Previous Reference:           Minute 21 (2016/17)

 

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “AI” which  provides an update to the report presented to this Committee on 6^th September 2016. It contains information on developments in the intervening five months and responds to the specific recommendations made at that meeting.

 

Recommended-

 

That the Committee note the contents of the report and receive a full update  in September 2017.

 

                                                            (Tony Griffin – 01274 431227)

 

 

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services submitted Document “AI” which provided an update to the report presented to this Committee on 6^th September 2016. It contained information on developments in the intervening five months and responded to the specific recommendations made at that meeting.

 

It was reported that the update since September included the drama production, “Mr Shapeshifter” and plans for this to be presented to primary schools in Bradford.

 

Members were informed that another significant event was the publication of the Serious Case Review of “Autumn” on 6 December 2016.  The key learning issues from the case for professionals was outlined in paragraph 2.5 of Document “AI”.

 

It was reported that the minutes of the September meeting were submitted to Professor Jay who was leading the independent enquiry into CSE.

 

Members were informed that CSE training had been delivered to over 3,500 new and existing licensed drivers, both private hire and hackney carriage.  All drivers were required to have copies of the “know the signs” literature in their vehicles and be able to demonstrate understanding of it.

 

It was reported that there was now greater co-ordination between Children’s and Adult’s Safeguarding Boards.  The Independent Chairs and business managers of each were now increasing the level of liaison between their areas of interest with vulnerability to sexual abuse and exploitation being a particular focus.

 

The Police Representative reported that the Historic Case Unit was currently undertaking 13 complex historic investigations.  Over 50 suspects had been arrested; 25 were on police bail; several cases were currently being reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service.  All victims had been referred for multi-agency support and were being provided victim support by trained staff; 139 people were identified as potential previous CSE victims following the assessment of police data; all had been visited and referred to supportive agencies; two disclosed offences when visited and these were now active investigations.

 

The CSE Disruption Officer talked in depth about the Nightwatch Initiative which aimed to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation by offering advice, guidance, support and training to businesses, services and the general public.  In particular Nightwatch addressed the interface between CSE locations of risk and the night time economy.  Recent activity had focussed on Snooker Halls, Shisha Bars, Hotels and B&B’s, parks and open spaces, private residential properties, public transport network, taxi operators and security providers.

 

 

 

Members commented on a number of issues which included:

 

·         The Nightwatch Initiative was funded until March 2017, what would happen to it after that?

·         Was there interaction between licensing and the police in terms of potential of risk to children of late night food licences and the naivety of the owners of the licensed premises?

·         There was a lot of work being undertaken to tackle CSE; was there any work being undertaken to stop perpetrators from committing this serious crime? what was it that made them perpetrators?

·         Was safeguarding of faith organisations and scouts groups etc robustly monitored?

 

In response to Members’ questions it was reported that:

 

·         A bid had been submitted to the Community Safety Partnership for the Nightwatch Initiative to continue to be funded.

·         The police did have links with licensing officers but could explore that further.

·         Agencies were being pro-active and looking at opportunities and risks of CSE and examining where patterns of CSE could be emerging.

·         There was no cure as to why men became perpetrators but needed to look at control and stopping perpetrators from committing such offences; the Lucy Faithful Foundation (Child Protection Charity) worked across the UK to prevent child sexual abuse and worked with offenders; introducing more self control and law enforcement was key.

·         Work was happening in terms of CSE with boys in schools.

·         The focus of the various agencies was protection, prosecution and prevention.

·         Street Angels had been trained and were building partnerships on streets and looking after the community.

·         We all had a responsibility to ensure children were safe from harm and acknowledging the impact on children of the internet and exposure to it.

·         One of the roles of the Safeguarding Board was to undertake Section 11 Audits; organisations were asked to inform the Board about their safeguarding arrangements; did not have the resources to check all the scouts groups, but organisations had access to the Safeguarding Board and had access to the Nightwatch Training Programme.

 

Caroline Henry a campaigner for the rights of young people affected by CSE and training awareness reported that:

 

·         In 2006-2009 there was an extensive roll out of the CSE training programme and the signs to look out for alongside the roll out of the common assessment framework.

·         There had been a number of failings in “Autumn’s” case, the authority had systems in place but did not take the case of “Autumn” seriously and failed her and her family; if authorities had acted earlier and protected “Autumn”, she could have been saved from all the abuse she had suffered; “Autumn” was not seen and her voice was not heard; CSE was not recognised or responded to appropriately.

·         How could parents be confident that procedures had changed?

·         It was acceptable to have a joined up approach but how many families were being failed?

 

In response to the above the Strategic Director, Children’s Services reported that:

 

·         He agreed 100% with what had been said; “Autumn” had been failed; the system did not work effectively.

·         Decisions made around “Autumn” were wrong and professionals did not pick up the signs; “Autumn” should have been in the child protection system.

·         Could not continue to keep revisiting the past; needed to focus on the future and ensuring that the systems that were in place now were robust. 

·         Any information on children at risk would be investigated by relevant agencies.

 

The Chair stressed the importance of huge strides that had been made to improve systems relating to dealing with CSE and the importance of continuing to scrutinise the work relating to CSE.

 

Angela Sinfield addressed the meeting and stated that:

 

·         CSE was systematic organised crime.

·         Vince Firth (the previous superintendent of Bradford Police)  agreed it was organised crime; thousands of children had been failed.

·         CSE started in schools; young men start grooming children from year 9 onwards; need to understand the power of grooming.

·         Needed safe houses for children to go to such as domestic violence refuges; child suffering CSE had an impact on the whole family.

·         CSE was not new, it had been on going for decades; the only change was the style of the way it was now being undertaken, such as online grooming, children on sites like face book, snapchat etc.

·         Regularly see suspicious incidents and report them to the police but no action was being taken.

·         Aware of taxi drivers still involved in CSE and taking vulnerable children to school.

·         There was nothing in the report relating to alcohol and drugs as it was a factor to grooming.

·         Recommend looking at number of children that had sexually transmitted diseases; find out how many children under 16 have had multiple terminations and which hospitals they were undertaken.

 

She stated that it had taken 16 years for the authority to admit that it was wrong and it took 16 years to receive an apology from the police.

 

In response to a Member’s question it was reported that dealing with historic cases was necessary; some victims did not want to pursue the crime but that did not stop the police from taking further action; only two victims had come forward but victims could come back to the police anytime; historic investigations did not cloud live cases; if suspects could be identified the police would speak to them; work on historic cases would not stop until all historic cases were dealt with.

 

The Chair of the Adults Safeguarding Board reported that a lot of work being undertaken by the Police and Social Services showed a number of survivors coming forward and the sophisticated approach used in dealing with them; agreed with Angela’s comments about internet grooming.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing agreed that it was everyone’s responsibility to tackle CSE; issue of vulnerability came in many forms; sometimes victims were not ready to talk about the abuse they had suffered or wanted to move on with their lives; must continue to work hard to tackle CSE; lessons were being learnt from the way “Autumn” was dealt with by professionals.

 

Resolved-

 

That the Committee note the contents of the report and receive a full update  in September 2017 which includes data on the number of children under 16 that have been diagnosed with a sexual transmitted disease and the number of children under 16 that have had multiple pregnancy terminations.

 

Action:           Strategic Director, Children’s Service