Staffordshire Police has improved in some of the ways it protects children, but it still needs to improve the quality of its investigations, a new report has found.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) re-inspected the force in March 2023, after an initial inspection in 2021 found systemic failings and made 15 recommendations for improvement.
Action plan to improve its services
In the latest visit, inspectors found that Staffordshire Police had introduced an action plan to improve its services to children, leading to more effective:
- structure and leadership roles for overseeing all aspects of child protection;
- use of IT systems, so that staff have access to the information and resources they need to complete their duties;
- contribution to multi-agency child protection arrangements;
- responses to online child sexual abuse; and
- management of registered sex offenders.
However, inspectors also found that some issues identified in the previous inspection were still present and the force needs to improve in several areas, including:
- the quality of its child protection investigations;
- risk assessment and allocation of responses by the force contact centre;
- responses to children reported missing from home;
- the accuracy of recording details of children’s ethnicity and cultural heritage; and
- processes to assess and share information with other organisations to help protect children.
Introduction of a dedicated action plan
The inspectorate has said that, within six weeks, Staffordshire Police should provide an updated action plan
The inspectorate has said that, within six weeks, Staffordshire Police should provide an updated action plan. His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, said: “Staffordshire Police is committed to improving its child protection services and addressing the issues raised in our 2021 inspection, evidenced by the introduction of a dedicated action plan.
“The force has made several positive changes to improve the ways it protects vulnerable children, including better clarity in its senior leadership and governance arrangements."
How will it make further improvements
Williams added: “With that said, some of the issues highlighted in our initial inspection still haven’t been fully addressed. For example, the quality of its investigations must be improved to better safeguard children and bring offenders to justice."
“We will continue to work closely with the force to monitor its progress and expect to see an updated action plan within six weeks, which sets out how it will make further improvements.”
