New measures to protect children in Northern Ireland from abuse and sexual predators were unveiled yesterday.
Billed by Northern ministers as the most significant child protection measures for more than a decade, they include a strengthening of both sex offence laws and the monitoring of sex offenders. New arrangements for the vetting of people working with children and the barring of those found to be unsuitable will also be introduced.
A single, independently-chaired Regional Safeguarding Board, to oversee child protection issues and ensure a more strategic inter-agency approach, will be introduced to replace the four existing child protection committees run by the heath boards.
Announcing the new measures health minister Shaun Woodward said: "Protecting and enhancing children's lives is at the heart of government. The safety of kids, be they at home, at school or at play, will be significantly enhanced."
The minister told a news conference at the Belfast headquarters of the Prince's Trust: "We will take steps to strengthen sex offences law in Northern Ireland and to strengthen the monitoring of sex offenders by placing these arrangements on a statutory basis. We will also extend to Northern Ireland new vetting and barring arrangements going through parliament. These will significantly strengthen the bar on unsuitable individuals from working with children."
He also revealed that new child protection guidance, for those whose work puts them in contact with children, will be issued within the next few months. It would help people work in a joined up way to promote children's welfare, said Mr Woodward.
The role of the new regional safeguarding board would be underpinned by a statutory duty on agencies to co-operate in order to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, said the minister. "It is also our intention to reorganise front-line child protection services to provide a more expert, more consistent and swifter response when assessing children in need and intervening to protect children at risk."
All government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies will soon conduct internal audits to assess the extent of their child protection responsibilities, Mr Woodward said. Senior officials would be appointed who would be responsible for the development and application of child protection policies. In addition, government would engage with district councils to promote child protection in local government.
The new measures also include a child death protocol which should ensure consistent handling of unexpected child deaths and support for the families involved.
"We have set significant challenges today for everyone responsible for protecting children across Northern Ireland," Mr Woodward said.