4.12 Non Recent (Historical) Abuse

Non-recent abuse, also known as historical abuse, is an allegation of neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse made by or on behalf of someone who is now 18 years or over, relating to an incident which took place when the alleged victim was under 18 years old.

Allegations of child abuse are sometimes made by adults and children many years after the abuse has occurred. There are many reasons for an allegation not being made at the time including fear of reprisals, the degree of control exercised by the abuser, shame or fear that the allegation may not be believed. The person becoming aware that the abuser is being investigated for a similar matter or their suspicions that the abuse is continuing against other children may trigger the allegation.

Reports of historical allegations may be complex as the alleged victims may no longer be living in the situations where the incidents occurred or where the alleged perpetrators are also no longer linked to the setting or employment role. Such cases should be responded to in the same way as any other concerns. It is important to ascertain as a matter of urgency if the alleged perpetrator is still working with, or caring for, children.

Organisational responses to allegations by an adult of abuse experienced as a child must be of as high a standard as a response to current abuse because:

• There is a significant likelihood that a person who abused a child/ren in the past will have continued and may still be doing so. In such cases, it is important to find out whether the person against whom the allegation is made is still working with children and if so, to refer to the Local Authority Designated Officer. Decisions regarding informing the person’s current employer or voluntary organisation should be made in consultation with the LADO;
• Criminal prosecutions can still take place despite the fact that the allegations are historical in nature and may have taken place many years ago.

If it comes to light that the historical abuse is part of a wider setting of institutional or organised abuse, the case will be dealt with according to the Complex (Organised or Multiple) Abuse 

Adult Services Responsibilities in Relation to Children

Adult services and professionals working with adults need to be competent in identifying the service users' or patient's role as a parent. They need to be able to consider the impact of the adult's condition and/or behaviour on:

• A child's welfare and development;
• Family functioning;
• The adult's parenting capacity.

Where a professional working with adults has concerns about the parent's capacity to care for the child and considers that the child is likely to be harmed or is being harmed, they should immediately refer the child to the police or Sefton Children's Social Care, in accordance with their agency's child protection procedures.

Requests for information about a child, which are often made to health professionals such as GPs or specialist services for mental health or substance misuse, by Sefton Children's Social Care should be directed to the correct professional and not dealt with by administrative staff or intermediaries.

Adult Services, whether commissioning and provider organisations, employ safeguarding children professionals to take the lead on safeguarding children matters. The roles and responsibilities of designated and named safeguarding children professionals should be clear and accessible to all staff and made known to partner agencies to assist in the process of sharing information.