Merseyside Police’s sex offender unit is failing to visit
high-risk sex offenders as often as it should, according to a
report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The policing inspectorate found that Merseyside Police had
a backlog of almost 100 overdue visits to registered sex
offenders. It cites heavy workloads and poor communication with
neighbourhood police officers as reasons why the force is
struggling to manage the risk posed by sex offenders.
The report concludes that despite showing a strong
commitment to child protection and safeguarding, the inspection
showed that much more work is needed to ensure consistent
improvements in outcomes for vulnerable children.
HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr
said:
“I am encouraged to see that Merseyside Police is committed
to doing more to keep children safe. When the force’s own case
audit showed failings in how it responds to child protection
incidents, it took quick and decisive action to tackle the
problem head-on. This shows me that safeguarding children is a
real priority for the service.
“But there is still plenty of room for improvement. At the
time of our inspection, Merseyside Police’s sex offender unit was
seriously overstretched. Offender managers were individually
responsible for up to 100 registered sex offenders - double what
we would like to see.
“This had a serious impact on the force’s ability to manage
sex offenders. Too often, offender managers were playing catch-up
and couldn't prioritise preventative work. Neighbourhood policing
teams were often unaware of sex offenders living in their
communities. And it was particularly concerning to see that the
force’s records show a backlog of 98 overdue visits to registered
sex offenders.
“This is an area that requires real improvement before I
can be confident that Merseyside Police is meeting its duty to
keep children safe.
“That said, there were other areas where we did find
evidence of good practice. The force carries out investigations
to a good standard and uses police protection powers
appropriately to safeguard children. I am reassured by Merseyside
Police’s recent efforts to do more to make sure every child is
safe from harm, and I look forward to seeing its next
steps.”
Inspectors were pleased to find that Merseyside
Police:
· has
strong and effective partnership arrangements with the five local
authorities in the force area;
· has
extensive welfare support for members of the workforce dealing
with child protection cases; and
· has
renewed its efforts to improve the awareness of staff about
vulnerability and their safeguarding responsibilities.
However, inspectors were concerned to find that:
· the
force’s recording of strategy meeting outcomes and joint planning
actions is inconsistent;
· there
are often delays in the attendance of appropriate adults to
support the overall welfare needs, rights and entitlements of
detained children; and
· performance
measures are currently based on the number of child protection
incidents and cases, rather than outcomes for victims.
Notes to editors
1. HMICFRS
is inspecting the child protection work of every police force in
England and Wales. The reports provide information for the
police, the police and crime commissioner 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,
HMICFRS 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 HMICFRS 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.
