‘Significant improvements’ by GMP in CSE investigations, says police inspectorate

The report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), supported by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is the fourth and final part of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s child sexual exploitation (CSE) independent assurance review.

It was commissioned by the mayor in 2024 and focuses on the current and ongoing provision for investigating allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation.

Published today (July 3), the report, which examined GMP and its safeguarding partners’ approach to investigating allegations of child criminal exploitation and CSE, concluded that “Greater Manchester’s complex safeguarding peer review programme contributes positively to… reduce the risk of child exploitation”.

HMICFRS found the force has a strong multi-agency approach to investigating child sexual exploitation. It introduced the child sexual exploitation major incident team, made up of 98 investigators to investigate missed opportunities in non-recent cases. It has significant resources committed to support these investigations, which affect some of the most vulnerable people.

The force has good strategic and operational leadership and governance arrangements in place for investigations. For example, the force requests and welcomes constructive challenge from national advisors and subject matter experts.

However, inspectors said that the force is aware of various training gaps in the investigation team. It needs to put an updated training plan in place to make sure personnel have the necessary skills for their roles.

The inspectorate said that the peer review programme largely meets its objectives and works alongside other activities to quality assure safeguarding responses to child exploitation. But HMICFRS said that the use of different case file audit tools for children’s social care, health and police records meant that the peer reviewers did not record and evaluate sector-level information consistently.

Inspectors also reviewed all force records of the 74 children identified by Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s independent review team as potential victims and survivors of CSE. In some cases, they found failings in the way the force initially supported victims and survivors and carried out investigations. And as a result, some victims’ cases weren’t adequately investigated.

HMICFRS said that since the initial victim and survivor engagement, the force had made considerable effort to work with and support victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation. It had revisited the information and the quality of service it had previously provided. However, for some individuals who had been let down by GMP at the initial contact stage, the force was unable to rectify the issues they had experienced.

Michelle Skeer, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary said: “Child sexual abuse and exploitation have a devastating effect on children and their families; the impact can be lifelong. Public services, including the police, have a shared responsibility to look for the warning signs, be alert to the risks and act quickly to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“We found that since 2019, when GMP started to review its non-recent child sexual exploitation investigations, the force has improved its understanding and approach to investigating allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation. However, there are various training gaps amongst the investigation team and the force needs to do more to address these.

“It was positive to see that the Greater Manchester complex safeguarding peer review programme contributes positively to multi-agency practice to reduce the risk of child exploitation. But we found that the quality of peer reviews varied as according to the practitioners’ skills, as well inconsistences in the use of case file audit tools. Processes must be applied more consistently, to maintain the integrity of the peer review process and improve the review findings.”

She added: “Our inspection team also viewed all force records about the 74 children considered likely to have been sexually exploited between 2003 and 2013. We identified failings in some of the initial victim and survivor engagement and investigations. We found there were occasions where potential victims weren’t assessed as vulnerable, and therefore they weren’t offered the support they needed and deserved.

“It is clear that that the force has for many years been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation. But for some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost, and the force would not be able to rectify their experiences.

“Victims often live with the trauma of child sexual exploitation for a considerable time, or for life. Many victims and survivors may reach adulthood before they feel they can tell someone and ask for support. It is vital that improvements are led by victims’ experiences, and if they do come forward, they are supported, protected and taken seriously.”

The report is supported by a further overview study authored by Ofsted that brings together its latest children’s services inspection findings for Greater Manchester’s ten local authorities on: child criminal exploitation, CSE, and leadership and oversight of exploitation work.

This comes after the publication of Baroness Casey’s rapid audit into group-based CSE last month that also highlighted GMP’s innovative approach to tackling child sexual exploitation cases in Greater Manchester.

It also follows HMICFRS’ National Child Protection Inspection last December which described the force as having strong leadership and governance, which has had a positive effect on outcomes for children, and strong partnership working between GMP and the wider safeguarding system in Greater Manchester.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham originally commissioned a review into child exploitation in Greater Manchester in 2017, to provide assurance that the region’s police force, councils and health bodies now have the right culture and systems in place to protect children from sexual exploitation.

The latest reports are the final instalment of this independent assurance process. Its aim has been to assess improvements made by GMP, Greater Manchester’s ten councils and its local health services, as well as the effectiveness of multi-agency responses to CSE.

Mr Burnham said: “Eight years ago, I took the decision to establish this review on the back of revelations made in 2017 around the BBC’s The Betrayed Girls documentary. I believed then, and stand by it now, that it was essential to give the Greater Manchester public assurance on two crucial points: first, that we would always be prepared to face up directly to past failings and bring any perpetrators to justice; and second, to provide a clear answer to the question as to whether the Greater Manchester public could have confidence today in the current practice related to the handling of these issues.

“Today we can finally give them a definitive answer. The findings today from HMICFRS and Ofsted show people can have confidence that today’s approach is fit for purpose although we will, of course, use these reports to make sure we improve it further still.

“I am confident in my view that the Greater Manchester system is in a demonstrably different and far stronger place today than it was when the failings happened. The effect of the assurance review I commissioned has been to usher in widespread culture change across all Greater Manchester bodies. Never again will any child here be labelled or dismissed when they come forward to report concerns.

“Like the Casey audit, these reports provide clear evidence that leaders and practitioners have responded to what has gone before and made big changes. “This is encouraging to see but we are not in any way complacent. There are areas identified for further improvement and we will be dogged in our determination to drive these forward.

“Finally, I am in no doubt whatsoever that commissioning this review was the right thing to do. I thank our original independent review team for the painstaking work and hard-hitting reports they produced on Manchester and Rochdale.

“The Oldham report was an addition to the review at the request of the council and, while it was different in that it focused on specific local allegations, the review team applied the same meticulous approach.

“There are those who claim this second stage review was a cover-up. This is completely false and indeed insulting to two of the most highly-respected independent reviewers in the country.

“Because of the inevitable limitations of a local review like this, I was an early supporter of a national inquiry to bring accountability of decision-makers and Baroness Casey herself has said that there would not be a national inquiry were it not for the Greater Manchester review. We can feel vindicated by that.

“Now the national inquiry is being put in place, we must allow victims the space and the right climate to have their voices heard, allow the actual truth to be established and accountability delivered.”

GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said: “The exploitation of children is amongst the most abhorrent of crimes; made worse by the failures of systems, agencies and individuals to protect those most vulnerable. I reiterate my apologies to those whom we have failed in the past. I am sorry that when you needed us, we were not there for you.

“I am pleased that the HMICFRS report recognises the significant improvements that have been wrought within GMP and in conjunction with other key safeguarding partners. The report speaks to systems which are well led, well governed, well resourced, victim focused and effective.

“Those who are specially charged with this most important responsibility, within GMP and across our multi-agency collaboration; are professional, knowledgeable, dedicated and determined. I am particularly pleased that their unstinting efforts have been so positively reflected in these reports.”

He added: “To those survivors for whom a lack of trust and confidence in the police persist; or to anyone who has suffered in the past but has felt unable to reach out to us; I want to send a clear message today. The passage of time is no barrier to justice: if you a survivor – when you are ready, we will listen and act if you want us to.

“GMP remains focused on listening to survivors and advancing our effective practice still further. We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities and I give my commitment to do just that.

“To those who are responsible for these repugnant crimes – as is now very apparent – we will pursue you relentlessly.”

Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, Kate Green said the reports represent an “encouraging assessment” of the system now in lace in Greater Manchester for addressing CSE.

“It is because of the strength of our joint working that we are now able to better protect children from the most appalling and horrific abuse,” she said.

“I want to thank all of our colleagues across children’s services, education, health and the police, for their dedication, determination, and commitment to keeping our children safe and bringing abusers to justice.

“I am also very grateful to all three inspectorates for creating a new form of joint inspection, which is independent, rigorous, and has provided the assurance and insights we sought.

“We will use their comprehensive and informative reports to continue to drive improvements and standards across our system, and we pledge to take forward every single one of the recommendations through our Safeguarding Alliance.

Ms Green added: “When the mayor first commissioned the independent review process in 2017, his goal was to get assurance that the terrible mistakes of the past would not be repeated, and that we could be confident that children at risk of abuse today are protected, and kept safe.

“While I believe we now have that assurance, my thoughts today are for the children we let down, who are now adults living every day with the impact of their abuse.

“We cannot undo the wrong you suffered, but we are determined that no child will ever again be failed as you were.

“And so today we make this commitment to every child who experiences this vile abuse. You will be listened to, taken seriously and protected, and the perpetrators of these horrific crimes will face justice. As a system, that is the promise that, together, we make to you.”

The final report from HMICFRS looked at three elements of child protection in Greater Manchester.

The first was the region’s multi-agency complex safeguarding peer review process. This is a multi-agency collaboration, described as unique by HMICFRS, between the region’s strategic safeguarding partners: Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), all ten local authorities, GMP and the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (NHS GM ICB).

The process allows peer reviewers at these organisations to review how cases of child sexual exploitation were handled across the system and share the learnings to improve the practice and processes across the different bodies. These learnings directly help to raise potential concerns and protect our vulnerable children from criminal and sexual exploitation.

It is highlighted in the HMICFRS report as an example of innovative practice and they say that they have “clearly seen that [it] contributes positively… to reduce the risk of child exploitation.” It lists numerous examples where this has been the case.

The second was the effectiveness of GMP’s current approach to investigating child exploitation, which it also held up as an example of “innovative practice” and noted that many of the approaches taken by the team are now signposted as national best practice.

The force investigates CSE as serious and organised crime, where appropriate, and uses specialist tactics. Due to a cultural shift in GMP, investigating CSE is now considered “everyone’s business”, which includes serious and organised crime resources. It means that vulnerability and serious and organised crime teams are brought together in a way that benefits both specialisms. Inspectors describe this as unusual but clearly beneficial, which is why the highlight it as innovative practice.

The review also found that current operations “demonstrated a considerable commitment to learning from past mistakes and, where possible, rectified errors” and that those working within the CSE Major Investigation Team are passionate and committed to their work and the support they offer to victims and survivors. It found the force and its dedicated workforce are actively looking for, supporting and listening to victims and survivors of CSE.

It calls their current approach a “significant improvement in how it investigates child sexual exploitation… [with] effective governance, leadership and investigative strategies in place [that] provide the best possible chance for successful outcomes”.

Finally, the report looked at the outcomes for the 74 people who were identified as having been at risk of CSE by the independent review team in previous reports for the independent assurance review.

As noted in previous reports for the independent review, HMICFRS found that when these people first came into contact with GMP, they were badly let down at the time. There is evidence of victim-blaming language in the case files, non-recording of reported crimes and for some survivors, the loss of trust and confidence in the police was such that it could now not be rectified by the force.

However, since that initial engagement, it also found that the force had made a considerable effort to work with and support survivors of child sexual exploitation. It was “clear that the force has for many years been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation”.

The Ofsted report, published on the same day, collates the findings of its most recent inspections of local authority children’s services (ILACS) and joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) for the ten local authorities that make up Greater Manchester. These range from 2021 to 2025 and provide an overview of their relevant findings on child criminal and sexual exploitation, and the leadership and oversight of exploitation work.

It found that across the combined authority area, the response to children at risk of being exploited is mostly a strength and that even in local authorities where children’s services that are not yet judged to be good overall, the complex safeguarding teams provide an effective response to children who are exploited.

In terms of identifying risks early and actioning preventative measures within communities, it found the picture to be largely positive, as well.

The recommendations and improvements noted in both reports will be taken forward by Greater Manchester’s Safeguarding Alliance. This is made up of the region’s statutory children’s safeguarding partners: the chief executives and directors of children’s services from the ten Greater Manchester councils, the chief executive of Greater Manchester NHS and the chief constable as well the deputy mayor and the chief executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

They will consider how support for survivors, both of current and historical abuse, can be embedded into Greater Manchester’s safeguarding system, and ensure sustainable, continuous improvement to protect children as offending evolves.