The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services (Document “I”)provides an update to the report presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 11th October 2017 and subsequently to the District’s Area Committees regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It focuses on the Strategic Response to CSE and how it is used by Bradford Safeguarding Children Board and partners in work to drive improvements across the District’s safeguarding partnership and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. This report also outlines the emerging issue of criminal exploitation, organised crime and county lines and the partnership response.

 

Recommended -

 

(1)       That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee endorse the contents of this report.

 

(2)       The Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a further update on the progress of the response to criminal and sexual exploitation in 12 months time.

 

(3)       That subsequent reports be provided to Area Committees

 

 

(Mark Griffin – 01274 434361)

The report of the Strategic Director of Children’s Services (Document “I”)provided an update to the report presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 11th October 2017 and subsequently to the District’s Area Committees regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It focused on the Strategic Response to CSE and how it was used by Bradford Safeguarding Children Board and partners in work to drive improvements across the District’s safeguarding partnership and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. This report also outlined the emerging issue of criminal exploitation, organised crime and county lines and the partnership response.

 

A representative of West Yorkshire Police referred to the development of a new CSE action plan, the District Communication Group, the appointment of a Social Media Apprentice, the development of a Digital Safeguarding Strategy by the Digital Safeguarding Group, raising awareness of CSE in schools and the Home Office funding for Trusted Relationships to provide additional support for vulnerable children.

 

A representative form Barnados referred to the intensive work that they undertook in 1:1 sessions with vulnerable individuals.

 

A representative of West Yorkshire Police referred to the 14.5% increase in the overall number of young people assessed as being at risk of CSE and noted that not all of these young people were victims, some of the information was intelligence based.  He pointed out that the number of flagged offences for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 was 317 which was a decrease from 348 CSE flagged offences in the previous year.  He clarified that the figure of 471 children and young people identified as being part of or connected to confirmed Organised Crime Groups referred to in paragraph 2.33 of Document “I” related to those linked by association such as frequenting a household used by organised crime or the child of a family where someone was involved in organised crime.  He noted that the Police Cyber Team had educated 31,656 children on eSafeguarding and that 2376 parents had been educated on how to safeguard children from dangers online.  He added that during  2017/18 the Barnados Nightwatch project had engaged with 5599 people.

 

Members asked the following questions and answers were given:

 

Q         Have all schools completed a S175 (of the Education act 2002) audit ?

A         Only 3 schools had not completed a S175 audit.  There was a new version on line that was easier to complete and work was continuing     with schools to ensure that they were completed.

 

Q         What percentage of perpetrators were known to families?

A         There was a developing picture of understanding specific types of grooming such as cyber, street and known to the victim.

 

Q         What work was being undertaken and what support was being        provided for victims family members ?

A         Multi agency work was being undertaken with Children’s Social Care,       Barnados, Police and the Youth Service.  The cyber team speak to     parents about the risk of on-line offending.  The partnership speak    together with family members.

 

Q         Was any proactive work being undertaken ?

 

A         Hot spots were being identified and work was undertaken with young        people that would include parents if they wished.

 

Q         How many of the 471 children referred to in paragraph 2.33 of          Document “I” are excluded from school ?

 

A         It was emphasised that this figure was for children at risk of exploitation.  It was noted that 29 children were involved in organised        crime and only one had a CSE flag. The number that had been             excluded from school would be provided for members of the Committee.

 

Q         What   are the consequences for community cohesion as 63% of     perpetrators were identified in Appendix 1 of Document “I” as being      Pakistani? 

A         The information in Appendix 1 included historic offences identified            under Operation Dalesway.  Recent figures showed more of a 50/50     split between Pakistani and White British offenders.  It was agreed that        members of the Committee be provided with a breakdown that             excluded historic cases.

  

A member stressed the need to make safeguarding training universal to all parents.

 

It was emphasised that the District approach to meeting the Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) needs of young people should include CSE.

 

Q         What were the patterns of disclosure and who they were being made         to ?

A         Disclosures were being made to youth workers, schools, social        workers, health practitioners, social care and family members.

 

Q         What proactive steps were being taken in relation young people who         were home schooled, those who were NEET and young offenders ? How involved were the Youth Offending Teams in safeguarding ?

A         Work was being undertaken to raise awareness in schools of issues          such as vulnerable learners, children missing education and children       educated at home.

 

Q         How many individual children did the 317 flagged offences recorded in     01/03/18 relate to ?

A         This information would be provided to members of the Committee.

 

Q         Explain “location not known”

A         The vulnerable individual may not know where they have been or may      not want to disclose this.

 

Q         What was being done to reinforce cyber awareness and awareness of       on line grooming on a regular basis in schools to protect children?

A         Visits took place in schools 3 times a year.  It was accepted that there         needed to be a constant message.  There were 6 PCSO’s that go into            schools.  The Digital Safeguarding Group focussed on on-line safety            for children.  It was looking to develop a portal and to deliver messages             to young people in different ways.

 

Q         What steps were being taken regarding communities that were difficult      to engage with such as the Roma community ?

 

A         Neighbourhood Policing  worked with emerging communities to build        up an understanding of the community.  LACO MY Life (LML) supports             women and young girls from marginalised and vulnerable CEE Roma        communities in preventing CSE/abuse.

 

Q         What is provided in the long term to support victims?

A         Barnados do not close a case until it is either passed onto another agency or the young person has agreed that all issues have been disclosed.

 

Q         What robust monitoring targets are in place ?

A         Home Office funding set clear targets and evaluation.           

 

Q         Are faith communities being engaged with?

A         The United Keighley CSE Working Group is a multi-agency partnership which includes faith and community leaders.  Work is being undertaken on supporting supplementary schools.  Home office funding has been provided to develop this further.

 

Q         What is the gender and diversity balance of the teams involved?

A         The West Yorkshire Police inclusion strategy recognises that where there are under represented groups, priority is given to go into the community to bring them into the organisation.

 

A member of the public attended the meeting and recognised the good work that was being undertaken.  She pointed out the need to work with schools about gang culture and the sophisticated methods used to instil fear into individuals so that they did not come forward in order to protect family members.  She added that more work needed to be done in schools on drugs and alcohol misuse.  She identified that issues such as sexual health and terminations were  cross Committee issues with the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  She stressed that the life cycle was hard to break and that in the area where she lived there were second generation children being abused.  She stressed the need to involve people who had experienced CSE and who understood the issue.

 

The Safeguarding Children Board Manager acknowledged the comments made and the need to focus on the issues as a partnership.  He noted that the focus for schools in Keighley was regarding issues of complex safeguarding.

 

In response to member questions it was agreed to change the term “managed” in future reports in respect of Organised Crime Groups.  This was to reflect the fact that this referred to groups operating throughout the district.  It was also agreed to provide members with the figure for the expenditure on specialist provision for young people requiring specialist resources referred to in paragraph 4.3 of Document “I”.

 

Resolved -

 

(1)       That the Committee welcomes the partnership working and initiatives currently in place to tackle the sexual and other criminal exploitation of young people.

 

(2)       That the members of this Committee wish it to be known that they unanimously condemn all forms of child exploitation particularly those of sexual and criminal exploitation and urge the Council and partners to continue to vigilantly act to pursue wrongdoing, in these areas with the utmost vigour.

 

(3)       The Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a further update on the progress of the response to criminal and sexual exploitation in 12 months time.

 

(4)       That subsequent reports be provided to Area Committees

 

ACTION:        Strategic Director of Children’s Services