Taxi Driver Online

Council asked to introduce child protection training for taxi drivers




POLICE and charity leaders are calling for taxi drivers to receive child protection training to encourage them to report youngsters at risk of abuse.

Newcastle Borough Council has been asked to include safeguarding training as part of the drivers' induction process, due to rising concerns over child sexual exploitation.

Both Chief Inspector Clare Riley, commander of Newcastle local policing team, and North Staffordshire charity Brighter Futures raised the issue of child protection during a consultation on the borough councils new taxi licensing policy.

A report on the possibility of introducing this training is now set to be prepared for the borough council's public protection committee, although any change to the rules will require further consultation.

Taxi drivers were implicated in the widespread grooming and sexual abuse of teenage girls in Rotherham.

But Brighter Futures chief executive Gill Brown believes taxi drivers are uniquely placed to be an important ally in the fight against CSE.

She said: "Taxi drivers can be involved in transporting vulnerable people, and so they can be the eyes and ears of the community. This is why we suggested that they receive child protection training.

"I think what we can learn from Rotherham is that child sexual exploitation is everybody's concern, and that includes taxi drivers."

Chief Inspector Riley is also in favour of introducing a child protection training requirement for taxi drivers.

In her consultation response, she said: "Could we look at emphasising some responsibility around reporting any concerns, risks or vulnerabilities that drivers may see and how they can report these.

"There is nothing else across the county in policy for taxis but we could look at incorporating some training as part of their induction.

"We are definitely seeing an increase in risk around child sexual exploitation and intelligence linking taxis."

Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Board has also recently called for taxi drivers and operators, particularly those with contracts for school transport, to receive safeguarding briefings.

Fifty youngsters in Stoke-on-Trent are believed to be at risk of being sexually exploited according to the latest figures.


Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Newcastl ... z3UIfXAJ8x
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