Serious Group Violence, County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation Training

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Recognising and Responding to the Needs of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and Serious Group Violence

Working with gangs, serious youth violence, and exploitation is complex, there are no quick fixes, and no single service can succeed in isolation. The effectiveness of any intervention depends on the awareness, skills, and experience of the professionals involved. SMART Training and Consultancy equips individuals and organisations with the knowledge and tools needed to make a tangible difference through high-quality training and ongoing consultancy.

To date, SMART Training and Consultancy has delivered specialist training to thousands of professionals across the statutory and voluntary sectors, including police officers, judges, teachers, social workers, council staff, youth workers, nurses, probation officers, and prison staff. Our training enhances practitioners’ ability to engage effectively with young people at risk, those involved in negative peer activity, serious violence, and anti-social behaviour.

The results speak for themselves—feedback consistently highlights how our training has transformed practice, equipping professionals with practical strategies that lead to improved engagement, better outcomes for young people, and safer communities.

Delivered by trainers with first-hand experience of the criminal justice system and the realities of youth violence, our sessions combine lived experience with research-backed approaches. Everything we deliver is accesible, interactive and down to earth in its approach. We provide real-world insight while drawing on the latest evidence and best practices in intervention and safeguarding.

No glorification. No theory without action. Just practical, no-nonsense training that focuses on what actually works.

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CCE, Gangs and Serious Group Violence: Understanding, Supporting and responding to Vulnerable People at Risk

Usual course length: 1-2 (full days)

As a result of the training, you will:

• Have an improved understanding of gangs and serious youth violence
• Identify the reasons young people affiliate with gangs
• Understand the reality of gangs serious youth violence and the media
• Be able to identify at the earliest stages possible whether a young person is involved in gangs and serious violence
• Understand the issues around girls and gangs, including grooming and sexual exploitation
• Learn what is meant by County Lines and how they operate
• Be able to identify ways of working in partnership to facilitate group exit safely
• Learn from experts with first-hand experience

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Bespoke Training Courses on Gangs, Exploitation, and Youth Violence

At Smart Training and Consultancy, we offer tailor-made courses designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard young people and disrupt exploitation. Training sessions can be customised to cover the following key topics:

Understanding Gangs and Criminal Networks

• The structures and hierarchies of different types of gangs and organised criminal networks.
• The different types of grooming, recruitment and exploitation. 
• The influence of group affiliations on decision-making and the psychological impact of gang membership.
• The exploitation of girls and young women within gangs and negative peer group settings, including the specific risks they face.
• The role of County Lines: what they are, how they operate, the signs to look for, and strategies to dismantle these networks.

​Recognising and Responding to Warning Signs

• Identifying behavioural indicators of gang involvement and criminal exploitation.
• Understanding the grooming line and the Four Pillars of Intervention for effective support.
• The reality of debt bondage - how young people are trapped in exploitation and how to support them and their families.
• The victim-offender overlap - how individuals can be both perpetrators and victims of crime.
• Recognising and responding to social media’s role in gang activity, including its use for recruitment, coercion, and incitement of violence.

Intervention Strategies and Best Practice

• Effective strategies for breaking gang links and providing alternative sources of identity and belonging.
• How to proactively engage with young people to reduce offending and absconding.
• Methods to divert young people from gang-affiliated activities toward safer, more positive opportunities.
• Building sustainable gang exit strategies and long-term support plans.
• Examining the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures within organizations.
• Accessing and working with specialist support services for more comprehensive interventions.

Preventative Approaches and Disrupting Harmful Networks

• The different types of intervention that can hinder and disrupt group activity.
• How multi-agency collaboration can be leveraged to prevent and respond to exploitation effectively.
• Learning from past mistakes in tackling gangs and youth violence—what works and what doesn’t.
• Implementing motivational tools that practitioners can use to build trust and encourage change.
• Exploring non-violent resistance (NVR) strategies in working with families and professionals.

Recommended for:
​​All employees or 'Front Line' practitioners who deal with those 'at risk' of gang involvement or Serious Youth or Group Violence

​Get in touch with us to discuss your needs and get your quote

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CCE, Gangs and Serious Group Violence: Understanding, Supporting and Responding to Vulnerable People at Risk - Foster Carers / Guardians Training

Usual course length: 1-2 half days

As a result of the training, you will:

• Have an improved understanding of what gangs and serious youth violence is and of the different types
• Have a greater appreciation of the differences between anti-social and street gang-related behaviours.
• Be able to Identify the reasons young people affiliate with gangs
• Have increased knowledge of the grooming/coercion of Looked-After Children and how professionals can protect this vulnerable group.
• Understand the reality of gangs and serious group and their relationship with social media
• Be able to identify at the earliest stages possible whether a young person is involved in gangs and serious violence
• Understand the issues around girls and gangs, including grooming and sexual exploitation
• Understand what is meant by County Lines and how they operate
• Know how to position yourself differently so that it is more likely that a young person comes to you for support
• Be able to identify ways of working in partnership to support the young people in your care to exit safely
• Learn from experts with first-hand experience
• Have had opportunity to build a supportive network with other parents, guardians and caregivers

These sessions can be tailor-made to meet the needs of your foster carers / caregivers dependant on their and your organisational needs. Training sessions can be customised to cover the following key topics:

Understanding Gangs and Criminal Networks

• The structures and hierarchies of different types of gangs and organised criminal networks.
• The different types of grooming, recruitment and exploitation. 
• The influence of group affiliations on decision-making and the psychological impact of gang membership.
• The exploitation of girls and young women within gangs and negative peer group settings, including the specific risks they face.
• The role of County Lines: what they are, how they operate, the signs to look for, and strategies to dismantle these networks.

​Recognising and Responding to Warning Signs

• Identifying behavioural indicators of gang involvement and criminal exploitation.
• Understanding the grooming line and the Four Pillars of Intervention for effective support.
• The reality of debt bondage - how young people are trapped in exploitation and how to support them and their families.
• The victim-offender overlap - how individuals can be both perpetrators and victims of crime.
• Recognising and responding to social media’s role in gang activity, including its use for recruitment, coercion, and incitement of violence.

Intervention Strategies and Best Practice

• Effective strategies for breaking gang links and providing alternative sources of identity and belonging.
• How to proactively engage with young people to reduce offending and absconding.
• Methods to divert young people from gang-affiliated activities toward safer, more positive opportunities.
• Building sustainable gang exit strategies and long-term support plans.
• Examining the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures within organizations.
• Accessing and working with specialist support services for more comprehensive interventions.

Preventative Approaches and Disrupting Harmful Networks

• The different types of intervention that can hinder and disrupt group activity.
• How multi-agency collaboration can be leveraged to prevent and respond to exploitation effectively.
• Learning from past mistakes in tackling gangs and youth violence—what works and what doesn’t.
• Implementing motivational tools that practitioners can use to build trust and encourage change.
• Exploring non-violent resistance (NVR) strategies in working with families and professionals.

​Recommended for:
Foster Carers, Parents, Families, Caregivers, Teachers, Schools and other organisations working with these networks

​Get in touch with us to discuss your needs and get your quote

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