Kent and Medway

Risks, Threats and Vulnerabilities Checklist

Pilot Autumn 2016

This Risks, Threats and Vulnerabilities Checklist has been designed to support professionals working with children and young people for whom there are safeguarding concerns. This includes concerns that the young person’s internet use is putting them at risk. Professionals should use their knowledge of the young person to select the statements that best describe their situation and presentation together with any evidence that grooming or exploitation is taking place. All questions in the checklist should be considered in order to get as wide a picture as possible as to the young person’s level of risk. Some of the indicators mirror normal teenage behaviour but professionals should always use their professional judgement when considering risk to inform their concerns about the young person’s behaviour or presentation.

This checklist is designed to facilitate discussions with your organisation’s safeguarding lead to decide what actions should be taken.

CHILD INFORMATION

Surname: / Forename:
Address:
Date of Birth: / Age: / Gender: M F
Ethnicity: / Religion: / Language spoken:
Date of Assessment:

DETAILS OF PERSON COMPLETING RISK ASSESSMENT

Surname: / Forename:
Agency:
Job Title:
Contact Telephone number:
Contact email:

RATIONALE FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

S – Sexual health and behaviour

A – Absent from school or repeatedly running away

F – Familial abuse and/or problems at home

E – Emotional and physical condition

G – Gangs, older age group and involved in crime

U – Use of technology and sexual bullying

A – Alcohol and drug misuse

R – Receipt of unexplained gifts or money

D – Distrust of authority figures

Under the age of 14? / Yes / No / Suspected
Looked After? / Yes / No / Suspected
Missing School or excluded/NEET? / Yes / No / Suspected
Frequently missing from home or placement? / Yes / No / Suspected
Local tensions between ethnic/cultural/religious groups? / Yes / No / Suspected
Mental health or learning difficulties? / Yes / No / Suspected
Dysfunctional/unstable family background/history of abuse? / Yes / No / Suspected
Unstable or unsafe accommodation/unstable placement history? / Yes / No / Suspected
Parents unwilling to accept support/professional help? / Yes / No / Suspected
Difficult relationship or estranged from parents? / Yes / No / Suspected
Unregistered private fostering arrangement? / Yes / No / Suspected
Homeless or staying with an older person? / Yes / No / Suspected
Adults loitering around place of residence? / Yes / No / Suspected
Reduced contact with professionals? / Yes / No / Suspected
Gangs in Community or school? / Yes / No / Suspected
Wider family associated with gangs? / Yes / No / Suspected
Not registered with GP? / Yes / No / Suspected
Yes / No / Suspected

VULNERABILITY

PRESENTATION

Sexual Risk Taking Behaviour? / Yes / No / Suspected
Presence of STIs or pregnancy? / Yes / No / Suspected
Self Harming or eating disorder? / Yes / No / Suspected
Substance Misuse? / Yes / No / Suspected
Sudden change in behaviour or appearance? / Yes / No / Suspected
Sudden change in pattern of school attendance? / Yes / No / Suspected
Low self-image/self-esteem? / Yes / No / Suspected
Communication difficulties? / Yes / No / Suspected
False Documentation? / Yes / No / Suspected


SPECIFIC CONCERNS

Seen entering or leaving vehicles driven by unknown persons? / Yes / No / Suspected
Signs of being controlled via mobile phone/internet enabled device? / Yes / No / Suspected
Receives unexplained/unidentified phone calls? / Yes / No / Suspected
Associating with young people known to be exploited? / Yes / No / Suspected
Reports that young person has been seen in places linked to CSE? / Yes / No / Suspected
Associating with YP known to be involved in gang activity? / Yes / No / Suspected
Recent change in appearance/behaviour? / Yes / No / Suspected
Disclosure of physical or sexual assault? / Yes / No / Suspected
Being locked in against their will? / Yes / No / Suspected
Street living and staying with adults (cuckooing/trap house)? / Yes / No / Suspected
Found with multiple other YP at the same address or known place of exploitation? / Yes / No / Suspected
Multiple sexual partners? / Yes / No / Suspected
Miscarriages/STI’s/terminations / Yes / No / Suspected
Located/recovered from a place of exploitation? / Yes / No / Suspected
Involved in gang activity? / Yes / No / Suspected
Believed to be sexually active? (if under 13 refer immediately) / Yes / No / Suspected
Unaccounted for money or goods? / Yes / No / Suspected
Underage marriage – forced marriage – honour based violence? / Yes / No / Suspected
Suspected to have entered the country illegally? / Yes / No / Suspected
Displaying signs of extremist views or behaviour? / Yes / No / Suspected
Known by Street names? / Yes / No / Suspected
Anti social and criminal behaviour (inc. possession of offensive weapons)? / Yes / No / Suspected
Regular use of drugs/alcohol/legal highs? / Yes / No / Suspected
Owes money – in debt to persons known or unknown? / Yes / No / Suspected
Offending behaviour (inc. drug supply, begging, pick pocketing, street crime)? / Yes / No / Suspected
Reluctant to talk to a person in authority or withholding personal details? / Yes / No / Suspected
Accompanied by an adult who insists on remaining with the child at all times? / Yes / No / Suspected
Can’t provide ID? / Yes / No / Suspected
Receiving gifts through the post from adults unknown to parents/carers? / Yes / No / Suspected
Unexplained injuries / Yes / No / Suspected

ONLINE RISKS AND ABUSE

Taking, sharing or receiving youth produced sexual imagery (“sexting”)? / Yes / No / Suspected
Forming risk taking relationships with others via the internet? / Yes / No / Suspected
Selling sexual services to others via the internet? / Yes / No / Suspected
Having an online relationship with an adult or significantly older teen? / Yes / No / Suspected
Accessing sites that may promote or normalise concerning behaviours, e.g. eating disorders/self-harm? / Yes / No / Suspected
Accessing sites that may promote or normalise unhealthy sexual behaviours, e.g. pornography? / Yes / No / Suspected
Concerning use of social media sites? / Yes / No / Suspected
Using provocative screen name or sharing provocative imagery? / Yes / No / Suspected
Sharing personal information online that could put themseleves or others at risk? / Yes / No / Suspected
Accessing the “Dark Web”? / Yes / No / Suspected
Accessing violent or aggressive content, including possible extremist material? / Yes / No / Suspected
Proactively exposing themselves or others to online dangers? / Yes / No / Suspected

What is working well for this Child or Young Person?

(consider protective factors)

What are the complicating factors?

(Are there any issue or factors that are making the situation more complicated for the family or professionals?)

Professional Curiosity – What issues have you explored further with the young person? What challenges have been made? What issues do you remain concerned about?

se submit any information or intelligence to the relevant teams

On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means the young person is safe enough that no further action is required and zero means things are so bad that immediate safeguarding action must be taken, where do you rate this situation?

ACTION PATHWAY

Working with your Safeguarding Lead, discuss your concerns and what actions will be taken by your organisation.

Abuse or Neglect Concerns: / Yes / No
CSE Concerns (complete CSE Information report and send to CSET Team): / Yes / No
Gangs Concerns: / Yes / No
Radicalisation Concerns (consider referral to Channel Panel): / Yes / No
Trafficking Concerns: / Yes / No

(All relevant forms and additional information on individual risks is available on the KSCB website: kscb.org.uk)

Can the risk be managed within your own organisation? / Yes / No
If no, please give reasons:

What additional action has been taken (if any)?

Unless Child Protection concerns have been identified, consent must be sought before referring to another agency.

Has consent from the parents and/or young person been sought? / Yes / No
If no, please give details:

This document is not intended to replace the referral form either to Specialists Childrens Services or Early Help, but may be used to support a referral, if appropriate.