News
JUNE 10
Tackling Child Abuse
The police and partner agencies are under heightened pressure and scrutiny to effectively crack down on child abuse following a series of damaging high profile cases.
Taking place on Monday, 27 September 2010, Capita's Tackling Child Abuse Conference is tailored to address the needs of those working to ensure the safety and protection of all children.
Please visit the website for further details.
Contact Richard Goddard on 020 7960 7719 or by email here.
View the brochure (PDF).
NOVEMBER 09
Following the publication of Sir Roger Singleton's Review into Safeguarding in Independent Schools (see April 09 below) in which he made so many recommendations relating to Ofsted, we are pleased to publish the submission we made to the review.
 The Singleton Submission
A great number of the points were submitted were adopted. Please note, our recommendations were current at the date of our submission.
One point on which Sir Roger quailed was to the introduction of legislation to report abuse to the LADO. Presently there is no statutory obligation for any setting to report alleged Child Abuse to the LADO. And if a setting fails to report alleged abuse there is no sanction for failing to report. The incorrect belief of so many that a legal requirement exists to report abuse is largely based on one's moral compass, but in law the reality is quite different.
In order to assist those in education who promulgate the safeguarding policies of Local Children's Safeguarding Boards who themselves slavishly follow the Government's counterfeit "legislation" which suggests that a statute to report abuse exists we are pleased to provide Counsel's opinion below.
 Opinion provided by Atlas Chambers
Compare this opinion to the documents promulgated by your Local Safeguarding Board and you will quickly understand that an abused child is unsupported by the existence of any statutory framework. A setting is not obliged to report alleged abuse to the LADO and you will discover no commitment to do so in child protection policies emanating from LSCB's. This means that an abused child is guaranteed nothing, not even an impact assessment.
We speculate why Sir Roger did not recommend item 'A' of our submission? Well many reasons have been suggested from a variety of informed sources. Did he have his sails trimmed by the DCSF so they could accept all his recommendations? Probably, because the Government would not want to be seen arguing about any particular points. But it must be remembered that the Government has "sold" such a huge falsity to education, health, faith, and all other settings which care for children as part of their activity that it might be hard to recant the falsity that has be promulgated so far. The Government has painted itself into a corner.
Another suggestion with significant credence is that the scale of child abuse in England is so great that if a large uplift in complaints were reported in child abuse crimes, the infrastructure which includes local authorities, health, police, courts and so forth, would be unable to cope. A recent article in the Sunday Times magazine titled Child Abuse: The camera doesn't lie reports that Home Office statistics indicate that 40% or all reported sexual crimes involve children. The same article also sees Barnardo's complaining at the lack of statutory framework to support abused children.
The police who handle sexual abuse cases are stretched to breaking point and this despite there being no obligation to report abuse. In the same article our attention is also drawn to the huge challenges faced by the police when trying to secure convictions. Figures suggest that only 2% of cases reach court, only 2% of those result in convictions. The CPS and HMCS needs to revisit this situation with urgency because victims of abuse are being failed.
The tipping point for child victims of sexual abuse passed sometime ago without anyone noticing.
APRIL 09
It has been a very busy period for us and as you know our resources of all types are limited and we only write when we have something to say. On Saturday 24th April Times 2 carried an article by Tom Perry, a survivor of abuse at Caldicott School which describes how in the intervening 38 years since his abuse children are still not guaranteed assessment having been abuse in an educational setting.
On Sunday 26th April, Chosen was awarded the BAFTA for the Best single Documentary.
Mark Alastair and Tom attended, and in an addendum to Brian’s acceptance speech Alastair stepped forward to thank Brian for the sensitivity in his approach to the film and his commitment to the project which took three years to secure funding. Alastair then went on to say "We had a pretty tough time when we were at school; it proved a very dangerous place for the three of us. And it could still be for your children, because, unbelievably, the law does not require any English school to report abuse. Ed Balls knows this, and we very much hope he will change the law soon to remedy this loophole.”
Commenting on the film Jon Snow said: "I feel Chosen has been one of the most important contributions Television has yet made to our social development, on a par with Cathy Come Home!”
On Tuesday 28th April Tom appeared on 5 Live Breakfast programme (when there drag the slider underneath to 2 hrs 41mins) following the revelation at the BAFTA awards ceremony that there is no obligation on any school in England to report alleged abuse to the LADO. This is available to be heard for 5 further days from today’s date (29 April 2009).
Following the broadcast of Chosen in October on More4 the Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families announced a review of safeguarding in Independent Schools. The Review was undertaken by Sir Roger Singleton and it was published at the end of March.
Our party of individuals who share a common concern about the failures in this realm contributed significantly to Sir Roger’s report, and are named in Appendix II of the document. Only the MP was not in our party which visited the DCSF on the 24th November to present the submission. Exchanges continue with the DCSF which is presently preparing a document clarifying key points and preparing a timetable of action in response to the recommendations
The report Keeping our School Safe is available here: 
• Sir Roger has adopted most of our Ofsted recommendations which for operational and legal reasons will also apply to the ISI. We will now see if the inspectorates commence the welfare work they should have been doing all along, but in which they have been resoundingly failing us all.
•There is still no statutory obligation to report alleged abuse to the LADO. It is suspected that this would have been too embarrassing to include this in his recommendation bearing in mind the Government has dressed up a "guidance” note as a quasi statutory obligation. But Sir Roger has at least nor muddied the waters.
•The Northern Irish model for educational welfare, which is operating so effectively, is there to embrace immediately, and could be switched on in no time. The improvements and benefits that would accrue to pupils, school administrations particularly Governors who need all the help they can get, and the Inspectorates, would be extraordinary. The confusing and complex area of Safeguarding would be simplified in no time. The DCSF however seems not to embrace the idea that others are doing it better elsewhere in the United Kingdom. So "the DCSF way” of fudge, dither, bandage and rattle seems set to continue.
Further news is coming with more activity planned. We are also considering releasing the 45 page Submissions Summary which we submitted to the Singleton Review. It will clarify the fractured landscape of child welfare in education which exists.
DECEMBER 08
An invitation from Kevin Lygo, Director Television and Content C4 appeared titled "Kevin Lygo invites you to come and celebrate some great programmes.” Chosen, along with 10 other programmes, was named on the invitation. It is clear from the many conversations each of us had during the evening that the film has had a significant impact and this seems set to increase when it is rebroadcast on C4 on 15th December @ 10pm .
Training DVD –The training DVD has now been produced and is available directly from the Chosen website. True Vision in conjunction with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop it Now, have assembled this latest development and extension of the production.
NOVEMBER 08
Three individuals who share common concerns about the poor state of child welfare in education met with Sir Roger Singleton to discuss submission documents which were generated by some of the many who have been abused in education. We have provided the key statutory requirements which are needed to guarantee the provision of support for an abused child in education, and recommendations to ensure that the framework which exists around educational welfare and safety is made to work. The failure of the Inspectorates to deliver their statutory responsibilities was contained within the submission.
OCTOBER 08
Following the More4 transmission of Chosen on September the 30th, Mr Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, announced in the House on the 22nd October a Review of Safeguarding Arrangements in Independent Schools, Non-Maintained Special Schools and Boarding Schools. www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/CM00093.
The Review is chaired by Sir Roger Singleton and concludes with a report being published in February 2009.
Terms of Reference – The Review will look at the current statutory and non-statutory safeguarding arrangements that impact on independent schools, non-maintained special schools and boarding schools in the maintained, non-maintained and independent sectors in England. It will examine how these arrangements operate in practice, focusing on systems not individual cases. In the light of that analysis, it will make recommendations for any changes to strengthen current arrangements.
If you would like to receive our news updates about the progress being made with Government and the Inspectorates, then please let let us know by subscribing for news updates on our Contact page.
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