Council at centre of CSE scandal gets innovation cash

The announcement was made today by Prime Minister David Cameron as part of a raft of measures aimed at tackling CSE, including tough penalties for children’s professionals who fail to protect young people at risk.

The biggest award is to councils across South Yorkshire to provide support for victims including the recruitment and training of specialist foster carers and provision of safe care placements.

Those involved include Rotherham Council, which has been at the centre of a sex abuse scandal involving 1,400 children between 1997 and 2013. Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster councils will also benefit from the funding package.

Care charity St Christopher’s Fellowship has received £1.19m to support a pilot project offering specialist residential care and support in London to looked-after children at risk of sexual exploitation.

Janet Grauberg, St Christopher’s director of strategy and development, said: “Our focus will be on helping girls in children’s homes learn skills to keep themselves safe from child sexual exploitation.

“We will also look at ways of protecting them at times when they may be of higher risk of abuse. We will explore all possible options. The services will be based at two new children’s homes, one in West London and one in North London.”

Children's minister Edward Timpson added: "Having worked for 10 years as a family barrister, I know only too well that personalised, dedicated support can play a hugely important role in helping children and young people suffering from abuse, gang involvement or substance misuse turn their back on destructive behaviour and get their lives back on track.

"This new service will make sure that troubled teens in London get the help they need, when they need it most."

Meanwhile, Wigan and Rochdale councils have received £956,000 to develop an improved social care model for young CSE victims. If successful this will be rolled out across the Greater Manchester area.

In addition, Durham County Council has received £496,000 to open a new specialist unit for CSE victims at its Aycliffe secure children’s home. This will offer targeted support in helping young people deal with trauma and help them to transition into independent living when their sentence ends.

The latest awards take the total number of projects funded through the £100m children’s innovation fund to 25.