Offences against Children: Richmond upon Thames

Ministers have considered the implications of historic safeguarding failures on policies. In April 2025, the government set out the immediate and longer-term steps it is taking to act on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation more broadly, which included some evidence linked to Grafton Close.

Regarding access to institutional records, the government will lay regulations instructing the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to produce a code of practice on the retention of personal data relating to child sexual abuse. The ICO will then prepare the code following consultation with an expert panel. Recent guidance has been published by the ICO around access to care records in general available at: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/campaigns/better-records-together/.

The Home Office provides funding for voluntary organisations to support nationally accessible services to assist victims and survivors of child sexual abuse through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

This year, the Home Office will continue to invest in the SVSCSA. This funding, provided to seven voluntary organisations, enables a range of vital national services to support child and adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. This includes support helplines; in-person and remote counselling; group support, online psychoeducation resources; training for professionals working with victims; and support for parents and carers of victims and survivors.

The government is taking steps to establish a Child Protection Authority (CPA), a key recommendation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The CPA will drive improvement and accountability in the child protection system, as part of a long-term shift to a more expert, accurate, and decisive multi-agency system. The consultation on the CPA closed on 5 March 2026 and the government will publish its response by summer 2026.

Any assessment of the adequacy of the response from Richmond upon Thames Council must be determined locally by the council in light of the full context and evidence available.

At present, the government is not considering a separate inquiry into the handling of safeguarding concerns at Grafton Close children’s home.