National action plan to tackle child sexual exploitation: progress report 2016-2017

Child Protection Improvement Programme

Action to prevent and tackle child sexual exploitation ( CSE) is one aspect of the Child Protection Improvement Programme ^[2] ( CPIP), which aims to strengthen child protection as a whole. CPIP is a wide ranging programme covering the formal child protection system, neglect, child trafficking, internet safety, aspects of practice within the Children's Hearings System, prevention, inspection, leadership, data and evidence as well as CSE. The Action Plan is also set within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention, which has been ratified by the UK Government, includes a specific obligation for Governments to protect children and young people from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 places duties on Scottish Ministers to keep under consideration how the Convention can be further effected in Scotland.

The Updated Action Plan (March 2016) builds on action set out in Scotland's first National Action Plan to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation (November 2014). It was developed in partnership with the Ministerial Working Group to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and the National Child Sexual Exploitation Working Group. Following publication of the updated Action Plan the Ministerial Working Group was brought to a close and the National Working Group was asked to take on the role of overseeing implementation of the National Action Plan to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation with the Scottish Government.

CSE is a complex and evolving issue and we must continue to develop our collective response in the light of experience. We must also learn from the experience of others. We will continue to review the actions being taken forward in other parts of the UK and internationally and consider their applicability and value in Scotland in further developing our approach.

The National Child Sexual Exploitation Group

The role of the National Child Sexual Exploitation Group is to provide strategic leadership and direction to the implementation of the Scottish Government's National Action Plan to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and to ensure effective links are made between CSE and other relevant national policies, across Government, stakeholder and partners.

Membership of the group includes third sector, public sector and government. All members bring considerable knowledge, expertise and 'reach' into a diverse range of organisations, members, sectors and interests.

The Chair, Moira McKinnon, represents the national CPC Group of Chairs and therefore is able to make effective strategic linkages between the National Action Plan to Prevent and Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and other developments and key strategies.