NWG’s journey with Professor Alexis Jay OBE began back in 2014 when she was first appointed to lead the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham. We worked with her as she unearthed how the grooming and abuse of children through exploitation had been rife in the town, offering our support and knowledge to assist her in that journey was an important step for waking up the country to the short and long-term impacts on those victims and survivors. 

We were delighted when Professor Jay was appointed as the Chair for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, her ability to take the learning from Rotherham and use it to shape the historical inquiry was to prove invaluable. Their approach to listening to those who have lived with the experience, putting a protective structure in place, listening with sincerity and empathy, learning from their history and translating that experience into recommendations. This final report will be so important in reshaping our responses to children and young people abused through exploitation. 

Over the 6 years the inquiry has conducted its work, several members of my staff have given evidence to support their work and the launch of the report is now welcomed.  We have been busy pulling all the recommendations from all the reports published over the last few years together and reviewing our Recommendations Toolkit for re-launch on Monday 28^th November 2022  when we reflect on those recommendations and the ones in today’s final report ensuring the key messages are carried forward following the closure of this inquiry.

I know Professors Jay’s sincere wish is that the work continues, and we already have leads in the NWG Network team who work with Faith Communities, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Transition, Police and Justice, Sports and Leisure, Families and Communities to carry forward those key messages. 

Modern Slavery/Trafficking responsibility moved. 

The publication of this report today couldn’t be more relevant at a time when we have seen the modern slavery brief taken from the Minister for Safeguarding into the Home Office under the guise that Modern Slavery is an “illegal immigration and asylum” issue.  The vast majority of Modern Slavery victims are UK children, victims of sexual and criminal exploitation who need support and intervention from safeguarding partners not criminalisation from a criminal justice system already bursting at its seams. 

Recommendations from the final report

1. A single set of core data relating to child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.
2. Child Protection Authorities for England and for Wales.
3. A cabinet-level Minister for Children.
4. A public awareness campaign.
5. Prohibiting the use of pain compliance techniques.
6. The amendment of the Children Act 1989.
7. Registration of care staff in children’s homes.
8. Registration of staff in care roles in young offender institutions and secure training centres.
9. Greater use of the Disclosure and Barring Service barred list.
10. Improvements to compliance with statutory duties to refer concerns to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
11. Extending the disclosure regime to those working with children overseas.
12. Pre-screening for illegal images of children.
13. Mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in certain circumstances.
14. Compliance with the Victims’ Code.
15. The removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
16. A national guarantee of specialist therapeutic support for child victims.
17. A code of practice on access to records about child sexual abuse.
18. Further changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
19. A tiered redress scheme
20. Age verification in relation to online services and social media platforms.

Our reflections on the recommendations: 

We wholeheartedly support a single set of data relating to abuse through exploitation, without it we cannot reflect accurately how many children this affects each year and whether the work we are doing is having an impact in reducing the abuse.

As England and Wales have in excess of 12 million children under the age of 16yrs old, it makes absolute sense that we have a cabinet minister for children, and that minister truly ensures the response to children and young people is appropriate. It is equally as important that we tackle the demand and not just improve our responses but educate and offer the correct support for the long-term impacts of abuse, ensure harsher responses to those who offend, and reflect on our use of language that often reflects as children are the problem. A quote taken from an article today stated the support they need to help them stay out of trouble”

We also support a public awareness campaign, something we have been asking to see for a long time. Not just spotting the signs, but how to report suspected offenders, and what damage is caused by offending behaviour. Our own campaign was created to support a national awareness day in the absence of a public campaign.

Registering all staff working in caring roles is such an important point and should lead to a more regulated response to looked after children.  Clearly, we should ensure all those working with children go through the barring process, however that process only gives a reflection of that person on that day and then only if they have a concern raised against them. 

The explosion of online abuse means that society as a whole needs to be vigilant in tackling the issues. We are pleased to see the recommendation of regulated providers screening for abusive images, it would be impressive to see retail, trade and industry follow the recommendation too. Individual households could monitor their history to screen for abusive images and reduce offending. More robust legislation and greater monitoring of age verification measures.

Revisiting the legislation regarding compensation is long overdue and again is welcomed as is compensation through the Criminal Injuries scheme and Redress scheme.

Therapeutic support for victims of child abuse is a huge issue, we still have contact with those who have experienced exploitation and have not received therapeutic support and witness their struggle throughout their lifetime. It needs to have longevity and be made available when needed and not as a body on a waiting list. The challenge will be how agencies resource this requirement as a national, but resource it we must, as each and every victim has a right to live their lives to their fullest potential. Children impacted from a young age often face a lifetime of mental, physical, and sexual difficulties.

We welcome the recommendations and carrying the key messages of the Inquiry forward

IICSA has looked back at our history of offending against children, but it’s still happening and it’s everyone’s job to look forward and prevent it from happening today.  

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

· NWG Network helps organisations across the UK to prevent and respond to child abuse through exploitation.  

· Its expertise and leadership have led to involvement and influence in policy-making at senior government level.

· Based in Derby, it began as a small cross-sector network of practitioners from various organisations such as the police, people working in care, health and youth services. It now has over 14,500 members from over 330 organisations.

· Its work is largely behind the scenes, supporting practitioners with training, events and information, offering confidential specialist guidance on cases of exploitation and trafficking and supporting major reviews around the country.