National Review into child sexual abuse within the family home
The following is from Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
Darlington’s Family H LCSPR (local child safeguarding practice review) was featured within the review.
The review uncovered significant and long-standing systemic issues in response to child sexual abuse in the family environment. A number of national recommendations have been identified, alongside six specific recommendations to Safeguarding Partners, some of which correlate with learning from the Family H review. The findings and recommendations will be considered by the Partnership sub groups.
The voices and experiences of the 193 children at the heart of this review make very plain that too often we fail to notice and act to help and protect children from sexual abuse in their families.
In recent years, very necessary attention has been given to the sexual abuse of children in public institutions, by strangers on the internet and by ‘high profile’ individuals. The uncomfortable truth, that safeguarding professionals know well, is that very many children are sexually abused by someone they know well and in their own home. This report seeks to shine a light on the many systemic and practice barriers to giving children the help and protection they need when they are abused within their families’.
The report describes very shocking things about the lives, distress and pain of children who had horrific sexual abuse perpetrated on them, by adults who should have cared for them and kept them safe. The findings show that practitioners from all agencies often lack the support, confidence and guidance required to identify and respond to indicators of child sexual abuse and to intervene effectively to help and protect children.
