Agenda item

[To consider the recommendations of the scrutiny review group and the Cabinet’s response thereto]

[NOTE: The Chair of the scrutiny review group has been invited]     

Cllr Val Gibson reported that child sexual exploitation was a very important issue for Wolverhampton and the whole of the Country and that she was delighted that scrutiny had chosen this topic for a review.  She thanked Cllr Jasbir Jaspal, Chair of the Scrutiny Review Group, members of the review group and the witnesses who came to produce an impressive report.   

Cllr Jasbir Jaspal was in attendance at the meeting for this item.  She gave a brief introduction to the report containing the findings and recommendations from a scrutiny review.  She placed on record her thanks to the members of the review group, witnesses including the Cabinet Members for Education and Children and Young People, partner agencies and council employees who had all contributed to the review.

Cllr Val Gibson reported that Cabinet accepted all of the Review group’s recommendations.  She also reported that she was pleased to report that there would be an enhanced Police resource in Wolverhampton as part of the local response to child sexual exploitation.

Cllr Roger Lawrence asked that progress on implementing the review recommendations be monitored that a clear action plan be developed from the Executive response.

Resolved:

1.     That the report of the Scrutiny Review ofChild Sexual Exploitation and the following recommendations from the review be received:

Recommendation 1.The Head of Safeguarding to produce a six monthly newsletter on safeguarding matters for all Wolverhampton Councillors.

Recommendation 2. The Head of Safeguarding to ensure that the Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy is updated to incorporate specific reference to the Board’s commitment to the aims and objectives detailed in the West Midlands Regional Child Sexual Exploitation Framework (July 2015).

Recommendation 3.The members of the CSE scrutiny review group to reconvene in October 2016 to consider progress in implementing recommendations agreed by Cabinet. The findings to be added as an appendix to the update report when presented to Scrutiny Board on 1.11.16.

Recommendation 4. The Chair of the Councillor Development and IT Advisory Group to contact all elected Councillors reminding them of their safeguarding responsibilities and the expectation that they will complete mandatory safeguarding courses.

The level of Councillor non-attendance on e-learning safeguarding courses to be monitored by Future People Manager and reported six monthly to Councillor Development and IT Advisory Group. 

Recommendation 5. The Future People Manager in liaison with the relevant subject matter experts to undertake a review of the effectiveness of mandatory e-learning training course for Councillors to ensure that they meet their responsibilities. The findings to be presented to the Councillor Development and IT Advisory Group with recommendations.

Recommendation 6. Priority Lead – Communicate and Engage (WSCB) to detail proposals for further awareness raising in relation to the issue of CSE. The Priority Lead, Communicate and Engage, to detail plans for raising awareness of the issue among new communities who have moved to Wolverhampton and report findings to WSCB.

Recommendation 7. Wolverhampton representatives of organisations involved in the drafting of the West Midlands Metropolitan CSE Regional Framework (July 2015) to report annually to their respective boards on progress in embedding agreed processes within their policies and practices. Alan Coe to monitor and report progress to a future meeting of WSCB.

Recommendation 8. Be Safe – Junior Safeguarding Board to be invited to comment on the effectiveness of  policies aimed at  protecting children and young people from the risk of CASE  and report their findings to a meeting of WSCB.

Recommendation 9. The Head of Safeguarding to review and update the following documents:

Wolverhampton Response to Independent Inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and Safeguarding Adults;

Children and Young People - Guidance notes for Councillors 2015.

The Head of Safeguarding to send updated documents to all Councillors.

Recommendation 10. The Head of Safeguarding to share a copy of Tackling child sexual exploitation – A resource pack for councils with all Councillors at the start of the municipal year. The document to be published prominently on City of Wolverhampton Council's Learning Hub for Councillors and the Council website.

Recommendation 11. Head of Safeguarding to brief all Councillors in advance of Safeguarding Week 2016 events.

Recommendation 12. Lesley Writtle, Director of Operations, Black Country Partnership Foundation Trust, to be invited to lead on a review of gaps in counselling support services in Wolverhampton aimed at meeting the needs of children and young people who have either been sexually exploited or considered to be at risk. The report to investigate evidence suggesting under reporting of victims of sexual exploitation from black and minority ethnic communities and young boys. The findings to be reported to WSCB.

Recommendation 13. Head of Safeguarding, to present annual report to Cabinet and other groups, as appropriate, on the impact of the work done during the previous 12 months to reduce the risk of children and young people becoming victims of CSE and also supporting existing victims of CSE and their families. 

Recommendation 14. Director of Education to review school Governor training provision to ensure maximum attendance at safeguarding training sessions. The findings to be reported to Cabinet Member for Education. 

Recommendation 15. Safeguarding Officer for Education to contact nominated Safeguarding Link governors, to discuss ideas that could help improve attendance at safeguarding training sessions. Safeguarding Officer for Education to monitor and report attendance on governor safeguarding training sessions quarterly to Head Teacher’s Safeguarding Committee.

Recommendation 16. People Directorate, Commissioning Leads to present a progress report to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People within 12 months on the impact of the changes aimed at strengthening commissioning policies, procedures and on-going support to better protect children and young people from the risk of sexual abuse or exploitation.

Recommendation 17.Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to be invited to review the range of support available to the victims of CSE and their families, in particularly in terms of professional mental health support services available to both young victims and perpetrators in the community. The report to comment on the impact of raised awareness about CSE among adults who were previously victims of CSE during their childhood and the support services available to meet their needs. A progress report to be presented to the WSCB.

Recommendation 18. Wolverhampton CCG to report of the impact of safeguarding training for GP’s and other health professionals to WSCB. The report to include details of the number of referrals received from health professionals about safeguarding concerns, in particular issues relating to CSE.

Recommendation 19. Priority Lead – Communicate and Engage (WSCB) to report on progress in compiling a comprehensive picture of faith groups and unregistered schools in Wolverhampton and the extent to which they are meeting their safeguarding responsibilities. The findings to be reported at a meeting of the WSCB.

Recommendation 20.Licensing Committee to consider suggestions from the review to further support work being done to encourage licensed taxi carriages and private hire vehicles operating within Wolverhampton to report safeguarding concerns.

Recommendation 21.WSCB to review progress and challenge as appropriate against the 12 Local Standards – See Me, Hear Me Framework. The findings to be published in WSCB annual report.

Recommendation 22.WSCB Business Priority Lead; Sexual Exploitation Missing & Trafficked (SEMT) Committee, to report to WSCB impact of planned changes and to review the extent to which available resources are being used to best effect when considering the scale and extent of CSE in Wolverhampton.

Recommendation 23.WSCB Business Priority Lead; Sexual Exploitation Missing & Trafficked (SEMT) Committee, to offer WSCB and local Councillors reassurance that any changes in the allocation of policing resources will not affect the capacity of the service to work individually and collectively to effectively disrupt and prosecute alleged offenders and also meet the needs of victims and their families.

Recommendation 24.WSCB Business Priority Lead; Sexual Exploitation Missing & Trafficked (SEMT) Committee to collate responses on the use and impact of new civil and criminal powers to safeguard children at risk and also children and young people considered to be at increased risk of harm across the region toWSCB.

2.     That the Executive response to the review recommendations set out in Appendix 2 to the report be approved.

3.     That the Cabinet response be referred to Scrutiny Board for them to monitor the implementation of the agreed recommendations.