Child sexual exploitation strategy - Find a freedom of information request

1. I wish to make a freedom of information request regarding Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Local councils have a statutory duty to operate mechanisms that "collect prevalence and monitor cases of CSE". They "should have specific local procedures to cover CSE (eg a strategy)" . I refer to the Local Government Association document 'Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: A Resource Pack for Councils', page 6. Can you please confirm:

a) that your council currently operates these mechanisms and has a strategy to cover CSE,

b) the nature of these mechanisms used to monitor CSE and the strategy in place,

c) the current number of cases of CSE being monitored by your council,

d) the number of CSE cases monitored that are thought to be gang/group based (cases involving 2 or more perpetrators),

e) a breakdown of ethnicity and - if possible - age of the assumed victims of CSE being monitored by your council

f) a breakdown of ethnicity of perpetrators for cases being monitored by your council.

g) the number of cases being monitored each year between 2010 and 2024 (please use the most appropriate reporting date for this data and, if this is not available, please provide this information as of the 1st March of that year). If data is not available for a particular year then please specify the reason for this.

1.

a. Yes, Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has specific procedures and processes around CSE.

b. Lincolnshire operates a Multi Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) process. Concerns around exploitation relating to victims and/or persons of concern and/or locations of concern are submitted via a Child Exploitation Screening Tool. Lincolnshire operates a two-stage approach to exploring these concerns; initially research is gathered and a MACE Level 1 discussion is undertaken by Childrens Services, Police and Health to assess if there is sufficient information known for these concerns to progress to MACFE Level 2. AT MACE Level 2 a range of professionals explore opportunities to implement disruptive measures.

c. Unable to answer this question; LCC do not ‘actively monitor’ cases – cases only remain open to MACE up until the point of discharge which occurs when it is felt that all available disruption has been implemented via the MACE process. A number of these children will be subject to separate Children’s Services and/or multi-agency plans for support for a range of issues which in some cases will include exploitation related worries.

d. Unable to answer, as above.

e. Unable to answer, as above.

f. Unable to answer, as above.

g. Unable to answer, as above.