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Update on MACE Meetings

Dear Colleagues,

Through the work of the Child Exploitation Subgroup and audit activity completed through a contextual safeguarding lens, it has been recognised that there is a need to strengthen the work of the Multi Agency Child Exploitation Panel.

The panel will continue to hear about individual children that are referred in to ensure the right support is in place from within the community as well as from local authority services working with the child. To ensure the panel is effective and has impact in managing contextual risks, there needs to be the right agencies at the right level of seniority at the panel.

Within the revised Exploitation Protocol the MACE is defined as;

Child Exploitation takes place across local communities and information and intelligence known to statutory and voluntary sector agencies should be used to highlight the threat, establish and reduce risk. An improved picture of intelligence will enable effective action in a greater number of cases of child exploitation, thereby reducing the harm that would otherwise be caused to the young victims and their families.

The MACE meeting provides the framework to allow regular information sharing and action planning to tackle child exploitation across Buckinghamshire.

Who attends MACE?

The MACE meetings are co-chaired by Thames Valley Police and the Local Authority and are attended by all relevant partner agencies. Additional representation from other agencies including CAMHS and drug and alcohol services also attend where required.

How does MACE work locally?

  • The referrer will be invited to present their child, and their concerns to partners.
  • During the meeting any community risk issues and strengths will be explored.
  • Actions partners can take to support disrupting activity of the exploiters will also be considered.
  • The aim is to support any existing plans for the children that may prevent them from being further exploited.
  • Any information gathered will also serve to increase understanding of the local threat of exploitation and resource, such as outreach in specific areas where a need is identified.
  • Review dates will be agreed with a view to remove the child from the panel when deemed suitable.
  • A Multi Agency Risk Assessment and Plan (Appendix 3) will be developed within the meeting.

We will therefore be re-launching the MACE meeting with invites being sent to individuals who are deemed as the most suitable to attend. This will include;

  • Exploitation lead for TVP
  • Community Safety
  • VCS representative
  • Education
  • Pru
  • Youth Offending Service
  • Childrens Services
  • Camhs
  • Switch
  • Health
  • Barnados
  • Early help

The purpose will be to ensure that not only do we consider individual contextual risks but also wider contextual risks that may impact a number of children rather than just one. The meeting will then seek to address this as a multi agency response to an identified need.

Aman Sekhon-Gill