Responding to the report by Baroness Casey into CSE and the launch of a national inquiry into grooming gangs, Rachael Wardell, President of ADCS, said:

“Child sexual exploitation is an appalling crime which needs to be rooted out from society and Baroness Casey’s report makes for necessary but difficult reading. There is a lot of detail in it for us to work through as leaders of children’s services, with our safeguarding partners and with the government departments tasked with taking action. 

“The full commitment of all public agencies, government departments and the wider public is needed to tackle this issue, as is a clearer focus on the social and cultural issues surrounding the root causes of abuse and exploitation if we are to disrupt, expose and prosecute the ruthless criminal gangs responsible for these dreadful crimes.

“Children’s services exist to protect all children, especially the most vulnerable, from harm and we will continue to do all we can to ensure children’s safety remains our highest priority.

“Preventing abuse from happening in the first place must be our ultimate goal and all agencies must work together in a multi-disciplinary way to do this.”

ENDS