As the housing sector continues to grapple with the complexities of cuckooing, initiatives like L&Q’s serve as examples of how proactive measures can prevent this growing issue.
Last month, we heard calls for the government to introduce a new criminal offence around “cuckooing”. Outside of the housing sector, this was a relatively unknown phenomenon until popular BBC show Line of Duty broadcast an episode about it and paved the way for a discussion about its damaging impacts.
Cuckooing is a practice where criminal gangs befriend vulnerable people before taking over their homes for exploitation and abuse. A widespread issue that’s on the rise, it is presenting a significant challenge to social landlords, many of whom make up the first line of defence against this complex and underreported crime.
Having a safe, secure and comfortable home is the bedrock upon which to build a healthy, happy and fulfilled life. Beyond being a physical structure, it’s also a place to relax and unwind, safe in the knowledge that you’re out of harm’s way. But what if your home became dangerous and somewhere to fear? A place where your safety is jeopardised by people seeking to exploit you for their own ends?
Figures from local authorities across London reveal a 300% increase in the number of cuckooing cases across the capital, up from 79 to 318 from 2018 to 2022. At L&Q, our experience mirrors the national picture: we had no cuckooing cases a few years ago, but in the last year alone, we’ve had three.
Whilst the circumstances vary, cuckooing tends to be a targeted crime, with vulnerable people most likely to be impacted – whether than be someone who is elderly, has learning difficulties, or suffers from drug or alcohol misuse.
Often part of county lines operations, the most common situations that we come across involve drugs trafficking, but premises can be used for other reasons, such as sexual exploitation or storage for stolen goods.
Housing associations like L&Q play an essential role in tackling cuckooing, using our knowledge of local communities to detect early signs of abuse and exploitation. With eyes and ears on the ground, we’re well-placed to spot cases, but that isn’t always enough to address the wider problem. Partnership working is the most crucial part of an effective strategy – with housing, health, adult social care and police services all working together to find a solution.
L&Q resident Natasha’s* experience show the outcomes that can be achieved when we knit services together.
Natasha was being sexually and financially exploited after falling victim to cuckooing. Fearful for her life, she confided in her housing officer and explained her situation. We put an initial safeguarding plan in place to protect her from immediate danger. We also supported Natasha in reporting the incident to the police and raised a safeguarding concern with the local authority.
Natasha wanted to be moved until the issue was resolved, and as a large housing association who works with over 50 care and support providers, we were able to find her temporary accommodation at an LGBTQ+ specialist scheme.
When dealing with potentially dangerous situations, colleague safety has to be a top priority. Like other housing associations, we ensure all colleagues have personal safety devices when out and about in the community. Our procedures also make sure that colleagues do not work alone in any situations that may present risk. In Natasha’s case, we suspended lone working in the area, increased our local presence and stepped-up security in the evenings.
Cuckooing isn’t a straight forward crime, and colleagues must be confident in navigating the complex world of safeguarding, including how to respond to and raise a formal concern with the local authority. This involves gathering evidence and having the knowledge and skills to challenge a local authority decision if needed.
Frontline colleagues also attend regular team meetings with colleagues and debrief meetings and supervision with managers. At the debriefing sessions, we talk about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and reflect on lessons learned.
We also have designated safeguarding leads in place, who attend monthly forums to chat informally about practice, and a formal quarterly meeting to discuss individual cases, and changes to policy or legislation. Should a serious incident happen, I chair L&Q’s safeguarding serious case reviews, where we reflect on the case and develop an action plan to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
At L&Q, we believe that everyone in our business needs to make tackling cuckooing their business. Awareness training forms part of our programme for front-line officers, so no matter whether they work in maintenance or community development, they feel equipped and empowered to report anything unusual.
The rising figures highlight the magnitude of the problem, but the need to resolve it is ever greater. Social landlords have a fundamental part to play in stamping out cuckooing. Let’s do this right, pull every lever at our disposal, and support our residents to live in a safe, happy and secure environment.
*Names have been changed.