The beginning of 2025 has been a pivotal time for the Child Protection and Abuse Investigation (CPAI) portfolio, as it experienced what I can only describe as a phenomenal surge in media attention which as always increases demands on our teams and partner agencies. This increased focus came as a result of negative media coverage of so called ‘grooming gangs’ that had a significant impact on victims and survivors.

Whilst the impact and subsequent waves were large we did receive promising news which included a series of measures including an increase in funding allowing us to expand our efforts further.

Since these announcements, our dedicated teams have been working tirelessly to ensure that the uplift in funding leads to real, tangible outcomes for victims and survivors. Behind the scenes, a great deal of work has been taking place, and the effects of these efforts will be seen over the coming months and years. While some of the work will take time to fully implement, we are already seeing the beginnings of progress, and so I want to share this progress with you.

Many will know that my portfolio includes a number of national policing programmes including Hydrant, TOEX and the Vulnerability Knowledge Practice Programme as well as the Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce – a busy space I am sure you will agree.

Across all the announcements have had impact. In Hydrant and the Taskforce the recent extension of the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel (CSARP), No Further Action (NFAs) investigations, and expanding group-based offending data sets, the Team is more active than ever.

In Communications ensuring victim/survivor voice is the lynch pin of the work they undertake means they have made strides in instilling confidence by ensuring the voices of those people who have been victim of some on the most horrendous crimes are heard and their experience helps us talk to others who have not yet been able to disclose.

The Analysis and Research Team are also making significant strides. They are currently focused on creating new data sets that will provide invaluable insights into the nature and scale of child sexual abuse cases upon the case closing. These new data sets are scheduled to be trialled with some forces soon, and we anticipate that the insights gained will help us to improve the Complex and Organised Child Sexual Abuse Database (COCAD).

Another critical area of focus is the Peer Review and Peer Support Team. This team plays an essential role in supporting police forces with debriefs, continuous professional development, peer reviews and peer support. To meet the growing demands of this important work, the team is recruiting new staff to help with the increased workload- with the first new starters already joining us this month.

Additionally, they are working on updating documents and guidance relating to investigations that result in a no further action (NFA) conclusion by police forces. This aspect of the work is crucial in ensuring that investigations are thorough, and that victims and survivors have the right to have their case reviewed.

This is just a snap shot of some of the work these teams are delivering on my behalf and its great to see the products they develop to help us understand the scale and nature of CSAE nationally. On March 11 I had the pleasure of travelling to London for a press briefing on the National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Crimes Report 2023.

The report sets out publicly a clear, detailed picture of reported Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) crimes across England and Wales and has been developed by the VKPP. It highlights that around a third of CSAE contact crimes take place within the family environment and more than half of CSAE offences (where the age was known) were committed by children (10-17 years) The statistics show offending ranging from experimental image-based abuse to serious contact offences.

Based on datasets collected from 44 police forces, this national snapshot gives refreshed, enhanced insight and analysis into the scale and nature of reported CSAE, trends in offending, including crime types, and presents profiles of both victims and perpetrators.

Although it is known that there is significant under-reporting of these crimes, policing recognises the value of presenting a known baseline of recorded abuse and harm taking place against children, to inform future understanding.

The Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX) have been continuing the progress the upscale of the Capabilities Environment (CE)- so far, the CE has reached over £11 million in saving opportunities since January 2024. The sixth and final app for the CE this financial year will begin testing this month and once approved for release will provide users with the Data Analyser & Review Tool (DART) for the interrogation of digital devices.

The CE has now onboarded more than 1,000 officers and staff across 11 force areas- including 157 staff in Staffordshire, these staff can access the CE and associated tools to help investigate organised exploitation offences including CSAE

It is exciting to see how technology is being progressed within policing to allow us to work more effectively and ultimately improve judicial outcomes for victims of crime.

To find out more about how the TOEX capabilities environment has supported CSAE cases visit: https://www.toexprogramme.co.uk/building-an-evidence-base/case-studies

The Road Ahead

While the progress we have made so far is promising, we recognise that there is still much more work to be done. The new workstreams I have talked about will take time to bear fruit, but the extra funding and resources provided by the Government offer a significant boost to our efforts. Over time, we are confident that this uplift will lead to improved experiences for victims and survivors interacting with the police and child protection services.

As we move forward, we remain committed to ensuring that the voices of victims and survivors are heard and that their needs are met with compassion, understanding, and the utmost professionalism. The work that we do is incredibly important, and I am proud to lead a team that is so dedicated to making a positive difference.

In the coming months, we look forward to sharing updates on our progress, new announcements, and the success stories that will undoubtedly emerge as a result of our collective efforts. Thank you for your continued support as we work to protect the most vulnerable in our society- our children.