The report of the Chief Executive’s Office (Document “L”) will be submitted to the Area Committee to provide an update on the contemporary strategic response to all forms of exploitation of children and adults at risk of exploitation and how partners from The Bradford Partnership – Working together to safeguard children and the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board work to drive continuous improvement and to hold agencies to account for their work on this subject. The report also outlines the challenges presented to the partnership following the global pandemic – Covid 19.

Recommended –

That the report be noted.

(Darren Minton – 01274 434361)

The report of the Chief Executive’s office (Document “L”) was submitted to the Committee to provide Members with an update on the contemporary strategic response to all form of exploitation in both children and adults who were deemed at risk and how the partnership in Bradford was driving for continuous improvement.  The report also indicated how the partnership was seeking to hold agencies to account for their work in this area and outlined the challenges presented as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.

The partnership in Bradford was made up by the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB), The Bradford Partnership (TBP) and the Community Safety Partnership who were working together to protect vulnerable children and adults at risk resulting in professionals being able to recognise and respond at an earlier stage.

The report included details of recent activities and events that had taken place provided background information on who was affected, the types of exploitation and the impact it had on, not only the victims, but their family, friends and community.  Exploitation, in its variety of forms was not a new issue but dictated new ways to tackle it with changes in methodology such as the use of social media for example, by perpetrators.

The All Age Exploitation sub group (AAE), chaired by Superintendent Richard Padwell of West Yorkshire Police, was the strategic lead for the district’s child exploitation action plan and for reviewing the Child Exploitation Protocol and reported into both the TBP and BSAB annually.  The AAE hosted a large multi-agency event which was attended by over 100 frontline practitioners with the aim of better understanding of the threat, harm and risk in Bradford as well as what worked well, areas that could be enhanced and the changing nature of vulnerability.

In addition to the above, ‘The Programme Precision’ initiative worked to tackle serious and organised crime in the county.  The steering group consisted of local partners, West Yorkshire Police and was Chaired by the Council’s Chief Executive, Kersten England.

Summaries of the organizations, bodies and panels set up and working to address the complex nature of exploitation were provided so that Members had a clear indication of what was being done and by whom stating the aims and objectives of each one. 

Members were then given the opportunity to comment and ask questions, the details of which and the responses received are as below.

·         Referring to 2.36 of the report, what was the total cohort – what was done with the other 10% who were referred to the Breaking the Cycle team?

·      Officers stated that 200 referrals had been made into ‘Breaking the Cycle’  with the emphasis on protection rather than prevention with a lot of support from Youth Services.  They were working with 350 young people over a longer time to try to protect them.  Since the service began it had worked with 1000 young people.  They also informed Members that they were working with Bradford Royal Infirmary providing specialist level support to tackle knife crime.

·         Were further referrals made for the other 10%?

·      Officers advised that there were likely other interventions in place such as YOT

·         Referring to 2.41 in the report a Member asked about ‘Chatbot’ which was in place for 13-18 year olds.  What happened if an older, but still vulnerable person made contact in this way?

·      Officers advised that they would be signposted to an appropriate service.  They also said that it could be rolled out and made available to schools – it would also be online on their website soon

·         Free Safeguarding training was available for everyone and the Chair requested that a briefing was sent to Members including how it was being advertised.  An update on uptake of the training would be welcomed next year so that Councillors could encourage completion of the training on offer.

·         A Member asked about the protocols in place for Modern Slavery cases for adults.

·      Officers advised that there were both district and national Safeguarding teams.  If a person presented in hospital for treatment (as per the incident specified), referrals should be made to the Hospital Medical Safeguarding Team.  Palmco also provided resources for victims.

·         Was mandatory training rolled out to other organizations?

·      Officers advised that over the previous 12 months they had been looking at a multi-agency approach to training including the way in which exploitation had evolved and was evolving.  Council partners had a statutory requirement to undertake training.  The development of a Safeguarding Business Initiative was also being considered as only a low number of companies had policies around Safeguarding/Exploitation.  The partnership Board was developing a piece of work on this matter.

·         Referring to 2.7 in the report relating to prosecutions which covered 2013-2019, were there any, more up to date figures available?

·      Officers advised that they would look into this and provide them to the Area Office

The service was open to ideas and were working with a national working group, an organization called ‘VKPP’ was looking at both online and wider exploitation and how improvements could be made.

Resolved –

1.    That an updated report be presented to the Area Committee in 12 months’ time.

2.    That the report be noted.

Action: Chief Executive