Previous Reference:  Minute 51 (2017/18)

The Interim Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “V” which provides an update to the report presented to the Bradford East Area Committee on the 15^th February 2018 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It sets out the arrangements that have been put in place, and which continue to develop, to safeguard children from CSE.

Recommended-

That the update report be noted.

                                                                        (Mark Griffin – 01274 434361)

Resolved-

(1)  That the update report be noted and the interventions that were undertaken be welcomed.

(2)  That a further report be presented within the next six months providing more details on educational interventions at neighbourhood and ward-levels.

(3)  That the Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services attends a future meeting of the Bradford East Area Committee meeting in relation to providing progress about CSE work undertaken in the Bradford East area.

(4)  That more research is undertaken to understand exploitation of young people within faith communities and information be presented to a future meeting of the Bradford East Area Committee.

(5)  That the Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services engages with schools who have not participated in CSE projects in the Bradford East area.

(6)  The Strategic Director Children’s Services provides an update about the outcome of the CSE Review within the next 12 months to this Committee.

Action:           Interim Strategic Director Children’s Services/Strategic Director Place

(Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

                                                            (Mark Griffin – 01274 434361)

Previous Reference:  Minute 51 (2017/18)

The Interim Strategic Director, Children’s Services submitted Document “V” which provided an update to the report presented to the Bradford East Area Committee on the 15^th February 2018 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It set out the arrangements that had been put in place, and which continued to develop, to safeguard children from CSE.

The Manager of the Children’s Safeguarding Board reported that CSE remained a focus for Bradford Council and its partners, he reported that since the last report, progress had been achieved in improving the response to CSE in the following ways:

·         The recently published Working Together legislation would result in changes to safeguarding arrangements nationally and partners were considering the local impact.

·         Production and finalisation of the Strategic Response to CSE.

·         Development of a CSE action plan in support of the Strategic Response.

·         Appointment of a new Local Authority CSE analyst.

·         Continued review around the CSE Team and operational functionality.

·         Continued development of the monthly CSE Operational meeting to complement daily activity and the strategic CSE Sub-group.

·         Bradford was successful in gaining Home Office funding for Trusted Relationships to provide additional support to vulnerable children.

·         Strategic Boards were now working together to tackle other complex safeguarding themes such as criminal exploitation, organised crime and modern day slavery.

·         Innovative methods of raising awareness through Safeguarding Stories, Mr Shape Shifter, Somebody’s Sister and Somebody’s Daughter.

·         A District Communications Group now existed to provide practitioners, parents, carers, children and communities with proactive, innovative and consistent approaches to communications.

·         Children’s Services had appointed its first Social Media Apprentice to create stronger and more effective links with children and young people.

·         The District Digital Safeguarding Group would develop and deliver a Digital Safeguarding strategy and it was intended to develop a virtual hub, aimed at practitioners and the community.

·         Bradford District Police Cyber Team continued to deliver training around on-line safety within the educational sector.

·         Partners were coordinating a District wide approach to support schools in Bradford to meet the Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) needs of  young people.

·         Public Health was now taking a higher profile role within CSE and had developed a specific Public Health offer to support CSE work across the district.

·         The BSCB (Bradford Safeguarding Children’s Board) had developed detailed audit tools to ensure organisations and schools had appropriate safeguarding arrangements in place.

He reported that Appendix 3 to the report provided statistics relating to Bradford East; Bradford East featured highly for children at risk of CSE; more referrals were being received; in relation to crime data Bradford East was not the highest and lower than other areas; Bradford East had the third highest number of perpetrators; Eccleshill, Bolton and Undercliffe and Bradford Moor were wards of most concern in Bradford East; the focus of activity was to look at developing knowledge of risk and addressing areas of concern.

The Chair of the CSE Missing Sub Group reported that Bradford District Police Cyber Team had started in 2015  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45