Decision details

Forced Marriage

Decision Maker: Children's Services Scrutiny Committee

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

Victoria Gent, Head of Service Children's Social Care – East; and Lisa Sowden, Children Social Care Team Manager – East, presented a report considering the national and local picture in relation to forced marriage.

 

It was pointed out to the Committee that forced marriage was a very small percentage of the work done in Children's Social Care and currently the majority of cases of forced marriage fell within East Lancashire.

 

There were good legal frameworks in place that the Team could utilise as a Local Authority to safeguard children and young people at risk of forced marriage.

 

Regarding the national picture there was a joint Foreign Office and Home Office funded team that supported services within and outside the UK in regards to forced marriage. This was the Forced Marriage Protection Unit and it was very helpful with the Children's Services Social Care Team. In terms of where cases originated from on a national level, around a quarter of them originated from the North West. There was a reduction in the number of notifications nationally and this was replicated in the number of applications the Team had made for orders as a Local Authority. In the last two years Lancashire had received 17 Forced Marriage Protection Orders.

 

Members were advised that children and young people were also supported through Child in Need Plans and Child Protection Plans. If the risks were very high, the children could enter the care of the Local Authority in order to safeguard them.

 

Regarding the monitoring of cases, children and young people were monitored via whatever process they were in at that current time, i.e. a Child in Need Plan, a Child Protection Plan or a Child Looked After. In addition there was ongoing monitoring through the police.

 

 

As the majority of case occurred in the east of the County, it was reported that there were incidences were families had crossed borders but when this happened LCC would notify the relevant authority. There was a protocol and procedure in place in how to hand the work over to the neighbouring authority. Multi-agency working and working with other local authorities had improved greatly.

 

Members stated that more emphasis should be placed on education and working with secondary schools. There was a strong School Safeguarding Team in place that was working strongly with both primary and secondary schools.

 

Resolved: That the;

 

  i.  Report presented be noted; and

  ii.  A briefing note be provided annually on Forced Marriage.

 

Report author: Samantha Parker

Date of decision: 14/03/2018

Decided at meeting: 14/03/2018 - Children's Services Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: