Reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect

This consultation sets out the government’s wide-ranging programme of reform to provide better outcomes for vulnerable children. It seeks views on the possible introduction of one of 2 additional statutory measures:

• a mandatory reporting duty, which would require certain practitioners or organisations to report child abuse or neglect if they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect it was taking place
• a duty to act, which would require certain practitioners or organisations to take appropriate action in relation to child abuse or neglect if they knew or had reasonable cause to suspect it was taking place

The consultation responds to the aims set out in the Serious Crime Act 2015 and tackling child sexual exploitation report, published in March 2015.

The government will consider all responses to the consultation carefully before deciding on next steps.