Hundreds of children in care and 'dramatic' rise in child sexual assault - the safeguarding picture in Peterborough

Peterborough has a higher rate of children in care than Bedford, Luton and Essex, latest Government figures show.

In fact, the city has one of the highest rates of children in care in the East of England: higher than Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Central Bedfordshire and lower only than Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea.

The most recent local figures were included in the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership Board’s (CPSCPB) annual report, which was presented to Peterborough City Council (PCC) this month.

This report showed that, as of March 2022, there were 354 children in care in Peterborough (a rate of 66 children per 10,000) compared to 597 in Cambridgeshire (a rate of 45 children per 10,000).

But while Peterborough’s rate of children in care is high compared to its neighbours (on average 50 per 10,000 across the East of England), it is lower than the national average (70 per 10,000).

Peterborough’s rates have also been declining year-on-year for the past five years.

According to children’s charity NSPCC, nationally children are more likely to be in care if they are black or of mixed ethnicity.

The charity also says that around two thirds of children in care enter the system due to abuse or neglect.

Other factors include disability and family dysfunction.

Slight increase in child deaths

The CPSCPB, of which PCC is a part, also noted in its report that there were 36 child deaths reported to the Child Death Overview Process (CDOP) in the region last year, two more than the year before but 10 fewer than 2019/20.

Of the 36, 22 were reported in Cambridgeshire and 14 in Peterborough.

Just under two-thirds of these were babies under a year old, in line with the national average.

Meanwhile, 13 had a “modifiable factor” which may have prevented the child's death.

Two of the deaths were suicides, the report says.

But the majority were deemed to be unavoidable and the statistics include accidents and neonatal deaths - not all are related to safeguarding concerns.

The NHS, which compiles this data, has been contacted for more information.

‘Dramatic increase’ in child sex abuse

The report also notes a “dramatic increase” in the number of child sexual abuse and exploitation offences reported to Cambridgeshire Constabulary, which is also part of the CPSCPB, in the last year.

It says that this is part due to “delayed reporting" and "increased online offending that successive COVID lockdown periods precipitated”.

The report adds that police across the country have demanded “improvements in our own performance and approach" which could also result in higher figures.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been contacted for regional figures, but the NSPCC reports that over the last year there was a 10 per cent increase in child sexual exploitation crimes in England and Wales.

Council ‘committed’ to supporting children

A PCC spokesperson underlined the council’s commitment to safeguarding children in the wake of the report's publication.

The council “is committed to supporting the children and young people in our city and safeguarding the most vulnerable from harm”, they said, adding: “we continue to improve our services and best practice to ensure we provide the best possible outcomes for children, young people and their families.”