Council to implement all recommendations on licensing function, says Leader

South Ribble Borough Council will implement all recommendations from an ongoing review of its licensing function, the local authority's leader has promised.

Last month the BBC said a report written by law firm Wilkin Chapman and commissioned by the council had concluded that allegations that two children were sexually exploited by taxi drivers were not dealt with adequately.

The review is said to have found that there was a risk South Ribble was unable to safeguard children and the welfare of taxi passengers in general. Two members of staff are understood to have been suspended.

The BBC claimed that an urgent audit last December of taxi driver applications discovered that appropriate background checks had not been carried out in relation to 40 taxi drivers in the area.

South Ribble’s Leader, Cllr Margaret Smith, last week told a full council meeting on the issue that the local authority had already taken action to act upon the report’s interim findings.

She said: “I want to reassure the residents of South Ribble that nothing matters more to this council than their safety, and in particular that of our children and young people.

“We acted swiftly as soon as issues relating to the licensing service were brought to our attention and are determined to learn any lessons the report highlights.

“This council is committed to being open and transparent. When we receive the final independent report it will be published in full, which has always been our clear intention.”

Cllr Smith added: "This council is not afraid to open itself up to external challenge, to accept where improvements can be made, and to ensure they are implemented.

“The report which has been publicised over the last week was only ever an interim version. It was certainly not in a suitable format to be shared as widely as it was.

"It included individual’s names and information that could jeopardise ongoing disciplinary procedures concerning members of staff.”

South Ribble’s Leader said the interim report had set out a number of recommendations for making sure the council’s licensing service worked effectively in the future. The council had accepted all of them and had taken them forward, she added.

These recommendations included a comprehensive exercise to ensure all taxi licence applications had the right documentation in place, and steps to reinforce council staff’s understanding of their role in protecting the public. There will also be a refreshed programme of mandatory safeguarding training for all staff over the coming months.

“Over and above the recommendations in the interim report, we have also put in place additional resources, extra checks on taxi licences, reformed our procedures and invested in extra technology to improve the way our licensing service operates,” Cllr Smith said.

"The safeguarding board and the county council have also been given assurances about the swift action we have taken and our commitment to continue working with them and keeping them fully informed.”

Councillors at South Ribble agreed for the scrutiny committee to oversee the publication of the final report, and identify any further lessons that needed to be learnt.