A SMALL number of children in Thurrock have voluntarily, with their families' support, agreed to wear electronic tags as a way to help offset the possibility of them being trafficked and exploited by drug and county line gangs.

In a report to Thurrock councillors, who sit on the authority's corporate parenting committee, Seema Moules, child sexual exploitation and missing and exploitation manager at the council, details how the council is working with police to try and create safer environments for youngsters.

The council has identified a number of children at risk of criminal exploitation and says that its efforts have already produced positive results as it reacts to identification of a slight rise on the number of young people going missing who it believes are being trafficked and exploited via county lines.

The report says: "We have had a few young people agree to wearing a tag and so their movements can be tracked, and their missing episodes have stopped. Disruption techniques have been used to break up a small group of young people of concern."

When a child is assessed as being at risk or vulnerable the young person is labelled metaphorically with a "child exploitation badge" (CE Badge) on their record of care so they can always be identified.

As of November there were 23 young people in Thurrock that have CE Badges. Of those eight are currently looked after by the council as a corporate parent.

Those children with current CE Badges fall under either risk of child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation or both but there currently none in Thurrock under both risks.

The report touches on the issue of 'missing' children.

"Missing episodes" for looked after children are reported when a child fails to return at the correct time. Several missing episodes can be recorded against one child. Children are reported as "missing" if care givers don't know where the child is.

The report shows a drop in the number of children under 18 reported missing. From July to October 2023 there were 92 missing episodes and 20 missing children. From July to October 2024 there were 63 missing episodes and 18 children reported missing. There were three unaccompanied asylum-seeking children logged as missing in the latter quarter.

The council conducts Return Home Interviews (RHI) to try to understand why a child has gone missing and reduce incidents. Since 2023 the council has taken this process in house.

The report says: "There has been an emphasis on building positive relationships with our young people who persistently go missing and previously would decline the RHI's offered to them, to ensure they are provided with the opportunity to share their experiences in relation to their missing episode and receive support and intervention as required."

As well as being identified by allocation of a CE badge, five young people – all who are with their own families and not in council care – have elected to wear an electronic tag provided by Essex Police, who are part of the area's children's safety partnership.

A spokesperson for the council said: "The tags are provided and managed by the police. We believe as well as being a location safeguarding tool, it means the children, if they are approached or feel threatened, can indicate they are wearing the tag, which we believe will make anyone will ill-intent think again.

"It's a useful tool that the children and parents elect to use. It's voluntary and we believe effective."