FOI 1165-2024/25- Child abuse investigation
Request:
Q1. When you are investigating and/or if you had to investigate a major investigation into historical child abuse allegation please provide me with all the recorded information that you hold and all background information regarding the guidance that you would adhere to. For example, the college of policing APP’s guidance.
Q2. Furthermore, please provide me with all the recorded information that you hold with regard to staff training and staff vetting of Staff before they can work on a historical child abuse investigations. For example, all specialist training such as SIO PIP 4.
Clarification – 6 March 2025
Yes I am requesting if officers working on any major child abuse investigations would need any specialist training or vetting before they worked on a major child abusing investigation. For example a SIO in charge of the investigation may need a high level of training PIP 4 and other staff may need specialist training regarding interview victims in order to collect the best information that would be needed to ensure a successful prosecution.
Response:
Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police.
I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose some of the information to you.
Q1. There is the crime allocation policy and procedure which sets out to define how crimes will be allocated, investigated, and managed along with team and individual responsibilities.
There is also the requirement re PIP 2 and PIP 3 working on these investigations but some sexual offences will be routed to PIP 1.
PIP 3 register every year with the COP for re-accreditation is not working on portfolio. No requirement to have a re-accreditation submitted to the COP for PIP 2 or associated portfolios as listed below at this time.
Q2. All officers and police staff who work in the safeguarding investigation team (SIT) will complete their SCADIP course, portfolio as part of their role. In addition to this, those working in SIT/CID are also required to undertake their SSAIDP V2 (Sexual Offences) training as part of this. In accordance with College of Policing requirements, all those working on Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) will be trained in SSAIDP v2 by 2029. SSAIDP v2 training will commence in May 2025.
A pre-requisite of this is that all relevant staff must by PIP 2 accredited and/or undertaken the PIP 2 initial course and working towards completion of their portfolio.
As part of the crime re-structure in 2023/24 all persons within the CID/SIT must be either PIP 2 accredited or working towards PIP 2 accreditation.
North Yorkshire Police have commenced their implementation programme for Op Soteria which is the national transformational plan into rape and sexual offences and the associated national operating model (NOM) products. This includes all sexual offences (recent/ non recent and includes non-contact sexual offences) and is not age or gender specific.
As part of Op Soteria, we have a number of training events planned in line with the NOM. We have commenced the RASSO FR (First Responders) training, and are continuing in SOLO training, recruitment and annual CPD. All those working on RASSO (PIP 2) are undertaking Module 1 of the NOM CPD and will undertake Module 2 and 3 in person in April – December 2025.
In terms of vetting, staff are vetted to Management Vetting level, in accordance with the College of Policing Code of Practice and Vetting APP 2024, which is published on the CoP website.
However, we are withholding all information since we consider that the following exemptions apply to it.
Section 31 – Law Enforcement
Section 31 is a prejudice-based qualified exemption and there is a requirement to articulate the harm as well as carrying out a public interest test.
Section 43(2) – Commercial Interests
This is a qualified, class based exemption, which requires that I conduct a public interest test to balance the legitimate interests of the public in knowing the information against the interests of non-disclosure. This exemption applies because the disclosure of the requested information would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.
Harm
A response to a Freedom of Information request is not just a release of information to the requester, but to 'the world at large', and it has been established that criminals, including those from Organised Crime Groups and terrorists, monitor FOIA responses to expand their knowledge of police methods and techniques used in crime investigation. To release detailed information on how to conduct an investigation would allow those wishing to commit crime the opportunity to plan their crimes accordingly to avoid detection. It would have a negative impact on the ability of North Yorkshire Police to optimise its performance in providing an efficient policing service, and undertaking the function of law enforcement. Furthermore PIP Level 1 and Level 2 are national products, disclosure would impact on all forces licenced to deliver it. Compromising North Yorkshire Police, and all other Force's, tactical abilities would lead to a reduction in the detection of crime, and the apprehension of criminals. Emboldened by a confidence that detection could be evaded, criminals would increase their criminal activity, thus undermining public confidence in North Yorkshire Police and policing on a national level.
A further consideration of release to 'the world at large' would be that other organisations would have access to products protected by commercial interest. Although the College of Policing is a non-departmental public body, it also income generates, so disclosure would compromise their position in the marketplace. Furthermore as a licence holder, in undermining an agreement, North Yorkshire Police would damage both the working relationship with the College and its organisational reputation.
Factors favouring disclosure under Section 31
The Professionalising Investigations Programme covers, as you would expect, extensive detail on policing tactics within the area of crime investigation. There is a public interest in establishing how the professional standards of our investigators is achieved and developed. Disclosure would demonstrate North Yorkshire Police commitment to the highest standards of investigative skills, to support the effective and efficient detection of crime. As a public body we accept we have a duty to make information available to the public wherever possible, and disclosure would demonstrate our commitment to open and transparent policing.
Factors against disclosure under Section 31
The core objective of the police service is to prevent and detect crime, and to maintain public safety. The public has an inherent expectation that the police service uses all powers and tactics available to them under the law, to deliver those core objectives however, disclosure of information captured in this request would hinder our ability to do so. Disclosure of details about police investigative tactics and processes, would provide criminals with more information to evade detection, and more confidence to commit further crime.
Factors favouring disclosure under Section 43
Disclosure of these products would provide a better understanding of how public funds are spent, and demonstrate the quality of the product we are delivering.
Factors against disclosure under Section 43
PIP Level 1 and Level 2 are licenced products from the College of Policing, and although they are a non-departmental public body, they do have an income generation element to their work. Releasing this information under FOIA would render the licensing process obsolete, forces would no longer have to obtain the material from the College of Policing because it would be publicly accessible to the world-at-large. This means release of licenced products may prejudice the College of Policing ability to supplement their governmental budget and is likely to be detrimental to their future success. Equally, the College of Policing deliver in a commercial environment and competitor organisations may utilise this information to offer training to the policing and security services sector, jeopardising future delivery and contracts. If North Yorkshire Police were to disclose these licenced products it would compromise our relationships with partners and ability to enter into other licenced agreements. It is highly likely if we did make the information available 'to the world at large', civil action from third party will take place, placing financial burden on the force.
Balance test
There is considerable merit in North Yorkshire Police providing transparency and accountability in respect of the standards of investigative skills provided to officers and the spending of public money. However, there is greater weight public being confident that North Yorkshire Police do not undermine the core policing objectives of preventing and detecting crime, and to maintain public safety, or the licencing contracts it enters into, by releasing information which is tactically and commercially sensitive. It is considered that the greater public interest therefore lies in not providing all the information at this time. In coming to that conclusion, the public interest in providing the information has been carefully weighed against any prejudice to the public interest that might arise from withholding the information; in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice in response to part of your request.
Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data. It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.
Furthermore as a gesture of goodwill, please see the linkes below which may be of interest to you.
rape-and-serious-sexual-offences-procedure2.pdf
Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP): Programme policy 2023