Chairmen's Committee - Approved Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel Minutes - 11 January 2018

Present

Deputy S.Y. Mézec , Chairman Deputy T.A. Vallois, Vice-Chairman

Senator S.C. Ferguson Deputy M.R. Higgins

Apologies

Absent

In attendance

Mr S. Gull, Superintendent, States of Jersey Police [Item 1]

Ms A. Fossey, Detective Chief Inspector, States of Jersey Police [Item 1] Mr C. Parker, Chief Executive, States of Jersey [Item 2]

Mr T. Walker , Chief Officer, Community and Constitutional Affairs [Item 2] Ms J. McGeachie, Organisational Development Consultant [Item 2]

Mr A. Harris , Scrutiny Officer

Ref Back

Agenda matter

Action

1. Meeting with States of Jersey Police

The Review Panel received Mr S. Gull, Superintendent, States of Jersey Police and Ms A. Fossey, Detective Chief Inspector, States of Jersey Police to discuss the response of the States of Jersey Police (SoJP) as a result of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (IJCI).

It was noted that the appointment of the Director for Children's Policy had acted as a conduit for bringing together the various agencies involved in the response to the IJCI and the details that had been put forward so far had proven to be useful. As a single organisation, it was noted that the SoJP had been in a strong position since Operation Rectangle was carried out in 2008 to 2010 and had been rightly praised for its work during a turbulent period in the Island.

The Review Panel noted that various initiatives had been put in place by the  SoJP  before  the  IJCI  report  had  been  published.  It  was acknowledged that the SoJP had acted swiftly in order to put these initiatives in place. The SoJP had led the development of legislation in respect  of  sex  offenders  (including  the  Jersey  Multi-Agency  Public Protection  Arrangements  (JMAPPA)  and  the  formation  of  the  Multi- Agency  Safeguarding  Hub  (MASH).  It  had  also  established  an information sharing system with the Education Department that gave daily updates on children who may be involved with domestic violence cases. It was noted that 20% of all crime in Jersey was related to domestic abuse. The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) had been opened in May 2017 and had thus far received 54 cases of which 17 were self-referrals. It was noted that in the U.K. the national average was 10% for self-referral, against a Jersey percentage of 37%. It was noted that a new campaign was due to be launched to promote the work of the SARC.

The Review Panel heard that the biggest change that had been secured by  the  SoJP  was  the  appointment  of  two  additional  child  abuse investigators. It was noted that the Public Protection Unit (PPU) had received 440 cases relating to abuse in the past year, against 360 the year before.

The Review Panel noted that the SoJP's biggest concern was the lack of an out of hours' mental health triage. Concerns were also raised about the  joined  up  services  that  would  exist  underneath  the  proposed Children's  Rights  Officer,  Children'  Commissioner  and  Care Commissioner.

Mr S. Gull noted that the previous culture surrounding the SoJP had been seen as secretive, however changes had been implemented involving social media which had been instrumental in making the SoJP more accessible to the public. It was noted that a Community Advisory Group had been established to enhance the community policing model in the Island, and there were intentions to reach out to people within the Polish and Portuguese communities.

The Review Panel noted that one of the biggest risks to the work of the SoJP was the savings and efficiencies it was having to find as a result of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). It was explained that the SoJP had to find £1 million worth of savings out of its budget of £24 million in time for 2019. It was noted that 87% of the budget was spent on personnel, and therefore changes would have to be made within this area.

The Review Panel noted an invitation from the SoJP to visit the MASH. The Officer advised that a visit would be arranged in due course.

AH

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2. Meeting with Chief Executive of the States of Jersey

The Review Panel received Mr C. Parker, Chief Executive, States of Jersey, Mr T. Walker , Chief Officer, Community and Constitutional Affairs and Ms J. McGeachie, Organisational Development Consultant for a discussion on the role of the Review Panel and plans that were going to be put in place as a result of the IJCI.

Mr C. Parker explained that the role of the Chief Executive was a great opportunity but plenty of work needed to be done. It was noted that the findings  of  the  IJCI  presented  significant  issues  to  the  Island  and, although good practice was present, a lot was left to be desired in terms of  improving  all  round  practice.  This  stemmed  from  a  current departmental led approach to working with children, and a greater focus on  inter-departmental  working  was  essential  to  achieve  these improvements.

Mr C. Parker outlined his personal successes in previous roles, and noted that he had a track record for turning around children's services. It was  explained  that  systemic,  institutional,  cultural  and  behavioural standards would all need to be recalibrated to create a safer environment for children and young people. It was hoped that a shift in these values would occur, but it was not yet clear what this may look like, although changes to create a learning culture with investment in the workforce was key to this success.

The Review Panel discussed concerns that had been raised with the State's  Employment  Board  (SEB)  regarding  the  headline  actions  in respect of Recommendation Four: Building a Sustainable Workforce. The Review Panel explained that within the headline actions, there was no reference to a wider review of the States Human Resources function, which it felt was fundamental in terms of implementing Recommendation Four. It was noted that work was being undertaken to review current structures within the States of Jersey, after which a report would be presented to the States. The Chief Executive explained that this would be presented to the Review Panel upon completion.