Child sex offender disclosure scheme
This scheme allows those who care for young people to find out if a person has a record for child sexual offences.
The child sex offender disclosure scheme allows parents, carers and guardians to formally ask the police to tell them if someone has a record for child sexual offences.
The aim of this scheme is to keep children safer.
Background to the scheme
The majority of child sex offenders are known to their victims. They are often a member of the family, a friend of the victim, or a friend of the victim’s family.
Only 20 per cent of child sex offences are carried out by strangers.
Started in 2008, the child sex offender disclosure scheme was developed in consultation with Sara Payne, the former victims champion, along with the police, and children’s charities.
The pilot was independently evaluated, and the evaluation report is available for download.
Where the scheme is available
The scheme is available across all 43 police forces in England and Wales.
Parents protect website
As part of the drive to protect children from harm a new website has been set up by the Lucy Faithful Foundation.
It is designed to raise awareness about child sexual abuse, to answer questions and to give parents and carers the information they need to help.
Guidance for police
Communications guidance
We've put together a communications guidance pack, based on the communications lessons learned by the four pilot areas, to help participating forces to increase awareness and understanding of the child sex offender disclosure scheme.
Alongside this, we have produced a range of communications materials which forces and partners can use to raise awareness and understanding of the disclosure scheme with the public:
- A7 roll fold keeping children safe leaflet
- A3/A4 single sided disclosure poster
- A5 disclosure process booklet
- A5 general booklet – keeping children safe
The guidance, posters and booklets can be downloaded from our publications area, and are also available in Welsh.
See also
Internet links
(Links will open in a new window)
- Lucy Faithful Foundation
- Parents Protect website
- Review of the protection of children from sex offenders - available on The National Archives
- Child sex offender review public disclosure pilots evaluation - RDS website
- Keeping children safe: find out more on Directgov
- Department for Education
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