Safeguarding & safety
County Lines
County lines are groups (gangs or organised criminal groups) who exploit vulnerable children and young adults in order to sell, move and hide drugs across the UK. All areas of the UK are likely to be affected by this criminal activity. Unfortunately, foster children are a vulnerable group that perpetrators actively target to groom and recruit.
What you will learn
- What county line groups are, their prevalence in the UK, and the risks they pose to children.
- How offenders groom and exploit children.
- How to spot the signs of being involved in a county line group.
- How to support a child who is at risk, or a victim of county line groups.
How the course works
The course is broken into manageable online units and includes knowledge checks or quizzes where appropriate. Progress saves automatically, so learners can pause and return on any device.
A certificate is available when all required course elements are completed successfully.
Who it is for
Foster carers, support carers and fostering-service staff who need practical, up-to-date learning in this topic.