The Chair and Panel make the following recommendations, which arise directly from this investigation.

Religious organisations and the government should publish responses to these recommendations, including the timetable involved, within six months of the publication of this report.

Recommendation 1: Child protection policy, procedures and training

All religious organisations should have a child protection policy and supporting procedures, which should include advice and guidance on responding to disclosures of abuse and the needs of victims and survivors. The policy and procedures should be updated regularly, with professional child protection advice, and all organisations should have regular compulsory training for those in leadership positions and those who work with children and young people.

Recommendation 2: Legislation on the definition of full-time education and unregistered educational institutions providing full-time education

The government should introduce legislation to:

• change the definition of full-time education, and to bring any setting that is the pupil’s primary place of education within the scope of the definition of a registered educational setting; and
• provide the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) with sufficient powers to examine the quality of child protection when it undertakes inspections of suspected unregistered institutions.