Council leader pledges to help CSE survivors access historic files

Councillor Lezley Picton made the comments at today's meeting of Shropshire Council's cabinet – where she also offered an apology to victims of the Telford Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) scandal, on behalf of the authority's predecessor – Shropshire County Council (SCC).

The inquiry report, published last week, concluded that more than 1,000 young girls had been exploited in Telford and Wrekin going back to 1989, and delivered a series of recommendations for improvements in the protection of young people.

The inquiry was set up by Telford & Wrekin Council but its Chair, Tom Crowther QC, requested other historic information from Shropshire Council as part of the process.

Telford & Wrekin Council was set up in 1998, and prior to that SCC had responsibility for children's services in the borough.

Shropshire Council holds some SCC records that were not handed over to Telford & Wrekin Council when it was created.

Mr Crowther had criticised Shropshire Council in his final report over its lack of help – and what he said were at times “combative” responses.

The council has defended its co-operation – something re-iterated by Councillor Picton during her comments.

She said: "I have seen some claims that Shropshire Council has not co-operated with the inquiry. This is simply not true."

She also said the authority would attempt to help survivors who wanted access to their historic files.

She said: "The council believes it engaged with the inquiry proportionately and in a reasonable manner and provided the inquiry with information that was more relevant to that which was originally requested.

"The number of documents the council has submitted also does not take account the many thousands of Shropshire County Council documents and children’s case files that were transferred to Telford & Wrekin Council in 1998 and formed part of the evidence submitted by Telford & Wrekin.

"However if there are survivors who wish to access their files from the Shropshire County Council period pre-1998, and if these files are still in our possession, we’re committed to doing all we legally can to help them to do so."

Councillor Picton also said: "While Shropshire Council is a different authority to its predecessor Shropshire County Council, and while I have only been a councillor since 2017, I want to take this opportunity to offer my sincere apologies to any victims that were failed by any shortcomings in Shropshire County Council’s practice prior to 1998, when responsibility for social care transferred to Telford & Wrekin Council."

The council leader said that they would be moving to implement any recommendations relating to the authority.

She said: "We are reviewing the 47 recommendations and will apply all those that improve practice here.

"There is one recommendation on licensing of taxis that applies directly to us and other authorities in the region.

"We will do what is in our powers to ensure we implement this as quickly as possible, however this also relies on a similar commitment from other councils.

"We will also be asking relevant scrutiny committees to look at these recommendations further to ensure that our processes are clear and open for all to see."

Councillor Picton said the lessons of the inquiry should be learned across the whole UK.

She said: "The inquiry has shown how this has ruined the young lives of over 1,000 of its victims in Telford stretching back for over 40 years into the 1970s, and that opportunities to prevent this were missed by many different agencies.

"Our thoughts are with the victims and their families who must live with the impact of this crime. We must ensure they get the support they need and that we all work together to prevent this ever happening again.

"The inquiry was commissioned by, and has focused on, our neighbouring council of Telford & Wrekin, but the lessons that must be learned apply across whole of the UK as nowhere, including here in Shropshire, is free from this crime."