Sunrise Team set to mark week of action on CSE

Sunrise Team

This week sees the start of the It’s Not Okay Greater Manchester week of action on child sexual exploitation.

The theme for this year’s week of action is giving parents and carers information about keeping switched on to their children’s online and offline activity.

To mark the week Rochdale’s Sunrise Team will be taking part in a variety of events throughout the week to raise awareness of the signs of child sexual exploitation and grooming.

Councillor Kieran Heakin, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I encourage all parents to get involved in the week of action, you could learn something so vital in protecting your child from grooming and CSE. Preventing CSE and educating people on the signs is everybody’s responsibility and dedicated weeks like this are good at raising the profile of the topic and making people more aware of the dangers.”

The Sunrise Team is Rochdale’s dedicated multi-agency team working to tackle and prevent CSE. The is made up of professionals from the children’s social care, police, health, Early Break and Parent’s Against Child Sexual Exploitation (PACE).

They provide a safe and confidential environment where young people can go for help, advice and support. Children are offered a range of therapeutic interventions including one-to- one counselling, group-work sessions and drop-in support.

The team also with schools and health providers to deliver preventative education programmes and provide specialist training to professionals so they know what signs to look out for.

Parents and carers are advised to regularly review security settings on their children’s phones and devices, talk to their child about what they’re doing online and to encourage them to ask for help if they have any concerns. 

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Bev Hughes said: “Child sexual exploitation takes many forms, but one of the major threats we’re currently facing is in cyber-space. At the press of the button a predator can contact a child and pretend to be someone they’re not- often another child- and start the grooming process that leads to exploitation and abuse. It’s all too easy.

“Preventing online child sexual exploitation continues to be a key priority for me and all partners across Greater Manchester, and we are working hard to ensure the right messages around safety are communicated.”

For further information on protecting children from child sexual exploitation and how to seek support or report concerns visit www.itsnotokay.co.uk