The Chief Executive Office will submit a report (Document “CN”) which provides an update to and builds on the report presented to the Council Executive on 5th November 2019 and subsequently to the District’s Area Committees regarding the issue of Child Exploitation (CE). It focuses on the Strategic Response to all forms of exploitation in Children and Adults and how partners from the Working Together to Safeguard Children – the Bradford Partnership and the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board work to drive improvements across the District and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. This report also outlines the emergence of other complex safeguarding themes and outlines how partners are effectively collaborating and focussing upon the protection of vulnerable Children and Adults.

Recommended –

(1)       The Council Executive is invited to note the contents of this report.

(2)       The Council Executive shall receive a further update on the progress of the response to exploitation in 12 months’ time.

(3)       That subsequent reports will be provided to Area Committees

(4)       That all councillors undertake training and refresher updates on CE as part of their induction and ongoing training with regular refreshers.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Children’s Services, Health and Wellbeing

(Lawrence Bone - 01274 434361)

The Chief Executive submitted a report (Document “CN”) which provided an update to and built on the report presented to the Executive on 5th November 2019 and subsequently to the district’s Area Committees regarding the issue of Child Exploitation (CE).  It focused on the strategic response to all forms of exploitation in Children and Adults and how partners from the Working Together to Safeguard Children – the Bradford Partnership and the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board work to drive improvements across the district and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. This report also outlined the emergence of other complex safeguarding themes and outlined how partners are effectively collaborating and focussing upon the protection of vulnerable Children and Adults.

A number of people were present at the meeting including a representative from West Yorkshire Police and the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner.  In terms of the different forms of exploitation the following points were made by the participants:

·         That as a result of the pandemic aspects of exploitation were hidden as face to face contact had declined, however exploitation had continued through other mediums.

·         That the exploitation of vulnerable individuals remained a particular area of concern and focus for all agencies, whether it was exploiting them through drug dealing, scams, phising or other methods.

·         That good inroads had been made by the Police in tackling the issue of missing children with significant reductions in the numbers.

·         That the work in the Bradford district in tackling all forms of exploitation had been exemplary, particularly in terms of managing risks, supporting those at risk and pursuing perpetrators through the legal system.

·         That many of the projects around safeguarding relied on Home Office funding and some of this funding would be coming to an end, so conversations needed to be had on how this work would continue into the future.

·         That enormous inroads had been made in dealing with the issue of modern slavery, that this was a national issue and took many forms including labour exploitation, domestic servitude and also involved a large number of British nationals.  To this end the Modern Slavery Charter had been adopted in Bradford.

The Opposition Group leader was present at the meeting and stated that she welcomed the continued training for members in this area and the imperative of tackling the issue of ‘county lines’.

The Deputy Leader also endorsed the work that had been done in Schools as they were in a position to spot many of the initial warning signs.

The Leader thanked all partners for the work undertaken in Bradford to deal with the issue of exploitation in all its forms.

Members in welcoming the input of partners, stressed that tackling exploitation in all its forms was a collective responsibility, and that any issues or concerns should be reported accordingly. 

Resolved –

(1)       That the contents of the report be noted

(2)       That the Executive shall receive a further update on the progress of the response to exploitation in 12 months’ time.

(3)       That subsequent reports be provided to Area Committees

(4)       That all councillors undertake training and refresher updates on Child Exploitation as part of their induction and ongoing training with regular refreshers.

ACTION: Strategic Director Children’s Services

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Children’s Services, Health and

Wellbeing