
3. Request police help with a Welfare Check
4. Community Partner Intelligence (goes directly to the intelligence unit)
On submission you will receive an immediate email receipt and reference number.
The North Yorkshire Police Community Partnership Intelligence Form is a key and safe way for professionals to share information about something that may be concerning them for example:
The Community Partnership Intelligence form can also be accessed by scanning the below QR code:
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