Ambulance staff are playing a key role in identifying cases of child sexual exploitation or CSE.
Because of the access staff get to homes because of the unique nature of the 999 emergency service, ambulance staff are perfectly placed to spot cases.
Wednesday 18th March is National CSE Awareness Day. You can get more information here.
The Trust’s Head of Safeguarding, Andy Proctor, said: “All of our staff, both 999 and non-emergency patient transport services, are trained to recognise a range of Safeguarding issues such as child sexual exploitation.
“We have a very effective way of reporting concerns which are then passed to the relevant authority for further investigation where appropriate.
“Our staff are very skilled at assessing situations, but we always recommend them to report concerns if they have any as we know previous referrals have resulted in lives being saved.
“I would recommend everyone to take the time to look at what the signs of CSE are so that each and every one of us can help to give victims a voice.”
CSE is a crime that can affect any child, anytime, regardless of their social or ethnic background. Why not get involved – write a personal pledge on your hand and then post a photo of it on social media using the hashtag #HelpingHands