The two-day hybrid event, which saw delegates from across law enforcement and third-sector organisations attend in person and/or online, heard from a number of key speakers highlighting what work is being done across the vulnerability space to further protect victims and survivors and bring those to justice, who seek to abuse and exploit them.

The conference was jointly hosted by the Hydrant Programme, Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme, and the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme at the College of Policing headquarters in Ryton, and included sessions looking at what ‘justice’ looks likes through the voices of victims and survivors as well as hearing examples of promising practice that have resulted in better and quicker identification, prioritisation and disruption of exploitation and vulnerability related harm and protection of those experiencing harm and abuse.

Delegates also heard from those with lived-experience through a number of victim and survivor testimonies, including a panel of former footballers from the Football Association, who are victims and survivors of non-recent child sexual abuse and spoke about the impact that the abuse has had on their lives and wellbeing.

Ian Critchley said: “This conference allowed policing and partners to consider critical issues in our developing approach to tackling vulnerability and exploitation.

“We have many outstanding front-line staff and leaders who dedicate themselves every day to helping others who need us most. Our job is to help ensure they have the support, training and skills to support and give confidence to victims and ultimately bring more offenders to justice.

“This was most powerfully informed by the courageous voice of adult survivors and young people who we were privileged to have in the room and share their deepest personal experiences with us all with a determination to help our improvements and prevent harm to others.”   

For more information on the programmes, please use the following links:

• Hydrant Programme – co.uk
• TOEX Programme – https://www.toexprogramme.co.uk/
• VKPP – https://www.vkpp.org.uk/
• CSE Taskforce - https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce/