Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children, Education & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/017

Contact: Hannah Farncombe, Safeguarding Manager Tel: (01865) 815273

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA7)

Thereport, sets out the council's response to the findings in the serious case review, which have been accepted in full, and also provides a summary of the action that the council has taken since 2010 when Operation Bullfinch was launched.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the Council's response to the findings of the Serious Case Review into Children A-F, published in March 2015; and the further actions in progress.

Recommendation agreed.

On the statement from Performance Scrutiny Committee, Cabinet noted the comments made, recognised the key roles of the Corporate Parenting Panel and scrutiny but did not accept the recommendation that the Need to Know report be shared more widely than with the Lead Member in order to provide that member with support.

Cabinet had before them a report that set out the council's response to the findings in the serious case review, which have been accepted in full, and also provided a summary of the action that the council has taken since 2010 when Operation Bullfinch was launched.

Councillor Godden, commented that she had attended all the briefing sessions for councillors and had read the report. It was a thorough and searching review and clearly set out what went wrong but noted that the council had sought to improve. She emphasised a number of points in the report and stated that a debt of gratitude was owed to the girls whose actions had allowed convictions to be secured. The Leader thanked Councillor Godden for her comments and echoed her praise of the victims who had had to relive their harrowing stories.

Councillor, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, commented on the importance of the report as the cases had rocked the Local Authority and it had needed to know what went wrong and to have assurance that it would not happen again. She commented that the Labour Group was concerned at the rise in sexual exploitation and slavery and were suggesting that central government look into it nationally. Councillor sanders paid tribute to the work of Jim Leivers and highlighted the importance of the next steps as set out in the report. She noted that many Local Authorities did not acknowledge the problem.

Councillor Tilley, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families in introducing the contents of the report thanked both speakers for their support on the Corporate Parenting Panel.

During discussion Cabinet queried whether with the number of areas of operation where there was some overlap with District Councils it would be better if there was a more unified approach. In particular with planning and the taxi and private hire licensing. Jim Leivers responded that generally one authority was easier than five but that the district councils had worked well with the County council on this issue. Cabinet also considered the role of GP’s with regard to safeguarding.

On the statement from Performance Scrutiny Committee, Cabinet noted the comments made, recognised the key roles of the Corporate Parenting Panel and scrutiny but did not accept the recommendation that the Need to Know report be shared more widely than with the Lead Member in order to provide that member with support.

RESOLVED:           to note the Council's response to the findings of the Serious Case Review into Children A-F, published in March 2015; and the further actions in progress.