Defiance on sexual activity guidance

Child protection policymakers in London are refusing to change reporting requirements for professionals working with sexually active young people.

Under the London Child Protection Committee’s interim protocol, social services and the police must be told of cases where an under-13 has had penetrative sex. But the Department for Education and Skills has said this is not required under the updated Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance (Government clarifies sex protocol duties, 20 April).

The DfES guidance states there should be a “presumption” that cases of penetrative sex or “other intimate sexual activity” involving under-13s will be reported.

Committee member Ian Angus said the protocol was in line with the guidance and that a draft version of a new protocol would continue to contain the reporting requirement.