An inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham has found there were serious failings in the handling of some cases but no cover up by the council.
The inquiry was launched after allegations were made on social media about a threat to children in Oldham from a local shisha establishment, children’s homes and a taxi service between 2011 and 2014.
It concluded Oldham MBC was ‘consistently attempting to develop best practice in addressing the threat of child sexual exploitation'.
However, it did find there were serious failings with how the local authority approached exploitation cases.
According to the final report, the council’s ‘commendable strategic approaches did not always translate into the appropriate level of safeguarding for young people at risk of child sexual exploitation'.
Oldham leader Amanda Chadderton said: ‘We fully accept the findings of this independent report.
‘It highlights clear failings, where our services at the time were not good enough to protect vulnerable young people suffering the most awful abuse.
'For that I am deeply sorry.
'I can never fully understand what those girls went through and I also know that an apology now will never make up for what happened in the past.
‘I do hope, however, to offer some reassurance that, as a council, we haven’t stood still since the time period the review refers to.
‘We have learned from reports carried out in other towns and cities across the country, and from changes in national guidance, and have changed the way we do things as a result.
'The way we work has already moved on immeasurably.
‘That said, we are not complacent.
'We can and will improve further, wherever we need to.’
