Advertisement

  1. National

Child protection systems across UK 'must be reviewed'

Measures to protect children from serious abuse must be reviewed following the widespread sexual molestation which was uncovered in the wake of the Rotherham scandal, MPs have warned.

A scathing report from the Communities and Local Government Committee condemned a watchdog for failing to expose failings at Rotherham council which led to the abuse of 1,400 children between 1997 and 2013.

View all 4 updates ›

MP: 'Serious questions' need to be asked of Ofsted

The education watchdog needs to answer some "serious questions" about why they failed to expose Rotherham council's inability to tackle prolific child sexual exploitation, the head of a group of MPs said.

Ofsted should have done more to expose the widespread abuse, Clive Betts said. Credit: PA

Labour's Clive Betts, who chairs the Communities and Local Government committee, hit out at Ofsted, who he said failed to see the poor care Rotherham council was giving vulnerable girls.

Serious questions also need to be asked of Ofsted. Repeated Ofsted inspections in Rotherham failed to lift the lid on the council's shameful inability to tackle child sexual exploitation. As a committee, we will want to question Ofsted about their inspection regime and ask why their inspections were so ineffective in Rotherham.

It is an important matter of public policy that senior council staff be held accountable for their actions. Arrangements should be put in place to bring to account not just council officers still in post but those who have moved on from an authority before serious questions about their performance emerge.

– Clive Betts
  1. Read more
  2. 4 updates
Child protection systems across UK 'must be reviewed'

More top news