- Strategy and Action Plan
Kelly White, Safeguarding, to present
Minutes:
Discussion took place on the work that had taken place since the last meeting which included:-
- Fact finding visits to Bradford and Rochdale, both cities that had had similar experiences to Rotherham, on what had worked for them and the pitfalls. Very much concentrated on data analysis, correct data recording, the importance of day-to-day management and the need to look wider than Child Sexual Exploitation
- The Police and Crime Commissioner now holding bi-monthly South Yorkshire wide meetings with key players. Rotherham would be leading on the awareness of sexual exploitation across South Yorkshire and the barriers to data sharing at the next meeting
- Safeguarding Conference held in Rotherham on 8th March. A regional plan and report would be produced shortly
- Website now up and running
- Need for a Communications Strategy to keep members of the public informed of the work taking place. Would be updated on a monthly basis
- The need to get Health representation in the multi-agency team or, if not possible, a robust information sharing protocol
- How to get the voluntary and community sector better involved in the multi-agency team
- Visits had been made to the multi-agency team by Elected Members as well as undertaking Child Sexual Exploitation training. The next target audience would be School Governors and Parish Councils
- South Yorkshire Police had developed a tactical group involving the 4 local authorities due to the Force-wide issue
- The Police and Crime Commissioner had provided funding for 5 extra Detective Constables who would work across the 4 Boroughs and a data analyst for Rotherham to co-ordinate and pass information onto partners
- Although massive improvements had been made in a very short space of time, there was still a need for steep change
- The Home Affairs Select Committee had yet to publish its report, but it was felt that it would state that multi-agency teams were the way to tackle CSE. The Blackburn and Darwin model was made up of the local authority, Police, voluntary and community sector, Health and other partners in 1 team in the same building doing the same jobs at the same time. The Authority may be open to criticism if it was not in a similar position by the time the report was published
Kelly White, Service Manager, Safeguarding, presented the draft Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan which had been drawn up with the influence of good practice and other models from around the country.
The Strategy covered the 3 Ps – Prevention, Protect and Pursue.
The documents had been considered by the Safeguarding Board and Improvement Panel and had been out to consultation in a very short period of time. Following a few amendments the documents would then be launched by the end of the month.
It was noted that lead responsibility for the Plan rested with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.
Agreed:- (1) That it be noted that key messages would be produced monthly to keep Elected Members and other key partners informed.
(2) That the forthcoming launch of the Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy and Action Plan be noted together with submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
(3) That the Partnership’s recognition of the work of Kelly White, Dave Roddis and Claire Edgar in drawing up the documents be noted.