The money will fund the charity’s expanded support service for the next three years, which will aid young victims of gang exploitation and their families, and assist in freeing them from their involvement.
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The service will operate across four areas with England's highest county lines activity, where young people are frequently targeted by gangs – London, the West Midlands, Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
The support package will provide one-to-one specialist support for young people aged under-25, by safely contacting victims who have been referred by police and children’s services, and closely working with them to reduce and end their engagement in gang crime.
Where a victim is identified outside their hometown, a rescue service, with out-of-hours capacity, will be used to take them home safely, and they will have the opportunity to engage with caseworkers – including specialist female or mental health caseworkers where required – upon their return.
Mental health support and counselling will be provided to victims and their families through the service, and the Home Office’s funding will also support the delivery of SafeCall, a confidential and anonymous helpline operated across England and Wales by charity Missing People.
Naomi Hulston, chief executive of Catch22, explained a crucial part of the expanded service was supporting those who have felt the “devastating” impact of county lines exploitation.
She said: “We know that grooming techniques are becoming more advanced and that escaping the clutches of these perpetrators can be incredibly difficult. That’s why as part of this service we’ll not only be bringing young people home safely, we’ll be supporting them to make sure they can process their experiences and are protected from any future harm.”
Jeremy Quin, minister for crime and policing, said he wanted victims of exploitation to know there is support available, citing that 2,400 county lines have been shut down since 2019, and engaged with over 9,500 individuals through safeguarding interventions.
He added that the new, expanded services “will be relentless in their focus to carve out safe routes home for young people in danger and tear them away from the grip of these merciless gangs, opening up their futures once more”.
