Statement on the Government’s commitment to introduce mandatory reporting
Commenting on the recent developments around child sexual abuse legislation, Frontline’s chief social worker, Lisa Hackett said:
“Yvette Cooper’s announcement in the Commons this week regarding child safeguarding, including the introduction of mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, is a step in the right direction.
However, we believe that a lack of reporting of abuse is not necessarily the only or indeed the main problem. Our own research revealed that social workers are well aware of the rise in harm outside the family home. However, social workers also reported limited effective collaboration with and from other professionals, such as the police, and rated the majority of external resources available to them for support as poor. While there have been many individual failings identified in previous inquiries, it is hard to see how improvements will be made unless agencies have the motivation, training and resources to work together effectively. There are some examples of great practice in terms of multi-agency working across the country, so we know it can be done, but on the whole this needs to improve.
Moreover, it’s crucial to consider what happens when reports of abuse are submitted. Those who receive these reports need to understand that child protection is the highest priority. We are talking about vulnerable children and young people, not “streetwise” teenagers making informed choices, and they should be treated appropriately. All professionals need to follow core principles on what happens next to safeguard children, and to follow these principles in every single case. Ultimately the way in which all professionals involved view sexual exploitation of young, usually poor girls, needs to drastically change to put protecting these vulnerable children and keeping them safe from harm above anything else.”
For more information, please contact morgen.evans@thefrontline.org.uk