Child Sexual Exploitation Training Course

This course has been updated to comply with and include changes from Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 and Working Together to Safeguard Children (WTSC) 2026 legislation. This legislation came into force on 1st September 2026 and was published by the Department for Education.

Child sexual exploitation happens when children under 18 are manipulated or coerced into sexual activity by someone taking advantage of a power imbalance. It can happen in person or entirely online, and the perpetrator is usually someone the child knows, whether within the family or through peers, gangs and the community.

This course explains what makes CSE distinct from other forms of sexual abuse: the element of exchange, where a child receives something tangible like money or drugs, something intangible like status or affection, or simply the prevention of something worse. Receiving something never makes a child any less of a victim, and consent cannot legally be given where a child has no meaningful choice, whatever their age.

The course covers the law around CSE, including the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the Serious Crime Act 2015 and the Online Safety Act 2023. It examines the overlap between CSE, gangs and county lines, the three stages of grooming from targeting through to entrapment, and why children who go missing are at particular risk, using push and pull factors to explain what draws them away.

The course also covers risk assessment in practice, working through the low, medium and high risk categories and the actions each demands, alongside contextual safeguarding, the National Referral Mechanism, and the eight practice principles developed by the Tackling Child Exploitation Support Programme.

Please note this course covers subject matter that some learners may find distressing.

Who should take this course?

This course is for anyone working with children and young people who may be at risk of sexual exploitation. This includes:

• Social workers and social care practitioners
• Safeguarding leads and safeguarding teams
• Healthcare professionals
• Youth workers and voluntary sector practitioners
• Residential and foster care staff
• Police and community safety officers

What does this training cover?

• What child sexual exploitation is, including the role of exchange and why consent cannot be given
• Who carries out CSE, both within and beyond the family
• The law on CSE, including the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Online Safety Act 2023
• The link between CSE, gangs and county lines, including cuckooing
• The three stages of grooming: target, test and trapped
• Children at greater risk, and why going missing is both a risk factor and an indicator
• Assessing low, medium and high risk, and the response each requires
• The impacts and indicators of CSE
• Contextual safeguarding and the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

Child Sexual Exploitation Course Certificate and Assessment

At the end of the course, learners will need to complete an online test consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions. Learners are required to achieve a 80% pass mark, and, if necessary, may attempt the test six times at no extra cost.

If learners do not achieve the 80% pass mark within six attempts, further attempts may be given by contacting our support team.

Learners will be able to download a child sexual exploitation digital certificate on successful completion of the test. This can be printed, and we suggest you keep it for your records.

Accreditation

The content of this child sexual exploitation training course has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Duration

This course takes around 1-2 hours to complete. As it's all online, you can complete it at your own pace, in stages, with your progress recorded throughout.

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this child sexual exploitation course.