Adolescent Practitioners Guidance

Introduction

This guidance builds on the significant progress made by the Strategic Missing & Child Exploitation group in safeguarding children and young people at risk of child exploitation and those missing from home, care, and education. The Be Safe Team have been developing this practice in the city. It has been developed in parallel to our improved understanding of the issues facing young people; established through focused problem profiles, national and local learning and intelligence pictures involving vulnerable adolescents.

This guidance draws on evidence about effective practice from contemporary research and our current practice undertaken by the Be Safe Team. It is a focussed document that sets the parameters for developing our understanding of the complexities of vulnerability and finding more effective multi- agency responses to these issues to expand . The guidance maintains an unswerving focus on making sure that professionals are getting the basics right whilst striving to develop best practice for adolescence and a range of risks they face.

This practice guidance is supported by our Adolescent Practitioners Toolkit with practical resources for you to use in your direct work with children and families. You can find the toolkit HERE.

Practice
Definitions

Prevalence of Risk 
to Adolescents

Adolescent Development and Attachment

Signs and
Indicators

Exploitation
Pathway

Positive
Language

Practice
Framework

Understanding Contextual Safeguarding

A Focus
On SEND

Trauma & Its Impact

Bullying

Adolescent Health

Identity

Online Safety

Relationships

SEND

Substance Use