Councillors will hear at a panel meeting next week that the number of looked after children in the county's youth justice system has dropped by 52% over the last two years, with fewer police calls to children's homes and a drop in the number of children being charged.
Meanwhile this interesting perspective on adoption tsar Martin Narey's plans for adoption reform comes from a former care leaver. She isn't sold on Narey's view that "other interventions in child care do not have the potential to transform the life chances of a neglected child in the way adoption can and does".
Yesterday, five men were found guilty of sexual offences against girls in Derby in one of the biggest child abuse investigations Derbyshire Constabulary has ever tackled.
Details of the case can now be made public after reporting restrictions were
lifted.
Eleven men initially faced more than 70 charges relating to 26 victims in three
trials.
Detective Superintendent Debbie Platt, who led the police enquiry said: "This was the most complex case of child abuse the Derbyshire Constabulary has ever faced.
"Without the close working relationship between partners and the bravery of the girls who were victims of this horrendous sexual exploitation, the case would never have come to court.
"Most of the girls who became victims were in their early teens and were from difficult backgrounds. These men preyed on their vulnerability. The girls were looking for love and support and they believed the perpetrators of these vile crimes would give them what they craved. Instead they were raped, abused and intimidated.
"Before and during the trial these girls have shown amazing courage and determination to see the men who subjected them to unbelievable cruelty brought to justice."
Assistant Chief Constable Alec Wood added: ""Officers who are specialists in dealing with child exploitation were shocked by the scale of the abuse they uncovered and the impact it had on the girls who were the victims of these callous men.
"There has been a lot of publicity about the dangers of internet grooming but I don't think the public are so aware of the dangers men like these pose to young people they meet face-to-face. Boys are at risk just as much as girls are.
One of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "They first approached me during one afternoon and took me to a park. Even in the beginning I thought they were scary but I was insecure and lonely.
"My advice to other girls is don't take anyone at face-value. Question their motives and report anything you're not happy about. The police will take you seriously and they will know you are telling the truth. It is nothing to be ashamed of."
Video
The first part of the CCTV footage (above) shows Mohammed Romaan Liaqat buying vodka at a petrol station. Liaqat was found guilty of one rape, among other charges.
The second part is footage of Mohammed Romaan Liaqat and Abid Mohammed Saddique cruising the streets of Derby in a BMW. The girls in the CCTV are not victims. They walked away and were never traced by the police. Saddique was found guilty of four rapes.
Community Care will be following up this story in the course of today. This will include a detailed look at what the serious case review says and its lessons for professionals. Check back on www.communitycare.co.uk for updates.
By Molly Garboden, senior journalist, on September 3, 2010 11:58 AM
|2 Comments
There's been an ongoing struggle between police and children's services for awhile now around the use of the common assessment framework (CAF) and police resistance to the system appears to have continued, despite recent efforts from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
In July, Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale issued guidance to all forces "emphasising the importance of the CAF", an ACPO spokesperson said. The guidance did not make use of the system mandatory for police, but was a "recognition that we support the process".
But will anything actually change? Smells like a compromise to keep social services quiet to me.
The police, on the other hand, are reluctant to impose a new system on top of the one they already have. Merlin, the Metropolitan Police's database of children who have come to the attention of forces, has had a pre-assessment checklist added to it, which is completed when police are concerned that a child or young person has an unmet additional need. In other words, it a cop version of a CAF. So as far as the police are concerned, nothing's broken so nothing needs to be fixed.
But would there be better joint working with social services if the police got on board with the CAF? According to the Metropolitan Police Authority, Merlin is compatible with CAF, so why bother the implementation of a new system? I can't help but think the resolution of this conflict is going to be complicated..
The Children’s Services blog covers the latest news, views, gossip and analysis in children’s social care. It is aimed at professionals working with these children, young people and their families.
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