Criminal Exploitation & Gangs Training for Professionals

The Community Safety and Wellbeing Team has commissioned eight 1-day training courses for professionals on Criminal Exploitation and Gangs, which will be delivered by Junior Smart from St Giles Trust – see dates below.

This activity supports work being delivered by the West Sussex Violence Reduction Unit and Partnership TTCG with our allocated Home Office funding to tackle Serious Violence. This training for professionals will be an updated version of the successful training delivered last year by St Giles Trust and Sussex Police.

Gangs, youth exploitation, serious violence and county line criminality are rarely out of the news. These gangs are often opportunistic and seek to exploit and groom impressionable children. The reach of these gangs is growing and impacting more widely on our communities. The aim of the presentation detailed below is to raise the awareness of those professionals who are directly involved in supervising or spending time with children to be alert to the warning signs and understanding these areas of criminality. The session is suitable for professionals in schools, colleges, children’s services, police, probation, health and acute trusts, prison and those supporting transition into adult services. The presentation will be delivered by Junior Smart of St Giles Trust who is an ex-gang member with lived in experience.

The Session aims to address the following areas:

1. To raise awareness of gangs, youth exploitation and serious youth violence

2. County Lines criminality and how the youth get drawn in, warning signs and demystifying gangs

3. Gang dynamics

4. Explain how working together helps address these risks

5. Identification of those at risk and safeguarding opportunities

6. Engagement strategies

7. Tool box of skills / strategies

Please be aware the training days will open at 9.30 am for registration and start promptly at 10am. If you arrive late you will be turned away as the planned activities and evaluation require attendees to be present from the start of the session.

There are limited places available, so if you want to secure a place on the training, please do confirm by booking your place via Event brite asap. Please note in that by booking your place you agree to paying the full cost of your place for non-attendance on the day which will be £25

• Registration will be from 0930hrs

• Presentation will start at 1000hrs and conclude at 1600hrs with 1 hour lunch break

• Tea and coffee and a buffet style lunch will be provided (please advise any dietary requirements

The following dates are available to be booked via Event brite:

14th January – Charmandeaan Centre, Worthing

17th January – K2, Crawley

24th January – Crawley Library

4th February – Charmandean Centre, Worthing

21st February – County Hall, Chichester

28th February – County Hall, Chichester

2nd March – K2, Crawley

3rd March – Charmandean Centre, Worthing