The UK Government is planning to create a new organisation called the Child Protection Authority (CPA) which will have a direct impact on safeguarding practice for faith communities in England.

This proposal directly addresses findings from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) 2022, which highlighted systemic failures and ‘disguised compliance’ within some religious organisations.

Approximately one in five adults in the UK have experienced some form of abuse as a childi and historically some sectors including the faith sector have seen failures and delays in reporting safeguarding concerns due to ‘internal’ handling as highlighted by IICSA.

For faith groups, the new CPA would mean moving away from a ‘doing it our own way’ approach to a more unified national standard.

CLICK HERE to read the briefing paper on this proposal and a consultation on it.