The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel have published a national review, exploring the specific challenges which feature in the identification, assessment, and response to child sexual abuse within the family environment: The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – I wanted them all to notice
The review analysed 136 serious child safeguarding incidents, and 41 related serious case reviews (SCRs) and local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs), and found over 75% of the children sexually abused by a family member were under the age of 12.
The report reveals that safeguarding agencies were not equipped with the skills and support to listen, hear and protect these children from horrific abuse. It recommends the government urgently puts in place a national action plan to protect and support children at risk.
The report reveals a system in which children are all too often ignored or disbelieved, do not receive the protection they need and in which the risk posed by adults within the family is frequently misunderstood or minimised. Importantly practitioners from all agencies lack the support, confidence and guidance required to intervene effectively to help and protect children.
Over a third of incidents featured a family member with a known history of sexual offending or who was known to present some risk of sexual harm. This included convicted sex offenders and family members who had been previously prosecuted for sexual abuse, including rape, moving into a home with young children without a strong risk assessment.
In order to combat this, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is urging the government to develop a national action plan which should include:
- Reviewing and updating initial training, early career and ongoing professional development and supervision, so that practitioners can fulfil their roles and responsibilities in identifying and responding to child sexual abuse.
- Ensuring that criminal justice and safeguarding agencies work together so there is robust assessment and management of people who present a risk of sexual harm and who have contact with children.
- Implementing a national pathway which provides a clear process to support practitioners from when concerns are first identified through to investigation, assessment and the provision of help.
- Instructing inspectorates to undertake a “Joint Targeted Area Inspection” focussing on multi-agency responses to child sexual abuse in the family environment.
The findings of the review also highlighted the long-term impact of child sexual abuse on victims. In several of the serious incidents reviewed, children had self-harmed, been diagnosed with depression or had begun misusing substances or alcohol. Seven children tragically took their own lives, and ten children were known to have become pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse, with the youngest being just 11-years-old at the time.
As part of the government’s mission to make sure all children have a chance to succeed in life, no matter their background, there must be support for children who have been sexually abused by a family member so they can recover and thrive. The recently announced reforms in the government’s paper ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ are an important step in the right direction, but it is vital that the findings and recommendations from this national review are all taken forward within the government’s reform strategy.
To help victims and survivors, their families, or professionals find support, the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) has created a directory containing over 350 child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales. The Support Services Directory is a simple way to find services that can help: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/find-a-support-service
