Loan sharks, also known as illegal money lenders have many personas, ranging from the friendly granny in the school playground, to the local businessman who offers financial help or that generous work colleague seeing you through until pay day. Most people who take an unlicensed loan, do not consider the person to be a loan shark and they initially view the loan as a lifeline. That is until the victim struggles to repay or questions the interest being charged, at this point that friendly helpful mask slips and a wide range of threats, control and intimidation are exposed. Loan sharks have been known to threaten and abuse borrowers, their children and wider family circle. Most victims struggle to afford basic household necessities as repayments to the loan shark are taking priority.
Anti-social behaviour, poor attendance at school and wider criminality have all been seen in situations where individuals are involved with a loan shark
This session is aimed at anyone working with families and children in the community. It will help you to understand what a loan shark is, identify the signs that someone may be involved with a loan shark and confidently signpost for support.
Learning outcomes
To increase awareness of the issue and prevalence of illegal lending.
Pre-requisites
Participants must have completed Introduction to Safeguarding Children and Young People (or another introductory level safeguarding course relevant to their role) before they can access this training.
Date available
- Thursday 12 September 2024, 13:00-14:00
Charging
There is currently no charge for access to this briefing.
Delivered by
Trish Cassidy, LIAISE Officer for Leeds, Illegal Money Lending Team
Delivery method
This briefing will be delivered by MS Teams. A link will be provided following registration.
To secure your place on this training course please complete the booking form.