A joint statement from Pat McCarthy from Telford and Wrekin Green Party and Vernon Round (father of the late Victoria Round, victim of Telford CSE, police and council neglect) on behalf of CAGE ( Communities Against Grooming and Exploitation).
Both Telford and Wrekin Council and West Mercia Police are now being shamed into taking responsibility for policy failures which allowed over 1000 Children to be abused, some over many years. But, given the revelations that Councillors and officers from both the Council and the Police deliberately ignored evidence that allowed criminal acts to continue and the criminals to escape prosecution, surely these officers and Councillors should lose their positions. The public will not regain confidence in these authorities if any of those who have have allowed this industrial level of abuse to go unchecked for decades are still in post.
We feel that there are systemic issues which require cultural change beginning with the relationship between these authorities and the public, but ending in a more cohesive community. We endorse the views of those in the community who have tirelessly tried in vain to offer constructive advice and support in dealing with social issues like CSE only to be dismissed or ignored. Only a month ago Pat McCarthy asked the Mayor and head of the interfaith group to work with us in bringing together communities that rarely talk to each other. Not only would this be positive in itself but could also combat the far right demonstrations and narrative which seeks to demonise all Muslims and proclaim (with some justification) that the authorities are turning a blind eye, or even conspiring with these criminals. Tommy Robinson and his ilk divide our communities using the CSE issue, making dialogue and problem solving harder to achieve. But we wonder whether the Council is open to dialogue when two emails on behalf of the Telford Green Party making an offer to help get inter community dialogue started have been ignored. In addition, despite parts of Wellington being regularly traumatised by violent incidences rivalling any inner city crime hot spots, the police ignore residents’ pleas for meetings and explanation of how they are going to deal with this endemic criminality.
Both the Council and Police need to be transparent with the public about the institutional barriers to change and their strategies to overcome them and should hold regular open meetings where the public will be invited to offer their opinions. It may be worth considering a Citizens’ Assembly that uses Tom Crowther’s report and its recommendations to come up with proposals that they feel will work from the public’s point of view. The 47 recommendations are excellent, but the emphasis and prioritisation of these is where the public and local knowledge will be essential. For example, two of the recommendations –
‘The Council should commit to collaborating with those bodies best able to offer replacement for community support services for children – for example, youth club provision – no longer provided by the Council.’ (Recommendation number 19)
and:
‘The Council to consider increasing capacity for health services to sexually exploited children. The Council should review the current capacity (and ability to meet demand locally, compared to the average nationally) of the following services, and where possible commit to a further increase in capacity by 2024:
• Health visitors; School nurses.’ (Recommendation number 44)
Both youth work and health visitors in schools and homes are essential in providing first line contacts with children in the community context. These services can and do prevent abuse and trauma with their first hand intelligence and must receive effective investment.
We also feel that there need to be community liaison officers working with both the Council and Police who are from the diverse communities that exist in Telford. Their role would be to create trust and understanding within and between these communities.
Whatever the solutions they must be ones where the public can feel that they and their views are being taken seriously because it has felt for too long as if these authorities are driven by the needs of the institution rather than the needs of the public.
Patrick McCarthy
Telford and Wrekin Green Party Co-ordinator
58 King Street
Wellington
Telford TF1 1NR
Mob: 07986927282