Exploitation 2021: Tackling the culture and challenges of sexual abuse, trafficking, modern slavery and county lines

A two-day online conference in June 2021, hosted by Kent’s Centre for Child Protection and the Association of Child Protection Professionals

Academics, practitioners and students are invited to focus on the voices of exploitation at a two-day online conference on 24/25 June 2021, co-hosted by Kent’s Centre for Child Protection (CCP) and the Association of Child Protection Professionals (AoCCP).

The conference – Exploitation 2021 – offers a significant opportunity to explore the culture and challenges of sexual abuse, trafficking, modern slavery and county lines. It’s also a chance to reflect on best practice with presentations from keynote presenters, papers on the latest research, themed panel sessions and workshops. Throughout the event, participants will be able to listen to the perspectives of victims, their families, professionals, researchers, and policy makers.

A discounted rate is available for students – £50 for two days.

Keynote presenters include:

Thursday 24 June

  • Dame Vera Baird DBE QC, The Victims Commissioner for England and Wales: Putting Victims First – the victims of exploitation
  • Dr Carlene Firmin MBE, Principal Research Fellow, The International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking: Contextual Safeguarding Framework and Lessons from Implementation
  • Dr Daniel Rhind, Specialist in Sport and Child Protection, Reader and Chartered Psychologist, Loughborough University: Safeguarding in, around and through sport: An international and inter-country perspective

Friday 25 June

  • Detective Superintendent Steve Barron: Covert Intelligence Northumbria Police: “Operation Sanctuary: Best Practice in the Investigation of Sexual Exploitation”
  • Prof Jane Reeves, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Innovation in Child Protection and Co Director of the Centre for Child Protection: Innovative Training for Contextual Safeguarding and Exploitation
  • Dr Samantha Warner, Specialist in Sexual Violence, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, honorary lecturer Salford University, board member AoCPP: Sexual Exploitation, training, leadership and trauma-informed practices
  • ACC Peter Ayling, Kent Police: Modern Slavery today.

The event also includes 16 presentations and workshops over the two days with speakers that include: Jahnine Davis PHD, Nick Marsh, Debbie Ariyo, Phil Spencer, Paul Rigby, Escapeline, Dr Sarah Lloyd (winner of the AoCPP Research and Practice Award 2019), Dr Bridget Ng’andu, Vanisha Jassal, Liz Bates, Emma Soutar, Aravinda Kosaraju, Louise Allen, Kish Batti-Sinclair, Edgardo Toro Quezada, Stephanie Crisp and Jillian McBride.

Panel sessions are expected to cover themes such as: Race, culture and other intersections; Perspectives on trafficking, migration and movement; Building resilience among exploited children and young People; Tackling exploitation – critical perspectives; and Legal and policy discourses on exploitation.

Originally planned to take place at the University of Kent, the conference has been rescheduled online to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. Events will run from 09.00 on Thursday 24 June to 17.00 on Friday 25 June 2021.

Book now via the Association of Child Protection Professionals website.


The Centre for Child Protection, based at Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, is an international centre of excellence and innovation in training, research and practice. Each year the Centre holds a child protection conference giving practitioners and students the opportunity to share knowledge and hear the latest research in the field.

Leave a Reply