Request for various information about Sexual Exploitation data and funding.

Reference: 22018

Date Added: Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Category: Miscellaneous

Disclosure Details

Thank you for your recent email.

Two duties are placed on public authorities under Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Notwithstanding applicable exemptions, the first duty at, Section 1(1) (a), is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at, Section1 (1) (b), is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Under the provisions of those sections of the FOIA, we can confirm that the information you seek is partly held by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent (OPCC) and Gwent Police are separate organisations.  The Police and Crime plan outlines the Commissioners commitment to tackling exploitation and abuse including CSE and children and adults abused and exploited through sexual exploitation.  We work collaboratively with the Gwent VAWDASV and Safeguarding Boards on CSE and vulnerable children and adults abused though all forms of exploitation including sexual exploitation.   We are committed to working with partners on CSE. Please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter further at Commissioner@gwent.police.uk.

We work in partnership with Gwent Police to understand the impact of exploitation on vulnerable people and communities in Gwent and ensure appropriate responses. You may also wish to contact Gwent Police directly to determine if they have the information requested via the following link Request information about the police Request information about the police | Gwent Police

You have requested the following information:

  1. How many adults did you support during the last 3 financial years who have experienced sexual exploitation?

No information held - The Commissioner’s Office does not directly provide support to victims of ASE and CSE.  The Commissioner is committed to supporting victims of CSE in Gwent through Gwent Police and partner organisations.  The Commissioner provides funding for a specific service that works with ASE or CSE which is outlined in answer 7 below.  The Commissioner provides funding for Sexual violence services and some of the people they support will be victims of ASE or CSE.  The Commissioner provides funding for victims services which support people to access specialist services.  The direct support and services for victims are provided by Gwent Police and partners.  All information regarding needs assessment, service provision are held by Gwent Police and partners.    Victims will be supported through the specialist services and teams in Gwent Police and partners.

     2. How many adults did you support during the last 3 financial years who are at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation?

No Information held.  See response to question 1.

    3. How many children and young people did you support during the last 3 financial years who have experienced sexual exploitation?

No information held. See response to question 1.

   4.  How many children and young people did you support during the last 3 financial years who are at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation?

No information held. See response to question 1.

   5.  For Questions 1-4, do you collect data on those who have experienced sexual exploitation disaggregated across protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation? Please provide the answers to Questions 1-4 for each characteristic listed if so.

No information held – The data is held by Gwent Police. You may wish to contact Gwent Police directly to determine if they have the information requested via the following link Request information about the police | Gwent Police

 

   6.  Do you provide direct support for survivors to exit adult exploitation? If so, how many survivors have you supported in the last 3 financial years through this support?

No information held. As above.

   7.  How much funding was committed during the last 3 financial years towards projects that support adults at risk of or experiencing sexual exploitation?

The Commissioner provides a grant from the Commissioning Fund to Cyfannol Women’s Aid for the delivery of a Drop-In Centre which aims to provide support to vulnerable

women and victims of sexual exploitation in Gwent.

Please see web link 2021-024-drop-in-centre-for-victims-of-sexual-exploitation-cyfannol-dl.pdf (pcc.police.uk) in relation to the Drop-in Centre for Vulnerable Women via Cyfannol Women’s Aid 2021/22 decision log and funding.

The purpose of the funding is to enable adults and young people and their supporting family members who have experienced sexual abuse, sexual violence or sexual exploitation to cope with the trauma experienced and recover as fully as they are able. Services provided through this funding will enable service users  to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Increased feelings of safety;
  • Improved health and wellbeing;
  • Better able to cope with aspects of everyday life;
  • Better informed and empowered to act on information; and
  • Build reliable and adequate access to self-esteem commodities.

Further information and data for the service can be requested from Cyfannol Women’s Aid.

   8.  How much funding was committed during the last 3 financial years towards projects that support children and young people at risk of or experiencing sexual exploitation?

No information held.  See response to question 7.

   9.  The names of any specific projects dedicated to supporting adults at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation, the length of the contracts, and the length of support provided.

No information held.  See response to question 7.

  10.  The names of any specific projects dedicated to supporting children and young people at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation, the length of the contracts, and the length of support provided.

No information held

  11.  How are the needs of adults at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation assessed?

No information held

  12.  How are the needs of children and young people at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation assessed?

No information held

  13.  Do you have a dedicated strategy for supporting adults at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation?

No information held - We don’t have a specific strategy for supporting adults/children at risk of experiencing exploitation

  14.  Do you have a dedicated strategy for supporting children and young people at risk of experiencing sexual exploitation?

No information held - The Commissioner is committed to supporting adult/children etc as outlined in the police and crime plan.  There is no distinct strategy for supporting adults/children at risk of experiencing exploitation.

  15.  How does strategic decision making around adult sexual exploitation link up with strategic decision making about VAWDASV in your organisation?

We don’t have a specific decision making process but the strategy approach is incorporated in the Police and Crime Plan and the Commissioner’s Governance processes. We are committed partners to the Gwent Safeguarding Board, Gwent VAWDASV Commissioning Board, Community Safety Partnerships, All-Wales VAWDASV Taskforce and other forums, which collectively try and link all of these issues together and improve the response to those affected, by the many services represented.   

  16.  How does strategic decision making around child sexual exploitation link up with strategic decision making about VAWDASV in your organisation?

We don’t have a specific decision making process but the strategy approach is incorporated in the Police and Crime Plan and the Commissioner’s Governance processes. We are committed partners to the Gwent Safeguarding Board, Gwent VAWDASV Commissioning Board, Community Safety Partnerships, All-Wales VAWDASV Taskforce and other forums, which collectively try and link all of these issues together and improve the response to those affected, by the many services represented.   

  17.  Have you consulted directly with survivors of sexual exploitation in any strategic, policy, or support planning?

We haven’t consulted with survivors specifically, but have contributed to the work of Gwent Police’s ‘Survivor Engagement Coordinator’, who does some of this work with adult victims of sexual abuse. They would have more information on any arrangements specifically for sexual exploitation. You may wish to contact Gwent Police directly to determine if they have the information requested via the following link Request information about the police | Gwent Police

The Freedom of Information Act is a public disclosure regime, not a private regime. Any information disclosed under the Act is thereafter deemed to be in the public domain, and therefore freely available to the general public and will be published on the OPCC website.

You have the right to appeal our decision if you think it is incorrect.  Should you feel dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was handled, information on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent FOI Appeals Procedure can be found on our website:

https://www.gwent.pcc.police.uk/en/transparency/know-your-rights/your-information-rights/freedom-of-information/appeals-process/

If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The Commissioner is an independent regulator whose details can be found using the following link https://ico.org.uk/

You can also write to the Information Commissioner’s Office at the following address:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF