Simplified Evaluation Criteria for CSA JTAI

Inspectors will evaluate evidence about the experiences and progress of children against the criteria set out below. The evaluation criteria (EC) numbers are a referencing system used by inspectors when recording their evidence.

When we refer to children in the evaluation criteria, this includes unborn children when relevant.

Evaluation Criteria

Simplified Evaluation Criteria

EC1. Multi-Agency Identification & Response
Agencies work together to identify children at risk, recognise signs, intervene early, and monitor impact to reduce harm.

EC2. Child-Centred Practice
Professionals provide a child-focused approach, considering identity, background, and barriers to support.

EC3. Trust & Communication
Professionals build trusting relationships, use strengths-based engagement, and ensure children’s voices are heard, including those with disabilities or communication needs.

EC4. Quality of Assessment
Assessments are comprehensive, timely, and multi-agency, addressing all forms of abuse, including online risks and family dynamics.

EC5. Adaptive Planning
Plans are dynamic, child-centred, and responsive to changing risks, including support for non-abusing carers.

EC6. Effective Multi-Agency Working
Information is shared promptly, meetings are well-attended, and decisions are timely and impactful.

EC7. Access to Services
Children access timely, coordinated services, including therapeutic support. Harmful sexual behaviour is addressed without unnecessary criminalisation.

EC8. Family Support
Families and carers receive support to help protect children, including those caring for children with harmful sexual behaviour.

EC9. Workforce Confidence & Training
Staff are well-trained, emotionally supported, and avoid victim-blaming or bias, enabling effective safeguarding.

EC10. Health Response
Health practitioners identify risk, share information, and ensure access to SARC and ChISVA services.

EC11. Criminal Investigation
Where offences are suspected, responses are child-centred, timely, and multi-agency, even when prosecution is not possible.

EC12. Evidence Gathering
Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interviews are well-managed, with social worker roles clear and intermediaries used where needed.

EC13. Offender Management
Preventative and long-term interventions are in place to manage adult offenders and reduce risk.

EC14. Risk Management Forums
MAPPA and other forums assess and manage risks from adults, including non-recent abuse.

EC15. Role of Education
Schools have systems to identify risk, make timely referrals, and share information effectively.

EC16. Education Partnership
Schools are supported by safeguarding partners to contribute to multi-agency protection.

EC17. Strategic Intelligence
Leaders use data and analysis to understand local need and commission services accordingly.

EC18. Partnership Oversight
MASA and strategic leaders monitor and evaluate safeguarding work across agencies.

EC19. Leadership & Improvement
Leaders engage in critical reflection, challenge poor practice, and drive continuous improvement.

EC20. Learning & Development
Partnerships promote multi-agency learning, using feedback, research, and intelligence to improve services.

Full Criteria Text:

EC number	Criteria
EC1	Agencies work together to identify children who are at risk of, or are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment. They recognise the signs and indicators, and the impact of child sexual abuse, intervene to reduce risk and provide support for children; they monitor effectively the impact of interventions so that needs are met and risk is reduced.
EC2	Children who are at risk of, or are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment receive a child-centred approach from all professionals. Practice is based on a good understanding of children’s experiences, their background and identity (including ethnicity, culture, sexuality and/or disability), including any barriers to accessing help and support.
EC3	Professionals understand the importance of building trusting relationships with children. Professionals work together to ensure a strengths-based approach to engaging with children and their families. Active steps are taken to communicate with children, including those with disabilities and/or communication needs, to hear their views and understand their needs and experiences. Safeguarding partners have a shared understanding of the risks and needs of the child, and relationships are built on trust and respectful communication.
EC4	Assessments demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the risks to children, their needs, experiences and strengths. Their views are clearly recorded and central to a multi-agency response. Assessments are timely, include contributions from all relevant agencies and consider all forms of abuse, including child sexual abuse in the family environment and any associated risks online. They consider strengths and risks within the family and address any risk to other children, including siblings and peers.
EC5	Assessments and plans are dynamic and adapt to changing risks and needs, including the needs of non-abusing parent(s)/carers for support. Plans are child-centred and address the needs of the child and all family members.
EC6	Children are protected through effective multi-agency arrangements which ensure timely effective information sharing. Key participants attend and contribute to multi-agency meetings which are effective forums for child-centred decision-making, planning of interventions and monitoring of progress. Safeguarding thresholds are appropriately applied, actions happen within agreed timescales and they make a positive difference to children.
EC7	Children can access a range of effective services, including therapeutic help, that are timely and well-coordinated. Where children are displaying harmful sexual behaviour, steps are taken to avoid unnecessary criminalisation of children and multi-agency responses address all their needs and reduce risks.
EC8	Families and carers receive timely support to enable them to safely help and protect children at risk of, or are victims of sexual abuse, including families and carers of children who display harmful sexual behaviour. The needs of all family members are considered including all other children and support is in place to address need and any risk.
EC9	Professionals and support staff across agencies are well trained and supported, including receiving support with the emotional impact of working with child sexual abuse in the family environment. They are confident and knowledgeable. They understand the impact of sexual abuse on children’s health and well-being and are aware of and make use of pathways for support and protection for children. They are aware of the importance of avoiding victim-blaming language and approaches, as well as the impact of personal and institutional bias. This enables them to identify effectively how to help and protect children and to take action to do so.
EC10	Health practitioners work effectively to ensure timely identification of children who are at risk of, or victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment. They respond to their immediate needs, share information appropriately to reduce risk, and ensure that children are supported to access services to help them to stay safe and to meet their needs. This includes timely access to sexual assault referral centres (SARC) and children’s independent sexual violence advocates (ChISVA).
EC11	Where a criminal offence is suspected in relation to child sexual abuse in the family environment, there is an effective, child-centred multi-agency response. This includes timely and good quality criminal investigation. Police powers, including use of police bail, are effective in reducing risk. In cases where investigations conclude that evidence is not enough for arrest or prosecution, multi-agency working is effective in supporting children and reducing risk.
EC12	Achieving best evidence interviews are timely and well managed. The role of the social worker in the investigation process is clear in the planning and is based on achieving the best outcome to support and protect the child. Skilled intermediaries assist with interviews where required, including for younger children and disabled children.
EC13	Services and interventions to prevent offending and reoffending in cases of child sexual abuse are available and, when required, longterm offender management is in place. Work with adult offenders is effective in reducing risk of harm to children.
EC14	Multi-agency forums, including Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), effectively assess and manage risks from adults in relation to child sexual abuse in the family environment. Professionals are skilled in assessing risks in the context of non- recent sexual violence or child sexual abuse offending and the implications for risks to children.
EC15	Schools/education providers have effective systems to identify children who are at risk of, or are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment. They make timely referrals to access appropriate support and protection including to early help or children’s social care or, where relevant, the police. Schools and partner agencies share information appropriately and work effectively together to make sure that children get the support they need.
EC16	Schools/education providers are supported by local safeguarding partners to contribute effectively to multi-agency working, including joint work to ensure that children are protected from harm.
EC17	Leaders and managers across agencies know and understand the prevalence and profile of children who are at risk of, or are victims of, child sexual abuse in the family environment. They share, collate, and analyse information and data effectively so that partners can identify and prioritise the needs of children in their area. This leads to effective multi-agency strategy, planning and action, including commissioning preventative work and support services to meet local needs of children and families.
EC18	Leaders in the local partnership, through the MASA, actively and effectively monitor and evaluate the work of the statutory partners. The local partnership works closely with other strategic partnerships and local organisations to make sure that children and their families get the help and support they need.
EC19	Leaders and managers engage in critical reflection, and challenge and support practice. They promote continuous improvement in services for children who are at risk of, or are victims of child sexual abuse in the family environment, including those at increased risk and vulnerability.
EC20	The local partnership promotes multi-agency learning about identifying, assessing, and responding to child sexual abuse in the family environment. The partnership informs and improves practice, planning and the design of services, using feedback from children and families, as well as research and intelligence about effective multi-agency practice.