The CoM Brief - May 2024

CHILD PROTECTION

My name is Dave Meeney and whilst Chief Superintendent Jackson is away on a course I am temping as the District Commander

It is an absolute privilege to do this and gives me an opportunity to see the fantastic work that is ongoing across our district.

This month I would like to discuss vulnerability. This is one of the most challenging and important areas of policing, and it is incumbent on all of us and our partners to work close together to achieve, identify and respond to vulnerability. Every day our multi-agency safeguarding hubs review referrals from a range of sources to assess what support can be provided from police or partners to ensure that person is safeguarded and can be protected from harm. As I write, there are 828 such open referrals for the City of Manchester and the staff that do this role do an outstanding job to assess and progress these referrals which helps to prevent further offences or harm being caused.

To further support our response to vulnerability, our City of Manchester complex safeguarding hub at Greenheys police station has police officers, social workers and others colocated and focusing on some of the most serious and challenging cases of exploitation. As well as working with partners on complex investigations, the team also engages with organisations and businesses to educate and inform on the signs of exploitation of children and how to report this. Again, this work is vitally important and delivered to an extremely high standard by a committed team who have a passion for protecting children.

Thanks for everything you do, Superintendent Dave Meeney

Child protection Operation Avro

Last month (April) saw the first ever child protection Operation Avro launched across the force.

This particular Operation Avro focused on tackling criminal and sexual exploitation to safeguard the most vulnerable within our society: children within our community.

Across the City of Manchester, our specialist behavioural detection teams were deployed to hotspots across the force with a focus on reducing youth violence. To complement this, our Complex Safeguarding teams delivered several workshops in local primary and secondary schools, discussing important topics such as healthy relationships, staying safe online, and how criminal gangs look to exploit young people.

Education and engagement are key, and officers and staff should continue to be out in our communities, talking to as many of the people who are often the first point of contact for young people at risk of exploitation as we can. If we can increase awareness, make sure we’re asking young people the right questions in the first place and providing a safe space for them to talk, we have our best chance at protecting them from harm.

Detective Chief Superintendent Neil

Jones, Public Protection branch head, said: “We would like to thank all the staff involved in child protection Operation AVRO and those who contributed to making the event a resounding success. From the planning to the community engagement, the enforcement action and the deployments, each and every one of you played a crucial role in ensuring that everything ran smoothly.”

Detective Superintendent Jane Higham, force lead for Child Protection and Missing People added: “Your dedication, hard work and perseverance to this area of work is commendable and we are grateful for the incredible teamwork and collaboration that was demonstrated throughout the process. It is a testament to the strength of our organisation and our determination to build a better and safer future for the children of Greater Manchester.”

Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Keenaghan, force coordinator for Child Protection, added: “We recognise this commitment does not begin and end with yesterday’s operation. Our staff work tirelessly, daily, to build relationships with and safeguard the children in our community and target those who seek to abuse and exploit them.”

Well-deserved recognition for Operation Logan dogs and their two handlers

In May 2022, following an intense fire at Bismark House Mill in Oldham which took four days to extinguish fully, demolition workers found human remains at the site.

A thorough investigation by GMP’s Disaster Victim Identification team found that the remains were of four Vietnamese men, Cuong Van Chu, Uoc Van Nguyen, Duong Van Nguyen and Nam Thanh Le, who had been reported missing around the time of the fire. They were victims of modern slavery, exploited and locked in the building by organised criminals; among the most vulnerable in our society.

In March, officers and staff involved in Operation Logan –the retrieval and repatriation of the four men’s remains to their families in Vietnam – were recognised in an awards ceremony at Nexus House. A month later, GMP’s Awards team celebrated the hard work of the operation’s other unsung heroes: victim recovery dogs Cleo (left) and Archie (right, retired) and their handlers, PC Gareth Greaves and Mark Richardson (retired). Gareth, Mark, Archie and Cleo convened at GMP’s Hough End facility to receive their well-deserved commendation certificates – and, for Archie and Cleo, a ceremonial squeaky ball.

Operation Logan was a particularly complex case for all involved, and the dogs were no exception. The fire had been extensive, taking four days to extinguish, and officers sifted through a total 4,500 tonnes of rubble to find the victims’ remains. The team was working through the heatwave of July 2022, with average temperatures of 200C and highs of 360C

Celsius. The debris included the remains of a tile shop which had burned down in the fire, so the teams had to contend with shards of shattered tiles and the residual fumes from burned ceramic.

“We were there for 12 to 14 hours a day, at the height of summer – every day Cleo was coming home with scratches and injuries to her paws, and then the next day she would go straight back out and do it again,” Gareth said. “Dogs don’t always know when it’s best for them to stop working for the day, so she would have kept going for even longer if I’d let her.”

In recent weeks five-year-old Cleo has distinguished herself again, covering around 42 miles of ground in Salford as part of the ongoing investigation into body parts found around the area. Gareth described her as “very loving – but hard as nails. She is a working dog.”

Archie is 11 and has now retired from the force along with Mark, his handler. “He seems like a real grump, but he is the softest, loveliest dog. My kids love him,” Mark said. “He’s independent, hard-working and eager to please – he is very easy to love and very rewarding to work with.”

The crucial, often harrowing work of the victim recovery team is commonly overlooked or misunderstood. “The job does get to you sometimes,” Mark said.

Gareth added: “People don’t always realise what we do or what it means, so we’re lucky to have a close-knit team who support each other. At the heart of it, our job is bringing the lost home.”

Child protection Op Avro goes forcewide

Each month, GMP’s Operation Avro deploys extra resources in a single district in a proactive drive to target the crimes that matter the most to our communities.

In April, for the first time, Op Avro launched across the force in a bid to tackle criminal and sexual exploitation and safeguard young people.

Using high visibility, resource-intensive and proactive policing, we launched an action-packed day of activity across Greater Manchester, focusing on child protection and safeguarding.

The day started at 5am, with warrants across the force targeting people suspected of sexually or criminally exploiting young people. In total, 33 individuals were arrested for a variety of offences including serious sexual offences and rape, indecent images offences, and possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.

The team was joined by PD Ted, Cheshire Constabulary’s ‘digital dog detective’, whose specialist skills help us identify hidden digital devices which may be used to hold illegal images. With devices becoming smaller, and criminals becoming more adept at concealing them, these skills are an excellent asset to our investigations.

Proactive operations in Bury and Rochdale saw officers and staff from our dedicated complex safeguarding teams partner with local authority Trading Standards officers to visit several shops suspected of selling vapes to underage children – this is a priority as it can often lead to children being coerced into criminal activity or sexual exploitation.

In total, £20,000 worth of amount of illicit or non-compliant vapes were seized, along with illegal sweets and imitation firearms.

Teams across the force delivered training sessions to hoteliers, businesses and taxi licensees to make sure they were equipped with the tools and confidence to challenge inappropriate

behaviour and feel confident knowing what to look out for when they come into contact with young people.

Our specialist behavioural detection teams were deployed to hotspots across the force, with a focus on reducing youth violence. To compliment this, our Complex Safeguarding Teams delivered several workshops in local primary and secondary schools, discussing important topics such as healthy relationships, staying safe online, and how criminal gangs look to exploit young people.

Education and engagement are key to preventing and addressing exploitation before it takes hold, and we intend to continue this critical work in our communities, talking to as many people as we can who may be the first

point of contact for young people at risk of exploitation. If we can increase awareness of the signs that a child may be at risk, ensure we’re asking young people the right questions in the first place and provide a safe space for them to talk, we have a better chance at protecting them from harm.

The training school at Sedgley Park held two events for officers and staff, providing inputs on recognising the signs of child abuse, listening to children and understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

With more resources and increased investment into tackling exploitation and protecting children from harm, we are working around the clock to face these issues head on. From improving

training for frontline officers, ensuring they stay professionally curious to maximise chances of early intervention, to specialist detectives targeting online predators, we are taking advantage of the breadth of experience and resources we have across the force, with one common goal of safeguarding young people from harm.

DCI Suzanne Keenaghan, force coordinator for child protection, said: “We want to empower our communities to be alive to the signs of exploitation, provide avenues for them to report concerns to us and our partners, and most importantly, instil public confidence to know that we will act upon any intelligence that they give us.

“Sadly, people will always seek to exploit children and vulnerable people, but I am confident that we have rigorous safeguarding mechanisms in place across

Greater Manchester, and relentless teams of detectives and frontline officers who are pursuing offenders.

“At the heart of the work we do is building trusted relationships with the children and young people who are at risk. The activity today gave us the chance to speak to thousands of people in our communities, take criminals off the streets, and build on our intelligence picture about children who are facing or experiencing exploitation. With help from our partners and the public, we have seen significant results today and we will continue to build on this as not to become complacent.”

Signs a child may be at risk

• While this is not an exhaustive list, some signs of exploitation include:

• Changes in behaviour or appearance

• Not coming home when they say they will, or going missing

• Becoming uncharacteristically secretive or reluctant to talk about friends or relationships

• Struggling to engage in school

• Overly protective of their messages or social media accounts

• Having more than one phone

• Accompanied by individuals older than them

• Concerns surrounding the use of alcohol or drugs

• Sudden changes or fear of people or friends

• Unexplained gifts or money

• Uncharacteristic or age-inappropriate sexual discussions or language

• Evidence of sexual images being shared (by themselves or by others)

Right Care, Right Person: experts who can give

Right Care, Right Person (RCRP), a national programme which aims to ensure that individuals in need receive the right care from the right agency, will launch at GMP on 17 June.

In preparation for the launch, it is mandatory that all GMP officers and staff complete the short RCRP training course available on College Learn at https://www.learn.college.pnn. police.uk/CL/Content/Summary/47978. If you have any queries, please email the project team at RCRP@gmp.police.uk.

Please be aware that Right Care, Right Person has not yet gone live and no changes currently need to be made to the way we work.

Once RCRP has launched, staff in the FCCO will benefit from the support of expert floorwalkers, who will provide guidance and insight where needed into all aspects of the policy. Ahead of the rollout, you can learn some more about them below:

Abigail Smith (Abi)

RCRP will be a big step in the right direction for both the force and the public. They are getting the right help sooner; there will be more officers free to deal with crime, and fewer calls coming into the FCCO.

I aim to support my colleagues the best way I can with the understanding I have around RCRP. I know a lot of people will be worried about this coming in and thinking about repercussions and worst case scenarios; I will reassure them that they are supported by the policy.

Chloe Goulden

To me, RCRP means that GMP can now focus more closely on fighting crime and saving lives of people in immediate danger.

RCRP is very important for our force as it helps us use our resources and officers for their intended purpose. My colleagues can expect my full support while rolling out RCRP – I will be on hand to help explain any unclear incidents which arise and offer my advice on how to best serve the public through RCRP.

Once RCRP is fully rolled out and all staff have settled in, it will be a massive benefit to GMP forcewide.

Matthew Jones

RCRP means that the police can provide the right support to the public and help to fight crime, while also making sure the concerned party gets the correct support. It is a positive change to the force and

can be daunting, but the policies in place are aligned to go smoothly.

I will always be on hand to make sure my colleagues have full support whenever it is needed, answer questions without judgement and help to guide them through the correct avenues.

Thomas Caldecott

RCRP means that the people in our communities receive the correct care from the correct agency – some of the training we’ve received has clearly shown that police attendance isn’t always the best way to help people, and can sometimes even make things worse. It will also help GMP be able to respond to actual policing needs.

I will be on hand to offer support with any aspect of RCRP whenever it is needed.

Nathan Cortes

RCRP not only makes our jobs more effective, it’s also there to help the people we serve by getting them the right help as soon as possible, rather than passing them through multiple agencies, which delays the help they need. For GMP it’s important because we can use our resources to spend more time helping those who truly need us.

During any massive culture change, even small details can seem like a big challenge. This is what the floorwalkers have been trained for: to assist with questions and offer clarity during this changeover period. We will be walking around the room looking to help anyone who wants to clarify anything or are

unsure if they are making the right decision.

If I could say one thing to those who will be working with me, it is that there is no such thing as a bad question.

Almas Barker

RCRP will help police officers to get back to policing and help victims instead of sitting in a hospital for hours, freeing up more police to work on the beat, protect the public and prevent crime.

I will give my colleagues 100% as a floorwalker and support them in their decision-making. My advice to my colleagues would be to read more about the changes coming on the intranet RCRP hub, and check Sherlock – but do not hesitate to ask supervisors and floorwalkers. Attend the training sessions if you can, as they are very interesting and the trainers are always happy to hear your views.

Sam Grice

RCRP will bring a positive change to GMP by enabling officers to focus on tackling crime and provide a better service for victims.

It will enable people who are suffering from mental health, social and care needs to access services which are trained to support them faster.

I believe my skills as a trainer and mentor will assist my colleagues in the room.

Hayden Leigh

RCRP to me means one thing: a safer environment for the people of Greater

Person: meet the give the right advice

Manchester, enabling them to receive the care they need firsthand from the right agency. It also means police officers will be able to carry out their duties correctly and in a timelier manner for those who need the police for policing purposes, giving us and members of public better access to the resources we need.

As a floorwalker, call handlers can expect my full support, and more importantly a helping hand to reassure they are doing the right thing in the correct manner.

We are a team, and we have an at times challenging job with a duty of care to the members of public who need our help. I will help in any way possible to make sure I and my colleagues are equipped to give that care to the public.

Imogen Stone

RCRP means the public get the right support where they need it without feeling criminalised.

The support I can offer to colleagues while I’m on the floor in the FCCO will include answering questions if something feels confusing: an issue we may have

put on a Grade 1 in the past could no longer be something that the police force deal with; some call handlers may disagree with this, but I am there to explain why this is the case and what they need to do to get the caller the correct care and assistance in that moment of need.

I have been trained in what we will keep doing and what we will no longer deal with, so I will use this training to help others across the floor.

Please don’t feel afraid to ask any questions: this is a change affecting the whole of GMP, and we floorwalkers are here to support and help on the jobs you may have questions about.

Natalie Aker

RCRP means there will be more resources available to deal with incidents that are meant for the police.

I will be there to help colleagues with any questions and filling in the forms; I will help them in the best way I can with the knowledge gained from my training.

During the training sessions I have been engaging in conversations and

asking questions that I feel colleagues may ask me when I am floorwalking, so I can give them an informed answer.

Dalien Haughton

Simply put, RCRP involves getting the right care for the right person!

This means we will be providing a better service to members of the public and signposting them towards the appropriate help – this also free up crucial resources to attend the core functions of policing.

During go-live period I will be one of the floorwalkers in the FCCO; I am here to help with any questions that you may have. I cannot promise I know all the answers, but I will endeavour to work with call handlers during this challenging period and help to get clarity on anything you may be unsure of.

Row 1: Abigail Smith, Matthew Jones, Tom Caldecot, Hayden Leigh, Dalien Haughton,

Row 2: Samantha Grice, Chloe Goulden, Craig Gandy, Natalie Alker, Natalie Alker, Natalie Alker, Nathan Cortes.

The Forcer Protocol initiative goes national in May

GMP’s groundbreaking veterans’ initiative is set to become a national protocol, with its next iteration rolling out in Cumbria in early May.

The Forcer Protocol is a practice used by the police to ensure that key information is available when searching for service veterans who are lost or have gone missing. GMP was the first police force in the UK to adopt the protocol, which was initially implemented as a sixmonth pilot.

The protocol is named after Alan Forcer, a former soldier who took his own life after being reported missing in 2020. Alan suffered with complex PTSD, extreme anxiety, physical pain, and debilitating depression after serving in Northern Ireland and Kosovo as a teenager. Some months before his death, he was informed that the charity which had been providing him with mental health assistance would no longer be able to do so due to funding issues.

The Forcer Protocol follows this approach:

How much do you know about TRiM at GMP?

Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) is a confidential, peer-delivered risk assessment and ongoing support system, provided by GMP to help in the management and support of staff and officers after an on-duty traumatic event. While TRiM is not a clinical intervention, counselling, or formal psychological treatment, it does allows qualified peers to conduct structured risk assessments and identify likely reactions to potentially traumatic events. Its aim is to identify those people that need early support and assist them in receiving it.

How does it work?

When notified of an incident via the TRiM email, a TRiM manager starts the process.

1. When a person is reported missing to the FCCO, the call handler will then ask whether the missing person is a veteran in every case as part of the initial assessment.

2. Next, the log is switched to GMP’s Force Operations Centre, where the staff will check Safe and Found Online information aggregation platform for crucial information about the veteran.

3. The district will then identify the risk, investigate, and locate the missing person safe and well.

4. Finally, a referral is then completed on a Single Veteran’s Pathway to ensure that the veteran gets the correct support they need.

Due to the success the Forcer Protocol has achieved with GMP, it is now being rolled out at Cumbria Constabulary as it becomes a national protocol.

Ch Insp Mark Mangnall, who has played a huge part in the design and implementation of the protocol, said:

For larger incidents, a planning meeting will be arranged within the first 24 to 48 hours after an event. The planning meeting is held to identify those involved, understand the incident and its characteristics, and agree a tailored response. Some people who have been involved with the incident may be invited to take part in a risk assessment.

Larger groups may be asked to attend a TRiM incident briefing (TIB), where they will be provided with information on the incident and advice on how to manage their own emotional responses. TRiM ensures that there is a coherent, considered approach to the organisational response. The TRiM assessment is a chance to have a structured, non-judgmental, relaxed and confidential chat with a peer, about the incident you have been involved in.

What not to do

Staff and officers should not be referred to TRiM immediately after an incident, as people deal with traumatic events in different ways. Normal supervisory welfare should be used and if an individual requests TRiM, then a

“Countless hours of hard work have taken place in the design phase and implementation of the Forcer Protocol.

“Since it went live in November 2023, we have identified and located 68 vulnerable missing veterans. It fills me with pride that its success has gained recognition from the NPCC and nationally by other police forces. Cumbria Constabulary is the first force after the GMP pilot to adopt this protocol within their force area, paving the way that I am confident many will follow in the near future.”

referral should be made to trim@gmp. police.uk.

The TRiM assessment will not take place until at least 72 hours after the event; this gives individuals time to process what has happened.

Speaking to the team

The TRiM team within GMP is currently made up of Force TRiM Coordinator Tracy Harris and Senior Mental Health Specialist Glenys Wright. There are also 58 TRiM practitioners available whenever you need them.

Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police

Annual Wellbeing on Tour event

This year the team’s Wellbeing on Tour is coming to you earlier in the year than usual, and will be spread across three weeks due to the bank holiday. You can find a list of where we will be and on what dates below; please keep an eye on the intranet over the coming weeks for more details of what the events will entail and who will be in attendance on each day.

• Bury: Friday 17 May

• Rochdale: Monday 20 May

• Oldham: Tuesday 21 May

• Nexus House: Wednesday 22 May

• Stockport: Thursday 23 May

• City of Manchester: Friday 24 May

• Stretford: Tuesday 28 May

• Swinton: Wednesday 29 May

• Wigan: Thursday 30 May

• Bolton: Friday 31 May

Oscar Kilo: Once upon a time

Over the last few months, in accordance with its commitments under the Police Covenant, Oscar Kilo (OK) has been developing a programme of support for police families.

Following in-depth research to understand some of the challenges policing families face, OK launched its OK family life programme in November, which brings together resources and support for families and friends of police officers – from nutrition guidance for the

whole family, to advice and workarounds for living with someone working shifts, to advice on mental health and identifying the signs of work stress and trauma in a loved one.

One key issue that the research has highlighted is that a simple acknowledgement of how tough it can be on all members of the family, including children, really helps. It can mean people feel less alone and more seen.

This is why Oscar Kilo has introduced its ‘Once upon a time’ campaign, which aims to help policing families explain to children why their loved ones might sometimes have to miss out on mealtimes, bedtimes or family celebrations.

As we all know, it’s not always possible for people working in policing to be around for a bedtime story; and it’s important that children understand why this might happen.

That’s why, Oscar Kilo launched its new campaign, centred around Red Robber Raid: a children’s book written and illustrated by the wellbeing team at Norfolk and Suffolk Constabulary, which gives families a chance to share a special bedtime story and explore together why a parent or carer might miss out on mealtimes, bedtimes, or other family time.

This campaign follows on from Oscar Kilo’s initial launch of its new online family hub in November and its ‘Thank you’ campaign at Christmas, which offered police forces, officers, and staff

the chance to say thank you to their families and friends and recognise the support they give every day to their loved ones in policing.

Oscar Kilo: new online hub for retirees and leavers

Oscar Kilo is delighted to launch its new leavers’ hub, offering resources to support both police staff and officers as they retire or leave policing.

The online hub offers advice and support through every stage of a leaver’s journey, from initial thinking about next steps, to creating a CV, networking, interviews, and wellbeing.

Providing support to those who are leaving or who have left policing is a key pillar of the Police Covenant, which recognises the unique contribution and sacrifices that both police officers and police staff make as a result of their service.

To create the online hub, Oscar Kilo worked with chartered psychologist Dr Ceri Jones and former chief superintendent Stuart Noble. Between them, the two have more than 20 years of experience helping those moving on from policing and other public sector organisations.

The leavers hub builds on our work to help police forces provide world-class wellbeing support for everyone who works for them.

You can view the Oscar Kilo leavers’ hub at https://www.oscarkilo.org.uk/ leaving-the-police.

Q&A: PC Andrew Sharkey, FCCO

What is your role in the FCCO?

I am a constable in the Force Operations centre.

What was your experience in the force before joining FCCO?

Prior to joining the Force Operations Centre, I worked on the Bolton district. My previous roles were in response; the public service team (appointment-based resolutions); Bolton task force (plain-clothes proactive work); integrated neighbourhood policing team; Bolton town centre neighbourhood; and Great Lever neighbourhood.

What attracted you to join the FCCO?

I was looking for a new challenge, to learn new skills, and develop myself further. I spoke to a friend and colleague who had just joined the branch, from whom I learned that it was a new team, established following the Kerslake inquiry after the Manchester Arena bombing. It aims to support and assist the force duty officer (FDO) in dealing with a variety of incidents, up to and including Operation Plato (The national response to a marauding terrorist attack).

What are your responsibilities?

My principal responsibilities include assisting with GMP’s response to major, critical and significant incidents by cascading information to our partner agencies and activating the Force Command Module. As a force public order loggist, I can assist with logging duties either in Silver Control or when deployed to an incident to support a Bronze command team. My day-to-day responsibilities include having oversight of significant incidents within the force, assisting with forcewide resourcing issues, assistance with high-risk missing persons, phone work and AtHoc image distribution. I undertake dynamic tasked research from the FDO and force critical incident manager (FCIM) in relation to fast-time intelligence checks, firearms research packages, Police National Database (PND) and other GMP systems interrogation. I also conduct day-today administrative tasks, such as preparation and presentation of the force daily management meeting (DMM) and force daily summary.

What is an average day like for you?

An average day in the Force Operations Centre revolves around working to support the FDO, FCIMs, senior leaders and district officers in a rapid and effective manner, providing whatever support and assistance we can offer with access to a multitude of systems. In truth there are no average days – the work is interesting and varied.

What is the biggest challenge of working in the FCCO?

Personally, my biggest challenge was developing myself to become comfortable with the numerous systems and IT that we use in the centre. Along with the systems that all officers will be aware of, such as iOPS, PND and other common research tools, there are other systems that we use in relation to major and critical incidents; such as Resilience Direct, which I use to inform and integrate with our partners – potentially up to a cabinet level.

The support and help that I have received within the team to learn and progress with the systems has been constant. I was new to how the FCCO integrates as a team, for example how

incidents come in via call handlers, and the effective distribution of the incident, and how that further links to partner agencies becoming involved, and the assistance they can offer.

What skills or qualities do you need to work in the FCCO?

For me, key qualities are a willingness to learn and to support our colleagues, senior officers and partners. However, anyone from any background, either operational or specialist would quickly fit into one of the five teams within the Force Operations Centre. We all bring diverse skills and experiences, and therefore learn and develop from each other. The transferable skills I have now are far greater than the ones I joined with.

Lastly, why would you recommend the FCCO to officers? It is completely different from anything I have done previously. I assist with incidents that I wouldn’t normally have become involved with. The partnership working required here is invaluable and provides good examples for anyone with promotional aspirations. The number of new systems that I can now access and interrogate to benefit others, has been put to effective use.

I have been fully supported in retaining and developing my previously acquired skills including Level 2 public order, National Public Order Evidence Gatherer, and force loggist. Along the way I was fortunate enough to become one of two GMP National Interoperability Liaison Officers (NILO), a course provided by the Fire Service at their training college, which equipped me with a unique insight to their role and the support they can offer the police.

Lastly, as I personally approach the twilight of my career, it’s fulfilling to be involved with a productive team. I firmly believe that we make a positive difference to force operations on a regular basis.

A day with the street engagement team

Across the force, there are a number of teams working with partners to support those within the ‘street community.’

One such team is the street engagement team, based in the Town Hall extension in Manchester City Centre. Here’s a little more about them:

It is 11am on a Tuesday, and we are in the Mustard Tree centre on Oldham Road. We came to visit PC Warren Yates, a neighbourhood beat officer (NBO) with the street engagement team.

The street engagement team was formed around five years ago, as a response to the high demand on antisocial behaviour (ASB) incidents linked to rough sleepers and the ‘street community.’ The team is currently formed of three NBOs, who engage with the street community to ‘break the circle’ of criminality and rough sleeping using early intervention procedures.

One of these early intervention procedures entails referring people to what is known as the street engagement hub, which operates every Tuesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm at Mustard Tree.

The hub is a problem-solving initiative that offers support to vulnerable individuals from the street community who need extra support and access to services such as housing or medication. It also aims to prevent these individuals from ending up in the criminal justice system if they commit low-level crime or ASB such as begging, shoplifting, drug misuse and street drinking.

Common types of support available include access to temporary accommodation and same day prescriptions to help manage heroin addiction, thanks to an onsite prescriber.

An adviser from Department of Work and Pensions is on hand to assist clients with benefit issues and there is a mental health specialist also present.

Hub customers can have minor injuries treated onsite or get transport to nearby Urban Village Medical Practice or A&E. A probation worker is at hand to problem-solve issues such as preventing unnecessary breaches or short term recalls to prison which can sometimes arise from people’s chaotic lifestyle on the streets.

People who are seen begging are often referred to the Hub so the team can try to address their needs. They are given a referral card from GMP or Manchester City Council antisocial behaviour action team (ASBAT) as a positive requirement included in a written warning, such as a Community Protection Notice, or in a Criminal Behaviour Order. MCC Rough Sleeping Support Service (RSSS) and other Hub partner agencies also refer people seen rough sleeping who could benefit from services provided, to the Hub.

Sometimes the Hub goes mobile on request from neighbourhood officers to different begging or rough sleeping ASB hotspots, setting up at district shopping centres using three vans: Manchester City Council community safety van, St John Ambulance and Change Grow Live (CGL) drug & alcohol service van.

PC Yates shared his passion about this project. He says that the Hub “gives people a chance, I love being involved with the project because it’s so rewarding to help people change their lives for the better”. PC Yates also enjoys working out of the Mustard Tree twice a week: “It can be fast-paced and challenging at times, but working with so many different

agencies is really interesting and good fun.”

Some of the partners involved in the Hub include Riverside Housing, MCC ASBAT and RSSS. CGL Drug & Alcohol Services, Big Issue North, Probation, CityCo (City centre business partnership), Coffee4Craig, Greater Manchester Mental Health, Manchester Action on Street Health (MASH dedicated services for women), Department for Work and Pensions, St John Ambulance, the Men’s Room (dedicated service for men) and Mustard Tree.

Future plans

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has recognised the Manchester Street Engagement Hub as an example of best practice. Partners have been asked to prepare a Hub package that can be shared with the nine other Greater Manchester areas so each area can develop their own Hub if required. This could lead to a network of hubs across Greater Manchester to help manage cross-border responses to situations when people move local authority areas to beg, cause ASB or sleep rough.

The street engagement Hub regularly has visitors from across GMP and other police forces, and local authorities and agencies. The Hub has been recognised at central government level and has had several visits from the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

Introduction to Complex Safeguarding Hub

The City of Manchester Complex Safeguarding Hub is a multiagency team based at Greenheys police station, in the Hulme area of Manchester.

The team is co-located and made up of several services including children’s social care, police, health, an early help team, a missing from home team, children’s psychologist; and has links to both to youth justice and education.

The Hub provides a joined-up response to child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and county lines, as well as serious youth violence, missing from home and links to organised crime.

The work that is carried out by the Hub is often intelligence-led, and managing a joint response to complex safeguarding, and demonstrates good multi-agency coordination and planning in response to emerging safeguarding threats.

Police

The Hub is actively engaged in supporting 116 children and young people across the City of Manchester; while the police team investigates offences of both child criminal and child sexual exploitation, often with extensive operations focused on both multi victim and multi suspect investigations.

Within the Hub there is also a

dedicated team which provides specialist parenting support for parents and carers whose children are being exploited or at risk of exploitation, and a missing from home team which visits all children who have been reported missing - and returned - to ensure there is appropriate support in place for them and their families.

and partners work together to tackle child exploitation in the city centre

In April, members of GMP partnered with professionals from our Manchester Complex Safeguarding Hub to shore up local businesses’ resilience against child exploitation.

The training, which was delivered at the Bank of New York in Piccadilly Gardens, covered key aspects of complex safeguarding. Participants were taught to spot the signs of exploitation and report potential cases so that GMP can safeguard vulnerable young people at the earliest opportunity, with the tagline ‘The more you share with us, the more children we can help’.

Those in attendance included Uber drivers, local hoteliers, licensed premises staff, business owners, security officials and Arndale Centre employees. All these groups are particularly likely to see signs of exploitation in their place of work; if we equip them with the knowledge of what the signs are, and make sure they are confident reporting incidents to us, we can strengthen our intelligence picture of exploitation in the city centre and potentially make a huge difference for a child.

Child protection is one of the most

complex areas of policing, owing to many vulnerabilities being hidden or taking place behind closed doors.

Training days like this enable us to speak to professionals from a variety of industries and backgrounds and raise awareness of what to look for.

By having more eyes and ears on the ground, it increases our chances of safeguarding young people.

We know that child exploitation cannot be solved by policing alone, which is why our multiagency response and co-location of key agencies is so crucial to our success. It enables us to create a bespoke, wraparound

response as soon as a child is reported to us.

Detective Inspector Chris Chadderton from Manchester Complex Safeguarding Hub said: “We want to encourage people to be vigilant and alive to the signs of exploitation. If people don’t feel confident, and want to further develop their knowledge of exploitation, support and additional training sessions are available.

“Our message is, and always will be, if something doesn’t look or feel right; trust your instinct and report it. Something which may appear inconsequential could very well be the missing piece to one of our investigations, or it could be first pivotal step to us safeguarding a child.”