Child Safeguarding Measures at Institutions and Community Settings where Adults Interact with Children

Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of recent serious child abuse cases (a) whether the Government will review the adequacy of child safeguarding measures across institutions and community settings where adults interact with children, including measures for early detection, reporting and intervention; and (b) whether common minimum safeguarding standards should apply across such settings.

The Government takes the welfare and safety of children seriously. We continually review our child safeguarding measures in light of emerging risks, operational experience and incidents, to ensure that children are protected across settings where they interact with adults.

Given the wide range of settings where children may interact with adults, the Government adopts a practicable and risk-proportionate approach to safeguarding. Stronger measures are applied in settings where individuals apply for roles involving sustained contact with children and young persons, if these roles are regulated by public agencies. Depending on the nature and risk profile of the setting, these may include requirements for staff to have the requisite qualifications and training, and for their backgrounds to be screened before deployment.

At the same time, we recognise the importance of strengthening measures for the prevention and detection of potential harm. We are therefore considering how to better support employers and organisations that deploy staff to work with children and young persons.