Work to tackle child sexual exploitation iin Telford ‘a top priority’

It comes as the Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Children Board revealed the work that has been done in the past year to combat the crime in Telford.

The information has been revealed in a report to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee being held on September 12. The report is an update on the past year of the council’s multi-agency working against CSE.

In May of last year, the committee released a 101-page report outlining ways to combat the growing problem. It included a total of 38 recommendations on how the council can better protect children. This new report shows progress is being made.

Today, West Mercia Police Superintendent Tom Harding, who chairs the Community Safety Partnership, said: "Investigating child sexual exploitation remains our number one priority and we have put additional resources in this area to support victims and identify perpetrators utilising all available opportunities."

Those behind the report said they are satisfied that good progress is being made, after it showed that over the last year, Telford & Wrekin Council received 337 contacts raising concerns about CSE, relating to 225 children.

Andrew Mason, independent chair of Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Children Board, said: “We will continue to scrutinise the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review but I am satisfied that good progress has been and continues to be made.

“The work of the child exploitation priority sub-group of the board continues to include “horizon-scanning” which enables the group to ensure its action plan reflects emerging issues and any good practice from other areas.”

But the work is still ongoing and the Community Safety Partnership will soon be publishing a new strategy document which will also identify three priority areas of work through analysis of recorded crime and through consultation with agencies.

These are tackling child sexual exploitation, addressing domestic abuse and reducing the impact of crime on community wellbeing.

Over the past year, the safeguarding board has been working with partners to gather a multi-agency information to monitor the impact of the CSE pathway, it has launched a new contract for the 0-25 Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service, allowing better access to mental health services.

Also new conditions have been put in place on the licences of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles, including requiring operators to have a designated CSE contact and to display CSE information material on their premises, while 220 hotel workers have been given awareness training.

There is also now an enhanced process for out of area placements to help mitigate further risks to vulnerable young people and the police CSE team have been implementing a range of interventions and disruption techniques to reduce re-offending

An awareness day has been held and a multi-agency training course for frontline safeguarding practitioners will be delivered from next month onwards.

A further update report on progress against the 38 recommendations made by the original review will be provided to the Scrutiny Committee in September 2018.