Whatever the outcome of the general election in a few weeks’ time there will be numerous challenges for the new Government to address on a whole range of issues affecting children and young people. Tackling the sexual exploitation of children and young people (CSE) is arguably one of the most knotty issues for local and national government at this time.

CSE is not limited to a particular geography or gender, nor is it unique to a single ethnic or social background. There is no single model of perpetration and so it follows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. When confronted with this reality it is clear that no single agency can tackle this issue alone, instead the continued commitment of all child protection agencies plus voluntary organisations, the wider community and central government is required to urgently address the social, cultural and moral issues that sit at root of this abuse.

The complex nature of this crime and the scale and scope of the response that is needed to address it lead the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) to set this issue to one side when we began to discuss the production of a series of new policy position papers.