Community Futures- Street Teams Walsall

POP Hub 2 Saddlers Centre based at the Manor Farm Community Association shop is open today 10-1pm.

Come along for FREE support for 16-25 years olds living in Walsall. No need to book just POP in for a chat and a drink.

What have we been up to this week❓️🗓

‼️ poster drop to local businesses in Beechdale, Mossley and Dudley Fields
‼️Delivered a focus group discussing with young people at Beechdale Youth Club
‼️Open Day event at Bloxwich Police Station
‼️Outreach in Walsall and surrounding areas engaging with young people
‼️Coffee morning discussing with some of our Street Teams families
‼️Partnership outreach with
‼️Attended a knife arch with Walsall Police, engaging with the public and giving resources about

And much more!! The team have been very busy completing some amazing work raising awareness to 🚩✋️📲

Here are some to look out for in relation to and 🚩

It is so important that we recognise these signs in order to protect and safeguard children and young people that may be at risk.

If you have any questions or concerns about a child or young person please get in touch with us!

Hello everyone! We have some EXCITING news to share😃

We will now be working exclusively in the Beechdale and Dudley Fields area of Walsall!

Thank you to all in the Caldmore/Palfrey area for the continued support, we are looking forward to carrying on our work in Beechdale and Dudley Fields!🥳

What's trending on TikTok? 👀📱 With new features being added and potentially dangerous new trends to stay aware of, today’s guide re-assesses the ever-popular social media platform for possible hazards ⚠

Download >> https://bit.ly/3ADU5ci

we have a vacancy for a cleaner at street teams in Walsall, 4 hours per week, very flexible. DM for any further details.

Scrolling ↕ Swiping 👆 Streaming 👀 Gaming 🎮 Children spending more time on devices over the school holidays means increased exposure to risks. Our guide has simple tips for concerned parents and carers 🛡

Download >> https://hubs.ly/Q01hGB600

I had a great day alongside one of our wonderful volunteers from Street Teams at Nash Dom CIC engaging with the children ☺️ We had lots of discussions around online safety, social media apps, online gaming and keeping safe in the community 🗣

What is (CCE)?

is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.

Recently, has become strongly associated with one specific model known as ‘ ’, but it can also include children being forced to work in cannabis factories, being coerced into moving drugs or money across the country, forced to commit financial fraud, forced to shoplift or pickpocket.

Children who are targeted can also be groomed, physically abused, emotionally abused, sexually exploited or trafficked. However, as children involved in CCE often commit crimes themselves, sometimes they aren’t seen as victims by adults and professionals, despite the harm they have experienced. It’s important to spot the signs and act quickly if you think a child is being groomed or is becoming involved with a gang.

Check out our previous posts to learn more about !

NSPCC

What is (CSE)?

is a type of sexual abuse, when a child is made or tricked into doing something sexual sometimes receiving something in return like love, affection, money, drugs or alcohol.
Young people being sexually exploited are often following instructions by their exploiter and may be meeting unknown adults at their destination.
Both boys and girls can be victims of exploitation!
Child sexual exploitation is often conducted with actual violence or the threat of violence. This may be threats towards the child, or her or his family and may prevent the child from disclosing the abuse, or exiting the cycle of exploitation.
The child may be so confused by the process, that they do not understand that they are victims of abuse.

Another great morning with Walsall Council's Community Protection Team in the Caldmore area.

It was great speaking with community members and shop keepers on how we can work together to improve the area and make it a safer place for children and young people!

This week is .
We will be exploring the themes of , and in support of Child Exploitation Awareness Day .
ON MARCH 18, WE WANT THE WORLD TO UNITE AGAINST CHILD EXPLOITATION.

Another busy day yesterday ☺️ Started the day by talking to Year 9s at Grace Academy with Darlaston PCSOs about County Lines, then spent the afternoon at Walsall College event, and then delivered our CCE session on the evening to Walsall Police Youth Cadets at Blue Coat School 🗣

What a great morning at Palfrey Infant School engaging with parents 😃 We had lots of conversations around online safety, grooming, parental controls, social media apps and gaming 🎮📱💻 

Concerned about ?

Do you know who you could report to?

-You can speak to Walsall Police by dialling 101, or in an emergency 999.
-Want to remain anonymous? You can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit their website on https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously. Contact Fearless a part of Crimestoppers to also share information anonymously https://www.fearless.org/en/give-info
-Notice something on railways or public transport? Text the British Transport Police on 61016 from your mobile.
-Worried about a child? You can contact NSPCC on 0808 800 500 or email them at [email protected]
-Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111

We are all responsible for the safety and protection of our Children and Young People. We must be aware of the risks and dangers they face in order to keep them safe.
Lets work together as we are !

Spent a lovely morning at Caldmore Community Garden's Parent and Toddler Group!
Had some great conversations and shared some leaflets with parents about and a community member, who came to look in the garden.

Could you spot the signs of exploitation and taking place?
The victim of exploitation does not realise they are being exploited. Therefore it is important for you, as family, friends, professionals, members of the community to notice these signs.

- Missing episodes
- Located in, visiting or speaking of areas not otherwise familiar to them
- Leaving the house or school, various times of the day, with no explanation.
-Unexplained gifts, items, money (exploiters will give victims this to build rapport).
- Increasingly secretive with their phone, increased number of calls, messages, notifications. Moving away from people to take the calls.
- Decline in academic performance, or behaviour and attitude towards education.
- Loss of interest in hobbies and previously involvement in activities.
- Changes to emotional well being, mood, attitude, behaviour, appearance and presentation.
- Use of “gang culture” lingo, reference to criminal activity, illegal substances and items.
- Relationships, friendships and association with new and various individuals and groups, of which may raise concern.
- Signs of self-harm, physical assaults, branding, and unexplained injures.
- Substance misuse

These are only some of the sign, but remember IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

Exploitation of children and adults at risk can be hidden - but knowing the signs of the abuse can make it visible.

Click on the link below to understand how young people, parents, carers, public sector workers, teachers, professionals and all members of the community, can learn how to spot the signs and most importantly how to report it or get support.

Look Closer To Spot Exploitation | The Children's Society
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/child-criminal-exploitation-and-county-lines/spotting-signs

https://www.facebook.com/WarwickshireCountyCouncil/videos/267251695066268



West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner
West Midlands Police
The Children's Society
Our Walsall

Successful outreach completed this morning with Community Protection Team, Walsall Council around the Caldmore area. We had a great time speaking with the locals on ways to improve the area!

Community Futures also popped in to a couple of the local shops and shared our posters, speaking about and how we can work together as a community to keep the area safe!

How do operate?

We often explain this in our education sessions as a 'hierarchy'. Organised criminal network and/gangs will identify the market for drugs in an area. They will identify, target, groom and recruit young/vulnerable people and potentially addresses.

1. A group from an urban hub establishes a network with the county location (e.g. a rural or coastal town).

2. Customers in the county location make drug orders via branded mobile phone line (County Line), often controlled from the urban hub.

3. The group uses and exploits young people to regular travel from the urban hub to the county location to sell drugs and move cash.
The group also exploits vulnerable people (for instance dependent drug users) in the county location to sell drugs or operate from their home (cuckooing). The group tends to use intimidation, violence and weapons in the county location including lives, corrosive’s and fi****ms.

Today we have delivered another 6 sessions to young people about Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines, and then we’ve been out with the police completing safer travel patrols on local trains 🚆

Children and young people are groomed in to the lifestyle through lies and false promises.

They often do not realise that they are victims of exploitation/grooming as the groomer/exploiter will build a rapport/relationship with a young person. They will get to know their vulnerabilities, needs and wants. They will take advantage of this and use it for the exploiter benefit.

Dedicated multi agencies work tirelessly to stop, prevent further exploitation, whilst supporting victims.

Children and young people are groomed into County Lines by abusers offering them a sense of belonging, money, verbal and physical gifts, and a sense of protection. To find out more about the grooming line click on the video link.

The Children's Society Stages of Exploitation: bit.ly/2YnGPVq



West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner
West Midlands Police
The Children's Society
Our Walsall

This the Community Futures Project spent an amazing morning with the Caldmore Community Garden's Women's Group making amazing flowers for the garden.
Whilst we were crafting, I had an amazing conversation with some of the women about and their thoughts on how it affects the Caldmore area.

7 sessions delivered today to over 150 young people discussing CCE and County Lines. So important that we engage and have these conversations with young people 🗣

This week is week.

What is County Lines?
County Lines is a term used for organised illegal drug-dealing networks, usually controlled by a person using a single telephone number or 'deal line'.
County Lines gangs use children and vulnerable people to courier drugs and money.
Children and young people that are involved are victims of and abuse, rather than criminals.

This week we will be taking all questions in relation to , so if there is anything you would like to know, please drop us a message!

West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit West Midlands Police Walsall Police

Last weeks - NFT's are all the rage at the moment, but do you know what they are and what it stands for? There are lots of risks involved, so check out National Online Safety's poster to find out all the info!

The week commencing the 7th March is County Lines Week.

The Community Futures Project will be out and about, sharing information on what County Lines is and if you have any concerns as a community member, the best place to share your information.

We will also be active on all our social media platforms, so be sure to drop us a message!

Hi Everyone! We have some exciting news 🥳

Following the work, we carried out in the West Locality of Walsall, we will now be working exclusively in the Caldmore/Palfrey area of Walsall.

We want to thank all the community groups, food banks, parent and toddler groups, places of worship and professionals for all your support whilst we have been working in the West Locality to raise awareness about child and criminal exploitation

We are looking forward to carrying on this work in the Caldmore and Palfrey area!

There will be NO drop in at St Lawrence's Church Darlaston today, thank you.

There will be NO drop-in at St Lawrence's Church Darlaston on 22nd February 2022.
Thank-you.

There will be NO drop-in at St Lawrence's Church Darlaston on 22nd February 2022.
Thank-you.

This weeks is a new platform we haven't even heard about! It allows children and young people to connect and communicate with others in a similar style to Tinder...

Check out this guide below, to learn more about the messaging app and to see what you can do to protect your children and young people!

A cheeky wink – or something more sinister? 😉😈 Explicit pictures and contact from strangers are among the risks in Wink, a networking app for the over 13s. Our guide tells trusted adults what they need to know 🛡

Download >> https://hubs.ly/Q014gP-w0

Come join us today at our Tuesday drop-in at St Lawrence's Church Darlaston from 1pm to 4pm!

Refreshments will be available!

that many victims of exploitation are also sexually abused.
Children/Young People who have been exploited are vulnerable to being sexually abused.
Sexual violence thrives when not taken seriously and victim blaming goes unchecked.
Use your voice to - believe survivors, challenge victim blaming and respect boundaries.
Lets work together !

Many children/young people who are victims of struggle with their Mental Health.
As it is , check out these resources from National Online Safety on how you can start conversations on with children/young people!

1 in 6 young people suffer with a mental health problem 😔

For , access our FREE resources addressing how online behaviour can affect mental health. & being there for each other! 🤗

Browse the free resources >> https://hubs.ly/Q013VdfG0

Happy !

UK Safer Internet Centre have released some research in to the importance of internet usage to children and young people. Nearly half of young people say they would lose a part of who they are without online games.

There are both positive and negative experiences gameplay can have on children and young people, research shows that young people are taking positive action when things do go wrong. 34% are most likely to respond by blocking someone and 16% reported quitting an online game completely, when coming into contact with a mean person or negative comments.

Click on the link below to see what you can do to support the children and young people in your lives and help them live in a environment!

https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/safer-internet-day-2022-research-findings-revealed?fbclid=IwAR0ppQwcrv7fYL2KfV2WqZH--HgUPM1Xoo8DkNbUKIIGvUkeyZyIn8FFKeg

Have you seen our research, released today?

https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/safer-internet-day-2022-research-findings-revealed

- 48% of young people say if they couldn’t game online anymore, they would feel like they’ve lost a part of who they are.

- Playing games online has helped 61% of young people spend more time with friends virtually than they have done in real life.

- Almost six in 10 young people (59%) want to learn more about how to play online games safely.

Come join us today at our Tuesday drop-in at St Lawrence's Church Darlaston from 1pm to 4pm!
As it is we will be specially sharing information on how you can stay safe online and protect those around you, who have access to the internet.
Refreshments will be available!

Child sexual abuse is a reality for thousands of children across our country, with at least one in ten estimated to experience sexual abuse before they turn 16.

Learn how you can protect children and young people in your community from sexual abuse by visiting https://stopabusetogether.campaign.gov.uk/?fbclid=IwAR25hnY-tc_ZCe6IrVgNiRulDiQJaHZW2hhssA6JRFA8EvkNUFv3xoBvF-w

That almost half of female victims of sexual offences are children under 18. Learn about how you can help keep the children in your life safe from sexual abuse by visiting stopabusetogether.campaign.gov.uk

Check out , a new tool for anyone to anonymously tell West Midlands Police about public places where you have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, eg street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, eg being followed or verbally abused.

Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.

The tool lets you securely and anonymously report concerns about a location where you don't feel safe.

These include environmental issues (e.g. lighting 💡, abandoned buildings 🏚 or vandalism 🧱) and behavioural concerns (e.g. being followed).

Find out more 👉 www.police.uk/streetsafe

Come and join us for our monthly Friday drop-in at Emmanuel Church, Bentley with the Soup Kitchen from 9am to 12pm!