Freedom of Information - HACW-2760

FOI request:

PhD FS FOI Request Questions

Technology-facilitated sexual abuse is sexual abuse where any element of the abuse can occur online. This includes when a child is forced to make, view or share child abuse images or videos. It can also refer to a child engaging in a sexual relationship online, where the relationship involves the coercion/manipulation/encouragement of a child to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam or smartphone. Technology-facilitated sexual abuse is an umbrella term for the following abuse:

A child is anyone under the age of 18.

1. Online child sexual exploitation (colloquially referred to as ‘online grooming’):
   1. This means identifying and/or grooming a potential child online (e.g., communicating with them through social media) with the intention to cause harm. Online grooming often involves encouraging/manipulating/threatening the child to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, and/or distribution and dissemination of sexual images or videos. Online grooming can also involve an offline meet or knowing the person offline prior to making contact online.
2. Youth-produced sexual image (also referred to as ‘sexting’). This can also involve:
   1. Sextortion: blackmailing a person with self-generated images to extort sexual favours. It is also often done for money or other threats. This is commonly found in a grooming relationship, but it is not bound to one; for example, it is also common in intimate partner violence.
   2. Non-consensual re-sharing of youth-produced sexual images: either the non-consensual sharing or re-sharing of sexual images. Currently, sending and taking sexual images has become a norm in peer circles. However, while the initial taking of a sexual image is consensual, it can often be the case that peers re-share the image non-consensually.
3. Live streaming:
   1. This involves child sexual abuse that is ‘streamed’ live online to other viewers. This means viewing live contact sexual abuse or indecent images of children with other offenders. In addition to, coercing a child to perform sexual acts for a live stream. These viewers are often located globally. It is an instantaneous abuse, where a viewer can also not only watch but also engage with the individual ‘hosting’ the live. 
4. Abuse through production, dissemination or possession of child sexual abuse material (videos or images):
   1.  This abuse can often occur concurrently with online child sexual exploitation. An abuser will manipulate or coerce a young person to produce sexual images or videos either by forcing self-production or the abuser will take the image (this can involve an offline contact or images done through screenshots on webcams). These images are often shared and disseminated online either on the open or dark web.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

Trust response (alongside questions):

1)When sexual abuse is disclosed (at any point in assessment/treatment) is there a local policy or a standard way in which this should be recorded (e.g., description within case notes)?

Yes, description in case notes and upload of relevant documents to the safeguarding tab.

Child Exploitation Policy

Safeguarding Children Policy

Electronic Alerts Policy includes- At risk of Child Exploitation, Experiencing Child Exploitation or known to carry weapons/knives. this allows CAMHS staff to be aware of these risks for their patients.

1. Do these policies refer to sexual abuse that occurs online (e.g., social media, internet contact made, sharing images)? Yes

Child Exploitation Policy

Safeguarding Children Policy includes reference to contextual safeguarding- a broad term for harms outside the family.

2) List all assessment tools that make references to a patient’s online life (i.e., assessment mentioning young people engaging with social media, frequency of use of the internet)

Worcestershire multiagency guidance is Get Safe (Gangs, Exploitation, Trafficking, Modern Day Slavery, Absent or Missing, Forced Marriage, Criminal Exploitation)

this includes a screening tool which can be used in both counties.

• https://www.safeguardingworcestershire.org.uk/home/wscb/professionals/cse/
• Exploitation tools and pathways (procedures.org.uk)- select Herefordshire or Worcestershire depending where the child lives.

1. Indicate if assessment tools ask about:
   1. Online child sexual exploitation (colloquially referred to as ‘online grooming’) Y
   2. Youth-produced sexual image
      1. Sextortion Y/
      2. Non-consensual sexual images Y/
   3. Live streaming Y
   4. Abuse through production, dissemination, or possession of child sexual abuse material (videos or images) Y

3) What support and interventions do you offer to a service user who has experienced technology-assisted sexual abuse?

(in addition to any specific work that CAMHS are offering staff can signpost to the multiagency offer as follows)

Support can be offered via Early Help or referral to Children’s Social Care depending on the needs of the child.

1:1 Get Safe Link Worker- Worcestershire

Branch Worker- both counties

SARC

Sexual Health (within our organisation)

The following threshold documents offer guidance for each county

Levels of Need 2021 Worcestershire

Right Help Right time - Herefordshire

1. Is the support or intervention offered specific to technology-facilitated sexual abuse? Yes as part of the multiagency response depending on the needs of the child.

4) Is training provided to staff on online harms and the impact of technology-assisted sexual abuse young people? YES

1. If yes, what does the training cover?

CAMHS staff are mapped and trained in line with the national Intercollegiate guidance (see Att 1)

CAMHS intercollegiate guidance.pdf [pdf] 986KB

Details of the courses are shown here.

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/safeguarding-children/

Staff mapped to level 3 are also asked to complete additional bespoke training which includes

•             Sexual abuse
•             Contextual safeguarding
•             Get safe (local process Worcestershire)
• https://www.safeguardingworcestershire.org.uk/home/wscb/professionals/cse/
• Exploitation tools and pathways (procedures.org.uk)
• Risk Assessment tool and referral pathway
•             Online abuse
•             CSE
•             Is it legal quiz
•             Breck’s video
•             The grooming line
•             CCE
•             Parent’s perspective- video
•             County Lives
•             The child’s journey
•             Apps- Link to NSPCC, Netaware, ThinkUknow, UK Safer Internet
• Learning from local and national reviews.

•           Local policy and procedures including those relating to online harm.

Statutory procedures.

Levels of Need 2021 Worcestershire

Right Help Right time - Herefordshire,

Early help.

Child Exploitation Policy

Safeguarding Children Policy – includes Contextual safeguarding and refers to multiagency guidance

https://www.safeguardingworcestershire.org.uk/home/wscb/professionals/

https://herefordshiresafeguardingboards.org.uk/herefordshire-safeguarding-children-partnership/for-professionals/policies-and-procedures/

2.5 Online safety: Children exposed to abuse through digital media | West Midlands Safeguarding Children Group (procedures.org.uk)

•           Real life case examples of online harm and lessons from reviews.

•           Signposting to relevant services and resources. These are maintained on the Trust Intranet page and kept up to date.

• Weekly Safeguarding training bulletins are circulated to all staff with the latest internal and external learning opportunities.

New resources and learning is shared using social media accounts and by disseminating information via Safeguarding Champions and through the work of the Integrated Safeguarding Committee which is attended by all Service Delivery Units covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The Child Exploitation Lead Nurse has completed bespoke update training to teams across the organisation, this includes CAMHS.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire County Council provide multiagency training Child Exploitation and Vulnerability training- monthly. This can be accessed by all CAMHS staff.

5) Any further comments.

SARC The following questions 1-4 are not applicable, not in the organisation.

1. Are there policies or a standard way to record technology-assisted sexual abuse when it is disclosed (at any point in assessment/treatment)?
   1. If yes, please list the policies.
2. Are there assessment methods that are used to assess for technology-assisted sexual abuse?
   1. If yes, list the assessment methods that reference the following:
      1. Online child sexual exploitation (colloquially referred to as ‘online grooming’)
      2. Youth-produced sexual image
         1. Sextortion
         2. Non-consensual sexual images
      3. Live streaming
      4. Abuse through production, dissemination, or possession of child sexual abuse material (videos or images)
3. What support and interventions do you offer to a service user who has experienced technology-assisted sexual abuse?
   1. Do these support or interventions involve referral to mental health services?
      1. If yes, are these mental health services located outside or within the NHS system?
4. Is training provided to staff on online harms and the impact of technology-assisted sexual abuse young people?
   1. If yes, what does the training cover?

Please be aware that although this information is accurate at the time it is provided, it may not be in the future and should not be relied upon.