Issue details

This inspection will supplement HMICFRS’ national child protection inspection for GMP. HMICFRS intends to publish the national child protection inspection report before December 2024. In this supplementary inspection, and where necessary supported by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, HMICFRS will address the following questions:

How effective is the Greater Manchester Complex Safeguarding Peer Review Programme at improving the partnership response to child criminal and sexual exploitation?

HMICFRS will consider:
• the effectiveness of peer reviews undertaken by the force and its safeguarding partners.
• the effectiveness of peer reviews in identifying learning.
• the sharing and reporting of learning from peer reviews.
• how peer reviews supplement other partnership scrutiny and accountability forums; and
• how the force and its safeguarding partners use this learning to improve practice.

How effective is the force in carrying out its investigative strategies in relation to operations Bernese, Green Jacket, Sherwood and Exmoor (investigations into allegations spanning a 12-year period between 2002 and 2014, in the South Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale areas of Greater Manchester).

HMICFRS will consider whether:

• the force has allocated enough personnel with the requisite skills and experience.
• strategies to support victims are consistent with national good practice guidance (this includes, but isn’t limited to, guidance provided by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, and the code of practice for victims of crime).
• strategies to manage suspects are consistent with national good practice guidance (this includes but isn’t limited to, guidance provided by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing) and take account of risks suspects may pose to others in the community; and
• the force makes victims aware of the therapeutic and other forms of support available to them, from organisations operating within the criminal justice system and from organisations operating elsewhere.

How effective is the force’s response to victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation who have been identified through the work of the independent review team previously appointed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority?

HMICFRS will consider:

• the force’s response to information it received about potential victims.
• the force’s investigative policies and strategies in relation to that information.
• whether the wishes of victims and survivors were considered.
• the criminal justice outcomes for victims and survivors.
• other, non-criminal justice, outcomes for them (such as restorative justice; abuse being recognised and survivors being given an opportunity to speak about it; or, where suspects have died, acknowledgement of the abuse and proportionate investigation); and
• the provision of, and access to, support services for victims and survivors, regardless of the outcomes.

As part of its inspection, HMICFRS will carry out the following activities:

• interviews and focus groups with police officers and staff, and personnel in their partner organisations; and
• document reviews, including relevant case reviews, single and multiagency audits, position statements, training material, strategies, policies, guidance, and the agendas, minutes and other papers of relevant meetings.

HMICFRS intends to report its preliminary findings by December 2024 and to publish detailed findings by June 2025.