West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson explains what he is doing to combat child sex grooming.

AS a society, our duty is to protect the most vulnerable.

That is why the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) is such an awful one that needs tackling on every level.

The thought of children being groomed by vile perpetrators who destroy these children’s lives in the process, is horrific.

Events have been brought into sharp focus recently by the report into CSE by Professor Alexis Jay's independent report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

It outlined failings where a culture of inaction and ignorance led to victims being failed on an industrial level. Those recommendations from that report need to be looked at by every police force and local authority across the UK.

That includes West Yorkshire, where I have sought assurances from the Deputy Chief Constable that those recommendations, are embedded and implemented on every level.

Because we need to ensure this is not happening here, and if it is, we are doing everything we can to root it out and deal with it.

Education, awareness and training are the tools of power that we will use to combat this culture of fear, intimidation and threats that surround CSE.

This means the raising of awareness of those working with children to recognise and understand exactly what CSE is, how to tackle it and how to protect victims while ensuring those vile individuals responsible for carrying it out are dealt with severely within the criminal justice system.

To that end, as PCC, today I have called a meeting of child protection experts from every council across West Yorkshire, including Bradford, to discuss what we are currently doing, and what more needs to be done to tackle this issue.

West Yorkshire Police have already had their work recognised around their Know the Signs campaign, which aims to raise awareness around CSE and ensure people recognise what those signs are.

Those signs include a victim being targeted and groomed by adults, with the intention of sexually assaulting and/or raping them.

The children are targeted because they are vulnerable; due to their age.

Grooming can take place in many forms - both 'on line' in social media chat rooms, via mobile phones or in person. The child will not always realise they are being groomed.

Often the grooming starts with friendship or a relationship, where the offender may supply gifts such as clothes, money, mobile phones, which may progress to the supply of alcohol and drugs.

Sometimes the children are given lifts and transported around. The offender will usually encourage the child to distance themselves further from their usual family and friends. Soon into this friendship/relationship, sexual assaults and rapes may occur upon the child.

The offenders are very organised and deliberate in their actions, in some cases working together within a group. They are predatory sex offenders, targeting specifically vulnerable children.

The Know the Signs campaign has been recognised nationally. But the work is ongoing and it is everyone’s responsibility to raise concerns if they have any about a vulnerable young person, who may not see themselves as a victim.

That can be further complicated by the fact victims may have family problems, drug or alcohol issues, and other factors that can cloud the fact they are being groomed and could be a victim of CSE. WE need to get this hidden problem out into the open, ensure everyone understands what it is, and let perpetrators be in no doubt, the full force of the law will be applied to them.

Victims also need to be treated with care and not subjected to such tough experiences in the courtroom with regards cross examination and to that end I have met with the Recorder of Bradford to see if there are any ways we can make that experience less traumatic.

More work around this needs to be done, but as PCC, I have made an extra £3.5 millon available to the police for increased capacity to deal with CSE, human trafficking and cyber crime, have provided funding for more staff dedicated to dealing with rape and serious sexual offences and protected the numbers of Neighbourhood Policing Teams as well including Police and Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who are working day in day out in our communities to keep us all safe in new partnership co-located teams.

Those co-located teams, including the one in Bradford, are crucial for joint working because they have police officers, child protection experts, health workers, voluntary organisations, and social services all under one roof sharing information.

I have also met victims of CSE and their families, supported the charities and community groups delivering on the ground and organised two conferences to increase understanding and awareness and to develop a more cohesive approach to CSE.