Greater Manchester Police has made improvements to how it protects children. However, it is still not performing well in some areas

HMIC has today published a post-inspection review on the child protection work carried out by Greater Manchester Police.

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Greater Manchester Police National child protection inspection: post-inspection review

As part of a rolling programme of child protection inspections of all police forces in England and Wales, HMIC published an initial report in 2014 on the child protection work of Greater Manchester Police. This found a clear commitment to protecting children but also identified a need to drive consistently high standards across the force and to tackle a number of areas of concern, including delays in the investigation of a number of child protection cases. HMIC carried out a post inspection review in early July 2015.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Mike Cunningham said:

“I was pleased to see the priority that the force has given to child protection, and the strong desire to improve the protection of children at risk. The force has made some good progress since our inspection in 2014, particularly in ensuring information on sex offenders is available to neighbourhood officers, as well as an effort to detain fewer children unnecessarily in police custody.

“I would like to see the force show the same level of improvement in other areas. There are still delays in computer analysis in the high-tech crime unit, which needs to be reduced in order to ensure children are not left at risk and perpetrators are prevented from continuous offending.

“There is a real need for the force to improve how it carries out investigations, in particular in relation to child sexual exploitation and where children are exposed to domestic abuse.

“HMIC will continue to monitor the child protection work carried out by Greater Manchester Police.”

Key findings from the post-inspection review:

  • Greater Manchester Police has prioritised child protection and the force desires strongly to improve outcomes for children who are at risk of harm. Progress had been made in developing a good practice regime that responds well to child protection issues.
  • Although there were examples of good investigations, other cases were handled less well, particularly in relation to child sexual exploitation and children exposed to domestic abuse.
  • The force had provided training and guidance to frontline staff about the importance of recording information in child protection cases.
  • Greater Manchester Police had made limited reductions to the delays in the high-tech crime unit. The force must accelerate its efforts to reduce delays in computer analysis to ensure that children are not left at risk and perpetrators remain free to continue offending.
  • Greater Manchester Police has taken some significant steps to improve its custody provision for children. Fewer children and young people were being detained unnecessarily in police custody.
  • Progress had been made to ensure information on registered sex offenders, particularly those who are high risk, is routinely available to local neighbourhood officers.

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Greater Manchester Police National child protection inspection: post-inspection review

Notes

  1. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) is inspecting the child protection work of every police force in England and Wales. The reports are intended to provide information for the police, the police and crime commissioner (PCC) and the public on how well children are protected and their needs are met, and to secure improvements for the future.
  2. Under the National Child Protection Inspection (NCPI) programme, HMIC will assess how effectively each force in England and Wales safeguards children and young people at risk, make recommendations to forces for improving child protection practice, highlight effective practice in child protection work and drive improvements in forces’ child protection practice.
  3. Follow up activity by HMIC is an integral part of the NCPI programme. It allows inspectors to assess the progress each force is making in its work to improve services for the safety and protection of children. HMIC aims to revisit each force no later than six months after the publication of the initial NCP inspection report to assess how it is managing the implementation of the recommendations.
  4. In July 2015, HMIC published ‘In harm’s way: the role of the police in keeping children safe’ – based on findings from 21 inspections on the police response to child protection conducted over the last two years. This incorporates inspections from the first eight forces inspected under the NCPI programme.
  5. HMIC is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing in the public interest, and rigorously examines the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces to tackle crime and terrorism, improve criminal justice and raise confidence. HMIC inspects all 43 police forces in England and Wales, together with other major policing bodies.
  6. For further information, HMIC’s press office can be contacted during office hours from 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday on 020 3513 0600.
  7. HMIC’s out-of-hours press office line for urgent media enquiries is 07836 217 729.