Agenda item

*City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHSCP) Child Q Practice Review

Joint report of the Commissioner and Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Minutes:

The Board received a joint report of the City of London Police Commissioner and Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership Child Q Practice Review. It was explained the two key themes emerging from Force’s detailed review of all juvenile strip searches, namely the recording of decision-making regarding strip searches and safeguarding considerations, were being actioned including a dedicated education plan and changes to the internal systems to guide Officers through the process of recording decisions. In addition, Members were informed that the eight recommendations from the Safeguarding Practice Review applicable to policing would be built into an action plan which would be overseen by the Force’s Renewing and Rebuilding Trust Board.

 

Responding to a query from the Deputy Chair it was confirmed that of the nine strip searches of juveniles which the City of London Police had undertaken in the last three years all took place within the City of London, six were completed in custody and three were a pre-arrest search. The breakdown of ethnicity of those strip searched was provided but it was added that, as four of the nine did not state their ethnicity, it was difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from this data.

 

Following a Member’s question it was confirmed that Officers would be expected to ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures were in place following any strip search of juveniles.

 

A Member highlighted the subjects discussed by the Safeguarding Sub-Committee including unconscious bias and that racism was ‘likely an influencing factor’ in incident referred to in the report. It was confirmed that the learnings with regard to adultification would be implemented accordingly with partner organisations. The Chair observed the good model of cooperation between the Force and the City of London Corporation.

 

RESOLVED- That the report be noted.

 

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