Author: Bell, Emma

Children Vulnerable to Exploitation, Missing and Trafficked (VEMT) Virtual VPG Process—Referral / Review Pathways during Covid-19

The VEMT process has been reviewed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure there is robust oversight of Redcar and Cleveland’s vulnerable young people - those who are missing, and/or at risk of exploitation or trafficked, during the current situation.
Any new VEMT referrals or children reported as missing will now be screened at weekly virtual conference meetings, rather than waiting until the next monthly VPG (see below flowchart).

Current VEMT Cases

New VEMT Referrals / Missing Children / Missing episodes for active VEMT cases

The VEMT Case Update forms will remain a critical part of the VEMT process. These must be completed by partners and returned to the VEMT Team on the Thursday one week prior to the VPG meeting.

From the 29th June we will hold a weekly screening meeting that involves all partners. These meetings will take place every Monday at 09:30—11:00 am.

The VPG meeting will be held as a virtual meeting for active VEMT cases once a month on a Thursday. This will start at 09:30 am. This meeting will consider the VEMT risk and category for each child.

New VEMT referrals must be received by noon on the Wednesday prior to the meeting. Missing episodes will be reviewed from the week prior (Tuesday). These will be shared with partners on Wednesday afternoon for information gathering.

Actions will be assigned during the meeting. These will be shared through LCS /EHM record where possible, and via email to outside organisations.

Partners (including GPs) must provide any available information on the new and missing cases (not GP) by the Friday by 12 noon.

An email information exchange group will be set up for each active VEMT case. It is the responsibility of the lead professionals to share information through this forum when any new information is received.

The information will then be collated for the Monday meeting, when partners will come together to review the cases. Actions may be assigned to professionals at this meeting.

We will always be alert to the assessed risk and to any concerning intelligence received. If required, the VEMT team will prompt lead professionals to arrange multi-agency meetings or undertake care planning.

Accepted Cases

Those assessed as vulnerable to exploitation / missing/ trafficked will be allocated a risk level /category and added to the main VEMT agenda.

The lead professional to be identified during the meeting. The VEMT Team will set up an email feed, which will then be the responsibility of the key professionals. Information from the email feed will be included in the rolling VEMT minutes collated each month.

Declined Cases

Cases not felt to meet the threshold will be declined. Information from the weekly meetings will be included in the rolling VEMT minutes collated each month. Information will be made available on the child’s Social Care record and the lead professional notified.

Communication:
Lines of communication need to be opened immediately and everyone needs to adhere to them throughout the proposed work / interventions. Communication and information sharing is valuable and is a priority in moving things forward.
Intelligence:
Any information/intelligence gathered or disclosed needs to be shared with the group and Police as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter how unsure you are with the source, share it. Addresses, names of other YP/Adults, etc. are all very valuable information and can help in moving things forward. Police Intelligence Forms are another method of sharing information and intelligence.
Responsibility/Risk:
All responsibility and risk needs to be equally shared across the group throughout the piece of work. It is the responsibility of everyone to help drive the work forward and working alongside each other share the burden of any risk/vulnerability factors.
Persistence:
Everyone involved with the family/YP needs to be persistent and consistent, we are not going to walk away if we struggle with engagement. If we plan to do an intervention, we need to do it, if we are unable to then it’s shared with the group and we all ensure something fills the gap. Creativity is required when engaging these YP and families.
Challenge:
The group should all be in a position to comfortably challenge each other in a professional manner. If all of the above is carried out throughout involvement then the challenge should become natural and become a seamless part of the process. (It is important to stress that under no circumstances do we use “BLAME” as an excuse, we work together with professional challenge and keep driving the plan forward).
Accountability/Transparency:
Every member of the group is accountable for their actions, input and helping to move things forward positively. Accountability by everyone alleviates individuals carrying pressure and ensures the group work in a real multi-agency way. We will also be in a position to utilise and share resources across the group and not be solely reliant on single agencies.