APPENDIX 82
Memorandum submitted by Leicester City
Council
I am writing with reference to the letter
dated 12th March from the Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, regarding the above
issue. This letter was originally addressed to Sheila Lock the
Chief Executive of Leicester City Council and has been passed
to me for a response.
In the first instance, please accept
my apologies for the delay in responding. I note from the letter
that responses were required by 20 March. I had a telephone conversation
with a colleague in your office today, who advised that it would
still be helpful to receive a response from Leicester city for
future meetings on this matter.
The letter states that any submission
should comment on the fact that the area responding, in this case
Leicester city, should comment on the fact that it has been identified
by the forced marriage unit as having a high prevalence of forced
marriage and the actions taken to raise awareness.
In the first instance I would like to
assure you that to the best of our knowledge in the city we do
not have a high prevalence of forced marriage. Whilst we are one
of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, with over
34% of the population from Black and Minority Ethnic communities,
there are no known cases of forced marriage open to the Department.
In early March we advised Government
Office East Midlands that there were approximately 294 children
in the city not receiving education. However, of these: 19 are
known to be in the area and the Education Welfare Service was
working with them in school; five were being placed by Student
Placement Panel (Hard to Place); and nine had Statements of Special
Educational Needs and were awaiting placements.
In terms of the remaining 261, 112 of
these relate to cases prior to the new duty introduced in February
2007. All were followed up but being historical some cases are
difficult to trace. Advice has been taken from the DCSF on the
efforts made locally to resolve the incomplete historical records.
When taking into account the consistent measures taken by Leicester
City Council to resolve this issue, the DCSF noted that "you
and your partner agencies appear to have done everything possible
to establish the whereabouts of the children you are unable to
trace. The new duty is for local authorities to identify children
not receiving education `so far as it is possible to do so', so
your procedures and records will be able to show that you have
done that".
We have a full breakdown of gender and
ethnicity (where provided) by year group of the untraced children/
young people from which we can deduce that there are fewer than
6 girls of Asian origin in year 8 and above. However, in terms
of the relationship between children not receiving education and
forced marriage, there is no indication from any source that forced
marriage is an issue for any of these untraced pupils. Certainly
if this was an issue the authority would regard this as a child
protection matter.
I would want to assure you that we have
robust procedures in place for identifying and responding to children
not receiving education in the City. We have a range of coordinated
activity led at a senior officer level, which includes:
— Checks on all LA data bases
throughout the country
— A series of home visits throughout
the city including information gathered from local community including
neighbours
— Liaison with Connexions service.
— Thorough interrogation of
the city council data base.
— Pursuing information from
searches of siblings school records.
— GP registration records.
— Benefits agency checks.
There is a range of actions ongoing to
pursue information on all untraced young people. However, I would
want to point out that many of these missing young people never
actually started school in Leicester. The names were either picked
up at pre-school stage, or families applied for school places
but did not present the child to start school.
The issue of forced marriages is included
as a subject of discussion in some schools in the PSHEE/Citizenship
curriculum. Some schools have used the "Someone to Watch
Over Me" video package, which includes guidance on forced
marriage. In addition, a programme of child protection training
is carried out across schools in Leicester city, which includes
reference to forced marriages as a child protection issue. The
issue of forced marriages will be included in the revised child
protection procedures issued to schools.
I hope this clarifies the position in
relation to forced marriage and children not receiving education.
However, please do not hesitate to contact me should you require
further information.
27 March 2008
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