Supporting Source Documents for the Special Review

The issues examined within this Special Review were first identified in the GRACE Framework Green Paper, published in November 2025, where safeguarding, institutional accountability and public protection were recognised as governance issues requiring further examination.

Following publication of the Green Paper, Young Policy expanded this work through a series of thematic reviews examining safeguarding, transparency, democratic accountability, operational resilience and institutional performance. Together, these publications form part of a wider systems-based programme of research exploring how public policy is implemented across interconnected institutions and how cumulative decisions made by governments, departments, regulators, public bodies and local authorities influence public outcomes.

The Special Review forms part of that wider programme. It examines the available evidence relating to organised child sexual exploitation, safeguarding failures and institutional accountability through criminal proceedings, public inquiries, independent reviews and governance analysis.

This Evidence Library has been prepared following consideration of a broad body of publicly available material relating to organised child sexual exploitation, safeguarding, institutional accountability, governance, criminal justice and public protection.

No single report provides a complete account of the issues examined within the Review. Rather, the analysis seeks to identify recurring themes and governance patterns that emerge across multiple independent inquiries, inspections, judicial proceedings, parliamentary publications, safeguarding reviews and survivor testimony.

To promote transparency and enable readers to examine the evidence directly, the principal source documents referenced throughout the Review are listed below. Wherever possible, official publications have been referenced in preference to secondary commentary.

This Evidence Library is intended as a companion resource to the Special Review. It enables readers to examine the original evidence alongside the accompanying Young Policy analysis and will continue to be updated as further official publications, inquiries, legislation, academic research and supporting material become available.

National Inquiries

Independent Rape Gang Inquiry Report (Published June 2026)

The most recent independent inquiry examining organised child sexual exploitation, institutional responses, survivor testimony, accountability and recommendations for reform.

Report:

https://rapeganginquiry.co.uk/report

Companion Hub:

https://rapeganginquiry.co.uk

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) Final Report (2022)

A comprehensive national inquiry examining institutional responses to child sexual abuse across England and Wales.

Official publication:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/inquiry/final-report.html

Executive Summary:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/inquiry/final-report/executive-summary.html

Full PDF:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/634febd6d3bf7f618eda953d/the-report-independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-abuse-october-2022.pdf

National Audits

Casey National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (2025)

Official Government PDF:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685559d05225e4ed0bf3ce54/National_Audit_on_Group-based_Child_Sexual_Exploitation_and_Abuse.pdf

Independent Reviews

The Jay Report (2014)

Official publication:

https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/download/31/independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-exploitation-in-rotherham-1997-2013

Casey Inspection Report (2015)

Government publication:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-of-inspection-of-rotherham-metropolitan-borough-council

Inspection collection:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/inspection-into-the-governance-of-rotherham-council

PDF:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8152f4ed915d74e33fd945/46966_Report_of_Inspection_of_Rotherham_WEB.pdf

Parliamentary Material

House of Commons Committee

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1954/jay-report-into-child-sexual-exploitation-in-rotherham/publications

Hansard

https://hansard.parliament.uk

Early Day Motions

https://edm.parliament.uk

Government Publications

Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/independent-inquiry-into-grooming-gangs

Crime and Policing Act – IICSA Recommendations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crime-and-policing-act-2026-factsheets/crime-and-policing-act-2026-independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-abuse-recommendations-factsheet

Local Authority Reviews

The Review also considers publicly available:

Serious Case Reviews

Safeguarding Practice Reviews

Independent Local Authority Reviews

including material relating to:

Rotherham

Rochdale

Oxford

Telford

Newcastle

Oldham

Other local investigations where relevant

Criminal Proceedings

The Review considers criminal judgments, sentencing remarks and convictions where they contribute to understanding:

Safeguarding

Institutional response

Governance

Accountability

rather than individual criminal liability.

Inspectorate & Oversight Reports

Future editions of the Evidence Library will include relevant publications from:

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)

Ofsted

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

National Crime Agency (NCA)

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)

Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman

Legislation & Guidance

Relevant legislation and statutory guidance includes:

Modern Slavery Act 2015

Children Act 1989

Children Act 2004

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (where relevant)

Academic Research

Where relevant, the Review also considers:

Peer-reviewed academic research

Criminological studies

Safeguarding research

Public administration literature

Governance literature

Victim and survivor research

Police Leadership Commission (2026)

Professionalism and Performance: Police Leadership for the Future

Independent Commission chaired by Lord Blunkett and Lord Herbert of South Downs.

Relevance to the Special Review

Added as a governance source examining police leadership, organisational culture, operational effectiveness, institutional capability and public trust. While not an inquiry into organised child sexual exploitation, the report provides relevant governance evidence concerning institutional leadership, cultural reform and organisational accountability. Consistent with Young Policy's cumulative governance methodology, the report is assessed alongside criminal judgments, inquiries, inspections and other governance publications to determine whether it supports, qualifies or challenges the wider governance principles emerging from the Special Review.

Source

Police Leadership Commission, Professionalism and Performance: Police Leadership for the Future (2026): https://assets.college.police.uk/s3fs-public/2026-07/Police-Leadership-Commission-Report.pdf

Methodology

The Special Review is not intended to re-investigate individual criminal cases or replace the findings of statutory or independent inquiries.

Its purpose is to identify recurring governance signals that appear consistently across multiple independent sources. Particular attention is given to safeguarding, institutional recognition, leadership, accountability, organisational learning, transparency and public protection.

Readers are encouraged to consult the original reports alongside the accompanying Young Policy analysis and to reach their own informed conclusions based upon the available evidence.

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