The Leader of Oldham Council and the Chair of Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership (OSCP) commissioned an independent review into historic chid sexual exploitation (CSE) in Oldham, following allegations being made about historical safeguarding practice.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, as part of his Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities, accepted this request for the Greater Manchester-commissioned independent review into historical safeguarding practice to be extended to Oldham, with its own terms of reference and stand-alone report.
That report was published on Monday 20 June 2022 and can be read on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) website:
The review
The independent review has been conducted by Malcolm Newsam CBE and Gary Ridgeway.
Malcolm Newsam has extensive experience in relation to Children’s Services and Safeguarding and has provided diagnostic intervention and improvement support to a range of councils across the country.
Gary Ridgway was previously a Detective Superintendent in Cambridgeshire Police and Head of Public Protection. He has pioneered proactive victim-led child sexual exploitation (CSE) investigations.
The independence of the review is critical to the work. That’s why it was conducted by an independent review team, and the process was assured by the Greater Manchester Safeguarding Standards Board and its independent Chair.
What did the review involve?
The focus was a review of historical allegations relating to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), to consider whether the Council and partners provided an appropriate response to protect children.
Why is the independent review in Oldham part of a wider GMCA review?
In September 2017, the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Bev Hughes, commissioned an independent assurance exercise in relation to CSE.
In 2019, the Mayor then accepted a request from the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership that this element of the assurance process is extended to Oldham.
Terms of reference:
How do I report child abuse happening now?
If you suspect a child or young person is being abused, you can help make it stop by making a child protection referral.
Contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and ask to speak to the Duty Officer:
- Phone: on 0161 770 7777
- Email: child.mash@oldham.gov.uk
- Using the online Safeguarding referral form
For urgent concerns outside office hours, you can call the Emergency Duty Team:
- Phone: 0161 770 6936
- or the Police on 101 (999 in emergencies).
If you suspect a child might be being abused but are not 100% sure it is still best to make the call.
How do I report historic child sexual abuse?
Anyone affected by the issues in the Review of historic child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Oldham, or who needs to make a report to us of incidents that occurred in the past, can speak to trained professionals by
- calling our new dedicated helpline on 0161 770 1045.
- emailing oldhamIndependentReview@oldham.gov.uk