Government-proposed mandatory reporting – here’s what you need to know

At the beginning of the year, the home secretary announced that the government are planning to introduce new mandatory reporting requirements in England. The Crime and Policing Bill outlines the new proposed measures.

One of my favourite aspects of church life is the fact that our church families are made up of all kinds of people, of all ages. This means that churches are filled with families with children and young people. What a valuable thing that is. 

As a single woman living with housemates, I don’t often encounter children unless it is at church, and I have grown to really appreciate the privilege it is to watch children grow up within a church setting and to serve in children’s ministry. It is a joy to spend an hour or two with these kids once a month, sharing about Jesus and watching their understanding of the Saviour of the world grow. 

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Keeping young people in church-led activities safe is a priority for leadership and reflects God’s heart for children. It is why churches and Christian organisations write and review safeguarding policies and ensure those serving on children and youth teams are trained adequately and have had DBS checks. Any misuse of this responsibility is unacceptable, and an example of the church failing to honour and look after its young people. Abuse, whether sexual, physical or psychological, is not condoned, and churches work hard to enforce measures to combat the risks of this occurring. The Evangelical Alliance is supportive of taking measures to protect children and have represented this view in various government consultations over the years.

The Crime and Policing Bill 2025 is multifaceted and has brought in proposed changes to tackle a range of societal issues. The bill will legislate on terrorism offences, tackling knife crime, sexual exploitation, grooming gangs, antisocial behaviour and further measures to protect women from stalking. However, this article is focused entirely on changes to mandatory reporting as this is a legacy conversation that the Evangelical Alliance has engaged in for many years. 

The 2019 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) made over 22 recommendations, one being to introduce a new ​“mandatory reporting régime” for child abuse in England and Wales, which the government are now seeking to enact. There will be a requirement for adults engaged in certain roles to report promptly to the police or a local authority ​“if they are given reason to suspect that a child sex offence may have been committed (at any time)”. It is explained that this must be done as soon as is practicable and the report must identify each person who is believed to be involved in the suspected offence. 

It is essential that suspicions of child mistreatment are taken seriously. However, the lack of clarity around timeline and questions around who the perpetrator is could create confusion and lead to the punishment of a volunteer who was trying their best to follow protocol and do right by a child. 

These proposed laws fail to incorporate the nuance of churches and youth charities as they follow established processes in working to protect young people before reaching out to local authorities. If they fail to do this, they may be referred to their professional regulator or the DBS who will reconsider their suitability in working with children. 

Also, Clause 52 creates a new offence – preventing or deterring a person from complying with their reporting duty. This puts volunteers under huge amounts of pressure and could deter them from getting involved in serving children in churches due to the fear of missing signs of abuse. 

How churches operate and work with children and young people is different from schools, child centres or other regulated activities working with children. Sunday children’s church, after-school clubs or mid-week youth groups are run largely by volunteers, the majority of whom are not employed by their churches. Many children’s leaders only interact with each child for an hour once or twice a month and this can mean it is not always clear when there is cause to be concerned. 

Suspicions of safeguarding concerns should always be raised through the appropriate channels, either designated safeguarding lead or local authority designated officer, and we would encourage all members to review their safeguarding policy annually and form partnerships with statutory bodies in the community to ensure the best protection for children and young people. 

We have written to the minister for policing to outline our historical engagement in the IISCA, to help the government understand the way churches serve young people and to find a way to keep our children safe while enabling churches to run flourishing children’s groups. We will update members on any response we receive and any further changes to the bill as it progresses through its parliamentary process. Please be praying for these conversations and for young children to be protected and safe in churches across the UK.