National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group

Overview

Child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE), including online abuse, are significant harms that have a devastating impact on victims, their families and carers and wider Scottish society.

Cross-directorate government-supported workstreams collectively take action to prevent and protect children in Scotland and to provide appropriate support to victims and survivors of such abuse.

The National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group has been established to increase cross-sectoral coordination and capability to address the risks and harms of CSAE in Scotland by scrutinising existing and emerging evidence and practice to inform, prioritise and agree actions.

The group met in November and December 2024, after which the group aims to meet quarterly.

It is intended that meetings of sub-groups comprising practitioners, academics and other CSAE practice and topic experts will be undertaken for further evidence-gathering (‘deep dives’). The role and functioning of the group will be reviewed after a year in consultation with the co-chairs and group members.

Minutes of each meeting will be published.

Members

• Office of the Chief Social Worker, Scottish Government - co-chair
• Head of Public Protection, Police Scotland - co-chair
• Scottish Government, Children’s Rights, Protection and JusticeAction for Children
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES)
• Barnardo's Scotland
• CELCIS (Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection)
• Child Protection Service, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Childlight
• Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Child Protection Committees Scotland
• Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service
• Education Scotland
• Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland
• National Organisation for Treatment of Abuse (NOTA)
• National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
• Professor Alexis Jay, Independent Member
• Public Health Scotland
• Ofcom Scotland
• Public Protection, Police Scotland
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Child Protection Sub Committee
• Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
• Scottish Nursing Child Protection Leadership Group
• Social Work Scotland
• The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE)

Publications