A POLICE watchdog has urged the West Yorkshire force to urgently act on concerns about its handling of child protection cases.

The HM Inspectorate of Constabulary found that West Yorkshire Police was "clearly committed to improving child protection services," but there was more work to be done, particularly on more difficult cases.

The force responded by saying it had increased resources to investigate child sexual exploitation and was reviewing issues raised.

HMIC inspected the West Yorkshire force's work on child protection last August, as part of a nationwide programme of inspections.

It said inspectors were pleased to find a clear commitment to improve child protection services; knowledgeable staff who were committed and dedicated to providing the best outcomes for the child; officers responding quickly to concerns about the safety of children; and good relationships with partner agencies and local safeguarding children boards.

But they were concerned about weak responses and delays in difficult, complex or prolonged cases; inconsistent responses to child sexual exploitation across the force area; poor recording on police systems; children being detained in police custody overnight; and a lack of understanding.

The Inspector of Constabulary Mike Cunningham said West Yorkshire Police staff were dedicated and knowledgeable individuals, working to provide the best outcomes for the children of West Yorkshire.

COMMENT: PROTECTION OF CHILDREN IS A TOP PRIORITY

But he added: "There is more work to be done, particularly on the more difficult cases, to ensure that delays are reduced wherever possible and that instances of children being unnecessarily detained in police custody overnight are tackled.

"I encourage West Yorkshire Police to act on our recommendations as a matter of urgency, and have asked that within six weeks it provides us with an action plan to demonstrate how it will take forward these recommendations."

Bradford councillor Ralph Berry, in charge of children's and young people's services, said there were issues of resources and pressures.

"We have been working very closely to deal with some of the real challenges of Child Sexual Exploitation, trafficking, neglect and abuse.

"But there is always more that can be done. There is no case for complacency and we should always be trying to improve."

Coun Berry said there had been significant improvement in the last two years.

But he added: "I am very worried about excessive detaining of children in police custody, and there have been meetings about getting a more joined up approach."

West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster said: “Protecting and safeguarding children is West Yorkshire Police’s top priority and we are absolutely committed to doing everything that we possibly can to minimise the risks to children and ensure that they receive an appropriate level of care and are protected from harm.

“We will continue to take positive action against those who abuse or neglect children.

“We have increased resources dedicated to investigating these offences including appointing more staff to tackle child sexual exploitation across all districts and improved multi -agency working with partners in local authorities and charities to ensure joined up approaches to safeguarding.

“There are safeguarding teams in each of the county’s five district policing areas which are focused on dealing with all issues around child protection including sexual and physical abuse, child sexual exploitation, children missing from home, child neglect and harm.

"HMIC has identified issues relating to the recording of updates on internal police systems after crimes and reports from victims have been recorded - this is being reviewed. West Yorkshire Police would like to reassure victims that all crimes are taken seriously, recorded appropriately and investigated thoroughly.

“Police work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure proper consideration of available evidence when there is a possibility of proceeding to court. A detective inspector now works alongside reviewing lawyers to ensure any issues can be immediately identified to streamline the process.

“We are liaising with our partners in relation to the availability of secure beds outside a police environment.

“We have also campaigned to raise awareness of child protection issues."

Mark Burns-Williamson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, said: “Protecting our children is of vital importance."

He said he had made an extra £3.5million available to the police to deal with CSE, human trafficking and cyber crime, paying for up to 30 specialist investigators.

A further £467,000 would help increase awareness in schools, offer more support to victims, and create a safeguarding advisor to co-ordinate the work.

“A number of positives were identified in the report such as cases where frontline officers demonstrated good awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation and took decisive action to protect children from harm.

“There were also serious concerns identified, including inconsistent practice and concerns about the consistency of CSE investigations.

“I will be seeking an immediate update from the Temporary Chief Constable to make sure the force has implemented all the recommendations in the report."

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