Agenda item

The Committee has requested a report arising from the Joint Targeted Area Inspection carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quaility Commission, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.  The inspection considered the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment in Oxfordshire.

 

Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Carol Douch, Assistant Director Safeguarding QA Partner, and colleagues from across the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership have been invited to present the report.

 

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Committee had requested a report on the findings of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) of the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment in Oxfordshire. 

 

Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, attended to present the report.  He was accompanied by Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services and Chair of the Safeguarding Children Partnership, Laurie Baker, Deputy Director for Education and Inclusion, Annette Perrington, Strategic Lead, Carol Douch, Deputy Director Safeguarding, Laura Gadjus, Business Manager, Lou Everatt, Head of Oxfordshire (Probation Service), Debbie Hartick, Director of Safeguarding (Thames Valley Integrated Care Board), Liane Lewis, Designated Nurse, Annabel Kay, Chair of Safeguarding in Education Sub-group, Charlotte Donohoe, Head of Specialist Safeguarding (Thames Valley Police).

 

In introducing the report, the Cabinet Member emphasised the gravity and sensitivity of the subject matter. He stated that the discussion was necessarily difficult, noting that such abuse often occurred in settings where children should be safest and was therefore particularly challenging to identify and address. He highlighted that the inspection did not provide a graded judgement but instead presented detailed thematic findings about system effectiveness. He welcomed the report and the opportunity it provided to reflect on safeguarding arrangements, placing on record his appreciation for the work of all those working in safeguarding across the county.

 

The Director of Children’s Services explained that the inspection had focused specifically on child sexual abuse within the family environment, distinguishing this from exploitation outside the home. She noted that this form of abuse was significantly under-reported and often harder to detect due to the absence of disclosure and the private nature of family settings.

 

The Director emphasised that safeguarding was a shared responsibility across statutory partners, including the local authority, health services, the police, and education providers, with oversight provided through the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership. She advised that, whilst the published letter summarising the inspection’s findings, was relatively concise, the detailed feedback provided by inspectors had been more positive, particularly in relation to the quality and timeliness of responses where abuse had already been identified.

 

The Director further noted that a multi-agency action plan was being developed in response to the inspection, with submission required later in the summer, but that work to address identified issues had already commenced.

 

In discussion, the Committee discussed the following:

How data was shared across organisations and how the Partnership intended to improve its understanding of risk.

 

Officers acknowledged that, whilst individual agencies held strong datasets, integration across the system had been limited. The Deputy Director Safeguarding confirmed that a dedicated analyst had been appointed by the Partnership to develop a shared dashboard to provide a more comprehensive picture of safeguarding risks.  She noted that progress had already been made although full system alignment remained complex.

 

Immediate changes being implemented

The Probation Service’s Head of Oxfordshire explained that capacity within their service had improved following staffing changes and that a dedicated partnership manager had been appointed to strengthen engagement with safeguarding arrangements. Officers across agencies confirmed that actions had already begun, including increased collaboration and improved attendance at multi-agency meetings.

 

Accountability within multi-agency arrangements.

 

The Director of Children’s Services explained that safeguarding responsibilities were joint across statutory partners (namely, Health, Children’s Services at the Council, Thames Valley Police, and schools) but that operational leadership typically rested jointly with police and children’s social care. She confirmed that, as statutory Director, she retained ultimate accountability for safeguarding outcomes within the local authority.  However, it would be for the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to decide how to deal with a criminal investigation or trial.

 

Earlier identification of non-disclosed abuse

 

Officers acknowledged that this was inherently challenging, as it relied on recognising behavioural indicators and patterns rather than explicit evidence. They emphasised the importance of professional curiosity, awareness raising and training, and advised that tools and guidance had been reissued across the Partnership. Officers advised that increased awareness had already led to a modest rise in referrals.

 

Safeguarding training

 

Officers confirmed that training was being expanded across the education sector, including early years settings and governing bodies, and that additional resource had been allocated to the education safeguarding advisory team to support this work.

 

Performance measures

 

Members also questioned how improvement would be measured, noting the absence of clear performance indicators. Officers explained that national data on prevalence was limited and that increased reporting might indicate improved confidence rather than increased incidence. They advised that work was underway to develop more sophisticated measures, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights.

 

Concerns were raised regarding the high volume of referrals into the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Officers reported that approximately 50,000 contacts were received annually and acknowledged that this created challenges in prioritising risk. They explained that work was underway to improve triage processes and to support partners in making more appropriate referrals.

 

Finally, Members asked about the management of risks posed by known offenders. Officers confirmed that this relied on effective information sharing and multi-agency risk management arrangements, including MAPPA processes. They acknowledged that this remained complex, particularly where information was incomplete or not shared promptly, and confirmed that improvements were being made in this area.

 

The Committee agreed to note the report and to request a progress update in early 2027.