MPS approach to child protection is putting vulnerable children at risk, says HMICFRS

In particular, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the MPS was failing to identify and assess risks appropriately, and to respond adequately, when children are reported missing.

It also said the force was failing to effectively investigate when children are at risk of, or harmed by, criminal or sexual exploitation.

HMICFRS was also particularly concerned about the frequent use of victim-blaming language and the potential impact this lack of understanding can have on police investigations more widely, leaving vulnerable children unprotected.

HMICFRS was commissioned by the Mayor of London to inspect the MPS’s handling of child sexual and criminal exploitation.

During this inspection, HMICFRS identified several problems with the force’s approach to child protection.

Because two of these concerns are so serious, the inspectorate said it has decided to report them now, rather than waiting until the full inspection report is published next year – known as ‘accelerated causes of concern’.

HMICFRS has made two recommendations that the MPS should ensure it has implemented by the end of this year.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said: “The role of the police in protecting children from harm should not be understated. Children who go missing, or are at risk of exploitation, are some of the most vulnerable in society. It is therefore concerning that the Metropolitan Police’s current approach to child protection requires immediate attention.

“Whilst we observed positive examples of good work by committed officers and staff, the force needs to do much more to ensure it responds effectively to missing children, and those subjected to exploitation. The force must make sure that it is focused on the risks to children, and that officers and staff are also equipped to deal with those risks.

“We have made two recommendations for the Metropolitan Police to address these accelerated concerns, and we will closely monitor the force’s progress.”

Commander Kevin Southworth, lead for public protection at the MPS, said: “Children are among the most vulnerable in our society and I am deeply concerned by the HMICFRS’ findings that show that too often we are letting them down.

“Our officers want to keep children and young people safe – but we recognise they have not had the right support to do this every time. Officers need the time and resource to listen to children and investigate the bigger picture around the circumstances they have come into contact with the police to then identify abuse and exploitation.

“We’re already radically transforming the Met. Our Children and Young People’s strategy will support officers to see children as children first and foremost and recognise their individual needs. We’re also providing more resource for our emergency response officers and investigative teams, as well as better training, and we’re determined to work more closely with expert partners.”

The MPS said these early findings from HMICFRS reinforce its plans to make changes to help officers and staff provide a better service to London’s children.

It said these plans are already under way and the force is building ‘A New Met for London’, where it reprioritises how officers and staff protect children from harm and serious violence.

Through this, the MPS said it will:

• Boost resource so there are more people dedicated to better protecting children and vulnerable people – 72 new officers and staff will be joining specialist child exploitation teams, with hundreds more set to join public protection teams;
• Develop and deliver a new Children and Young People’s strategy that will reset how officers keep children and young people safe by seeing them as children first;
• Create a Central Vulnerability Hub which will change how the force responds to vulnerability and harm, bringing together specialist officers and staff to locate and safeguard missing children and people;
• Continue to provide additional specialist child protection training for the teams involved in child exploitation investigations and give enhanced training to officers who deal with missing children;
• Launch Right Care Right Person to help free up more resource to better investigate missing children and suspected exploitation. This will ensure the right agencies deal with health-related calls, instead of the police being the default first responder; and
• Bring expert partners together who have first-hand experience of working with children and young people to give them a range of support.

In response to the findings by HMICFRS, Caroline Russell AM, chair of London’s Police and Crime Committee, said: “Earlier this year, a report by the Police and Crime Committee warned that the Met was failing to appropriately identify and assess risk when a child is reported missing, hindering efforts to locate and safeguard vulnerable children.

“It is therefore disappointing, but not surprising, that the inspectorate has issued a cause for concern over this same issue.

“We were also concerned to hear in our investigation that families and carers face frustrating delays when reporting missing children and sometimes receive inaccurate information from police call handlers.

“The inspectorate’s finding of frequent use of victim-blaming language is unacceptable. Children who are missing and have been criminally exploited should be seen first and foremost as children and as victims and everything should be done to avoid the criminalisation of a child.

“When a child goes missing, they are exposed to the most appalling harms, including from gangs, sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking, and it is understandably a distressing time for their families and carers.

“It is vital that the Met makes improvements in this area to keep children in London safe. We will continue to scrutinise the Commissioner and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to ensure that they reform the Met and rebuild trust among Londoners.”