Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

The Chair and Panel recommend that the National Police Chiefs' Council ensures that complaints relating to child sexual abuse are no longer 'disapplied' by police forces on the grounds that the incident involved took place more than 12 months before the complaint was submitted.

The recommendation asks police forces not to disapply child sexual abuse complaints after 12 months. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, summarising a response of January 2019 on a web page archived in October 2022, reported that National Police Chiefs' Council lead Chief Constable Craig Guildford advised chief officers to change their approach, and that statutory guidance issued by the Independent Office of Police Conduct in February 2020 omitted disapplication (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). Earlier, in December 2018, HM Government stated that the recommendation was directed to the council, which had responded separately (HM Government response, Dec 2018).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care develops a national policy for the training and use of chaperones in the treatment of children in healthcare services. The Chair and Panel recommend that the Care Quality Commission considers compliance with national chaperone policies (once implemented) in its assessments of services.

HM Government stated in July 2019 that NHS England had developed and published chaperone guidance notes to establish clear principles across healthcare settings, and that the Department of Health and Social Care would continue to require the Care Quality Commission to assess providers' chaperone policies during inspections (HM Government, Jul 2019). In October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recorded that the guidance had been produced and that the department would maintain these inspection requirements (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Welsh Government develops a national policy for the training and use of chaperones in the treatment of children in healthcare services. The Chair and Panel recommend that Healthcare Inspectorate Wales considers compliance with national chaperone policies (once implemented) in its assessments of services.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, in a summary of January 2020 responses archived in October 2022, reported that the Welsh Government published guidance for health boards and trusts on good working practice for the use of chaperones during intimate examinations or procedures within NHS Wales (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). In the same October 2022 update, it noted that these good working practice guidelines were developed in response to the recommendation in its Interim Report (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department for Education introduces arrangements for the registration of staff working in care roles in children's homes. Registration should be with an independent body charged with setting and maintaining standards of training, conduct and continuing professional development, and with the power to enforce these through fitness to practise procedures. The Chair and Panel recognise that registration may require a period of phasing in, and therefore recommend that priority be given to professional registration of children's home managers.

In November 2022, Claire Coutinho, Minister answering for the Department for Education, stated that the recommendation was "being closely considered" and that the department would set out its response in an implementation strategy in due course (Claire Coutinho, Nov 2022). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recorded in October 2022 that the department had published findings from a call for evidence and literature review in July 2021, and had confirmed it would keep the recommendation under review (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Home Office ensures that the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 is amended so that, where a fitness to practise hearing has been conducted by the keeper of a relevant register and has resulted in removal of a practitioner from that register for reasons relating to harm or risk of harm to children: the keeper of the register has a duty to refer that information to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and the DBS, on receiving the referral, has a duty to automatically bar the practitioner from working with children, allowing them the opportunity to make representations to the DBS if they consider the bar to be disproportionate or unfair.

The recommendation called for amending legislation to require automatic barring referrals for deregistered practitioners. In July 2019, HM Government stated that the Home Office had asked the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to continue close engagement with professional bodies, having rejected the recommendation in December 2018 on the grounds that automatic barring would be disproportionate (HM Government response, Dec 2018; HM Government, Jul 2019). In October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found that supervisory authorities have powers to refer individuals but no legal duty to share information, noting that not all regulators routinely share details regarding dismissals or resignations involving child protection (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Attorney General commission a joint inspection of compliance with the Victims' Code in relation to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Victims' Commissioner should be consulted on the inspection approach to ensure that it is fully informed by the experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

HM Government stated in July 2019 that the Ministry of Justice had launched a compliance framework for the Victims' Code on 1 April 2019, with the Criminal Justice Board expected to receive its first national report in early 2020 (HM Government, Jul 2019). In October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recorded that the department had paused framework development in October 2020 because of operational pressures during the pandemic, and that the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorate had suspended joint inspections (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). The inquiry noted that the department was looking to restart work and renew engagement with the board subject to operational capacity, and had published a response to its Victims Bill consultation in May 2022 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Association of British Insurers (ABI) considers whether a register of public liability insurers could be introduced to assist claimants in child sexual abuse cases in locating the insurers relevant to their claim, and how it would operate. The Chair and Panel recommend that the ABI sets out its consideration of the issue and the conclusions it has reached in a written update within 12 months of the publication of this report.

The Inquiry asked the Association of British Insurers to consider a public liability register. In an update archived in October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse reported that the association formally responded in April 2019, raising questions about the merits of such a register and the challenges of its introduction (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). It noted that this response was referred to in its Accountability and Reparations Investigation report and at an investigation hearing in November 2019 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice provides in primary legislation that victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in civil court cases, where they are claiming compensation in relation to the abuse they suffered, are afforded the same protections as vulnerable witnesses in criminal court cases. The Chair and Panel understand that cost is already a barrier to victims and survivors considering a civil claim. In considering how to fund the implementation of this recommendation, the Ministry of Justice must ensure that this barrier is not further increased. The Chair and Panel recommend that the Civil Procedure Rule Committee amends the Civil Procedure Rules to ensure that judges presiding over cases relating to child sexual abuse consider the use of protections for vulnerable witnesses.

In July 2019, HM Government stated that a Civil Justice Council subcommittee had drafted a consultation document and would produce a final report that autumn, after which the Ministry of Justice would liaise with the Civil Procedure Rule Committee regarding witness protections (HM Government, Jul 2019). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recorded in October 2022 that the council published its report in February 2020, the Civil Procedure Rules were amended in April 2021 to require special measures for vulnerable court parties, and provisions in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 enabled special measures directions in civil cases involving specified offences (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that any police officer (or staff equivalent) who wants to progress to the Chief Officer cadre must first be required to: have operational policing experience in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse; and achieve accreditation in the role of the police service in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. The Home Office should amend entry requirements using its powers under the Police Regulations 2003 to achieve this. The Chair and Panel recommend that the College of Policing develops the training content and accreditation arrangements.

HM Government confirmed in July 2019 that the College of Policing had made progress in delivering non-legislative changes, having rejected the recommendation in December 2018 because mandatory entry requirements were "not practical and would not achieve the desired aim" (HM Government response, Dec 2018; HM Government, Jul 2019). In October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recorded that the Home Office had not identified any need for legislative change but would keep this under review (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office work together to establish current levels of public expenditure, and the effectiveness of that expenditure on services for child victims and adult survivors of child sexual abuse in England.

In February 2020, HM Government reported that the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education and the Home Office had reviewed public expenditure on services supporting victims and survivors of abuse, covering 2018/19 spending alongside ongoing and future commitments (Ministry of Justice, Feb 2020). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse noted in October 2022 that the departments had carried out this review, adding that the government's forthcoming strategy on child sexual abuse would seek to take a whole-system approach to providing support services (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Welsh Government and the relevant UK government departments work together to establish current levels of public expenditure, and the effectiveness of that expenditure on services for child victims and adult survivors of child sexual abuse in Wales.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse reported in October 2022 that the Welsh Government stated in February 2022 that it had obtained public expenditure for support services to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in Wales, and had asked the National Independent Safeguarding Board for Wales to verify the sums and effectiveness of spend (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). The inquiry also recorded in October 2022 that the government had fully accepted the recommendation in December 2018 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice revises Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rules, so that awards are not automatically rejected in circumstances where an applicant's criminal convictions are likely to be linked to their child sexual abuse. Each case should be considered on its merits.

In April 2025, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Victims and Violence against Women and Girls Alex Davies-Jones stated that the Ministry of Justice decided to "make no change to it at this time" regarding the unspent convictions rule, concluding that altering the rule would breach the scheme's universality principle (Alex Davies-Jones MP, Apr 2025). HM Government had stated in May 2023 that it accepted the need to consider changes to the scheme and would consult on amending its scope and time limits (Home Office response, May 2023). The government had earlier reported in July 2019 that an ongoing review was examining eligibility rules, including concerns regarding unspent convictions (HM Government response, Jul 2019).

The Chair and Panel recommend that CICA ensures that claims relating to child sexual abuse are only considered by caseworkers who have specific and detailed training in the nature and impact of child sexual abuse.

The recommendation asked that caseworkers handling child sexual abuse claims have specific training. In July 2019, HM Government stated that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority had adapted operational practices and was providing named caseworkers for applicants affected by the pre-1979 same roof rule, but it did not mention specialist caseworker training (HM Government, Jul 2019). The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, on its website archived in October 2022, recorded the government's December 2018 response that all operational staff receive training on sexual abuse cases and that the authority was considering options to extend dedicated caseworkers beyond complex cases (HM Government response, Dec 2018; The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice revises CICA rules so that all applicants who previously applied for compensation in relation to child sexual abuse - but were refused solely due to the 'same-roof' rule - should be entitled to reapply for compensation and have their claim approved by CICA.

The recommendation asks the Ministry of Justice to let refused same roof applicants reapply. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, summarising a June 2019 UK Government response on an archived web page from October 2022, reported that the government abolished the pre-1979 same roof rule within the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). That summary did not mention whether individuals refused compensation under the rule can reapply or have claims approved by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).

The Chair and Panel recommend that the UK government ratifies the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (the 'Lanzarote Convention') without further delay. They also recommend that ratification is followed, again without further delay, by action to implement the Lanzarote Convention. The Chair and Panel recommend that the Home Office, as the lead UK government department, publishes the timetable for ratifying the Lanzarote Convention and taking any additional steps required to make the UK fully compliant by June 2018.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, summarising the response of the UK Government of 20 June 2018 on its recommendations page for the interim report as archived in October 2022, recorded that the government ratified the Lanzarote Convention on that date (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022). The record holds no update since the Inquiry's summary of October 2022 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Oct 2022).