Joint targeted area inspections to focus on child sexual abuse in the family environment
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

Starting in the autumn of 2025, inspections will consider local areas’ multi-agency responses to child sexual abuse in the family environment.

Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and HM Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP), have today published guidance for the second round of thematic inspections focusing on child sexual abuse in the family environment, as part of their programme of joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs).

Inspectors will look at how the police, children’s social care, probation services and relevant health services in a local area work together to:

respond to children at risk of, or who are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment, at the point of identification

assess, plan and make decisions in response to notifications and referrals of children at risk of, or who are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment

protect, support, and care for children at risk of, or who are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment

prevent children from becoming victims of child sexual abuse in the family environment

Read the full guidance: Joint targeted area inspections of the response to child sexual abuse in the family environment (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-targeted-area-inspections-of-the-response-to-child-sexual-abuse-in-the-family-environment)

Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and early years providers and the voluntary and community sector, to identify and respond to children who are victims of this kind of abuse.

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, said:

In 2020, we published a report calling on policy makers and local partners to give greater attention to child sexual abuse in the family environment; so that its prevalence could be better understood, victims could be protected, and offenders brought to justice.

Since the publication of our previous report, data is showing a decline in the prevalence of children on child protection plans for child sexual abuse and the absence of justice for victims remains a concern. Considering this, and given growing concerns around child-on-child and online child sexual abuse, it is the right time to revisit this issue in our upcoming JTAI.

Martin Jones, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, said:

Probation services are a vital part of the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment. As part of the joint targeted area inspections, we will be examining how probation staff assess and manage the risks posed by sexual offenders, deliver effective interventions, and work with other agencies to safeguard children. These inspections provide a valuable opportunity to strengthen practice and drive improvements that make a meaningful difference to children’s lives.

Lucy Harte, Deputy Director for Multiagency Operations at CQC, said:

It is vital that children are protected from sexual abuse, particularly when it may be perpetrated by family members who are entrusted with keeping them safe. Health services play a key role in both identifying the potential signs of abuse and also in providing support to those who are experiencing harm.

Working alongside our fellow inspectorates, this multi-agency inspection programme will allow us to focus on the experience of children who often receive support from a number of different agencies. This will ultimately provide us with a better understanding of how health services support children who are victims of sexual abuse in the family environment.

Michelle Skeer, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, said:

Child sexual abuse within the family environment is a horrific crime, accounting for almost half of all child sexual abuse offences reported to the police in England and Wales. It can have a devastating impact on children and those around them, and the impacts can be lifelong.

The latest inspections will scrutinise how effectively local agencies collaborate to protect some of our most vulnerable children. Together with the CQC, HMIP and Ofsted we will assess how the safeguarding partnership is working together to identify risks early, respond appropriately to concerns, and ultimately act quickly to make sure children receive the support and protection they deserve.

Notes to editors

In February 2020, the joint inspectorates published a report on the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-multi-agency-response-to-child-sexual-abuse-in-the-family-environment). The report was an overview of findings from JTAIs in 6 local areas that examined the multi-agency response to children harmed by, or at risk of, child sexual abuse.

In November 2024, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel recommended a further JTAI on the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment.

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