Merseyside Police has taken:- "significant steps" to improve its child protection capabilities

MERSEYSIDE Police have successfully implemented changes designed to improve its child protection services, according to a new report. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) previously inspected the Force's child protection work in 2018. It found that, whilst the Force was generally performing well, there were several problems. It issued the Force with a list of recommendations for improvement and committed to undertaking a follow up inspection. The new report:- 'Merseyside Police - National Child Protection Post Inspection Review,' has found that the Force has made the following improvements since the 2018 inspection:-

► An increased emphasis on observing and responding to the needs of children in domestic abuse cases.

► Better management of registered sex offenders (resulting from increased investment in this area and improved briefing practices to Neighbourhood Policing Teams on high and very high risk offenders).

► Increased use of technology for safeguarding purposes, such as the automatic provision of relevant data to Frontline Officers, and the establishment of a Vulnerable Persons Referral Unit.

► Improved investigations into child protection and exploitation cases (for example better allocation processes and standardised recording practices).

HMICFRS praised the Force for making these changes, and acting on the 2018 recommendations, in a manner which aims for long term, sustainable changes rather than temporary quick fixes.  However, the report noted continuing concerns around how the Force manages the detention of children in custody facilities.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Phil Gormley said:- "It is crucial that Police Forces understand the needs of children so that they are able to provide the best possible service to these groups. I am very pleased with the results of this latest inspection into Merseyside Police's child protection capabilities. We found that the Force has taken significant steps to implement the recommendations we issued in our previous report. The Force is clearly committed to providing a high quality service. It has in place clear governance procedures to provide proper oversight and scrutiny for its child protection work. It is important to recognise, however, that there is still work to do. We were disappointed to see that the Force's detention of child offenders still requires improvement. However, given the Force's undeniable improvements in other areas, as well as its continuing commitment to child protection matters, I am confident that it has the will and ability to successfully address these concerns."

Public vote decides the North West's Best Parks

STANLEY Park, in Blackpool, has been voted by the public as the Best Park in England and will now compete against parks from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for Fields in Trust's UK's Best Park 2019 award which will be announced on 12 September 2019. The nomination for Stanley Park identified it as:- "… a beautiful, tranquil place away from the hustle and bustle of the Blackpool seafront." The "great volunteers and staff who keep it in tip-op condition" were recognised in the online nomination.

The UK's Best Park is organised by green space charity Fields in Trust who, for over 90 years, have provided legal protection to parks and green spaces ensuring they will always be available for future generations to enjoy. A record 364 nominations were received for UK's Best Park 2019, of which 55 were in the North West Region. Those nominations were supported by park users, communities, Friends of Parks groups, and landowners and an unprecedented total of 36,832 votes were cast for parks and green spaces across the UK.

Stanley Park, Blackpool is a previous winner, having topped the public vote to become UK's Best Park 2017. In addition, 10 other parks and green spaces in the North West Region have achieved:- "Much Loved" status as having been placed in the top 20% of all UK's Best Park 2019 nominations throughout the UK. The:- "Much Loved" status recognises the support of local people who use and love these parks and green spaces:-

► Alexandra Park, Oldham, Greater Manchester.

► Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead, Merseyside.

► Bollington Recreation Ground, Bollington, Cheshire.

► Burrs Country Park, Bury, Greater Manchester.

► Calderstones Park, Liverpool, Merseyside.

► Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury, Greater Manchester.

► Lightoaks Park, Salford, Greater Manchester.

► Sefton Park, Liverpool, Merseyside.

► Stanley Park, Blackpool, Lancashire.

► Stubbylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire.

► Worden Park, Leyland, Lancashire.

Stanley Park beat off competition from the other 8 English Regional winners to be shortlisted alongside Home Nation winners from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who will be revealed this week.

The English Regional winners already announced are:-

► East of England:- Lake Meadows, Billericay, Essex.

► East Midlands:- Kings Park, Retford, Nottinghamshire.

► London:- Danson Park, Welling, Bexley.

► North East:- South Park, Darlington, County Durham.

► North West:- Stanley Park, Blackpool, Lancashire.

► South East:- Alexandra Park, Hastings, East Sussex.

► South West:- Page Park, Staple Hill, Bristol.

► West Midlands:- Telford Town Park, Shropshire.

► Yorkshire and the Humber:- Beaumont Park, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Fields in Trust is a UK wide charity, that  has been legally protecting parks and green spaces in perpetuity since 1925. The UK's Best Park Award recognises the role that parks play in our communities, supporting mental and physical health and bringing people together. The charity is concerned that many parks and green spaces are under threat and are at risk of being lost to development or a cycle of decline and disappearance.

Fields in Trust recently published research which revealed that over 2.5 million people across Great Britain do not have local access to a park or green space and the North West Region has more than 194,000 people whose nearest local park is more than 10 minutes walk from home. With public sector cuts leading to pressure on parks and green spaces, there is the risk that a lack of legal protection could lead to more being sold off or developed. Yet these vital outdoor spaces deliver health and wellbeing benefits to those that use them regularly. Fields in Trust research reveals that overall parks and green spaces contribute ₤34 billion each year in health and wellbeing benefits to their regular users and save the NHS ₤111million each year simply in avoided GP appointments.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths said:- "Congratulations to Stanley Park and all the other "Much Loved" parks and green spaces in the North West Region. We know that parks provide benefits to the physical health, mental wellbeing and community connections for people that use them. It is encouraging to see so many people celebrate how much they love their local parks. Fields in Trust is committed to protecting these vital parts of the UK's community infrastructure for future generations to enjoy. We know that green spaces are good, do good and need to be protected for good."

Road crash victims to be remembered in special ceremony

A special service remembering those who have lost their lives in road collisions is to take place on the 22nd Anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. RoadPeace North West is inviting those who have lost loved ones or have been injured in a road crash themselves, to attend a service, at Liverpool Cathedral, on Saturday, 31 August, at 2pm.  Along with a number of readings and a 1 minute silence, there will be a talk given by Victoria Lebrec who was seriously injured in a crash in 2014. Victoria was cycling to work when she was run over by a lorry which resulted in the loss of her leg. After the service, 5 doves will be will be released outside in memory of loved ones; representing the 5 people killed on Britain's roads each day. Lord Mayor elect of Liverpool, Councillor Anna Rothery; who tragically lost her father in a road traffic incident; will attend the event, along with representatives from the emergency services and organisations which deal with, and support, road crash victims.

Lord Mayor elect of Liverpool, Councillor Anna Rothery, said:- "I lost my father in a road traffic incident when I was 3 years old and this left a huge gap in my life which can never be filled. I am honoured to be part of Saturday's event, playing a part in raising awareness about the devastating aftermath these incidents have, and at the same time send out a message about road safety.  This service is a chance for us all to show our support to those whose lives have been changed forever and also give thanks to the emergency services."

Those attending are welcome to bring flowers or a photo of the person they are remembering. Liverpool's event is being organised by Pauline Fielding, a trustee of RoadPeace. Pauline lost her son, Andrew, in 1994, at the age of just 18, in a crash caused by a driver who did not stay at the scene and was never traced. She is passionate about highlighting the importance of remembrance events and the vital role they play in reminding society about the number of victims, and at the same time highlighting the long term psychological impact on those bereaved and injured in road crashes.

Pauline Fielding, said:- "My son Andrew was killed in a road crash, caused by a driver who did not stop and who was never traced.  Since that day, 25 years ago, I have been fighting for justice for him and to reduce dangers on the road where he died, to help prevent others also experiencing the loss of a loved one. The day Andrew died changed my life and that of so many others. I was helped emotionally and practically by RoadPeace and so I urge all those bereaved or injured by road crashes, together with those who support us, to join us at the remembrance and raise awareness to help prevent further death and injury. We are thankful to those who support us and to those who are working hard to reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads."

 The date of the service marks the Anniversary of the world's 1st motor vehicle death, that of Mary Ward in Ireland in 1869. For more information about RoadPeace visit:- RoadPeace.Org or call the special helpline number:- 0845 450 0355.