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<p>County lines have a devastating impact on our communities, and we are determined
to crack down on these gangs and put an end to the exploitation of vulnerable children.</p><p>The
National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC), established with £3.6m of Home
Office funding, has been vital to strengthening our response to this issue by enhancing
the intelligence picture and enabling police forces to work together to tackle this
complex, cross border threat. Since it became operational in September 2018 the NCLCC
has coordinated four weeks of intensive law enforcement action resulting in over 2,500
arrests and over 3,000 individuals engaged for safeguarding.</p><p>The Home Office
has also announced £25m of targeted investment across 2019/20 and 2020/21 to uplift
the law enforcement response to county lines and increase the support available to
children, young people and families that are affected.</p><p>In addition, the Government
provides a range of support for county lines victims including: funding Young People’s
Advocates in Birmingham, Manchester and London to provide help and support for young
people exploited through county lines, and funding through the £13m Trusted Relationships
fund to help foster relationships between frontline professionals and young people
at risk of exploitation including county lines.</p><p>The needs of the child are paramount
when deciding the right care placement and Local Authorities have a statutory duty
to ensure that there is sufficient provision for their looked after children.</p><p>Lack
of sufficient placements to meet young people’s needs can lead to children being placed
out of area. The Government is helping to improve commissioning of placements, including
providing funding through the Department for Education’s £200 million children’s social
care Innovation Programme.</p>
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