Safe and Sound - the 5th National Conference



Tim Loughton MP delivers the key note speech



Karen Hammett, ESCB Practice Development Manager attended the 5th Safe and Sound National Conference-Practical Responses to Child Sexual Exploitation recently organised by Just Whistle (part of Safe and Sound Enterprises - www.justwhistle.org.uk). The key note speech was delivered by Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families.

Tim Loughton highlighted that although ‘we’ should not shy away from the debate around ethnicity and culture the focus needed to be on the wider community and that it is not just young women who are sexually exploited, it can happen to young men too. He raised the issue of the attitude of these men and there were some suggestions from the audience that it is a gender issue which was backed by the head of the CPS in North West England, Nazir Afzal, in a BBC News article.

The minister spoke about the Government action plan that was launched in November 2011 and the progress that has been made, Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children’s Commissioner will be publishing a progress report on gangs and sexual exploitation work with links to children in care and children’s homes this will be published in early June.

Approximately half of the children in children’s homes are placed out of area, and this does create difficulties. Children should only be placed out of area if there is a very good reason to do so, it is appropriate and there are stringent monitoring arrangements in place.

What was covered on the day?

A discussion took place on the role that sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools can play. The curriculum is currently under review and there will be a report later in Spring 2013; it is expected that the new curriculum will have a degree of focus on respectful relationships.

Question: Why is it the responsibility of the local safeguarding children board's (LSCB's) to monitor the action plan when much of this work sits within community safety partnerships? Are we asking LSCBs to re-create structures that may already exist?

Response: LSCB's are in a unique place, others will deliver on the action plan but the LSCB's need to hold those agencies to account. they are not the deliverers. One of their roles is to support the translation of national strategies into practical solutions.

Arguably the most important part of the day was the final session; a panel of parents whose children had either experienced or were still involved in child sexual exploitation, all of whom were supported by Safe and Sound, Derby. Their stories and the helplessness that they felt was significant and it was a big reminder that it is not just children in care who are sexually exploited.

ESCB is taking forward its own multi-agency work on sexual exploitation and will report soon on the next steps.

Resources

Barnardo’s spot the signs leaflets for children and young people, parents and professionals http://www.barnardos.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/cutthemfree/aboutcutthemfree/spotthesigns.htm

Cross Government Strategy on missing children and vulnerable adults http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police/missing-persons-strategy?view=Binary