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Understanding Cuckooing: Awareness, Prevention, and Support

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About Course

This course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of cuckooing, a criminal exploitation tactic where vulnerable individuals are targeted and their homes are taken over by criminals for illicit activities. Participants will learn what cuckooing is, who it affects, the signs to look for, how to provide support to victims, and the long-term impacts on individuals and communities.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Define cuckooing and understand its context within criminal exploitation.
  2. Identify the individuals and communities most at risk.
  3. Recognise key warning signs of cuckooing.
  4. Understand the steps to take to provide immediate and long-term support.
  5. Analyse the long-term effects of cuckooing on victims and communities.
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What Will You Learn?

  • What Cuckooing Is and How It Works
  • Understand the tactics used by criminals to exploit vulnerable individuals.
  • Learn about the link between cuckooing and criminal networks, including drug trafficking and human exploitation.
  • Who is Affected and Why
  • Identify the groups most at risk, such as individuals with disabilities, mental health challenges, or social isolation.
  • Explore the societal factors that make communities and individuals more vulnerable.
  • Recognising the Signs of Cuckooing
  • Learn how to spot clear and subtle indicators of exploitation.
  • Develop the ability to question and analyse situations without making assumptions.
  • Taking Action to Safeguard Victims
  • Discover practical steps to report concerns and support affected individuals.
  • Understand the importance of multi-agency collaboration and community engagement in tackling cuckooing.
  • Preventing Exploitation in High-Risk Communities

Course Content

What is Cuckooing?
Definition of Cuckooing Cuckooing is a form of criminal exploitation where offenders take over the home of a vulnerable individual to use it for illegal activities, such as drug dealing, human trafficking, or storing stolen goods. This tactic often involves coercion, manipulation, or intimidation, leaving the victim unable to resist or seek help. The term comes from the cuckoo bird, which lays its eggs in other birds’ nests, forcing the host bird to raise its young—an apt metaphor for how criminals exploit and control their victims' living spaces.

  • Why is this training so important?
  • Knowing Cuckooing
  • How it is used in criminal networks (e.g., drug trafficking, human trafficking).
  • Key tactics used by perpetrators to gain access to victims’ homes.
  • Identifying and Preventing Exploitation

Whose affected?
Vulnerable groups at risk: Individuals with mental health conditions. Elderly or socially isolated individuals. People with substance misuse issues. Residents in low-income housing or supported accommodation. Community impact and the role of socio-economic factors.

Observation Skills
This section contains a range of scenarios and you need to identify if the person is at risk or not.

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