Success Story: On-boarding Catch22 ‘Kent County Lines and Gangs Service’

Kent is a large county in South East England, covering urban, rural and coastal areas. It is  home to one of the largest student populations in the UK, and approximately 25% of the population are aged below 21.

Neighbouring South London boroughs, Kent faces similar challenges around County Lines to other areas with close connections to metropolitan hubs.

Between April 2019 – June 2020, ONS data revealed a 38% increase in drug offences across the UK, with 1,203 of these being recorded in Kent during the same period, representing a 33% rise –  the fifth highest increase in the country.

With County Lines activity and the accompanying child criminal exploitation so prominent in Kent, Catch 22 were employed to help provide specialist support for young people who have become victims of this criminal network of abuse and exploitation.

With both preventative and protective interventions (for those both engaged in and/or at risk of serious youth violence), the Catch 22 Kent County Lines and Gangs Service provides support to children and young people aged up to 25 that have been exposed to child criminal exploitation (CCE).

By identifying the individual needs of each young person, and working together with their immediate support network and close relatives,  Catch 22 designed a tailored programme of support which helps young people identify and manage risk-taking behaviours and recover from the impact of criminal exploitation.