Council response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)

The findings of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report into failings in Rochdale institutions between 1960 and 1996 is to be considered by the council ahead of a formal response.

The report released on 12 April 2018 highlighted significant historic failures of leadership and management and how council officers and school staff from the time covered by the report had failed to protect children.

The council, which began its own independent review into the failings in 2014, apologised to the victims before the start of the IICSA hearings in October 2017.  

Although IICSA made no recommendations to the council, its report will be considered by the council and its councillors so that a formal response can be given. On 25 April the inquiry intends to publish an interim report on its work to date, which may make recommendations to all organisations covered. To the extent they relate to Rochdale or more generally, the council will also take this into account in its response.

IICSA’s Rochdale report will be presented to a scrutiny meeting, which will include an opportunity for all councillors to discuss the findings.

The council will also outline the significant changes that have been made in child protection services in the borough of Rochdale in recent years. Evidence of these were provided to IICSA but not included in its report. Since 2012 a number of Ofsted inspections have acknowledged the progress in improving child protection services that has been made by the council. All recognised that continual improvements had been made.

Alongside this the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) completes an annual audit of compliance with safeguarding requirements. The most recent example evidenced high levels of compliance with statutory safeguarding requirements across all agencies in the borough of Rochdale.

The date and time of the meeting will be arranged after the local elections in May.