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For parents worried about their child. Professionals who can advise without automatically triggering a referral.
The Safeguard Hub · safeguard-hub.org/for-police/ · May 2026
Parents at a school safeguarding event fall into three states: Already worried (want validation and next steps) · Curious but not anxious (want to be informed) · Sceptical (there under mild social pressure, will leave if lectured). The police badge creates a specific dynamic — some are immediately reassured; others carry historical mistrust. Read the room in the first two minutes before settling your tone.
"The most common entry point for a young person into county lines is someone giving them a second phone. Not selling drugs — just holding a phone and passing on messages. That phone is how the network controls them. If your child has a phone you didn't give them and can't explain where it came from, ask about it. You don't need to accuse them — just ask."
Other concrete warning signs for parents:
"Most young people who carry a knife carry it because they're frightened, not because they want to hurt anyone. The problem is that carrying makes them significantly more likely to be stabbed — not less. If you think your child might be carrying because they're scared, the conversation to have is: what are you scared of, and how can we make that safer — not: are you carrying a knife."
If a parent asks what to do if they find a knife:
"Take it somewhere safe — don't hand it back to your child. Call 101 for advice on how to hand it in. Then have a conversation — not a confrontation."