Professional registration for custodial care staff
IICSA · Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report · Issued 26 February 2019 · Addressed to: Ministry of Justice
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, E
As the Inquiry set out in its Interim Report, professional registration of the workforce in settings responsible for the care of vulnerable children complements regulation of institutions by a separate, independent regulator. The government has agreed in principle that professional regulation of staff in children's homes in England could provide an effective additional means of protecting children. It has indicated that it will be conducting an evidence-gathering exercise to inform further action. The Chair and Panel now recommend that the Ministry of Justice introduces arrangements for the professional registration of staff in roles responsible for the care of children in young offender institutions and secure training centres. The Interim Report recommendation already applies to staff working with children in secure children's homes.
IICSA, Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report · 26 Feb 2019 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- In May 2023, the government stated that it accepted the need for registration of the youth custody workforce and was exploring implementation proposals (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
- No published professional registration scheme for the youth custody workforce has been identified to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
On 5 November 2021, the Ministry of Justice stated that it had reviewed the evidence it collected through a targeted consultation on professional registration. On 4 May 2022, the Ministry of Justice stated that it is considering the review. A second Inquiry recommendation on the professional registration of staff in young offender institutions and secure training centres was made (see row 66).
UK Government · 22 May 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 9 Apr 2025 April 2025 government progress update: the Government will undertake a programme of work to improve safeguarding and build workforce capability in the youth justice estate, reviewing recruitment, training and qualifications for staff working with children with complex needs. Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.