The Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro said he is encouraged that progress is being made but Surrey Police has more work to do to protect vulnerable children following a report released today (Thursday 9 February).
An inspection in June 2015 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) highlighted serious failings in the Force’s response to child protection issues. As a result, the Force instigated an immediate action plan and a re-inspection by the HMIC was carried out in August last year to assess the progress made.
The PCC said he is pleased to hear that inspectors found definite improvements had been made across the Force which has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the services it provides to protect vulnerable children.
However, the HMIC report released today found there was more to be done to provide consistently improved outcomes for those young people at risk.
PCC David Munro said: “Protecting children from harm is one of the most important roles the police service undertakes. One child at risk in Surrey is one too many and I know that since the initial HMIC inspection in June 2015, this has been an absolute priority for Surrey Police.
“The road to recovery was always likely to be a long one so while I am pleased that today’s report highlights the progress that the Force are making, it is clear that there is much more still to do.
“A solid action plan is being implemented and better leadership, resourcing and training has ensured that those key areas where failings were highlighted by the HMIC are being addressed.
“But there is no room for complacency and more work is required to embed child protection into all areas of the force.
“This re-inspection was a point in time last summer and I hope that further improvements made since then will be reflected when the HMIC’s report into Effectiveness is published next month.
“I made a commitment in my Police and Crime Plan to ensure that victims of child abuse receive proper support and care. I will do whatever I can to support the Force in achieving this whilst at the same time providing the level of scrutiny required to make sure we stay on the right track.