Agenda item

Report from the Assistant Chief Executive.

Recommendations:

1.    That the report be noted, and that Cabinet agree to consider the following recommendations:

a)    That post-CSE services are transferred to the Adult Social Care, Housing and Public Health directorate to enable the greater integration and coordination of support pathways that are available to adult victims of trauma as children.

b)    That further work is undertaken with relevant partners and survivors to improve the ways in which survivors’ voices are captured to inform future reviews of post-abuse services (for example drawing on the research from Sheffield Hallam University, the development of voice and influence groups or other survivor’s forums).

c)    That consideration is given to appropriate governance arrangements to enable elected members to provide a steer on the activity that is taking place within the Borough to stop CSE/CCE and support survivors.

d)    That the Improving Lives Select Commission continue to monitor the provision of post-abuse support to survivors of CSE. 

e)    In relation to recommendations c) and d), that consideration is given how survivors’ voices to inform these processes.

f)      To emphasise the shared responsibility of all elected members, that an annual training event/workshop is delivered. This is to ensure that all elected members are kept up to date with the activity within the Borough to protect young people from being at risk of harm from CSE/CCE and support adult survivors to move forwards in their lives.

g)    That the relevant Strategic Directors explore options for sharing best practice with other local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber Region.

h)    Drawing on the good practice from Durham County Council, that consideration is given to the language used in the provision of post-CSE support to ensure that it is positive and inclusive of the needs of those accessing services.

2   That the response of Cabinet to the recommendations be reported to Council.

Consideration was given to the report which outlined the findings and recommendations of the recent Improving Lives Select Commission working group on Post-CSE Support Services. The findings of the group had been reported to the Improving Lives Select Commission in December 2021 and the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board in January 2022.

Councillor Clark, who had been part of the sub-group, presented the item to Cabinet. It was explained that the delivery of the report had been delayed due to circumstances beyond the Council’s control. On 3rd March, 2020, it was agreed by the Improving Lives Select Commission that the benchmarking work on post-CSE Support Services should resume and be published in a standalone report. The review approach was outlined in section 3 on the sub-groups report.

The sub-group spoke with the providers of the current services and learnt that Rotherham had a blended offer as set out in section 4 of the report. The conclusions from the meetings and benchmarking activities were that Rotherham compared well with the benchmarked authorities. The benchmarked authorities (Durham, Kirklees, Rochdale, Sunderland and Telford & Wrekin) had been chosen due to their innovative practices in key areas such as prevention and post-abuse support. Discussions were held on what had worked well and what challenges continued to be faced. The conclusions and recommendations formed by the sub-group focussed on good practice and on strengthening the survivor’s voice.

Councillor Cusworth, who had also been a member of the sub-group prior to being a Cabinet Member, voiced her support for the recommendations.

Resolved:-

1.    That the report be noted, and that Cabinet agree to consider the following recommendations:

a)    That post-CSE Services be transferred to the Adult Social Care, Housing and Public Health Directorate to enable the greater integration and co-ordination of support pathways that are available to adult victims of trauma as children.

b)    That further work be undertaken with relevant partners and survivors to improve the ways in which survivors’ voices are captured to inform future reviews of post-abuse services (for example drawing on the research from Sheffield Hallam University, the development of voice and influence groups or other survivor’s forums).

c)    That consideration be given to appropriate governance arrangements to enable Elected Members to provide a steer on the activity that was taking place within the Borough to stop CSE/CCE and support survivors.

d)    That the Improving Lives Select Commission continue to monitor the provision of post-abuse support to survivors of CSE.

e)    In relation to recommendations c) and d), that consideration be given how survivors’ voices to inform these processes.

f)      To emphasise the shared responsibility of all Elected Members, that an annual training event/workshop be delivered. This is to ensure that all Elected Members are kept up-to-date with the activity within the Borough to protect young people from being at risk of harm from CSE/CCE and support adult survivors to move forwards in their lives.

g)    That the relevant Strategic Directors explore options for sharing best practice with other local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber Region.

h)    Drawing on the good practice from Durham County Council, that consideration be given to the language used in the provision of post-CSE support to ensure that it is positive and inclusive of the needs of those accessing services.

2.    That the response of Cabinet to the recommendations be reported to Council.