We all want the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Telford Child Sexual Exploitation (IITCSE) report to be properly implemented because we all want fundamental change to the way our authorities support victims and tackle CSE.
We all saw the way the Council responded to calls for an inquiry by trying to block it and denying CSE was a problem, denigrating those who called it out until the scale of CSE in Telford made an inquiry inevitable. We then all saw the way the Council responded to the findings of the IITCSE report, dismissing CSE as historic, claiming improvements had already been made and failing to take responsibility or apologise for the failings set out in the report.
It is inevitable that my constituents are sceptical that the Council will fully embrace the recommendations with a genuine desire to make change happen. At every step this appears to have been treated as a public relations exercise and a political inconvenience to be quietly brushed away. Most concerning is the pretence that all is well and that we should just trust the Council to act in good faith. These are the very same people who said that CSE was historical and downplayed its prevalence. Many are still in post.
Contrast this with the response of West Mercia Police, who were open and transparent accepted responsibility and apologised for their failings. The police didn’t deflect from their own failures, declare that it was nothing to do with them or imply they weren't responsible for the failures on their own organisation. They have in fact a whole new team except for the Police and Crime Commissioner. They also have regular dialogue with the MPs to keep us briefed and they answer questions that are put to them openly and without deflection.
I will be holding Telford & Wrekin Council to account to ensure:
- They are transparent
- There is a public record of actions taken
- There is genuine independent oversight
- They work with anyone whose job it is to challenge and scrutinise
- The public is updated on the process
- They engage in dialogue with the media, and the MPs who represent the people of Telford & Wrekin
We must see action. It would be a disservice to all victims who contributed to the inquiry to simply move on without making change happen.
