Appendix 4 - IISCA

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IISCA)

The IISCA identified Leeds as a local authority area it wished to engage in the ongoing inquiry into historical child sexual abuse under the strand Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings investigation. The request was for a written statement regarding local safeguarding arrangements, and specifically in relation to religious organisations and settings.

The LSCP BSU, on behalf of Leeds Local Authority and the LSCP Executive co-ordinated a response, providing a witness statement from the LSCP Chair. Subsequently the LSCP Chair was also called to give evidence at the inquiry in May 2020, and did so via video link alongside three other local authority / Safeguarding Children Partnership representatives.

The witness statement provided information to the inquiry in relation to work with and supporting faith settings regarding safeguarding including:

Training and associated learning and development opportunities

The LSCP training programme and associated learning and development opportunities is available free of charge to all faith organisations. Due to the way the booking system is designed the LSCP is not able to provide the exact number of participants from faith organisations, however, the faith organisations who have attended training sessions have identified themselves as being from the Third Sector, and we know that on average around 30% of participants on LSCP training identify themselves as being from the Third Sector.

YLL have been trained to deliver the introductory training providing another route for Third Sector organisations to access this training.

The LSCB training for trainers to support Third Sector organisations in providing their own in-house introductory training has been taken up by some faith organisations within the city (6 identifiable since 2016).

In addition training has been provided to West Yorkshire Police Safer Schools Officers to support them in supporting local communities and faith organisations (specifically local Mosques) in relation to safeguarding, and the appropriate sharing of key messages.
 

Support for the faith sector in relation to safeguarding policies, procedures and expected standards

The LSCP website provides specific support to Voluntary / Community / Faith / Third Sector organisations which includes information with regards to:

• How to develop a “safeguarding pack” which supports effective safeguarding within an organisation; including a child protection policy
• Safer recruitment and associated checks
• Allegations management
• Local and regional policies and procedures
• Section 11 audit tool
• Training.

There is also a link to the NSPCC Safeguarding Children and Young People within Faith Settings information videos and information regarding safeguarding issues such as FGM, sexually harmful behaviour, CSE and domestic abuse and violence.

Third Sector organisations are actively encouraged (by the LSCP, LADOs and VAL) to complete Section 11 audits as a way of self-assessing their current safeguarding arrangements and identifying actions to address any issues which may be identified.

Reported allegations in relation to leaders / workers / volunteers within faith settings

Over the period 2013 to October 2019 there have been a total of 105 notifications to the LADO service with regards to a religious organisation or setting (this equates to 3% of all notifications over that period). Of those 105 notifications:

Of the notifications 37 (35%) resulted in an allegations meeting. This includes notifications in relation to faith based supplementary schools.

The allegations regarding faith settings are predominately about physical chastisement (54 of the 105 notifications – 51%), however 15 (14%) are in relation to sexual abuse, which included downloading indecent images.

Ongoing partnership work with faith settings in relation to safeguarding

The LSCP supported the development of the West Yorkshire Multi-agency Safeguarding Policy in relation to Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief (CALFB) which was finalised in 2017. The policy aims to support the identification of abuse linked to faith or belief, and describes the action that should be taken to safeguard the child(ren) concerned and promote their welfare.

There is ongoing work to engage with, and support faith sectors in relation to safeguarding. This work has been identified through professional engagement with communities including faith organisations and their need to strengthen their response to safeguarding in their organisations. The work to improve the smaller faith organisations’ level of knowledge and understanding of safeguarding is led by the LSCP BSU with the support of the LADO service and other partner agencies. A pilot project is being developed in the east area of Leeds to look at opportunities to support such religious organisations through a ‘buddying’ scheme. Involvement from local schools, colleagues in the Restorative Early Support Team, the police, Voluntary Action Leeds and local community workers are helping to better link them in with safeguarding support, training and expertise.

Through the statement the Chair was also asked to comment on areas whereby improvements could be made to support faith organisations with regards to safeguarding responses. The following suggestions were offered:

• Minimum standards for safeguarding arrangements for all organisations, including faith
• All organisations that work with young people on a regular basis should be obliged to register that setting and evidence that minimum safeguarding arrangements are in place, including health and safety consideration and appropriate insurance for all that use a facility
• Support to parents / carers could be promoted and provided with regards to what they should expect from an organisation in relation to safeguarding, and what questions to ask to assure themselves these are in place. Parents and carers should also be supported in being aware of their right to ask and challenge with regards to safeguarding arrangements. This could also be provided in a child friendly way which supports children and young people in understanding how they should be kept safe within organisations
• A multi-faith handbook could be developed in multiple languages to support faith organisations when setting up a group / church. This could be developed centrally allowing each local authority area to use it to pro-actively support faith groups to fully comply with relevant legislation.

Footnotes

1. Poverty Fact Book, data, information and analysis for Leeds 2018
2. Leeds early help approach and strategy to responding to the needs of children and families in Leeds 2020 – 2023
3. The White Rose Framework (a consortium made up of 12 member local authorities brought together to increase the buying power for looked after placements)
4. Futures in Mind: Leeds Local Transformation Plan for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
5. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
6. The 136 unit is a place of safety for those who have been detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act
7. https://www.socialfinance.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/insights_1_newcastle.pdf
8. EHCP- outlines any special educational needs a child has, and the provision a local authority must put in place to help them.
9. A School Attendance Order is issued when the authority is not satisfied that education is being provided otherwise than at school
10. Elective Home Education. Departmental guidance for local authorities April 2019
11. Having a residence permit that allows you to live in the UK, it may include the condition that you have no recourse to public funds. If so, it means you will not be able to claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance that are paid by the state.
12. Claire’s Law gives anyone a right to ask the police if they believe that they or someone they know is in a relationship with an individual that could be abusive towards them.
13. Office for National Statistics (2017) Overview of violent crime and sexual offences.
14. Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales; year ending March 2019
15. Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales; year ending March 2019
16. Crime in England and Wales: year ending December 2019. Office for National statistics.
17. Adverse Childhood experiences: what we know, what we don’t know and what should happen next. February 2020. Dr Kirsten Asmussen, Dr Freyja Fischer, Elaine Drayton & Tom McBride
18. Updating the criminal law on child neglect: protecting children from severe emotional abuse. Abigail Gill. IALS Student Law Review | Volume 2, Issue 1, Autumn 2014 Special Issue: Law Reform and Child Protection | Page 51
19. Section 39 common assault or battery (use of physical force) is the lowest form of violence to the person.
20. Child physical abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2020. Office for national statistics
21. My Health My School survey which The My Health My School survey is a pupil perception survey that asks children and young people in years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 & 11, (as well as separate surveys for Post 16 and provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
22. Outcome Group Outcome type(s) Charged/Summonsed 1 Taken into consideration 4 Out-of-court (formal) 2, 3, 6 Out-of-court (informal) 7, 8 Prosecution prevented or not in the public interest 5,
23. A national resource looking after some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the YOI estate
24. Her Majesty’s Prison Service.
25. See HMIP report on Wetherby YOI ( 11-21 March 2019), published July 2019
26. Negative Peace- is a state of peace in which the previous conflict is resolved and there is an absence of violence.  (an example of this is two young people resolving a conflict and agree not to harm one another, but they are unwilling to form a friendship afterwards)
27. Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) is the care planning process for prisoners identified as being at risk of suicide or self-harm
28. Secure Childrens Homes provide accommodation for young people aged 10-17yrs who have been remanded into local authority care either as a result of a custodial decision, or on welfare grounds.
29. Mosaic is an electronic system is designed for children’s case management
30. Children looked after in England (including adoption) year ending March 2019. National office for Statistics. Department of education
31. This date is used as it is the first year data could be reliably used for analysis
32. It should be noted that sessions planned for March 2020 were cancelled due to the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic
33. Pool of trainers (frontline practitioners and managers) provided in-kind by the LSCP partners. Agencies who provide support into the training pool are not charged to access the training.
34. Basis Young People’s project has been supporting girls and young women in Leeds who are being sexually or criminally exploited or at medium or high risk thereof for more than 20 years.
35. Getaway Girls empowers girls and young women aged 11 – 25 to build up confidence, develop new skills and take positive risks