Child criminal exploitation (CCE) by county lines gangs remains one of the most complex safeguarding challenges across the UK. Children as young as six are being exploited through coercion, grooming, debt bondage and violence, with many young people all too often falling through the cracks in child protection frameworks. While some progress has been made — including a reduction in the number of children recorded in the County Lines Strategic Risk Assessment — significant challenges remain. Notably, the county lines model is increasingly shifting from exported, cross-border operations to more localised networks, making victims of this exploitation even more hidden and harder to identify within their own communities.
To tackle this, the Government is investing £43m in the County Lines Programme. Over the past year, this has helped to drive record enforcement outcomes, and, as part of its wider strategic response, the Government introduced the Crime and Policing Bill in February 2025. This landmark legislation proposes a new standalone offence targeting the criminal exploitation of children by county lines gangs. It also introduces Child Criminal Exploitation Prevention Orders aimed at disrupting exploitative behaviours before they escalate and providing a stronger framework to safeguard children and young people at risk. While these legislative reforms mark significant progress, they must be underpinned by robust multi-agency coordination, improved intelligence and data sharing and consistent frontline practice across education, policing, social care, youth justice and health services.
This timely digital conference provides a vital platform for frontline professionals and policymakers to come together to examine the current threat picture and evolving trends in county lines and child criminal exploitation. The event will explore the impact of the County Lines Programme and the implications of the Crime and Policing Bill for tackling the criminal exploitation of children and young people. The conference will also share innovative best practice on prevention, early intervention, victim support and disruption tactics. Through keynote speeches, expert-led panels and practitioner insights, participants will gain practical tools, strategic knowledge and shared learning to help deliver proactive, joined-up responses that protect vulnerable children from harm and disrupt the gangs and criminal networks that exploit them.
Resource - Child exploitation disruption toolkit
Resource - The Children's Society Look Closer Campaign
Guidance - 20th October 2023: Criminal Exploitation of Children and Vulnerable Adults: County Lines
News - 26 November 2024: Safeguarding experts demand national action plan to tackle child sexual abuse
News - 22 February 2025: Child criminal exploitation and cuckooing to be criminal offences
Resource - Government response to the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse report
Guidance - 7th October 2025: Government County Lines Programme
News - 5th November 2025: County Lines becoming more localised
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