Potential ‘Gap’ in Derbyshire child sex exploitation policing to be plugged

Child sex exploitation poling is to be streamlined between City and County in a bid to “plug a gap” in services outside Derby. Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Charles and the City and County Councils has signed off on a plan to co-commission a single, joint-funding approach to Child Sexual Exploitation Services (CSE) across Derbyshire. Commissioner Charles believes the new arrangement would plug a potential gap in the service. The PCC added: “I felt this was a risk so we have worked together to develop and commission a joint framework.”

Mr Charles added: “Child sexual exploitation is an abhorrent and evil crime that has terrible consequences for innocent lives. We need, therefore, to ensure there are no gaps in how we provide the support that is so important.”

The new, single commissioning agreement would bring together all the elements of the services required by both the local authorities and the Commissioner. This would include face to face support, prevention, awareness-raising and training, and partnership working. It would also provide critical friend or advisor help, court-based witness support for young people support and post-exploitation support.

The new CSE services will be provided from 17 August, heard the PCC’s strategic governance board on Monday, June 29.

The Commissioner will contribute £40,000 per year to the framework agreement value, with Derby City Council contributing £85,000 and Derbyshire County Council £35,000. Derby City Council would be the lead commissioner/contract host in the first instance.

The meeting also learned that the Commissioner has decided to extend his grant arrangement to current service provider Safe and Sound at a cost of £15,872 to ensure service continuity until the new contract is in place. His earlier award to the organisation helped to finance support for young people, for parents and families of victims, raise awareness of CSE among young people and work with the Constabulary in identifying people being exploited or at medium risk.

The new CSE services will be provided from 17 August, heard the PCC’s strategic governance board on Monday, June 29.