Child sex offender disclosure scheme will roll out

The national roll-out of a pioneering scheme to improve protection for children was announced yesterday. It will give members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquiries about people who are in contact with children.

Disclosure scheme

Following a 12 month pilot, a trial of the Child Sex Offender Disclosure scheme has already had success. The Home Secretary reported yesterday that more than 60 children had been protected from potential abuse.

Under the scheme a parent, carer or guardian or another interested party can request that an individual who has access to their child or children is checked to see whether they have a record of committing child sexual offences.

If this individual is found to have convictions for sexual offences against children, and poses a risk of causing serious harm to the child or children concerned, then this information may be passed on. The information would be disclosed to the person best placed to protect the child – usually the parent, carer or guardian.
Pilot schemes

Four police areas took part in a 12 month pilot. These were Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire.

The pilot police forces saw a total of 585 enquiries and 315 applications, primarily from parents, carers and guardians. These led to 21 disclosures being made about registered child sex offenders.

The scheme will now roll out to 18 new police force areas from August. It will then roll out nationally to all forces by the end of March 2011.
Case studies

Some examples were published by the Home Office to show how the scheme had worked.

In one case a parent made an application, concerned about a neighbour who they felt was trying to befriend them and their children by offering sweets. Checks showed that the subject was a child sex offender. The sex offender was subject to a court order prohibiting them from being in contact with anyone aged under 18. The subject was subsequently arrested and remanded into custody.

In another case a grandparent had concerns about their daughter’s new partner who they believed to be acting strangely around their grandchild. Checks showed the subject was not a child sex offender but they did have an extensive history of violence and use of weapons. This information was shared with the children’s social care department who addressed the protection of the child.

In the second case, although there was no information about child sex offences, the danger the subject posed was highlighted to the applicant. This example highlights how the pilot can identify and address other potential child care concerns.