Previous reference: Minute 51 (2015/16)

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services, will present a report,

(Document “Y”) which provides an update to the report presented to Keighley Area Committee in 2016 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). The report sets out the arrangements that have been put in place, and which continue to develop, to safeguard children from CSE.

Members are invited to consider ways in which CSE can be tackled at a local level.

Recommended –

That the report be noted.

(Jenny Cryer – 01274 434333)

Previous reference: Minute 51 (2015/16)

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services, presented a report,

(Document “Y”) which provided an update to the report presented to Keighley Area Committee in 2016 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). The report set out the arrangements that had been put in place, and which continued to develop, to safeguard children from CSE.

Following a very detailed presentation Members raised a number of questions to which the following responses were provided:-

·         The Council’s Member Development Manager was compiling a CSE training programme for all Council Members and this would be extended to Town and Parish Councillors.

·         The data included in Document “Y” was correct as of 27 October 2016.  The statistics were provided as a snap shot in time but did change on a daily basis with additional referrals and regular reviews being undertaken on risk scores. 

·         In recognition of rapid advances in technology the West Yorkshire Police and Children’s Services had invested in a Police Community Support Officer to deliver cyber crime training to be delivered at age appropriate levels.

·         A bid had been made to the Community Safety Partnership which could be amended to include a suggested sticker campaign to raise awareness of CSE in schools.

·         There was now one “front door” to Social Care and Social Work and Police teams worked together.  Investigation could be made into any links between troubled families and CSE incidents.

·         There was not a gradual progression between low, medium and high risk referrals.  A referral could immediately be categorised as high risk.    The Portfolio Holder (Deputy Leader and Health and Wellbeing) explained that the Safeguarding Board had accepted the policy of thresholds and information could be circulated to Members if required.  Training on a method called “Signs of Safety” had been arranged for 1 March 2017. 

·         All referrals were recorded and jointly assessed and those assessments included historical cases.  It was maintained that the “voice of the child” was central to safeguarding children from harm.

·         The Police were able to trace vulnerable people using technology.

·         Historic cases could be more complex.  Staffing levels were being increased and additional investigating officers were being utilised to help police officers. 

A local resident addressed the meeting and expressed her concern that she had not received a response to a request for statistics about CSE in the Keighley and Bradford district.  She said she had been told that statistics were not available and questioned how those statistics could be analysed by officers if that data did not exist.  She also referred to her not being allowed to visit the multi agency HCS Hub located in Sir Henry Mitchel House, Bradford, despite being told on a previous occasion that she could visit that facility.  

A historical case involving a family member of the resident addressing the meeting was reported.  She explained that she had been told, at the time of the offence, that there was not enough information to process the case.  She was questioning, therefore, how the police could say they would investigate historical cases which they had refused to progress at the time of the incidents.  She claimed that no new legislation had been introduced to allow the police to deal any differently with CSE than they had done in 2000.  She maintained that hundreds of children had been let down by the police and that an honest and transparent enquiry should be conducted into the abuse of children in the Keighley and Bradford area.    She referred to a meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (14 February 2017) where she had requested that the committee receive an update on the statistics on the number of children with sexually transmitted diseases and the volume of children under 16 that had undergone multiple terminations together with the hospital details where those terminations had been undertaken.  The Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed to the request that an update be provided.

Resolved –

That the report be noted.

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEEE: Children’s Services

ACTION: Strategic Director, Children’s Services