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Partners across the West Midlands are joining together to raise awareness of Child Exploitation, making sure people know how to spot the signs. Child exploitation is when a child or young person is groomed, coerced or forced to do something they don’t want to for someone else’s gain. It can take different forms including child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation (CSE) human trafficking and modern slavery. Perpetrators gain a child’s trust and then use that power to make them do things they don’t want to. Any child or young person from any community can be vulnerable to being groomed, exploited and abused regardless of their gender, homelife, religion or background. It is child abuse and can involve perpetrators grooming their victims in various ways, such as in person, via mobiles or online, to gain their trust. Warning signs can include a change in behaviour, having new friends, persistently going missing, secretive relationships with unknown adults, truancy from school, unexplained injuries, constant calls on a mobile phone and the possession of money or new things. If you’re concerned about a child in Dudley, visit https://safeguarding.dudley.gov.uk/report-it or call 0300 555 0050. In an emergency always dial 999.

The Home Office is currently consulting on the transfer of police and crime commissioner functions to the Mayor of the West Midlands at the May 2024 elections.   The consultation runs from the 20 December to 31 January 2024 . Find out more and take part at West Midlands police and crime commissioner functions transfer - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

As the weather gets colder, Dudley borough residents are being warned to be cautious when defrosting cars. Dudley’s community safety partnership, safe & sound, is urging people not to leave keys in the ignition of an unattended vehicle. Every winter cars are stolen from driveways and the kerbside when unsuspecting owners leave cars unattended while warming up and defrosting windscreens. To avoid becoming a victim to opportunist thieves, the advice is to clear windscreens with de-icer and a scraper and sit in your vehicle while the heater de-mists the windscreen. Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said: “It may sound like simple advice, but some victims only nip inside for a few seconds to collect a bag or finish a cup of coffee and that’s all the time a thief needs. “Insurance companies may not pay out for cars stolen in this way and if your house keys are also stolen homes also become vulnerable. “By being cautious people can avoid falling victim to opportunist thieves.” Anyone acting suspiciously can be reported to the police by calling 101 or 999 if a crime has been committed.

Today (Saturday 25 November 23) is the start of the 16 days of action against domestic abuse campaign. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of different forms of domestic abuse over 16 days, with a different theme each day. Dudley’s community safety partnership, safe & sound has joined with other local authorities in the area to highlight the different forms abuse can take and that it can happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion or disability. Dudley’s single point of contact for domestic abuse services is open to anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse including family and friends who are concerned about someone else. For information on help and support available and the signs to look out for in family and friends who could be in abusive relationships, including translated and easy read guidance visit our help hub.

Dudley borough residents are invited to have their say on community safety issues. Dudley’s community safety partnership ‘safe & sound’ is asking local people what should be done to help make the borough a safer place. People who live, visit or work in Dudley borough will be able to say what they think the big community safety issues are by completing a short survey. Feedback from the survey will inform safe and sound priorities moving forward. Councillor Laura Taylor-Childs, cabinet member for housing and communities said: "Listening to residents’ concerns is a priority and every year we ask people to tell us what their community safety concerns are to help us identify the main issues facing communities. "I would encourage people to complete the survey so we can understand the community safety issues that matter to people right now." Anthony Tagg, Dudley neighbourhood policing unit chief superintendent and chair of the community safety partnership, said: "We’re committed to working with our partners and listening to what residents are telling us about the main community safety issues facing their communities. "I would encourage people who live, work or visit the borough to take this opportunity to have your say." Complete the survey online at: https://www.dudleysafeandsound.org/have-your-say The survey closes on March 31.

Safe & sound, is helping to raise awareness that abuse is not OK this sexual abuse & sexual violence awareness week 6-12 February. Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and violence and to provide an opportunity for any organisation or individual to engage in dialogue. Safe & Sound will be sharing messages throughout the week using #ItsNotOK, alongside Black Country Women’s Aid - an independent charity which supports survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Find out more about sexual assault and abuse at safe & sound’s help hub or Black Country Women's Aid website. International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM also takes place on 6 February. Did you know female genital mutilation is illegal in the UK? It’s illegal to take a British or permanent resident abroad for FGM or to help someone trying to do this. Find out more on safe & sound's help hub.

Today (25/11) is the start of the 16 days of action against domestic abuse campaign. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of different forms of domestic abuse over 16 days, with a different theme each day. Dudley’s community safety partnership, safe & sound has joined with other local authorities in the area to highlight the different forms abuse can take and that it can happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion or disability. Dudley’s single point of contact for domestic abuse services is open to anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse including family and friends who are concerned about someone else. For information on help and support available and the signs to look out for in family and friends who could be in abusive relationships, including translated and easy read guidance visit our help hub.

Safe & sound, Dudley's community safety partnership, is supporting the UK's second annual ASB Awareness Week, running from July 18 to 24. Follow the conversation using #ASBAwarenessWeek ASB Awareness Week – Making Communities Safer aims to encourage communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and highlight the options available to those facing it. www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek More information about ASB in Dudley borough can be found on: https://www.dudleysafeandsound.org/asb

Every year on July 14th a National Day of Memory (DOM) is held to remember all those that lost their lives to honour killings. There are an estimated 12 'honour' killings each year in the UK although the exact number is unknown. The annual day of remembrance, initiated by Karma Nirvana in 2015, is held each year on July 14 - the birthday of Shafilea Ahmed who was murdered by her parents in 2003 after suffering years of abuse for becoming 'too westernised' and rejecting a forced marriage. 'Honour abuse' often has multiple perpetrators (including women) from the immediate and extended family and sometimes the community at large. Dudley's community safety partnership, safe & sound's website hosts more information about forced marriage, honour based abuse and useful links: www.dudleysafeandsound.org/forcedmarriage

Ahead of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations and the Commonwealth games, Dudley Council's health and safety team is reminding people of the importance of safe hiring of bouncy castles and other inflatables. Download the inflatables advisory letter.

The life or knife website is aimed at all young people, parents and teachers. You can find it by visiting this link. It provides you with information on where to report or talk to someone about knives and where you can anonymously dispose of knives. It also include lots of information on the devastating impact knives can have to you and others, guidance on how to talk to your child about knives, and resources that can be used in schools. This year the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner pledged there would be ‘a conversation with every child,’ in the West Midlands about knife crime. Backing up that pledge is a new campaign from the force. The #lifeorknife campaign, which has been informed by the region’s schoolchildren, teachers, police officers, doctors, paramedics and members of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Youth Commission, encourages children to talk about knife crime with parents, teachers and peers. If they have become withdrawn from the family and school, changed their behaviour, achievement or school attendance. If they might have lost interest in hobbies and old friends and now hang around with a new group, staying out late and being vague about where they go. If they have become secretive and defensive, particularly about what’s in their bag and might even told you that they need to carry a knife. If you’ve noticed knives are missing from the house or may even have found one in your child’s bag or coat. These things seem easily explained as part of the difficult teenage years, but it’s still important to talk to them about knife crime. How to have the chat It also includes lots of information on the devastating impact knives can have to you and others, guidance on how to talk to your child about knives, and resources that can be used in schools. Pick a place and a time where you can comfortably chat together. Your child might be reluctant to talk to you, so it might help to start by watching a relevant video or news article. Ask them if they understand what knife crime is about. Be patient, get them talking, reassure them that they can be honest with you about their fears and worries. You are there to listen and support them. You might want to share your own fears about their safety and their future. Tell them that even when they feel they don’t have choices, they do. You might have a story from your own childhood you can share about a time you felt pressured into acting a certain way or a recent news story you could reference. Explain that the bravest thing to do is walk away from a fight, particularly one where someone has a knife. That while walking away is never easy, it’s easier than getting seriously hurt or being responsible for killing or injuring someone else. You might want to discuss excuses your child could use to help them walk away, such as ‘I have to go and pick my little brother up,’ - or decide on a ‘code’ where the child can message you asking you to call them so that they can use your call as an excuse to walk away. Reassure them by saying many young people don’t carry knives. The James Brindley Foundation The James Brindley Foundation exists to bring an end to youth violence, and to engage and empower young people to make positive changes for a better life. Find out more about the work they do and how they're supporting our campaign by visiting their website. Find out more You can find out more by visiting the knife crime page on the West Midlands Police website and join in the conversation on social media using #lifeorknife. You can also find out more independent advice and anonymously report knife crime online by visiting Fearless.

Here and Now campaign asks every man and boy in the region to have a conversation about violence against women and girls. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has today launched a new campaign to encourage all men and boys in the West Midlands to have important conversations with their peers about male violence against women and girls. The campaign, Here and Now, will ask men to step up and prioritise conversations about playing their part in putting a stop to unacceptable male behaviours and deep-rooted misogyny. A recent survey into women’s safety, commissioned by the PCC in 2021, found 80 per cent of women in the region said they had been subject to harassment. Before Christmas, the PCC launched a campaign - No Excuse for Abuse - asking men to be upstanders for women’s safety, not a bystander to intimidation and violence. Now, the focus is on community-wide change and having more open conversations about the part that men need to play in challenging one another, and in talking with their peers about behaviours and actions. The West Midlands Victims’ Commissioner, Nicky Brennan, said: “It’s way past time that we talked more openly about male violence against women and girls. It’s really important that it’s not something that is treated as taboo or hidden away - it should be talked about in pubs, at the park, on the way to the football – wherever you would normally have a chat. “For far too long violence against women and girls has been accepted and normalised. The simple act of having conversations with your friends, colleagues and family members can help others to understand how certain behaviours and actions can make women feel uncomfortable and scared. So, we’re encouraging men to take the time to talk – here, and now.” The campaign will launch with three videos that will be shared across the region and used in training sessions. These videos reflect conversations between men of different ages based on feedback from people across the West Midlands about positive interactions they had experienced with male peers. The campaign will continue throughout Spring and Summer, reaching new audiences and drawing on original data to support the drive to help men have the much-needed conversations. The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “We know that men, in particular, haven’t traditionally spoken about these things. I can’t remember having these conversations when I was growing up. In recent years, there are more men wanting to learn about and discuss this important topic, but there’s still a long way to go, as evidenced by the severe and troubling prevalence of male violence against women and girls. “What we’re asking men to do is quite simple – have a chat. What might seem like a small thing to you may be a transformative moment for someone else. We want to work with men across the region to find out what works, what doesn’t, and how we might help remove any obstacles to having these conversations – all with the ultimate aim of preventing and tackling violence against women and girls.” The messages form part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s wider Safer Streets campaign, which includes police operations to spot and deal with potential male perpetrators, tailored education for young men on respecting women and girls, and work with partners to make practical improvements based on direct feedback from women. Alongside the work on changing behaviours and having a proactive policing response to violence against women and girls, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner offers a wide range of support services to victims To find out more, visit https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/no-excuse-for-abuse/