domestic abuse and violence – Page 2 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

09Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats demand opportunity to hold those responsible to account on CSE report

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

Oldham’s people deserve the chance to question those responsible for its policing and care services at a Council meeting covering the independent investigation into CSE, say Oldham’s Liberal Democrats. The Council has previously agreed to the Liberal Democrats’ request for a specific meeting to address the topic when the report is finally released. The Liberal Democrats want this pledge reaffirmed. They are also calling for GMP chief constable Stephen Watson, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and the senior leadership of the Council, in particular the Cabinet Member for children’s services, to face questioning on any issues that the report brings up. Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It is vital for the people of Oldham to have confidence not only in the report, but in obtaining justice for survivors, and ensuring that…

13Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Final national reports into child sex abuse released in time to be included in Oldham joint workshop

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

The final two reports of the Home Office-sponsored Independent Investigation into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) are due to be released on February 1 (Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks) and March 1 (Residential Schools). Following conversations between Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, senior Council management, and the Managing Director of Children & Young People, it has been agreed that following the publication of the report into CSE in Oldham at the end of this month, the Oldham Children’s Safeguarding Partnership will undertake a joint workshop with the Adult Safeguarding Partnership, which will include learning from IICSA, and inform the development of Oldham’s Complex Safeguarding Strategy. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “The Council must be ready to accept the outcome of the report into CSE in Oldham. This is just one of the ways…

14Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Law Commission backs street harassment campaign

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence, Parliamentary news

The national body which reviews laws has recommended that public street harassment (PSH) should be made a specific crime, a great step forward for the campaign, says local councillor and supporter Sam Al-Hamdani. After successfully getting Oldham Council to back the campaign, the local Liberal Democrat councillor has been working nationally with Our Streets Now to get the issue recognised by councils across the UK, and deliver tailored education in schools to combat harassment. The Councillor, who is also a White Ribbon Ambassador – a charity challenging male violence against women, was delighted with the news, although he warned that it still has a long way to go before it is on the statute books. He said: “When I heard the recommendation, I was delighted, although it was tempered by…

03Dec 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Andy Burnham and GMP fail to provide matched funding for child safeguarding

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

A year after the child and safeguarding teams in all 10 areas of Greater Manchester wrote to highlight the failure of Greater Manchester Police and the GM Mayor to provide equitable funding for child safeguarding across the whole of the region, there has been no change to the funding made. At November’s Overview and Scrutiny meeting in Oldham (14/11/21), Liberal Democrat Councillor Mark Kenyon identified the funding gap, and demanded to know why it still existed. Councillor Kenyon said: “Safeguarding children is crucial work in Oldham and across the whole of Greater Manchester so I was alarmed to see that despite the funding inequalities being highlighted to the GM Mayor’s office over a year ago, nothing has changed.” Government guidance indicates that safeguarding partners – in this case the local…

29Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Further delays to CSE report ‘a breakdown of trust’

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

The news that the independent report into child sex exploitation (CSE) in Oldham has been delayed until the new year is “further undermining the trust that needs to be rebuilt” according to Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani. GM Mayor Andy Burnham has announced that the report will now be released in the week commencing January 24, citing both delays with Queen’s Counsel Advice, and the wishes of victims of CSE not to release the report in the run up to Christmas. Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “The most important people in the whole process are the survivors of violence, and I absolutely respect their wishes not to see the report published at this time of year. “What I then question is why we had been told previously that the report would…

10Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Council must keep its promise to implement national recommendations on abuse

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

Oldham Council are being held to account on their promise to implement any relevant findings of the Home-Office sponsored Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) by Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani. With the most recent report by the Inquiry covering child protection in religious organisations and settings, Councillor Al-Hamdani has written to the Council’s Managing Director of Children & Young People, and its interim Chief Executive Harry Catherall, to ask for an update on the work that has already taken place, and for what it has planned to do going forward. Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “The previous chief executive had confirmed that the Council would implement any relevant recommendations from the Independent Investigation, and I wanted to ensure that our incoming chief executive was fully aware of the work that…

10Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader calls on government to close sex offenders’ loophole

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

Two years on from the Oldham Liberal Democrats calling for the law to be changed to make illegal sexual contact between persons in ‘positions of trust’ and young adults in their care, Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the Deputy Prime Minister calling for long-overdue action. In September 2019, the Liberal Democrats brought a motion before the Full Council in support the NSPCC ‘Closing the loophole’ campaign. The children’s charity wants the Position of Trust law changed to cover all roles where an adult holds a position of power, care or responsibility over a 16-or 17-year old and to make it illegal for that adult to engage in sexual activity with that young person, even in circumstances where this activity is mutually-consensual. The motion received cross-party support.…

25Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats welcome second reading of new bill to bar sex offenders from public office

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence, Parliamentary news

Oldham Liberal Democrats have welcomed the second reading in Parliament (22 October 2021) of a new bill which would bar sexual offenders from seeking, or remaining in, elected public office. In July, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE wrote to the Conservative MP for Mole Valley, Sir Paul Beresford, offering his support for the Local Government (Disqualification) Bill and providing his office with a comprehensive briefing on the current legal situation and options. The bill, now published, will on becoming law disbar anyone from standing or remaining in public office who is subject to a ‘notification requirement’ or ‘order’ relating to sexual offences. Current legislation only bars individuals who receive a custodial or suspended prison sentence of three months or more. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “Over the last…

29Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Sykes seeks special Council to discuss action on child sex exploitation report

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

The Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats has written to the Leader of the Council to seek her assurance that a special council meeting will be held in the autumn to discuss the much-awaited report on historic child sexual exploitation in Oldham. In his letter to the Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE asks for sufficient time to be made available to discuss the report at the scheduled November or December meeting of the Full Council, or, as he would prefer, that ‘a special one agenda item meeting of the Full Council [be convened] as soon as is practicable after publication to enable discussion to take place.’ The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has stated that his intention is to publish the CSE report ‘by November or, at the very…

20Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

‘Computer Says No!’ – Police officers still failed by Mayor’s new iOPs system

Borough news, CSE, domestic abuse and violence

Police officers and the victims of crime across Greater Manchester continue to be let down by a new computer system backed by £29 million in public money from Greater Manchester’s Labour Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Burnham. A report by accountants Price Waterhouse Coopers into police performance was finally published last Friday after being hidden for many months by Mayor Andy Burnham. Pressure from the Liberal Democrat Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, helped bring the findings to light. It includes a damning litany of the inadequacies of the iOPs (Integrated Operational Policing System) system. Councillor Sykes said: “Police officers have complained to me about the inadequacies of iOPs from the time it was first introduced in June 2019. The PwC report candidly records the frustration…

Category: domestic abuse and violence