Tackling concerns over child sex exploitation

MEETING TOLD CITY HAS ASSESSED HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AT RISK

Hundreds of assessments for children at risk of sexual exploitation have been logged over the last year, a meeting has heard.

Sunderland City Council’s children education and skills scrutiny committee received a report about the issue and the schemes in place to keep children safe.

Stuart Douglass of the Safer Sunderland Partnership delivered the report which defined child sexual exploitation as a “form of child sexual abuse” when an individual or group take advantage.

This can involve coercing, manipulating or deceiving a child into sexual activity – either physically or through technology.

The committee heard that the Missing and Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Children (MSET) Shared Intelligence Group works to investigate cases of concern.

MSET unites a range of partners to tackle the issue, is chaired by a detective inspector and is based at Washington’s Team Sanctuary South – a scheme set up in 2016 covering South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Between January 2017 and January 2018, 679 assessments were considered across those three areas, with 111 cases being forwarded to full meetings and 40 deemed as high risk.

The meeting heard that figures also include children who go missing, but may not demonstrate a risk of exploitation.

Mr Douglass said many risks revolve around adoles- cent behaviour such as going out and drinking alcohol and it’s hard for agencies to demonstrate exploitation in these cases.

While the report added there were no “hot spots” of child sexual exploitation in Sunderland, “vulnerability areas” were identified.

Coun Paula Hunt asked what training was available for partners involved in MSET while also commenting on the “low percentage” of high-risk assessments.

“When you talk about 679 assessments, I’m wondering where they come from,” she said.“You don’t want anyone to fall through the net.”

Mr Douglass said the majority of assessments come from social care workers and with a voluntary youth provider, people make their concerns known which instigates the safeguarding process.

Mr Douglass clarified that MSET looks at the risks around child sex exploitation and is about coordination with other agencies who are aware of each other’s work.

“I would hope people wouldn’t slip through the net and they shouldn’t do,” he said.