Statement from Sir David Holmes CBE, Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
Today (7 July 2026) the Government has published its response to the consultation on establishing a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England.
It is encouraging that the Government has listened carefully to views expressed through the consultation and will continue to work closely with practitioners, safeguarding partners, victims and survivors as plans develop. The experiences of those with lived experience, of children and families, and of those working on the front line and in leadership roles must remain at the heart of this work.
The consultation highlighted strong support for the CPA building on the work of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. To support its development, we have already begun strengthening our analytical capacity and sharing new, high-quality resources for practitioners through our online learning hub. These foundations, alongside our national insight from serious child safeguarding incidents, can help shape a more proactive, evidence-led approach to protecting children.
It is important to note that until the CPA is fully operational, the Panel will continue to carry out its vital responsibilities of reviewing serious incidents in England to identify learning and improve professional practice to keep children safe.
The proposed remit for the CPA is rightly ambitious and clearly focused. It will be unapologetically focused on child protection, concentrating on children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. This includes harm occurring in any setting, whether within families, peer groups, communities, institutions, care settings, custodial environments or online. Its scope will encompass all forms of significant harm, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, domestic abuse, exploitation and trafficking. By taking a holistic view of the risks facing children, it can help ensure emerging threats are identified and addressed more effectively.
Consultation respondents rightly highlighted concerns about limited resources and workforce capacity, fragmented working across agencies, and a lack of coordination and follow-through on recommendations. Our national insight from serious child safeguarding incidents shows how often these issues recur. Our forthcoming work on persistent themes in safeguarding incidents will further highlight these challenges, but it is essential that the CPA is designed to help address them. Not as a regulatory or punitive body, but as a genuinely multi-agency organisation that promotes good practice, strengthens accountability, supports improvement and helps identify and tackle systemic challenges.
The Panel particularly welcomes the CPA’s emphasis on learning, evidence and prevention. As a national body, it will be well placed to identify emerging risks, address evidence gaps and strengthen understanding of what works. But effective safeguarding depends on strong collaboration between agencies and sectors. Therefore, we agree with the majority of consultation respondents that it is imperative that the CPA has a strong multi-agency focus. By promoting shared learning, facilitating collaboration and providing evidence-based advice to government and the wider system, the Authority can help drive continuous improvement while remaining responsive to local contexts and needs.
As Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, I know that learning from serious incidents, understanding systemic challenges and acting on evidence are essential to improving outcomes for children. The creation of a Child Protection Authority offers an important opportunity to build on these principles and strengthen our collective ability to keep children safe.
The Government has confirmed that it will look to legislate when parliamentary time allows. Until the CPA is established, the Panel will continue reviewing serious incidents, identifying learning and improving professional practice. Once the CPA is in place, the Panel’s core functions will help inform and shape the Authority’s remit. Maintaining continuity and building on the Panel’s strong track record will be critical throughout this transition.
We look forward to continuing to support the Government and partners across the sector as this work progresses. Our shared goal remains clear: a child protection system that is effective, responsive, learning-focused and relentless in its efforts to keep children safe from significant harm.