Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors want Oldham Council staff to be trained to become ‘eyes and ears’ in the community to help detect instances of child sexual exploitation.

Oldham Council has recently asked all Councillors to complete a mandatory training module into combatting child sexual exploitation. This is being delivered by experts in this field from the renowned Barnardo’s Charity.

Councillor Sykes would like to see similar training made available to Council staff who regularly meet the public in person or speak to residents over the telephone, such as street cleaners, refuse collectors or call centre operatives.  He said:  “Although social workers and child care workers would routinely receive such training and would be aware of what signs to look out for, it would be very valuable to have other council staff in front-line roles trained to be our eyes and ears when they are out in the community.”

Councillor Sykes has recently written to the Council’s Chief Executive with this suggestion and since received a positive response.

Letter sent to the Chief Executive and the Director of Workforce and Organisational Design on 10 December 2020

Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, Chief Executive, Oldham Council

Cc Julia Veall, Director of Workforce and Organisational Design

Dear Dr Wilkins,

I wanted to write to you in support of the proposal that elected members shall in future attend a new training session on ‘child sexual abuse and exploitation’ on a mandatory basis as part of the Member Development Programme.  I wondered if we could extend this kind of training to other key staff members who in the course of their duties work in community settings and provide services directly to the public?

Although elected members can, and must, play an important contribution in safeguarding, there are many other staff who, whilst not working specifically with children and young people, can be our ‘eyes and ears’ when working out in the community – for example, street cleaners or refuse collectors – or dealing with members of the public over the telephone – call centre operatives – and perhaps, given current budgets, a modified version of the member training could also be made mandatory for such staff?

I shall look forward to receiving your comments.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE