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Organisations where adults work with children must become used to dealing with abuse allegations by using external and independent investigation specialists, writes Beatrix Campbell.

When security cameras were being installed all over Britain in the 1990s, in residential neighbourhoods as well as shopping precincts, civil rights pressure group Liberty commissioned a study to determine whether this level of scrutiny of citizens and social space was welcomed or feared. Much to its surprise an overwhelming majority of people ticked the "for surveillance" box.

Likewise, anyone who travels by plane, especially back and forth over the Irish Sea, has been subjected to searches for decades. We submit because it is good for a secure society.

Yet that tolerance does not seem to determine our response to children's safety. A tone of affronted outrage greets inquiries into children's allegations of abuse by adults. Tolerance of abuse was exemplified by Archbishop John Ward's refusal to be called to account for his failure to do something when warned about a paedophile priest. Ward's recent resignation does little to eradicate this impression of tolerance. Yet the withdrawal of protection for abusive priests is supported by his congregation and colleagues, and by the Nolan Committee's tough proposals on child protection for the Catholic church.

Although the victims of abusive clergy remain sceptical, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who has been charged with implementing the Nolan recommendations, made a reference to the cultural revolution implied by the Nolan report: "Members of the church who bring forward concerns are acting in the interests of the church."

The Nolan recommendations rely on internal scrutiny. But consider the fate of parliamentary standards commissioner Elizabeth Filkin. She seems doomed because of her vigour - a reminder of the fragility of internal scrutiny.

And the police complaints procedures are a national scandal.

There has been an increased awareness of abuse that needs to be matched by institutional cultures and protocols. But this has been damaged by a muddled notion of balance.

It is said that we must balance the rights of the accused against the rights of the accuser. Lest we forget, the rights of the accused are buttressed by the criminal justice system's high standards of proof, and by the stringent criteria that surround civil standards based on the balance of probability. Let us also remember that courtroom results for children who have been abused are little better than when the cultural revolution began in the 1980s.

Perhaps what really animates concern about balance is not justice at all, but professional pride and reputation. To be the subject of scrutiny or investigation is, it seems, the problem.

According to a senior manager who has promoted rigorous procedures for responding to allegations against staff, departments must expect allegations to emerge from any environment in which adults work with children - the trick is to get used to it.

This does not mean becoming relaxed. On the contrary, it means rigour. It also means that people become familiar with the processes, rather than panicked by them. Child protection services are best placed to help managers invoke procedures when staff are accused, both because they understand the issues and because, as one senior manager notes: "they are used to dealing with heat and emotion. Personnel departments aren't."

Neither are school managers, teachers and governors. Indeed, the teaching profession's difficulty with this issue is cemented by local school management and the power of lay governors, and compounded by the disrespect shown towards children.

Good practice suggests that all allegations should be referred to the local authority's child protection specialists. Strategic conferences involving police, managers and anyone with information should assess the allegation, which must then be followed up either by a police investigation, or an inquiry by an independent social worker. Good practice also suggests an independent investigation team, relieving colleagues of the burden of investigating each other.

Reliance on the voluntary sector to provide that independence has become compromised by the voluntary societies' reliance on local authorities as commissioners.

Balance should be sought not in the space between adults and children, but in a multi-disciplinary reservoir of independent investigation units. This is second best to what we really need, but are not going to get: a national centre for the investigation of child abuse.

Beatrix Campbell is a writer and broadcaster.