Cuckooing awareness training
What is Cuckooing?
Cuckooing is a form of criminal exploitation where offenders take over the home of a vulnerable person and use it to run illegal activity such as drug dealing or county lines operations. The name comes from the cuckoo bird, which takes over another bird’s nest. Cuckooing most often affects people living in social housing, supported accommodation or experiencing mental ill-health, addiction, disability or isolation. For staff visiting people in their homes, this can create serious safety risks. Workers may unknowingly enter properties controlled by criminal groups, making awareness and early warning signs critical for both safeguarding residents and protecting themselves.
Our experience
Our training is built on first-hand frontline experience. We have worked directly in housing and supported services, managing real cases of cuckooing and county lines exploitation and supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. This includes multi-agency safeguarding work, risk management and contributing to prevention projects, including the development of awareness resources and video campaigns, such as the one below.
Training with Safer Support
At Safer Support, we deliver practical, UK-focused training that helps staff understand why cuckooing happens, who is most at risk, and how to recognise the early warning signs. We focus on building confidence to spot concerns, have safe and supportive conversations, and know the right next steps, from recording and reporting to working with safeguarding partners. The training also covers how to approach potential victims sensitively, what to say to open up dialogue, and how to offer help without increasing risk. Alongside this, we embed lone working and personal safety strategies so staff can protect themselves while safeguarding the people they support.
Safer Support - Personal Safety & Cuckooing Training 