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Joint Home Office and Department of Health guidance for agencies involved in the strategic management of complex child abuse investigations is published today.

Responding toLost in Care,the Waterhouse Inquiry Report into the abuse of children in the North Wales care system during the 1970s and 1980s, the guidance is aimed at the police and social services. It focuses on the specific issues highlighted in theLost In CareReport such as access to records and information-sharing, and it provides practical advice on key inter-agency issues such as setting up and closing an investigation, victim and witness support.

John Denham, Home Office Minister of State for Police and Crime Reduction said:

"I am pleased to publish this guidance and hope that it will prove useful to the Police, Social Services and other agencies in dealing fully, thoroughly and fairly with what are difficult and sensitive investigations."

Health Minister, Jacqui Smith said:

"This guidance sets out the collected experiences of many professionals who have completed major child abuse investigations. It will be invaluable to all those working on these very difficult cases".

The guidance has been developed by an inter-agency working group, chaired by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), which drew together the experience of a number of police forces, local authorities and voluntary organisations which have been closely involved in undertaking complex child abuse investigations. It builds on the key principles for investigating organised or multiple abuse set out in the Government's child protection guidanceWorking Together to Safeguard Children, published in 1999.

In parallel with this guidance, ACPO has developed an operational handbook for senior investigating officers in historic or institutional child abuse cases, based on the experiences of practitioners who have been involved in this type of police investigation. The handbook will provide a practical step by step guide on how to conduct these difficult investigations, identifying good practice and providing advice on such issues as the investigative and management structure, multi-agency working and evidence gathering.

Terence Grange, ACPO spokesperson for child abuse issues said:
"The ACPO handbook has been developed by investigators for investigators. It will provide guidance, strategic options and good practice for Senior Investigating Officers. The handbook together with the government's inter-agency guidance will ensure that all aspects of these investigations continue to be dealt with to the same high standard".