Research indicates that lockdown has increased the number of people at risk of exploitation. This is largely due to economic concerns and increased isolation. This session looks at how adults at risk could be exploited through county lines activity, how to spot the signs that someone is at risk of exploitation and how to respond effectively.
About the speaker
Paul McCann is NHS England’s Serious Violence and Contextual Safeguarding Lead for London.
Paul has over 25 years’ experience of working within a community safety, crime reduction and counter terrorism milieu, spanning a diverse range of police, central and local government portfolios. He pioneered the original national Channel pilot project in the London Borough of Lambeth in 2007, creating the first multi-disciplined panel of its kind nationally to mitigate the risks around individuals who are assessed as being vulnerable to violent extremism.
Paul was seconded for five years as policy lead to the National Counter Terrorism Police HQ in 2010, with responsibility for supporting the 43 police forces to mainstream the Channel program. He also collaborated with the Home Office in the development of relevant key policy areas including Channel and the wider Prevent Duty. Paul was awarded a national commendation for his services to Prevent by Sir Peter Fahey in June 2015.
He is currently working for NHS England as Serious Violent Crime and Contextual Safeguarding Lead for London with strategic responsibility for policy development and the mainstreaming of this work across the wider health economy.