THAMES Valley Police has released a statement following the publication of a report of police child protective services on Wednesday, November 8.
The findings of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services’ child protection services report were released on Tuesday, November 7, arguing that the police are “letting children down” in a number of areas.
The report details how police have been ineffective in locating missing children and have an “unacceptable” level of visits overdue for registered sex offenders.
It detailed a number of cases where the police had underperformed, including a case surrounding the arrest of a man for drug-driving while a one-year-old baby was in the back seat.
No safeguarding assessment was carried out despite an “obvious” risk of harm to the child.
The report also said, however, that there were areas where the force was responding with “good, child-centred” actions, such as the swift arrest of two parents whose nine-month-old baby was reported to have unexplained injuries.
The review criticised “frontline and specialist officers [who] have variable knowledge and understanding of good child protection practice,” and said that children were not adequately protected by the force in “too many cases.”
It’s part of a wider inspection of all of the child protective services provided by police forces across England and Wales.
Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs at Thames Valley Police said: “We have carefully reviewed the findings of the National Child Protection Inspection report released by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on 7th November 2023 and we take its conclusions seriously.
“We appreciate the efforts made by HMICFRS to provide this comprehensive insight in to our Child Protection practices across Thames Valley.”
He explained: “We are pleased the report recognised the determination and dedication of officers and staff to develop innovative practice and a positive child-focused culture within the organisation.
“Since the inspection in May 2023, we have taken significant steps to address the concerns and recommendations highlighted in the report and we are fully committed to making the further necessary changes to address the areas for improvement diligently and expeditiously.
“We will continue to build upon our strong collaborative relationships with key partners to ensure TVP practices adhere to the highest standards of quality and integrity and we remain resolute in our commitment to place victims at the centre of our work and improving our service.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, added that while the report recognises some of the good work being done, there were “clearly some serious concerns.
“I’d expect the chief constable to be making those changes as quickly as possible.”
