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Council failings putting children at risk of abuse, says Ofsted Council failings putting children at risk of abuse, says Ofsted
(35 minutes later)
Unacceptable failings by councils are still putting vulnerable children at risk of sexual exploitation despite a series of high-profile cases exposing glaring weaknesses in child protection, according to a report by the education watchdog.Unacceptable failings by councils are still putting vulnerable children at risk of sexual exploitation despite a series of high-profile cases exposing glaring weaknesses in child protection, according to a report by the education watchdog.
Ofsted said local authorities had been too slow to face up to their responsibilities in preventing child sexual exploitation while agencies who had a duty to protect young people had failed to share information with others.Ofsted said local authorities had been too slow to face up to their responsibilities in preventing child sexual exploitation while agencies who had a duty to protect young people had failed to share information with others.
Arrangements to tackle sexual exploitation at a local level were underdeveloped, while leadership was frequently lacking, it said.Arrangements to tackle sexual exploitation at a local level were underdeveloped, while leadership was frequently lacking, it said.
But after publication of the report the watchdog accepted that it too had failed to adequately focus on the problem, after it was criticised for letting down children by Professor Alexis Jay, whose review exposed the scale of the child abuse scandal in Rotherham and repeated failures to tackle it. But after publication of the report the watchdog accepted that it too had failed to adequately focus on the problem, after it was criticised for letting down children by Prof Alexis Jay, whose review exposed the scale of the child abuse scandal in Rotherham and repeated failures to tackle it.
Debbie Jones, Ofsted’s national director for social care, said: “We recognise that along with other organisations, we didn‘t give child sexual exploitation the forensic focus that we do now in our current framework.”Debbie Jones, Ofsted’s national director for social care, said: “We recognise that along with other organisations, we didn‘t give child sexual exploitation the forensic focus that we do now in our current framework.”
The former children’s minister Tim Loughton said Ofsted had been part of the problem after its inspectors said children’s services in Rotherham were adequate as recently as 2012.The former children’s minister Tim Loughton said Ofsted had been part of the problem after its inspectors said children’s services in Rotherham were adequate as recently as 2012.
Interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Loughton said: “Ofsted have got to prove itself and they are not there yet. Ofsted was part of the problem and they are absolutely part of the solution. The problem was that Ofsted were inspecting the wrong things. It was too much about process in local authorities in protecting children and it was not about the qualitative outcomes of ‘are children actually safer?’ In the last few years we changed the way Ofsted goes about their inspections. They are much more child-focused now.”Interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Loughton said: “Ofsted have got to prove itself and they are not there yet. Ofsted was part of the problem and they are absolutely part of the solution. The problem was that Ofsted were inspecting the wrong things. It was too much about process in local authorities in protecting children and it was not about the qualitative outcomes of ‘are children actually safer?’ In the last few years we changed the way Ofsted goes about their inspections. They are much more child-focused now.”
Loughton said every council needed an effective action plan for safeguarding children, and it was unacceptable that in too many cases such plans were still not in place.Loughton said every council needed an effective action plan for safeguarding children, and it was unacceptable that in too many cases such plans were still not in place.
Jones responded by saying Ofsted’s current inspections looked in detail at child sexual exploitation.Jones responded by saying Ofsted’s current inspections looked in detail at child sexual exploitation.
Ofsted’s report – The sexual exploitation of children: it couldn’t happen here, could it? – was commissioned by the chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, after the exposure of a series of child abuse scandals including in Rochdale, Oxford and Telford, as well as Rotherham. Ofsted’s report – The sexual exploitation of children: it couldn’t happen here, could it? – was commissioned by the chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, after the exposure of child abuse scandals including in Rochdale, Oxford and Telford, as well as Rotherham.
It criticised children’s services in Rotherham for “widespread or serious failures that result in children being harmed or at risk of harm”.It criticised children’s services in Rotherham for “widespread or serious failures that result in children being harmed or at risk of harm”.
Jones said: “It cannot be acceptable that local authorities and their partners are still failing to grasp and deal with it [child sexual exploitation] effectively. While we have found examples of excellent frontline practice, it is clear that some areas have moved faster, further and more effectively than others. Jones said: “It cannot be acceptable that local authorities and their partners are still failing to grasp and deal with [child sexual exploitation] effectively. While we have found examples of excellent frontline practice, it is clear that some areas have moved faster, further and more effectively than others.
“Local safeguarding children’s board members, in particular, must step up to be the driving force in prevention, making full use of the range of policing and other powers available to them to disrupt child sexual exploitation. It is not enough to simply wait for the next scandal to happen. We are calling on all local authorities and their partners to ensure that they have a comprehensive multi-agency strategy and action plan in place to tackle child sexual exploitation.”“Local safeguarding children’s board members, in particular, must step up to be the driving force in prevention, making full use of the range of policing and other powers available to them to disrupt child sexual exploitation. It is not enough to simply wait for the next scandal to happen. We are calling on all local authorities and their partners to ensure that they have a comprehensive multi-agency strategy and action plan in place to tackle child sexual exploitation.”
The report draws on evidence from eight local authorities and from the views of children and young people, parents, carers, practitioners and managers. It urges council leaders to show “political and moral courage” in tackling the problem, in which victims are often white British girls and the perpetrators are often men of Asian heritage.The report draws on evidence from eight local authorities and from the views of children and young people, parents, carers, practitioners and managers. It urges council leaders to show “political and moral courage” in tackling the problem, in which victims are often white British girls and the perpetrators are often men of Asian heritage.
“They must never allow misguided fears about offending cultural sensitivities to get in the way of confronting child sexual exploitation wherever it occurs,” it says.“They must never allow misguided fears about offending cultural sensitivities to get in the way of confronting child sexual exploitation wherever it occurs,” it says.
The Local Government Association accepted that Ofsted’s report made “uncomfortable reading” for councils. But David Simmonds, chairman of its children and young people board, said councils did not have confidence in the inspection regime. “The LGA has called for an independent review to discover what has gone wrong with the inspectorate,” he said.The Local Government Association accepted that Ofsted’s report made “uncomfortable reading” for councils. But David Simmonds, chairman of its children and young people board, said councils did not have confidence in the inspection regime. “The LGA has called for an independent review to discover what has gone wrong with the inspectorate,” he said.
Sir Tony Hawkhead, of the charity Action for Children, described the report as “distressing”. He said: “The tragedy is that so many cases could be avoided if the right support had been in place at an early stage, anticipating the dangers.”Sir Tony Hawkhead, of the charity Action for Children, described the report as “distressing”. He said: “The tragedy is that so many cases could be avoided if the right support had been in place at an early stage, anticipating the dangers.”