He travelled 50 miles journey from his home to a shopping centre in Shoreham, but was greeted by officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and arrested.
Trinity Mount Ministries
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Glenn Jones: Former police inspector jailed for arranging to meet child for sex
He travelled 50 miles journey from his home to a shopping centre in Shoreham, but was greeted by officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and arrested.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
UK - Underfunding to blame for child protection 'crisis', says report
Often only option is to remove them from families, says ex-Tory children’s minister
Patrick Butler - Social policy editor
A former Tory children’s minister has blamed the government’s “woeful underfunding” of local authorities for a crisis in child protection that is putting the safety of vulnerable young people at risk.
The MP Tim Loughton, who served as children’s minister in David Cameron’s coalition government, said pressure on safeguarding services in some areas was so severe that often the only way to guarantee safety for children was to take them into care.
In some places, the pressure on children’s services is so acute it is leaving social workers feeling that the only tool available to them to keep a child safe is to remove them from their family,” said Loughton, who is the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for children.
Millions of children in England growing up in high risk environments
“As a result, families may look at these skilled and caring professionals with mistrust. But this is wrong. It is the woeful underfunding by government of a proper breadth of social care interventions that is to blame.”
This meant safeguarding interventions were becoming more invasive, rather than supportive, leading to families being broken up unnecessarily, the report said. “Social workers often feel that removing a child from their family is the only tool available to them to keep children safe.”
Social workers told the inquiry that the shift to a more invasive approach was driven by a risk-averse approach born out of fear of media scandal, by professionals’ lack of experience in supporting families, and a lack of resources.
The UK child protection system is laudable. Why risk it with reform? | Ray Jones
One social work team manager told the inquiry: “Local support services such as family centres, family support units, [and] parenting classes are no longer available ... social workers feel unable to manage and work with risk without those services and therefore seek to remove children from home.”
The report comes amid concern that growing pressure on children’s services, fuelled by increasing numbers of youngsters being taken into care, is overwhelming the family justice system and threatening the financial stability of councils already struggling with shrinking budgets.
The group said in 2016-17 local authorities in England overspent by £430m on children in care and by £172m on safeguarding. Funding for children’s services fell by 24% in real terms between 2010 and 2015, while a £2bn budget shortfall was predicted to open up by 2020.
“It is unacceptable that children’s safety is potentially being undermined by a lack of sufficient resources,” the report concluded.
Austerity will have cast an extra 1.5m children into poverty by 2021
The inquiry called on ministers to tackle the funding shortfall for children’s social care and to consider introducing a legal duty on local authorities to provide early help services for children.
Loughton was under-secretary of state for children and families between 2010 and 2012. He led a previous AAPG inquiry on child protection in 2017 which concluded that nine out of 10 local authorities were struggling to meet their legal duties.
Anna Feuchtwang, the director of the National Children’s Bureau, which provides administrative support for the APPG, said: “It makes no moral sense that families are left to face crisis and children are put at risk of serious harm because services are chronically underfunded.”
Roy Perry, the vice-chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “This report is yet further evidence that children’s services are being pushed to the brink."
Patrick Butler - Social policy editor
A former Tory children’s minister has blamed the government’s “woeful underfunding” of local authorities for a crisis in child protection that is putting the safety of vulnerable young people at risk.
The MP Tim Loughton, who served as children’s minister in David Cameron’s coalition government, said pressure on safeguarding services in some areas was so severe that often the only way to guarantee safety for children was to take them into care.
In some places, the pressure on children’s services is so acute it is leaving social workers feeling that the only tool available to them to keep a child safe is to remove them from their family,” said Loughton, who is the co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for children.
Millions of children in England growing up in high risk environments
“As a result, families may look at these skilled and caring professionals with mistrust. But this is wrong. It is the woeful underfunding by government of a proper breadth of social care interventions that is to blame.”
This meant safeguarding interventions were becoming more invasive, rather than supportive, leading to families being broken up unnecessarily, the report said. “Social workers often feel that removing a child from their family is the only tool available to them to keep children safe.”
Social workers told the inquiry that the shift to a more invasive approach was driven by a risk-averse approach born out of fear of media scandal, by professionals’ lack of experience in supporting families, and a lack of resources.
The UK child protection system is laudable. Why risk it with reform? | Ray Jones
One social work team manager told the inquiry: “Local support services such as family centres, family support units, [and] parenting classes are no longer available ... social workers feel unable to manage and work with risk without those services and therefore seek to remove children from home.”
The report comes amid concern that growing pressure on children’s services, fuelled by increasing numbers of youngsters being taken into care, is overwhelming the family justice system and threatening the financial stability of councils already struggling with shrinking budgets.
The group said in 2016-17 local authorities in England overspent by £430m on children in care and by £172m on safeguarding. Funding for children’s services fell by 24% in real terms between 2010 and 2015, while a £2bn budget shortfall was predicted to open up by 2020.
“It is unacceptable that children’s safety is potentially being undermined by a lack of sufficient resources,” the report concluded.
Austerity will have cast an extra 1.5m children into poverty by 2021
The inquiry called on ministers to tackle the funding shortfall for children’s social care and to consider introducing a legal duty on local authorities to provide early help services for children.
Loughton was under-secretary of state for children and families between 2010 and 2012. He led a previous AAPG inquiry on child protection in 2017 which concluded that nine out of 10 local authorities were struggling to meet their legal duties.
Anna Feuchtwang, the director of the National Children’s Bureau, which provides administrative support for the APPG, said: “It makes no moral sense that families are left to face crisis and children are put at risk of serious harm because services are chronically underfunded.”
Roy Perry, the vice-chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “This report is yet further evidence that children’s services are being pushed to the brink."
Sunday, June 3, 2018
How Fife Is Tackling The Rising Problem Of Missing People
by Scott McCartney
“We want people to know that there’s always help out there. There’s always support available.” Sergeant Craig Stephen is at the frontline of police efforts in Fife to halt the rising number of people who go missing.
As Fife Division’s missing persons operational co-ordinator, he knows better than anyone that finding someone who has gone missing is often only half the battle. And the partnership which was set up to tackle the growing problem of missing people last year between police, NHS Fife, education, Fife Council and social work is marking six months in operation.
Among the chief concerns are children, particularly those who may go missing on more than one occasion. That’s why the partnership now looks at the reasons behind the problem, and aims to help those who may be likely to go missing in future. “With young people, growing up is difficult, and there are lots of triggers,” says sgt Stephen. “It’s usually the lack of support and the lack of people to talk to.” The partnership is already bearing fruit. One case highlighted was a 16-year-old boy who had gone missing on no fewer than 21 occasions while in supported accommodation. The group looked to identify the reasons behind it and changed his care plan and accommodation to better suit his needs. As a result, he has not been reported missing since. Sgt Stephen says: “From working with various support groups, the message is that these children found somebody that they could talk to, so that rather than running away from their troubles, they could address them.”
During April there were 79 children reported missing in Fife. These children, many of whom are living in a care setting, have varied and complex needs. There are some people who may go missing a few times, it’s all about identifying those people quicker,” says Sgt Stephen. “The changes come not so much at the point of going missing, but at the point of being traced. “We can review each and every missing person episode. Because of the process we’ve put in place we can quickly identify who’s been missing before, what risks have been identified before, and if things are escalating. “That’s then passed to the other organisations represented on the partnership, be it social work, education, or NHS so we can do everything possible to prevent a repeat episode. “We can then ensure they’ve got support to address whatever troubles are facing them, so they don’t feel the need to go missing again.”
For those children who do disappear, they may not realise the dangers that can await them once they’re away from the safety of home. They can become involved in child sex exploitation, alcohol misuse, fall into the wrong crowd, and become involved in criminality themselves. “They’re out there without guidance,” says sgt Stephen. “So they don’t have an understanding of the risks that they’re putting themselves in by going missing. “There are always people who don’t want to have contact with the police, for whatever reason, and they’re more likely to be the ones that don’t want to make themselves known to us. “But we’re obviously duty-bound to investigate, and ensure that they’re safe. And in any missing person investigation, that’s all we’re doing; making sure they’re safe and well. Any other issues can be dealt with separately.”
There have been concerns that some youngsters may see it all as a game, seeing how long they can disappear for, but Sgt Stephen says this is rarely the case in reality. “With some kids there might be a certain celebrity status of being the missing person for X number of days, – but it’s certainly not something we’ve seen a great deal of in Fife. “When people go missing it’s normally for a reason. “And I think even with those cases there will always be a reason behind it.”
There are a number of avenues to turn to, like the Runaway Helpline, and for care-experienced children there’s a Fife group called 2B Heard which provides support for young people in care. “I think the message is that if you are missing, the easiest thing is just to make contact, whether it’s through police, support agencies, parents, or guardians, and let people know that you’re safe and well. “It’s important that they try and find that support wherever they feel comfortable, whether it’s through a parent, trusted friend, care worker, or teacher – anyone that they trust. Speak out, people do want to listen, and people do want to help. “It may stop them taking unnecessary risks by making the decision to go missing.”
Original Article
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Cambridgeshire Police launch child welfare campaign:
Cambridgeshire Police are launching
a month long campaign today to urge the public to report any concerns
they have for the welfare of children in the county.
The initiative aims to reassure the public about the police’s
approach to dealing with reports of abuse in an effort to increase the
number of people coming forward with information to protect the county’s
children.According to NSPCC national research 1 in 5 children experience severe maltreatment and 1 in 3 children sexually abused by an adult didn’t tell anyone at the time.
A detailed report concerning child abuse in Cambridgeshire was produced earlier this year. It showed that in 2013/14 there were 1,819 child abuse crimes recorded. Of these, 27.7% were sexual offences and 68.2% violent offences or those linked to neglect.
Police work closely with local authorities and other partner agencies to investigate and protect children in the county.
In addition to encouraging people to report concerns they have for children, police are urging victims of historic abuse to come forward.
Detective Inspector Laura Koscikiewicz is from the Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU).
She said: “We are urging people to be vigilant and report any concerns they may have about the safety of children. We all have a responsibility to protect children in our communities.
“All of the work we do has the child’s welfare at the heart of it and we are proportionate in our investigations. These investigations are not always about prosecuting people or taking children out of their home environment, often it’s about working with partners to support families.
“If you have concerns about a child’s safety please report it; you’re not wasting anyone’s time. Children can’t safeguard themselves, they need you to help them.”
To report concerns for a child’s safety call 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively the public call contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk.
To keep up to date with the campaign people can follow Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook or search for CambsCops on Instagram.
The campaign forms part of the Constabulary’s Get Closer initiative which aims to communicate with the public about key issues in a targeted and creative way.
Source: Peterborough Today
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The scandal of the county’s missing children:
Why we must never turn our back on them.
IF seven young, white, British children went missing from the streets of the county to be smuggled away to become part of the dangerous and secretive drug, sex and slave trades, there would be national uproar.
We would demand to know why, in this day and age, the most vulnerable members of our society, those who most deserve our protection and care, are allowed to simply disappear off the radar.
The tearful parents, the appalled communities, would ensure swift action to make sure there was no repeat; that the gaps in the system which allow the evil who exploit innocence and youth are closed and the children who find themselves embroiled in such dangerous worlds rescued.
So brace yourself. Because seven children – at the very least – have just disappeared from our streets in the last few months alone. More than 20 vanished last year.
And there are very real fears these figures are extremely conservative; that the real figure will be much, much higher.
But if the real figure is just two, that’s two too many.
The problem is that these children going missing aren’t white, British children. They are entering this country seeking refuge or travelling on a promised ticket of transforming the fortunes of their families.
They arrive through the ports into Kent to a society that is turning its back on them; obscured through a fog of politics and knee-jerk reactions.
Even our compassion for children – children as young as ten in danger and frightened – is now on the wane.
And it is on the wane because of the issues over immigration.
Kent has found itself on the frontline of the immigration issue for many years. Dismissing concerns as only coming from the inherently racist is a mistake. Amid an economic background of austerity and services being slashed left right and centre, the perception – at whatever degree – that there are those who enter the county with a view to absorbing that money rather than working to be part of the community, is a very real one.
It is, of course, wrong.
While there may be a small minority who enter this nation believing it to be the state of free milk and honey, the vast majority of immigrants – illegal or otherwise –who enter through our ports, do so determined to become part of the vibrant, multi-racial society which makes this nation of ours so great.
However, with booming populations and the public purse being sucked dry by efforts to cut the nation’s deficit, we are all quite entitled to stop and question an open door policy which puts such an extra strain on our services.
That is a genuine issue worthy of genuine, level-headed, discussion.
What, however, we as a society cannot and should not even question, is our responsibility to humanity. That all children deserve safety and security the minute they enter our country. That they do not fall through the gaps and into a shadowy under world of threats, menace and pain.
Children enter this country and then go missing from our streets each and every month. They may not have been born here, they may not have lived here, but they must never be allowed to be overlooked or ignored.
Yes, there are far wider issues which should not be lost amid arguments from the right or left of centre ground politics – but our combined responsibility to ensure a child’s safety, or indeed anyone who flees war or mistreatment, should be united and strong.
We are a caring nation. We must ensure we demonstrate that to the world’s children.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Almost 100 children go missing from Crawley care homes in 24 months:
NEARLY 100 vulnerable children in
Crawley went missing from care in just over two years.
Figures released this week under the Freedom of Information Act reveal 98 children disappeared while staying at care homes in the town between January 2010 and May 31 this year.
Due to some youngsters vanishing
more than once, there were 168 cases of a child going missing from care in this time, with three incidents on one single day in March 2010.
The Sussex Police statistics show 61 children ran away from homes run by social services, while the other 37 were in private care homes. Those aged 14 and 15 were most likely to go missing.