Update on work to tackle child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Telford & Wrekin
At a full council meeting on Thursday 30 November 2023, Members received a paper to update on work to tackle CSE in Telford and Wrekin.
Cabinet Member for the Independent Inquiry into Telford CSE (IITCSE), Councillor Lee Carter said: “We have been working tirelessly to ensure we put in place all of the recommendations that the Council is responsible for and have been working proactively with police and health leaders to ensure they do the same.
“The progress we’ve made means that we will shortly invite the Inquiry Chair, Tom Crowther KC, back to the borough to review what we have done and give his expert judgement on whether he feels we have met our responsibilities. We’re pleased to be able to do this earlier than set out in the Inquiry report, thanks to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.
“All of our work is being guided by women with lived experience of child sexual exploitation and we want to thank them for their continued and vital contribution. They have provided real life insight and challenge to the Council to ensure we are as well placed as we can be to tackle this horrific crime.”
In a joint statement from Holly Archer, Scarlett Jones and Joanne Phillips, Telford and Wrekin’s lived experience consultees, they said:
“We are pleased with the progress that the local authority has made with the implementation of the recommendations from the Inquiry.
“We have been able to use our experience to ensure each recommendation works in the context of real life situations.
“We have felt included and able to offer both criticism and gratitude to the officers who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to try to get it right."
