Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services detailing the creation and progress of the ‘Willow Team’ which is Hampshire Children’s Services specialist Missing, Exploited and Trafficked team.

The Panel received a report of the Director of Children’s Services (Item 8 in the Minute Book) on the Willow Team, specialist in Missing, Exploited and Trafficked (MET) children.

The Panel heard that the team was set up to support children at risk of MET through improved identification, support, awareness in the professional community and better quality of investigations. The team can also provide direct work with the child or parents/carers etc. alongside disruption of perpetrators and mentoring to other professionals. The Panel was told that the need to have a member of the team dedicated to Swanwick Lodge was identified due to the experiences of the high risk children who would be admitted there.

In response to questions members heard that;

·         The team would work with the Police on historic cases.

·         That funding from the team came from Health, and Hampshire County Council alongside some Government grants but this was not permanent.

RESOLVED: That the Children and Families Advisory Panel recognise the work undertaken by The Willow Team.

and

That the Willow Newsletter be distributed to Children and Families Advisory Panel members for future information.