Issued on behalf of the Care Inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland
The Care Inspectorate (CI) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) have been asked by Scottish Government Ministers to lead a joint inspection working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE) into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The review will establish whether instances of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation are being identified and acted on appropriately by those services responsible for public protection in Scotland.
It will also report on the accountability of Chief Officers in local areas in relation to their understanding of the threats that organised networks - sometimes referred to as ‘grooming gangs’ - pose and what they are doing to tackle those threats and protect children and young people from abuse and exploitation.
The review will assess the understanding that Chief Officer Groups (COGs) have of the current scale and nature of child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland based on what it finds.
All four scrutiny bodies are independent from Scottish Government and the services responsible for public protection in local areas throughout Scotland. The scrutiny bodies will determine the approach and methodology for the review and the conclusions they reach.
Professor Alexis Jay has been appointed as Chair of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Group. Significant discussions have already taken place with Professor Jay and the review team are grateful for her input. In the coming weeks, the review team will consult further with Professor Jay on its approach to this inspection to benefit from her extensive knowledge and experience of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation. Other subject experts may be brought in as required.
The scrutiny bodies will be responsible for the final determination of how the inspection will be undertaken. This will ensure that the fundamental principle of the scrutiny bodies’ independence is not compromised in any way that would undermine public confidence in this work.
The scrutiny bodies will provide updates on the progress of the inspection to Scottish Ministers and Professor Jay, in her capacity as Chair of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Group, as appropriate.
The work will begin immediately and will be taking a phased approach. Phase one will evaluate the understanding of organised networks in local areas, child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation of children more generally, and its impact on local communities. The framework for this phase will be published in early 2026.
The intention is to complete phase one within six months and publish a report.
Phase two will be informed by a risk assessment of the material and evidence provided in phase one. It will involve targeted scrutiny in local areas to identify what is working well and what needs to improve, including reading of case files from all parts of the child protection system.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said:
"The Care Inspectorate and our partners recognise the critical importance of this work to understand the scale and nature of child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland and to examine the effectiveness of addressing this.
“A key priority for the review will be to understand what more can be done to protect children and young people from abuse and exploitation.”
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor, said:
“The joint role of the four inspection bodies – whose independence is defined by legislation - will be to gather evidence from across Scotland on the effectiveness of the systems currently in place to protect children from group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
“We will look at what is working well but also highlight where improvements must be made. Should our work establish any immediate causes for concern, these matters will be escalated without delay.”
Robbie Pearson, Chief Executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said:
“Healthcare Improvement Scotland recognises the critical importance of this review in safeguarding children and young people across Scotland. Our statutory role is to ensure that the systems and processes designed to protect those at risk are robust, effective, and responsive.
“Working in partnership with our fellow scrutiny bodies, we will examine current arrangements and highlight where improvements are required. Protecting children from harm is a fundamental responsibility, and we are committed to ensuring that every child is safe from abuse and exploitation. Where immediate concerns are identified, these will be escalated without delay.”
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education said:
“Education plays a crucial role in Scotland’s public protection landscape. HMIE’s involvement ensures that the voice of education is represented throughout the review and that the analysis reflects how effectively local partners work together to safeguard children.
“We will work closely with our partners in the Care Inspectorate, HMICS and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to bring together evidence from across the system.”
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