Lessons learned through investigations related to Jimmy Savile’s activities

Lessons learned through investigations related to Jimmy Savile’s activities

The client

The Secretary of State for Education – Education


Challenge

Management of Reviews.

The Secretary of State for Education asked Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, with the support of Verita, to provide independent oversight and assurance of 14 investigations into matters relating to Jimmy Savile in schools and children’s homes. Lucy was also asked to review the lessons learned from the investigations and examine current safeguarding policy and practice in children’s homes and schools.


Process

For the assurance aspect of the work we drafted guidance and reviewed draft terms of reference for the organisations charged with carrying out investigations. We commented on whether reports met the terms of reference and whether the evidence set out supported findings and conclusions. The Verita team was Lucy Scott-Moncrieff and Barry Morris.

The lessons learned work involved examining the themes and issues that emerged from the 14 separate investigations and gathering evidence by visiting schools and children’s homes across the country.


Findings

All the investigations found that policy and practice have developed significantly in the schools and children’s homes since the time of alleged incidents. This is not as a result of Savile’s activities but because of the greater awareness of safeguarding risks that has developed over the last few decades. The report concluded that the risk of a paedophile having unrestricted access to children, as Savile apparently had, is now substantially reduced.