Strengthening Safeguarding Nationally: What the New Child Protection Authority and the Casey Review Mean for Practice
Significant developments are underway in the national safeguarding landscape. The UK Government’s announcement of a new Child Protection Authority (CPA), alongside the findings of the Casey Review, marks a pivotal moment in how children are protected across the country.
The report was commissioned by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary in England and Wales and was led by Baroness Casey and in March, April and May 2025. Reviewers assessed a range of national and local data and reports, as well as meeting with survivors, police, local authorities and other organisations and individuals.The report evaluated the understanding of the scale, nature and drivers of child sexual exploitation and abuse by ‘grooming gangs’.
Why Change Is Needed
Recent tragedies and a series of national reviews have exposed familiar and persistent weaknesses in the current system including fragmented responses, inconsistent standards, challenges with data sharing, and a lack of coordinated oversight. These failures have had devastating consequences for children and their families.
The creation of a Child Protection Authority represents a decisive response to these concerns. Its purpose is to provide national leadership, drive improvement, and identify emerging safeguarding threats early and consistently.
This new body aims to:
Strengthen accountability across agencies
Improve how data is collected, analysed, and shared
Provide a central source of expert guidance and evidence-led practice
Ensure learning from serious case reviews is implemented quickly and consistently
This is an important shift towards a more coordinated, proactive safeguarding system.
The Casey Review
The Government’s direction has been significantly shaped by the Casey Review.
The review highlighted deep systemic failures, including:
Significant gaps in data reporting, particularly around offender profiles and victim demographics
Fragmented multi-agency working, resulting in delayed or inadequate responses
A failure, in too many cases, to view exploited children as victims
A concerning drop in local safeguarding activity relating to CSE, despite increased reporting to police
All 12 recommendations have been accepted by the Government, including mandatory data recording for police forces, enhanced information-sharing mechanisms, legislative reform, and a new national inquiry into institutional failures.
These reforms set the foundation for a more transparent, evidence-led safeguarding environment.
How the CPA and Casey Review Work Together
Although separate initiatives, the CPA’s development is clearly aligned with the Casey Review’s findings.
Both recognise the urgent need for:
Strong national oversight
Clearer expectations for safeguarding partners
Better data to understand and respond to risk
Consistent practice across local areas
The CPA will help ensure that the lessons highlighted in the Casey Review result in real, sustainable improvements in child protection practice, not just policy commitments.
What This Means for Organisations
For schools, public bodies, charities, early years settings, and other safeguarding partners, these developments will shape how policies, procedures, and training evolve over the coming months and years.
You can expect:
1. Stronger National Standards- Clearer expectations around multi-agency working, data recording, and early identification of risk.
2. Greater Scrutiny and Accountability- Inspectorates and safeguarding partnerships will be expected to demonstrate how they are implementing national learning.
3. A Shift Towards Evidence-Led Practice- With national data improvements, safeguarding decisions will be better informed and more consistent.
4. Updates to Policies and Procedures- Organisations will need to ensure their internal safeguarding frameworks reflect new national expectations.
At RLB Safeguarding Ltd, we will continue to monitor developments closely and support our clients to remain compliant, confident, and well-prepared.
Further Reading
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-national-child-protection-authority-announced
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/establishing-the-child-protection-authority-in-england
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-inquiry-into-grooming-gangs
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/establishing-the-child-protection-authority-in-england
Moving Forward Together
These reforms represent an important opportunity to strengthen the entire safeguarding system. However, policy change alone is not enough. Real progress depends on how effectively each organisation, practitioner, and partnership translates these developments into everyday practice.
As always, RLB Safeguarding Ltd is here to support you with:
Policy updates
Training and consultancy
Serious incident learning
Safeguarding audits and reviews
Strategic planning for DSLs, leaders, and boards
If you need help understanding what these reforms mean for your setting, or preparing for upcoming changes, please get in touch with our team.