Latest News > 09 March 10 - Protecting children: Child sex offender disclosure scheme - start of nationwide roll out

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure scheme has already had success after more than 60 children were protected from potential abuse during a 12 month pilot.

The scheme will now roll out to 18 new police force areas from August giving added reassurance to parents worried about those in contact with their children. The four existing pilot areas will also continue with the scheme and it will roll out to all forces by the end of March 2011.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

I am determined to do all I can to protect children and families from sex offenders. The UK already has one of the most robust systems in the world for the management of sex offenders, the new scheme will build on this ensuring more children are kept safe.

We've already seen that children are better protected and sex offenders more effectively managed because of this scheme, which is why it is rolling out nationwide.

The new national scheme builds on the UKs existing system for actively managing sex offenders - one of the most robust in the world. This includes:

* the success of the Child Exploitation and On-Line Protection centre (CEOP) which has disrupted 205 high risk sex offender networks, arrested 821 suspected offenders and safeguarded 515 children;

* the Criminal Records Bureau which has stopped around 130,000 inappropriate people working with children and vulnerable adults; and

* Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which bring together probation, police and prisons to ensure serious sex offenders have rigorous risk assessments, strict conditions and are subject to a management plan that is kept under constant review.

The four pilot police forces saw:

* a total of 585 enquiries and 315 applications primarily from parents, carers and guardians;

* 21 disclosures were made about registered child sex offenders;

* 11 general disclosures were made, for example in cases relating to protection issues linked to violent offending; and

* 43 additional cases led to a range of other child safeguarding actions such as referrals to childrens social care.

As part of the new scheme the government will be working with CEOP to pilot a new online reporting process in addition to the other methods by which members of the public can register their concerns.

Sara Payne, Victims Champion said:

I am delighted that the years of campaigning and hard work by so many friends and colleagues have provided those who care for children with the right to check that adults who have access to them do not pose a danger.

The evaluation has shown the huge benefits of increased but controlled access to information. The input of the police, childrens charities and academics to the pilots has ensured consensus has been reached and we are working together to keep children safe.

Under the terms of the scheme a parent, carer or guardian or another interested party, can request that an individual who has access to their child or children is checked to see whether they have a record of committing child sexual offences.

If this individual is found to have convictions for sexual offences against children, and poses a risk of causing serious harm to the child or children concerned, then this information may be disclosed by MAPPA to the person best placed to protect the child - usually the parent, carer or guardian.

Paul West, Chief Constable of West Mercia Police and Association of Chief Police Officers lead on Managing Sexual and Violent Offenders said:

These new arrangements are a major development in safeguarding children. They empower members of the public to initiate action aimed at protecting children and will help to increase public confidence in the police and other responsible authorities as part of their role in monitoring sex offenders.

In addition to enabling parents, carers or guardians to take active steps to protect their children, some of the cases that have arisen during the pilots have included extended family members and neighbours raising concerns. Their interventions have undoubtedly resulted in children being protected from potential abuse.

Donald Findlater, Director of Research and Development at The Lucy Faithfull Foundation said:

I am pleased at the clear evidence that members of the public, where they do have concerns about possible abuse, feel confident to approach the police not only for information but also to share their concerns. Those who did receive disclosure information were not only assisted to protect their children but also have evidently handled that information responsibly.

I am delighted that public education programmes will be made available alongside the disclosure process. It is important that scrutiny continues as the work is rolled out nationally, to ensure the good practice developed in the pilot areas becomes the practice across the country. Our children deserve that we make this work a continuing success.

CEOPs role in protecting vulnerable children will be further expanded when it takes over as lead agency for missing children.

Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of CEOP said:

Each year CEOP receives thousands of reports from parents and young people concerned about someones behaviour towards a child.

Piloting an online system for the national roll out of the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme is a natural extension of this and will enable anyone with child protection concerns to make an application for disclosure online, complimenting a range of other specialist services.

As part of the police service, CEOP works with forces across the UK to protect children every day and the national scheme will further enhance and support this work.

The government has already further strengthened powers to protect children being exploited for sex. Tough new closure orders targeting premises including those associated with child prostitution or child pornography come into effect on 1 April. This year we intend to consult with police forces on how they can provide the Home Office with data on a statutory basis on the age of victims of crime to give the criminal justice system a clearer picture of how children are affected by crimes.

In addition ACPO is preparing a child protection delivery plan which builds on the progress already made in providing specialist training for police investigations concerning child abuse and safeguarding children. The production of the delivery plan responds directly to the commitment given by the government in its response to Lord Lamings review of child protection arrangements.

1. In June 2007, the government published the Review of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenders. The disclosure pilots fulfil Action 4 of the review. Further information can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/CSOR/chid-sex-offender-review-130607

2. Four police areas took part in a 12 month pilot, which ended in September 2009. They were Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire. These forces and the additional 18 will roll out the scheme from August this year with training provided by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) from April. The 18 forces are: West Midlands, Essex, Bedfordshire, Dorset, Durham, Thames Valley, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, West Mercia, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and North Yorkshire.

3. We are aiming for the remaining forces to start implementing the scheme by the end of March 2011.

4. A research report into the pilot is published today and can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr32c.pdf

5. All forces will undertake an information campaign to educate the public about the scheme and work to manage sex offenders. More information about the disclosure pilots including leaflets and booklets being used by the police forces can be found at: www.direct.gov.uk/keepingchildrensafe

6. Although this scheme is being rolled out on a phased basis, starting with the additional 18 forces, parents who are concerned about the safety of their children can and should go to any police force at any time about their concerns - every force already has a public protection team to deal with these issues.

7. For details of the work undertaken by the four pilot forces contact their press offices on:

* Warwickshire Police - 01926 415065
* Cleveland Police - 01642 301244
* Hampshire Police - 08450 454545
* Cambridgeshire Police - 08454 564564

ABOUT THE SCHEME

England and Wales operate Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to manage sexual and violent offenders and disclosure can be a tool in that management process.

The police already disclose information about registered sexual offenders (RSO) and violent offenders in a controlled way and to a variety of people including head teachers, leisure centre managers, employers and landlords, as well as parents.

The difference in the child sex offender disclosure scheme is that there is now a more formal mechanism for a person to make an application for information about a particular individual who has contact with a child or children, therefore alerting the authorities to contact an offender who may be having contact with a child which they may not previously have been aware of.

This encourages individuals to take responsibility for safety of their children and provides a way of getting more information on RSOs who are in contact with children.

CASE STUDIES TAKEN FROM THE RESEARCH REPORT

Case study 1 - Pilot disclosure

A parent makes an application regarding concerns for a neighbour who they felt was trying to befriend the applicant and their children by offering sweets. Checks showed the subject was a child sex offender. The sex offender was subject to a court order prohibiting them from being in contact with anyone aged under 18. The subject was subsequently arrested and remanded into custody.

Case study 2 - Pilot disclosure

An offender subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) assessed as medium risk to children and adult females. An application was made by carers who were involved in the delivery of social care to the offender. Carers observed the subject contacting children in the street, and the visit of a child to the subjects flat. A disclosure was made to the carers and to childrens social care to enable better protection and risk management for them. An application was also made by a neighbour under the pilot scheme. A minimal disclosure was made to the neighbour to enable them to protect their child. Due to this disclosure and proactive response by police and social workers, the offender remains in their home, continues to receive social care, and the neighbour has been reassured.

Case study 3 - Non-pilot disclosure

A grandparent had concerns about their daughters new partner who they believed to be acting strangely around their grandchild. Checks showed the subject was not a child sex offender but they did have an extensive history of violence and use of weapons. This information was shared with the childrens social care department who addressed the protection of the child. Although there was no information to disclose regarding child sex offences, the danger the subject posed was highlighted to the applicant, therefore safeguarding their grandchild. This example highlights how the pilot can identify and address other potential child care concerns.

Case study 4 - Other safeguarding action

A male was concerned about rumours that an extended family member was a child sex offender. Checks showed that the subject was a sex offender who had failed to register in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This was referred to the childrens social care department where the protection of the children in the application was addressed. Disclosure was given to the family by social workers. Without the pilot, police and the social services department would never have known this individual was in the area.

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