WHITEHALL

Government 'may have underestimated' mandatory reporting impact

The Home Office may have underestimated the additional number of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases when mandatory reporting is introduced, experts have warned.

The Home Office may have underestimated the additional number of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases when mandatory reporting is introduced, experts have warned.

Its assessment of mandatory reporting revealed officials estimate the increase in total UK referrals likely to be caused by mandated reporting as between 1% and 3% on top of the around 78,000 cases reported annually.

Whitehall's impact assessment said this would result in between 575 and 1,500 more children being assessed as CSA victims and processed through the social services system.

The Local Government Association (LGA) told The MJ that while it welcomed the Government's plan to compel many public staff to report CSA, the impact assessment made ‘relatively little' reference to the effect the policy will have on children's social care.

Chair of the LGA's children and young people board, Louise Gittens, warned public bodies faced a ‘significant shortfall' in specialist support for CSA victims and urged the Government to fund the new burdens.

Cllr Gittens continued: ‘We are concerned the impact assessment makes relatively little reference to children's social care despite the significant impact that increased reporting would have on services which are already extremely stretched and undergoing a range of other Government reforms.

‘It is vital that children's social care has the resources [for this], including sufficient social workers and access to specialist services.'

A senior councillor at a council managing historical CSA allegations added: ‘Councils should benefit from mandatory reporting through improved safeguarding, but the policy will come at a cost and requires sustainable funding.

‘The Home Office's estimate for the likely increase in reported CSA cases seems low.

'Councils may need extra funding to support children who report CSA and train specialist staff.'

As the Government finally moves to introduce mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, councils are warning a complete programme of action is needed to significantly reduce the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. Mark Conrad reports.

WHITEHALL

Rayner in bid to purge red tape

By Martin Ford | 02 July 2025

The Government is to review councils’ statutory responsibilities and merge funding pots in a bid to cut bureaucracy and red tape.

WHITEHALL

Top Talent: Regeneration and Growth

02 July 2025

As part of our regular series on ‘rising stars’, we celebrate the regeneration and growth officers who have been nominated by their councils for having an im...

WHITEHALL

The big picture is clear – we must work through this together

By Jonathan Carr-West | 02 July 2025

Jonathan Carr-West looks at what the fair funding review consultation reveals – or doesn’t – about other policy issues including reorganisation, mayors and t...

WHITEHALL

Grant funding's phase-in

By Ann McGauran | 02 July 2025

The fair funding review 2.0 has landed, but will it put the whole of a beleaguered sector onto a financially sustainable footing and improve the lives of res...

Popular articles by Mark Conrad