Enhanced training for officers to keep children safe

TRAINING has been given to all South Yorkshire Police front line officers on how to identify the warning signs of Child Sexual Exploitation – and what safeguarding action they can take to stop it.

The force said there are also plans to provide enhanced training to at least one officer in each of the safer neighbourhood teams to help the teams understand the warning signs and identify those children most at risk.

“There can be few crimes that disgust, shock and appal us more than the exploitation of children for sexual purposes,” said assistant chief constable Jo Byrne.

The force said that “over the last year there has also been a significant investment in the training of Police officers and volunteers across the Force and that all 1,700 front-line officers have now been trained in the warning signs of Child Sexual Exploitation – and what safeguarding action they can take to stop it.

It said that many of the initiatives have been funded by an investment of £500,000 by South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright.

ACC Byrne said: “Child Sexual Exploitation is a national problem, not one solely confined to South Yorkshire, but it is one that we and all our partners are determined to tackle and eradicate as far as is possible.

“Child Sexual Exploitation is a form of child abuse where the victim is given something- food, money, drugs, alcohol, gifts – in exchange for sexual activity with the abuser. Offenders target vulnerable young people and use their power – physical, financial, emotional, etc. – over the child to sexually abuse them.

“A common feature of Child Sexual Exploitation is that the child or young person does not recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and does not see themselves as a victim of exploitation.

“This means that they are unlikely to report the abuse so police and partners must be alert to the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation and actively look for victims.”

The force said that in the last year it has seen specialist teams of detectives join together with experts form other agencies to form Child Sexual Exploitation teams in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster, dedicated to the investigation and prevention of such crimes.

It said plans have been drawn up to centralise the four separate District-based Public Protection Units to form one central pool of experts to provide protection to the most vulnerable in society, including children.

The children’s charity Barnado’s has also provided four ”Sateillite” workers – one for each of the four Child Sexual Exploitation teams – to help raise community awareness of the problem and to work with officers and other agency staff to protect those at risk.