Source: National Crime Agency published on our website Wednesday 6 November by Jill Powell

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has arrested nine people in the UK as it collaborated with international partners on INTERPOL's largest-ever operation targeting people smuggling and human trafficking.

Officers from the NCA's Joint International Crime Centre (JICC) National Extradition Unit made the arrests across Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Kent.

An additional suspect was detained in Northern Ireland by the PSNI.

INTERPOL's National Central Bureau in Manchester, housed and managed by the NCA, helped identify three suspects residing in the UK.

They were arrested by NCA officers for people smuggling offences after 27 people, including 21 children, were intercepted in Tunisia attempting to travel to the UK.

A 32-year-old Syrian man, arrested in Nottingham and wanted by Romania, is accused of transporting migrants from Bulgaria to Romania, for onward travel to the Netherlands.

The other seven are wanted for people smuggling, human trafficking or modern slavery offences in France, Germany, Belgium and Romania.

Extradition proceedings for all nine suspects are ongoing.

An NCA international liaison officer was also deployed to the INTERPOL Operational Co-Ordination Unit in Skopje, North Macedonia, to facilitate the exchange of intelligence across the globe.

The action took place during a week-long intensification of INTERPOL's 'Operation Liberterra II' from 29 September to 4 October 2024.

At its 92^nd General Assembly, hosted by the UK in Glasgow, INTERPOL 6 November announced preliminary results of its global operation.

Alongside the UK, a total of 116 countries and territories took part in the operation and 2,517 arrests were made worldwide. 

NCA Deputy Director of International Rick Jones, said: 

"This INTERPOL operation is a prime example of our commitment to working closely and effectively with international partners to tackle people smuggling and human trafficking. We utilised a range of our specialist capabilities to gather and disseminate intelligence to law enforcement agencies across the world, and to enable our officers to identify, locate and detain offenders wanted overseas. As a result, nine individuals wanted in connection to serious offences have been removed from our communities and extradition proceedings are ongoing to ensure they face justice."

Source: Ofsted published on this website Monday 4 November 2024 by Jill Powell

Ofsted has today begun accepting applications for a new category of childcare provider, as part of a series of changes the Department for Education has introduced to give the early years and childcare sector more flexibility.

Childcare providers now have the option to register as childminders without domestic premises, meaning they can work solely from somewhere other than a home, such as a village hall.  

Previously, childminders had to register on domestic premises and spend at least 50% of their time working from a home address. The government has now removed this limit, but those registered to provide care at someone’s home will still have to spend some of their time on domestic premises. It will be up to individual providers to decide how best to split this between settings.  

The total number of people who can work together under a childminder’s registration has also increased from 3 to 4, allowing providers more flexibility to work with others, such as co-childminders and childminding assistants.   

New guidance, published today, explains how these changes will impact on childcare providers and how to register under the new provider type.  

Read the guidance on how to ‘Register as a childminder without domestic premises’.

Source: UK Safer Internet Centre published on this site Tuesday 5 November 2024 by Jill Powell

The UK Safer Internet Centre has published a new report examining sextortion cases on SWGfL’s Revenge Porn Helpline from August 2022 to August 2024. Based on the experiences of 127 victims who contacted the helpline, the report reveals the significant psychological toll of sextortion, barriers to justice, and the urgent need for preventative action across social, legal, and digital sectors.

The latest sextortion report comes after the UK Safer Internet Centre hosted a roundtable event in London to explore its findings, and the key trends related to financial sextortion. The event was attended by a variety of organisations and industry partners to understand how attendees were responding to the challenges sextortion presents and provide solutions for going forward.

Key Findings
The Sextortion Report reveals that the majority of sextortion victims contacting the helpline were young men, with 85% of victims identifying as male and 64% aged 18–34. Perpetrators were found to typically initiate contact on social media and dating platforms, before jumping between platforms after initial contact, with the majority of content (92%) being shared on social media platforms. The report highlights that this “cross-platform behaviour” exploits the specific functions of each platform, as offenders jump between services to avoid detection and intimidate victims.

Psychological Impact
The report highlights the substantial distress caused by sextortion, often leaving victims in a prolonged state of “uncertainty and anxiety” about whether their intimate content has been shared publicly. While 22% of victims confirmed that their images had indeed been shared, a concerning 54% were unsure, which increases their ongoing fear and emotional distress. Experiences shared by victims revealed feelings of isolation, helplessness, and, in some instances, hesitation to report the crime due to a perceived lack of support from law enforcement.

Challenges with Law Enforcement
Victims often described their experience with law enforcement as unhelpful, with only 24% reporting any follow-up by police. Just one perpetrator was convicted among 127 cases, with the report emphasising that law enforcement efforts are frequently obstructed by “cross-border cooperation issues,” as sextortion rings are often based outside the UK.

Recommendations for Action
The UK Safer Internet Centre’s Sextortion Report provides recommendations and calls for immediate action across various sectors to combat the rising rate of sextortion cases, emphasising the next steps and priorities that government, education, industry, police, and civil society can take.
Learn more about the key findings and recommendations from the Sextortion Report by downloading the report here.

Source: National Autistic Society published on this website Friday 1 November 2024 by Jill Powell

The National Autistic Society is encouraging people to be sensory-aware during Bonfire Night celebrations this year by using your SENSES. 

Many autistic adults and parents of autistic children choose not to celebrate Bonfire Night because it is too noisy, unpredictable and unsettling. For some of the one in 100 people who are autistic, firework displays can cause stress and anxiety, particularly for those with sensory sensitivities.  

With the help of our Facebook community, The National Autistic Society have produced a list of helpful tips on ways to make Bonfire Night a positive experience, and enjoyable for all. 

Using your SENSES is a handy acronym to help raise awareness and encourage autism-friendly Bonfire Night celebrations. It stands for:

S   Stick to a plan. 

E   Eat well and keep warm. 

N  Noise. You may want to use headphones or ear defenders. 

S   Safety speech. 

E   Extra distractions. Try putting on the TV. 

S   Set an example.
 

Good planning and communication can help overcome many difficulties. Simple changes like agreeing a plan for the evening, wearing ear defenders, or even watching a firework display on the television at home, can help to ease stress and anxiety.

You can see the full list of tips on Bonfire night and fireworks advice and guidance page. 

Peter Watt, Director of National Programmes at the National Autistic Society, said: “There are more than 700,000 autistic people in the UK and, for some of those people, Bonfire Night and firework celebrations can beoverwhelming.  

"Many autistic people enjoy fireworks, but for others, unexpected flashes and loud bangs, as well as large crowds at displays, can be distressing and trigger intense anxiety. For some autistic people it can even be physically painful if they experience sensitivity to light and sound. 

"We want to encourage everyone to use their SENSES in the run up to Guy Fawkes Night. The easy to remember acronym will help with small adjustments that can make a big difference. Head to our website, autism.org.uk, where you’ll find plenty more advice and information."