Commercial sexual exploitation multi-agency group: terms of reference

Background and purpose of the group

In recognition of the increasing activity to tackle commercial sexual exploitation the Scottish Government has established a Multi-Agency Group on CSE to bring together key partners to discuss policy and developments, and provide the opportunity to take a more collaborative approach where circumstances allow - to help further co-ordinate our efforts to tackle CSE.

The group’s work will be undertaken through the lens of Equally Safe where the definition of VAWG encompasses commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), including prostitution, lap dancing, stripping, and pornography.  As well as contributing to the work of delivering Equally Safe the work of the group will also have particular relevance to our Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy and our Strategic Approach to challenging demand for prostitution. In addition the work of the Group will also align with the Scottish Government’s Vision for Justice in Scotland.

The group’s remit will include:  

• acting as a forum to help inform, challenge and support policy development and cohesion across government and service providers regarding CSE
• as part of this, to act as a forum for knowledge exchange, co-ordinating the range of developments, strategies, and consultations to ensure compatibility with the aims of Equally Safe and the Justice Vision. We envisage the Group will be the place where we outline ongoing policy work (from across policy areas) and obtain feedback to inform ongoing policy design and for stakeholders to discuss the related work and initiatives they are progressing and/or planning to progress; and to look at maximising opportunities to work more closely together
• sharing local intelligence (as appropriate) in terms of how exploitation presents locally, including any emerging ‘trends’, to help build our collective understanding of how the different types of CSE are presenting, to help shape and inform our national approaches to tackling demand and improving support for victims.
• considering and agreeing approaches to and opportunities through which group members could collaborate on awareness raising on CSE, both in terms of practitioner learning and societal education and awareness, including how to focus our efforts and resources
• to inform the implementation of the Strategic Approach to challenging demand for prostitution, in particular, offering feedback on the ongoing development of a new support pathway for women with experience of CSE
• to help inform the Human Trafficking and Exploitation strategy refresh

Key areas of early discussion will include:

• data - better understanding what data we have, where there are gaps and how these might be filled (and what we would do with that data); and how that is informing our wider work
• CSE in the context of minority ethnic women and in the context of women with disabilities
• considering how Equally Safe informs policy and development in addressing CSE, across SG and the public sector
• education - in terms of formal learning environments (including schools, colleges, universities, community learning and youth work environments)  and wider societal education to help challenge demand
• online CSE - defining the challenges and concerns, how to combat it - including any planned research activity

Actions captured from these discussions will form an action plan for the Group, with the actions linked to outputs to contribute to our collaborative e approach to tackling CSE.

Role of group members

• within your own organisations to consider the policy principles in relation to challenging demand, when developing relevant services and policy, to help support a consistent and collaborative approach to tackling CSE and improving support for those affected
• to utilise the group as a forum to share knowledge and good practice, including for example information on related upcoming training and events, opportunities to promote the group, its role and potential engagement
• where possible to consider the read-across in your role within any other relevant groups/ forums, highlighting any links and overlaps to the work of this Group
• to update the Group on any related work taking place within your own organisations and to inform the group of relevant local developments

The Unit Head for VAWG Justice will chair the forum. See group page for represented organisations.

Wider policy areas will input into this work via the VAWG Policy Forum - further details are included below.

Meeting frequency

The group will aim to meet at least every 4 months (with flexibility for further meetings if required), if members are unable to attend, if at all possible, it would be helpful if a colleague can be nominated to attend in their place.

Outside of these meetings, an internal VAWG Policy Forum of colleagues across Scottish Government will meet to provide updates from their policy areas and to help ongoing policy cohesion, which we will reflect into the meetings of the main CSE Multi-Agency Group.

Minutes

A note of each meeting of the Multi-Agency Group will be published on the group’s webpage. This will include any updates that the VAWG Policy Forum have fed into the Multi-Agency Group meeting.