Councillor Laing (Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture, Events and Communications) introduced the report and highlighted the following key points:

a)    Child exploitation referred to situations where children and young people were manipulated, coerced or forced into activities for the benefit of others. This included sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation (such as gang involvement or drug trafficking), and other forms of abuse;

b)    Plymouth took child exploitation very seriously and offered a robust safeguarding response, working closely with the child-centred policing team and schools to reduce or mitigate risk;

c)    Between September 2024 and August 2025, there were 905 missing episodes involving 612 children, compared to 1,095 episodes involving 679 children in the previous year. While the reduction appeared small, it was described as very welcome and indicative of progress;

In response to questions raised it was reported that:

d)    Missing episodes were a key indicator of vulnerability and often corresponded with exploitation risks, although not all missing children were at risk of extra-familial harm. A consistent annual pattern had been observed in missing episodes by gender, with more boys going missing in the run-up to Christmas and more girls in the summer months. This trend had been tracked over several years. The participation team was working with young people to better understand the reasons behind this pattern;

e)    Repeat missing episodes were often linked to a specific cohort of young people, particularly those in care or at risk of exploitation. Persistent engagement was required to build trust with adolescents, many of whom did not perceive themselves to be at risk. The service aimed to intervene early and reduce repeat episodes through sustained engagement;

f)     Large volumes of data were collected daily, including through the Daily Intelligence Briefing, which highlighted children who had gone missing, been in custody, or been referred due to exploitation concerns. Exploitation was often hidden and difficult to detect, and intelligence gathering required trust and persistence. The service was working to strengthen its ability to identify children on the cusp of exploitation and criminality, with a focus on community intelligence and early intervention;

g)    While additional resources were always needed, particularly for 16–17-year-olds presenting as homeless, the Council had made significant progress in working preventatively with families. In the previous six months, four young people had entered care following homelessness presentations, with the majority being supported to return home safely. The service was proud of this achievement and continued to work closely with families and communities;

h)    The homelessness team, criminal justice system, edge of care teams, and BeSafe teams were being brought together to expand the range of support available to vulnerable young people. Young Devon was highlighted as a strategic partner providing accommodation and support for young people in the city;

i)     While it was difficult to quantify the presence of grooming gangs due to their covert nature, there had previously been seven known county lines into Plymouth, primarily from Manchester and London. Any single line was considered a serious concern. The Council worked with schools and communities to offer positive alternatives and disrupt exploitation networks;

j)     The Council welcomed any national initiative that raised awareness of exploitation, including the government’s national inquiry into grooming gangs. Plymouth was described as a relatively safe city with a strong child-centred policing team, but it was reiterated that one child impacted was one child too many;

k)    PL4 and PL5 postcodes appeared more frequently due to their larger population sizes. The Council had worked with schools in those areas to raise awareness and was finalising analysis to confirm the proportionality of the data. It was suggested that future reports include actual numbers alongside pie chart segments to aid interpretation;

l)     The Outside Plymouth segment of the pie chart within the report referred to Plymouth children in care who were placed outside the city.

The Panel agreed to:

1.    Note the information contained within the report. 

2.    Endorse the continued work of the service to provide a response to children who go missing and are at risk of harm outside the home.