Minutes:
The Mayor advised that the Leader of the Council, Councillor Shah had requested to read a statement to the meeting. Council agreed to the request.
As follows:
Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of the Council
In November 2019, Oldham Council and Oldham’s Safeguarding Board wrote to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to commission an independent review into the effectiveness of multi-agency responses to Child Sexual Exploitation in Oldham.
The review’s remit is to look at historical allegations relating to child sexual exploitation and, to consider whether the Council and its partners provided an appropriate response to protect children.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority appointed Malcolm Newsham and Gary Ridgeway to oversee this review. Both Gary and Malcolm have extensive experience in social care and policing and have carried out reviews in other areas including Northamptonshire and, more recently, Manchester.
I recently wrote to Baroness Beverly Hughes, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester to ask her to provide an update on the progress of this review.
Baroness Hughes has confirmed that the review is progressing well and that they continue to receive the support and access to information that they need to complete their work effectively.
She has confirmed that the Review Team have so far received hundreds of documents, report and files, interviewed over 45 people and received 9 written submissions relating to their enquiries.
Baroness Hughes has provided assurances that a first draft of the report should be completed by September, but that a number of procedural steps must then be taken, including review by legal counsel to ensure the report is appropriately anonymised and in line with data protection legislation, and review by individuals mentioned to give them the opportunity to make representations. She has informed us that given the complexity and scale of this work, that this could take “a number of months”.
We all share a desire for the review to be published as soon as possible, but we cannot rush them and risk jeopardising the ability of the Review team to complete their work diligently, thoroughly and transparently.
I can confirm that the Council will do everything in its power to support the swift publication of this report once it is finalised. Our biggest responsibility as a Council is to keep our children and young people safe. The review team are leading experts, so I have no doubt they will identify areas where our work in the past has fallen short.
I would add Madam Mayor, that nothing should be said today that seeks to pre-empt or undermine the review. I am acutely aware that those who seek to make political capital will portray whatever is found as part of a conspiracy if it falls short of completing a XXXXX, all that was done at the time to protect young people. We must not allow that to guide us, or to blind us in that we must take its findings, even where it offers challenge, and use that to ensure that lessons are learned. Nothing Madam Mayor, I repeat nothing matters more than the protection of young people and bringing abusers to trial.
I ask each and everyone of you in Oldham, firstly, help us instil confidence, so the victims feel supported to come forward. Help us educate and go into every community to teach young people what positive relationships are and what signs of abuse to watch out for, including control, grooming and inappropriate behaviour at home, in the community, or on-line. Secondly, that there is no hierarchy of victim or offender based on race, religion, social class, gender or anything else. All victims must be supported equally, and all offenders must be dealt with robustly, with the full weight of the law.
I will not shy away, and I hope I have the support of the whole chamber and the wider community. Finally, all of us in public service are here to serve the community to the best of our ability and judgement. It is a fact, a horrible fact that abuse does take place. Protesting, abusing and marginalizing those of us fighting to put it right does not help victims, or encourage decent people into public service. My personal commitment to you is honesty, hard work and accountability.