Preventing child sexual exploitation- Wakefield Council to improve how it protects at risk youngsters

The council’s cabinet will discuss a review of the arrangements at a meeting on Tuesday.

The report and recommendations were produced by the council’s Ambitious for Our Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Committee chairwoman Margaret Isherwood said: “The committee has made a number of recommendations as to how Wakefield Council and its partners set and review strategy, and how they collect and share intelligence.

“I believe by following the recommendations set out in the report, it will ensure that we continue to further improve the way we protect children and young people and support victims.”

The report made eight recommendations, including the completion of a child sexual exploitation (CSE) action plan, sharing information on at-risk youngsters who have been placed outside the district and more work to raise awareness of the CSE.

It said 49 potential cases CSE were referred to the local authority between April and December 2014, of which 15 involved young people deemed to be at high risk of abuse.

The report said: “The fact that child sexual exploitation is relatively uncommon in the district will be of no comfort to the children and young people who fall victim to it.”