Lucy Faithfull Foundation response to child sex offender disclosure scheme – national roll out

3 March 2010

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

"Following publication of the Home Office's Child Sex Offender Review, The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and others, had initial reservations about the likely value of the Disclosure Pilots and about possible negative consequences – thinking of registered sex offenders failing to cooperate in their proper management or, indeed, going underground; or vigilante activity following disclosure; or false reassurance of applicants told that the person they were enquiring about was not a known sex offender, but could still pose a risk to children.

I am glad to say that, as far as the evaluation can establish, those negative consequences have not materialised. I believe that is testimony to the planning and delivery of the Disclosure process by the four Police Forces involved, supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers and others.

Whilst the total number of Disclosure applications to the Police across the twelve months was not massive, I have to say 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. And those twenty or so people who did receive disclosure information were not only assisted to protect their children but also have evidently handled that information responsibly.

My initial concerns about possible false reassurance have not been directly answered by the Disclosure Pilot evaluation itself. We know the main danger to children is from people not known to the authorities and we need all adults to be alert for worrying behaviour. If someone is told that the person they have enquired about is not known, we do not want them to ignore the signs that child sexual abuse could be taking place.

That said, I am delighted in the decision taken by the Home Secretary that public education programmes be made available alongside the Disclosure Process. These programmes were launched at the same time as the Disclosure pilots as part of the Child Sex Offender Review and have been successfully piloted in Surrey and Birmingham over the last year. I believe they add an important component to the Disclosure Process – helping all adults to play their part in preventing child sexual abuse. Public education seminars for parents and carers provide factual information about child sexual abuse – including who does it, how and why. It identifies signs to look out for, in children but also in those close to our children, that might give cause for concern, with information on where they can turn to for help or to make a report.

Together, Disclosure and public education make a great combination and should go a long way in helping to reduce child sexual abuse. We can also learn lessons from those who come forward to make a disclosure application and we would like to see information gathered on what behaviours are causing people concern.

But finally, a note of caution. It is still early days in work on Disclosure and it is important that scrutiny continues as the work is rolled out nationally, to ensure that the good practice developed in four pilot areas becomes the practice implemented and sustained across the country. Our children deserve that we make this work a continuing success."

View the Home Office release on the child sex offender disclosure scheme here.