Police respond to inadequate CSE investigation claims

The HMIC examined 576 cases across eight regions and found 220 to be inadequate, 179 adequate and 177 good.

HM inspector Dru Sharpling said: “There can be no compromise when it comes to child protection.

“Getting it right most of the time can never be the explanation for failures that have devastating consequences for the child, carers and families.

“HMIC found that where cases of child abuse and neglect are straightforward, they are almost always dealt with promptly and efficiently.

“But often cases are complicated and unique, so the processes for dealing with them have to adapt.

“This requires training officers and equipping them with a different set of skills than is required for other types of police investigation.”

SYP assistant Chief Con Ingrid Lee said: “The force has invested heavily to significantly increase the staff within our public protection units.

“Our frontline and specialist staff have been trained to spot the signs of not only sexual exploitation but also other areas of harm a child may be exposed to, improving our recognition of risk and our response to it.

“The work we have done to improve practice and the support we have had from the Crown Prosecution Service and other partners has culminated in 58 people being charged with child sexual exploitation related offences between April 2014 and May 2015.”