Priority 1. Tackling Child Sexual Abuse
Overarching Principle: “The Partnership will; support all agencies to work together to drive continuous learning, improving practice and evidencing the impact for children and families.”
For 2024 - 2027 the Safeguarding Children Partnership have chosen to focus on 3 key priorities; Tackling Child Sexual Abuse, Supporting the Approach to Neglect with a focus on addressing Educational Neglect and Supporting the Approach to Contextual Safeguarding with a focus on Online Harm and Abuse.
This is a 3-year plan which will be overseen by the Delegated Safeguarding Partners on behalf of the Lead Safeguarding Partners.
In preparation for setting our priorities, as a partnership, we took into account:
• What children and young people have told us
• What workforce have told us
• What our data indicates
• Learning from local case reviews
• Learning from National Reviews
• Key findings from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report
• Existing links between the Community Safety Partnership, the Safeguarding Adults Board priority work areas.
Priority 1 - Tackling Child Sexual Abuse
Why is it a Priority for Cheshire West & Chester?
• Child Sexual Abuse as a risk factor in Child Protection Plans is very low
• The number of contacts coming into iART (Integrated Access Referral Team) concerning child sexual abuse has increased by 14% over the last 3 years
• There has been a reduction in the number of children who were reported to the Police as a victim of Sexual / Violent Crime in the last 3 years
• The Safeguarding Children Partnership have had three case reviews in the last 3 years that have had risk factors of Sexual Abuse and there was learning to improve multi-agency practice
• Nationally Child Sexual Abuse is believed to be under reported to services. Child sexual abuse: statistics briefing (nspcc.org.uk)
Further information for Practitioners can be found on the Child Sexual Abuse pages under the Practitioners section of our website.
Further information for Children & Young People can be found on the Sexual Abuse pages under the Children & Young people section of our website.
Further information for Parents & Carers can be found on the Child Sexual Abuse pages under the Parents & Carers section of our website