Concerns raised for 94 youngsters - here's what Telford's second annual report into Child Sexual Exploitation tells us

Two and a half years on from the harrowing conclusions of Telford's child sexual exploitation (CSE) inquiry, Telford & Wrekin Council has published its second annual report into CSE in the borough.

The report, which was a recommendation from the inquiry chair Tom Crowther KC, provides a detailed examination of the extent of CSE reporting, and the measures being taken to protect young people across the borough.

Mr Crowther KC's 2022 report concluded that more than 1,000 children had been victims of sickening abuse that "thrived unchecked" in Telford & Wrekin for decades.

He issued 47 recommendations designed to ensure abuse was recognised and tackled - and that reports were acted upon.

The annual report provides a picture of the extent to which that work has been effective, and is currently the most compressive assessment of the crime produced by any local authority across the country.

It shows how many reports are received, what happens after they are received, the breakdown of victims being targeted, and those who are targeting them - and what happens in those cases.

One of the issues highlighted in the report is the issue of 'benchmarking' - and the fact that very little data exists from other areas to provide a comparison.

The top line shows that in 2023/24 Family Connect - the Safeguarding Children Board’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub - received 115 contacts reporting that CSE was a concern with 94 children.

The council has used a three-year baseline from previous years to 'benchmark' the information, with the figure comparing to an average of 185 contacts about 133 children previously.

The source of reports is varied, indicating the different routes used by the public to raise concerns with police receiving 42 contacts, the council 31, schools and colleges 21, the NHS 6, five anonymous referrals, six individual contacts, and four from other agencies.

After assessment 47 contacts were referred for help and support. That support takes a number of forms including home visiting programmes, school-based programmes and mentoring schemes. 

The report states: "For example, a school has identified concern around a child not adhering to agreed boundaries with parents, coming home late and peer group association. This case would be referred to the Council’s Strengthening Families service for support around risks to safety and wellbeing. The Strengthening Families service will also provide support to parents."