County lines: the essentials

Use this county lines presentation with video explainer and optional activity to get your staff up to date on:

• What 'county lines' is
• Who's at risk
• Signs to look and listen out for
• What to do if you think a child is being exploited or is at risk

All staff should be aware of the indicators that may signal children are at risk from, or are involved with, serious violent crime.

Under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), your staff should know the indicators which may signal children are at risk from, or are involved with, serious violent crime (including 'county lines') and the measures in place to manage these risks.

1. Download the PowerPoint presentation, facilitator notes, group activity, common questions and staff factsheet 
2. Decide whether your staff need in-depth training, or more of an overview
• If you want to cover this topic in depth, use all the presentation slides, activity and scenario. The session should last about 50 minutes, and take 30 minutes for you to prepare
• If you want to give staff more of an overview, show the video and deliver slides 1 to 5, and 16 to 17, in the presentation. The session should last about 25 minutes, and take 15 minutes for you to prepare
3. Work through the facilitator notes. They tell you everything you need to know to prepare and deliver the PowerPoint presentation effectively, including what slides to use or delete to run this session in 50 minutes or 25 minutes. You’ll need these to hand when presenting
4. Read the common questions document to help you confidently answer questions from staff on this growing issue
5. Provide each member of staff with a staff factsheet, which they can refer to during and after the training

Remember: you need to be logged in to The Key Safeguarding to watch the video.

Send them this link so they can watch it.

... follow up a week or two later with our safeguarding scenario on serious violent crime. Use it to check whether your staff can spot the possible signs of involvement with county lines, and how they would respond.