Language Matters: guidance for professionals when discussing and recording work with exploitation
Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership have updated our guidance for professionals around the use of language when discussing and recording work with exploitation. This resource now offers guidance for professionals working with children, young people and adults.
It is imperative that appropriate terminology is used when discussing individuals who have been exploited or are at risk of exploitation. Language implying that the person is complicit in any way, or responsible for the abuse or exploitation that has happened or may happen to them, must be avoided. Language should reflect the presence of coercion and the lack of control people have in abusive or exploitative situations and must recognise the severity of the impact exploitation has on the person.
This document can be used by professionals when discussing or recording the exploitation of individuals, including when escalating intelligence and delivering training. The document can be read at the beginning of strategy meetings, multi-agency meetings, or other settings where professionals might be discussing individuals who are at risk of exploitation. This document can also be used as a guide to support appropriate use of language when making a written record.