An inquiry into the extent of any institutional failures to protect children in the care of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire Councils from sexual abuse and exploitation.
Scope of investigation
1. The Inquiry will investigate the nature and extent of, and institutional responses to, the sexual abuse of children in the care of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils (‘the Councils’), including those cared for in children’s homes and by foster carers and/or adoptive parents. The investigation will incorporate case-specific investigations and a review of information available from published and unpublished reports and reviews, court cases, and previous investigations.
2. In doing so, the Inquiry will consider the experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse while in the care of the Councils, and will investigate:
2.1. the nature and extent of allegations of child sexual abuse of children in the care of the Councils during the relevant period;
2.2. the nature and extent of the failures of the Councils to protect such children from sexual abuse;
2.3. the appropriateness of the response of the Councils, law enforcement agencies, prosecuting authorities and other public authorities to reports of child sexual abuse involving children cared for by the Councils, and/or reports of child sexual abuse by individuals who were employed by or contracted by the Councils, with access to children;
2.4. the extent to which the Councils sought to investigate, learn lessons, implement changes, and/or provide support to victims and survivors, in response to:
a) allegations that individuals with access to children cared for by the Councils had sexually abused children;
b) criminal investigations and prosecutions and/or civil litigation in relation to alleged sexual abuse of children within the care of the Councils;
c) reports, reviews and inquiries into child sexual abuse and/or safeguarding; and/or
d) other external guidance.
2.5. the adequacy of the policies and practices adopted by the Councils during the relevant period in relation to safeguarding and child protection, including considerations of governance, training, recruitment, leadership, reporting and investigation of child sexual abuse, disciplinary procedures, information sharing with outside agencies, and approach to reparations;
2.6. the extent to which children who made allegations of sexual abuse may have had special educational needs and/or any other form of special need or vulnerability and whether that may have made them more vulnerable to sexual abuse;
2.7. the extent to which there was a culture within the Councils which inhibited the proper investigation, exposure, prevention of, and reparation for, child sexual abuse; and
2.8. the adequacy of the inspection regimes applicable throughout the relevant period.
3. To investigate the issues set out in paragraph 2, the Inquiry may identify a number of case studies.
4. In light of the investigations set out above, the Inquiry will publish a report setting out its findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve child protection and safeguarding in England and Wales.
Children in the Care of Nottinghamshire Councils - Definition of Scope