‘Cuckooing/Home invasion’ is a severe form of abuse where criminals take over a ‘vulnerable’ person’s home to use it for illegal activities.

The Session Will Enable Delegates To:

•Understand how the legal framework and social dynamics surrounding ‘Cuckooing/Home invasion’ inter-connects with Safeguarding responsibilities.

•Recognise how to use effective multi-agency safeguarding strategies to protect individuals when Cuckooing/Home invasion occurs.

•Identify when a person/environment is at risk of Cuckooing/Home invasion and what action can be taken to disrupt and prevent long-term, irretrievable damage.

NWG Supports BBC highlighting ‘Cuckooing/Home invasion’ in recent article “Hundreds, if not thousands, of people’s homes are being taken over by criminals every week in the UK, usually to store and deal drugs, police chiefs have told the BBC”and we welcome and changes brought forward, or any further spotlight surrounding this important matter.

Crime and Policing Act 2026:

Introduced a new criminal offence of Cuckooing/home invasion that:

• Recognises the unique and complex nature of cuckooing/Home invasion,
• Shifts the focus from treating victims as complicit to acknowledging and consenting to being abused/exploited,
• Facilitates more effective safeguarding responses because it provides all safeguarding partners with legal clarity and the ability to act effectively.

Who is Most at Risk?

• Young care-experienced adults
• Individuals battling substance use and dependence
• Isolated people
• Anyone unable to recognise abuse due to trauma or adverse childhood experiences

The Hidden Reality:

Survivors have said they felt powerless, let down, blamed, and/or even criminalised by the systems that are designed to protect them. Until this year, Cuckooing/Home invasion was not a criminal offence and it was still largely misunderstood by Safeguarding and Community Safety partners.

Why This Matters:

Traditional Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour laws left victim/survivors feeling blamed and responsible. Many became homeless as a result of the abuse. This session will enable professionals to understand how current law and Safeguarding systems can shift accountability onto the perpetrators and properly support survivors.

Learning outcomes and objectives if available:

• Understand how the legal framework and social dynamics surrounding ‘Cuckooing/Home invasion’ inter-connects with Safeguarding responsibilities.
• Recognise how to use effective multi-agency safeguarding strategies to protect individuals when Cuckooing/ Home invasion occurs.
• Identify when a person/environment is at risk of Cuckooing/ Home invasion and what action can be taken to disrupt and prevent long-term, irretrievable damage.

The session will be facilitated by Lin Sands who has over 40 years of experience as a National Child/Adult Safeguarding consultant, practitioner and trainer.

She began her career as a Police Officer and later became a specialist Detective in Public Protection Teams that included Domestic Abuse and serious Sexual Offences. Lin has worked with a joint Home Office/Department of Health team, investigating historical child abuse and more recently, she was the Police & Justice Lead for the NWG Network where she focused on modernising and updating their Exploitation Disruption toolkit to Safeguard children and young adults from all forms of Exploitation, Modern slavery, and Human Trafficking. Lin specialises in helping all strategic and front line practitioners to understand and relate Safeguarding law and policy to their practice.