BRADFORD DISTRICT LABOUR TAKES ACTION AGAINST CSE

Motion to be moved by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe

To be seconded by: Councillor Sue Duffy

This Council notes:

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is an abhorrent crime attacking the most vulnerable in our communities and has been condemned in this Council Chamber before in the strongest terms. We will continue to do so.
The official definition of CSE in the DfE Practice Guide is as follows:

“CSE is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs when an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity a) for something the victim needs or wants and/or b) the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. CSE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”

Bradford district including Keighley have had a number of CSE cases over many years. New victims and survivors are always invited to come forward regardless of when the crime happened. Operation Dalesway is still active today to support current prosecutions as well as investigate any new ones.

In May 2002, 14 mothers and one father attended a meeting at Ann Cryer MP’s office. She promised the mothers that she would do all she could to help them. Without seeking publicity or fanfare for herself Ann Cryer was successful in bringing about two significant changes to the law under the then Labour Government. Grooming became a recognised criminal offence and, hearsay (where a girl makes an admission to a third party) was allowed to be considered evidence. We are proud that a Bradford District Labour MP was at the forefront of combatting this evil crime.

A report titled: Child Sexual Exploitation Thematic Review, commissioned in 2019 by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, subsequently replaced by the Bradford Partnership, was published in July 2021. It looked at 5 cases in particular. It found failings in how these children were supported and often blamed for putting themselves at risk. This report covered cases from a 20-year period from 2001. The content made terrible reading demonstrating clearly that children were let down by agencies like social services, health services and the Police, at the very time when they should have protected them. An apology was given to all those who were let down on the publication of that report.

There have been many valuable reports, reviews and investigations into Child Sexual Exploitation in Bradford over several years which have informed learning, namely:

Two Serious Case Reviews – Jack in 2016 and Autumn in 2017
Independent thematic review into Child Sexual Exploitation in Bradford in 2021
In collaboration with the Independent Scrutineer, the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, led by the Conservative opposition, formed a working group to work alongside the Partnership and ensure delivery of the recommendations.
CSE and wider exploitation has been regularly reported to both Executive and subject to Scrutiny through Children’s Scrutiny. It has also reported to all Area Committees with ward-based information about CSE. In total since 2013, 70 reports on CSE have been taken to public committees. At these committees all partners have attended to answer questions. This includes social care, the police, health and the VCS.
As part of Operation Dalesway, running since 2013, 47 defendants have been brought to justice and received prison sentences totalling 535 years.
Bradford referred itself to the Professor Alexis Jay National Independent Public Inquiry on Child Sexual Exploitation (IICSA) and provided evidence. As part of this, all Bradford’s data was shared from West Yorkshire Police with the inquiry
A call out was made to victims in Bradford district to come to confidential sessions, advertised widely, these were held as part of the IICSA process to encourage victims and survivors to share their experiences to the Truth Project.
The National Public Inquiry took 7 years, heard 7000 personal testimonies, and considered 2 million pages of evidence. It cost £186.6 million. Bradford is featured 47 times in the National Inquiry. Grooming is mentioned 740 times and Grooming gangs are mentioned 78 times.

The last Government published the National Inquiry in 2022 and shamefully didn’t implement even one of the 20 recommendations in the subsequent years, much to the frustration of Prof Alexis Jay who said in recent weeks: “Victims “clearly want action” and do not need a new national inquiry into grooming gangs”

We also acknowledge the brave local victims and survivors of CSE who have come forward now several times to provide evidence about their horrendous experiences so that firm action will be taken to prevent abuse to other children.

Council resolves to:

Condemn all forms of Child Sexual Abuse as abhorrent and completely unacceptable.
Ensure that the safeguarding of victims and survivors is central to everything that we do.
Adopt a trauma informed approach to safeguarding.
Thank the new Home Secretary for putting actions in place as per the recommendations of the 2022 IICSA National Public Inquiry.
Submit all the Bradford district Child Sexual Exploitation reviews and investigations to the Government’s national Casey Review just launched. Providing whatever insight and information the Home Secretary would like to see about Bradford district.
Make sure with this submission that the Home Secretary knows that we will accommodate a visit from her at any time to Bradford to speak to the different agencies who safeguard children now and to meet with those who investigate historic crimes.
Work with Mayor Brabin and the West Yorkshire Policing Deputy Mayor Alison Lowe on implementing the West Yorkshire Strategy to protect women and girls.

Continue to work with and support all victims and survivors of CSE across the District, including providing therapeutic support for victims of historic crimes who are now adults.
Support the Multi-Agency Exploitation (CE) Hub based in the Bradford Children and Families Trust which is a collaborative initiative that involves all key partners, including health and education, co-located with the police’s Child Vulnerable Exploitation Team. This hub delivers a coordinated response to exploitation through practitioner consultations, ongoing reviews of risk assessments, and direct support to children and families.
Continue doing training particularly in schools so that children are better protected.
Support the Police in their activity to disrupt abusers before they can get to children. For example tackling gaming centres where they are suspected of being used for exploitation or gang-related activity.
Commit individually as councillors to doing our training on this issue so that we remain aware of the dangers to our children from all forms of CSE.
Commit as councillors that we will always support the Police in pursuing perpetrators, no matter when the crime was committed or by whom.
Condemn politicians who seek to politicise this debate to further their own appeal to the electorate. This does a disservice to the victims and distorts and misrepresents their voices.
Develop a Risk Outside the Home pathway and expand the hub to support children who have vulnerabilities that could lead to exploitation.
Be vigilant and aware of rising forms of Child Sexual Abuse to prevent children in the here and now becoming victims and survivors of the future, noting that most cases last year were family based abuse, online grooming and child on child abuse.