Agenda item

8.1

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, People Services, attaching the Sheffield Sexual Exploitation Service - Annual Report 2016/17. 

8.2

In attendance for this item were Janine Dalley (Chief Executive Officer, Sheffield Futures) and Jane Fiddler (Sheffield Sexual Exploitation Service Manager, Sheffield Futures).

8.3

Janine Dalley referred to the introductory report, which contained information on the service user profile for 2016/17, key achievements in 2016/17, developments in 2017/18 and priorities for the Service for 2018/19.

8.4

Members of the Committee raised questions, and the following responses were provided:-

·                In addition to the services delivered by Sheffield Futures, one of the Service’s key partners was the NSPCC, who worked across the City, delivering school-based group work and seminars for professionals to help identify sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.  There were no details available at the meeting in terms of the numbers of children who had received such interventions from the NSPCC, but the Service identified that the Child Sexual Exploitation Operational Group was discussing bringing together key partnership data.  The NSPCC also delivered drama workshops across the City’s schools, highlighting the dangers of sexual abuse and exploitation. 

·                The Service had seen an increase in risky online activity, with such activity running consistently through nearly every referral received in 2016/17 at low, medium and high risk levels.

·                The majority of referrals received by the Service came from Children’s Social Care, then the police, parents, teachers and health staff.

·                It would be very difficult to include details of the personal experiences in a case study format of children who had accessed the Service in the Annual Report due to concerns of such children being identified in any way. It was agreed that the 2017/18 Annual Report would include details of the actual interventions young people had received in the Service to illustrate their journeys and the support received.

·                There was support for children who had been the subject of sexual exploitation, in the form of youth work led ‘wrap around support’, which helped build up their confidence, prior to more targeted work being undertaken with them.

·                In terms of gaining the trust of children or young people who had been the subject of sexual exploitation, the child or young person was included as part of the assessment process from the outset, therefore workers were fully aware of the circumstances of each case.  The levels of engagement with the child or young person were dependent on whatever level of intervention was required in terms of each individual case, which included meeting them at any location where they felt comfortable and safe.

·                The breakdown in respect of the ethnicity of children or young people experiencing sexual exploitation had been reasonably consistent over the last few years.  Specific work had been undertaken with community groups. There was a now a training pathway which could identify any gaps in provision, with a view to plugging such gaps. 

·                There was no data available in terms of the ethnicity of perpetrators.  This data was held by South Yorkshire Police. The Service was involved in monthly multi-agency mapping meetings, which were led by the police, and looked specifically at the perpetrators, victims and geographical areas of offending.

·                The Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) had a Licensing Manager, who worked closely with relevant organisations and businesses, including the licensing trade (both taxis and licensed premises), hotels, bed and breakfasts, fast food takeaways, and other similar establishments where young people chose to frequent, to ensure that they were all aware of their safeguarding duties.  Many of the establishments were well engaged in terms of their safeguarding responsibilities.

·                The Service was currently undertaking an analysis of data,  which would be used to establish a benchmark regarding young people identified at risk of sexual exploitation.  It was hoped that this data could be included, or referenced, in the Annual Report 2017/18.

·                The levels of knowledge in terms of understanding the vulnerability of some children and young people, together with the expertise, mainly due to strong multi-agency working, had improved considerably over the years.  Specific services could now be employed in a more targeted manner, and the Service was providing support to other partner agencies in terms of their specific work.  Due to the evolving nature of the risks involved, despite the best efforts of all partner agencies, the Service had to accept that it would be very difficult to stop all sexual exploitation, and should never get complacent about this.

·                The SSCB reported that all educational establishments in the City were asked to complete an annual safeguarding report, which included information on policies, procedures, training and referrals for safeguarding issues. All such establishments would also be expected to show what policies and procedures they had in place as part of their Ofsted inspections. 

·                The SSCB worked very closely with an on-line safety consultant, who was responsible for providing on-line safety training for schools, social workers, foster carers and other relevant groups/organisations, in connection with the risks posed by on-line grooming.  The consultants held focus groups with school students in order to identify which websites they visited, and where there were potential dangers. 

·                Whilst the Service provided targeted training in terms of vulnerable children and young people, the current “It’s Not OK” campaign, led jointly by the NSPCC and the SSCB, was leading training and workshops in schools, with the schools themselves identifying which children should be targeted in respect of such training.

·                The officers from the Local Authority did not have any statistics in terms of trafficking cases to share at this meeting, but agreed that they would source this information for a future meeting.

·                In relation to reported sexual exploitation concerns into the Sheffield Safeguarding Hub, every effort was made to promote the third party information form, which was available for use by any professionals.  Again, whilst there was no guarantee that all groups/organisations in the voluntary and faith sector were aware of such a form, every effort was made to notify such groups of its existence.

·                The model used in terms of sessions held with children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation was needs-led, therefore there were no limitations in terms of the number, and duration of, such sessions.

·                The Service had received six months additional funding from the CSE Funding Alliance, via the Alexi Project, to employ a Transitions Worker, and there was already evidence to show that this additional funding had made a positive impact.  The Board was considering how this project could be paid for through mainstream funding.

8.5

RESOLVED: That this Committee:-

(a)       notes the contents of the report now submitted, together with the Sheffield Sexual Exploitation Service - Annual Report 2016/17, and the responses to the questions raised;

(b)       thanks (i) Janine Dalley and Jane Fiddler for attending the meeting, and responding to the questions raised, and (ii) all staff in the Sheffield Sexual Exploitation Service, and all partner agencies involved, in tackling child sexual exploitation in Sheffield; and

(c)        requests:-

(i)         the Chair, on its behalf, to work with, and support, Sheffield Futures in terms of securing continued funding in respect of the post of Transitions Worker; and

(ii)        that further to the issues/concerns now raised,  consideration be given to including more detailed information in future Annual reports on how the Service works with those young people who have experienced sexual exploitation, in the long-term, in order to help them deal with the trauma involved, and to plan an appropriate survival strategy.