On 31 March 2026, the new Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs (the Inquiry) commenced its work. It was formally set up as required by the Inquiries Act 2005 on 13 April 2026. Full Terms of Reference are now published on its website and can be accessed here.

The Government’s announcement of a new statutory Independent Inquiry into grooming gangs marks a significant development for local authorities across England and Wales. With full powers under the Inquiries Act, the Inquiry will be able to compel witness evidence and disclosure of documents, and is expected to focus on systemic, institutional and individual failings in the handling of child sexual exploitation cases.

While a full list of core participants is yet to be determined, it is clear that some local authorities and particularly children’s services, safeguarding partnerships and related functions will be subject to detailed scrutiny. The Inquiry is likely to revisit historic cases, decision-making processes, inter-agency working and the extent to which concerns were escalated or acted upon appropriately.

Background

There have been a number of recent controversies relating to inquiries into the sexual abuse of children. In 2014, the then Home Secretary Theresa May established a Non-Statutory Inquiry which was converted to a Statutory Public Inquiry (the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) the following year. This Inquiry was overseen by Professor Alexis Jay OBE and lasted seven years. It produced a final report in 2022 and made 107 recommendations to 33 specified institutions. It concluded with 20 key recommendations, and in 2025 the Home Secretary told the House of Commons that none of these 20 recommendations had been implemented.

In 2024, Jess Phillips (the then Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls) refused a request from Oldham Council for a Public Inquiry into child sexual exploitation, a move which was widely criticised.

Consequently, in 2025 the Government commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to undertake an audit of gang-based exploitation. The audit recommended that a national police operation be set up alongside a national inquiry into grooming gangs. The Government accepted these recommendations and committed to setting up a Statutory Public Inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005.

Structure of the Inquiry

The Inquiry will be chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield, a former Children’s Commissioner for England and life peer. Baroness Longfield will be supported by two panellists, Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE.

The Chair and Panel will be supported by Council to the Inquiry. Both Council to the Inquiry and Core Participants are yet to be announced.

The Inquiry will be fully independent of Government and of all institutions it will be investigating.

Scope of the Inquiry

In addition to the Inquiry’s published Terms of Reference, the Chair and Panel have now released their opening statement. Against a backdrop of what the Chair describes as “justified scepticism”, there is clear intention for this Inquiry to be wide in scope and to ensure that victims and survivors are placed firmly at its centre.

Key points are summarised below:

• The Inquiry will focus on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse committed by “grooming gangs” over a period of 30 years. It must examine issues arising between 1 January 1996 and 31 March 2029.
• It will “shine a light” on failings in previous and current responses to tackling grooming gangs locally and nationally, and it will look at systemic, institutional and individual failures and make recommendations at both national and local levels.
• In terms of the organisations it proposes to examine, an extensive list of statutory services is included in the Terms of Reference. Those relevant to local authorities include health, social care systems, education settings, housing services, taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and parks.
• The Inquiry has already agreed to investigate Oldham Council. They are currently working to identify criteria for choosing other areas and will publish the decision-making framework by 13 July 2026.
• Local investigations may take several forms including local hearings, written research and collation of evidence, data collection and analysis.
• The Chair and Panel may decide for any local area that public hearings are
  required, but in other areas they may not be required.
• As many previous reports have found that perpetrators were men from specific ethnic and religious backgrounds, the Inquiry has committed to looking at ethnicity, culture and religion, not just through the lens of how the state responds but also at the role they might play as drivers of abuse.
• All criminal allegations and evidence will be passed to the separate inquiry overseen by the National Crime Agency, Operation Beaconport.
• The Inquiry will hold some public hearings which will be open and livestreamed.
• The Chair and Panel will publish interim reports and emerging findings in relation to both local investigations and national findings. It is anticipated that the Inquiry will conclude within three years, with the final report to be submitted to the Home Secretary by 31 March 2029.

Conclusion

In the context of the anticipated Public Office (Accountability) Bill and its strengthened Duty of Candour and assistance, the new Inquiry arguably represents both a challenge and an opportunity for local authorities. Whilst it will inevitably bring scrutiny of past practice, it also provides a framework for reinforcing public confidence and demonstrating a continued commitment to protecting vulnerable children.

That said, the impact on those organisations that are required to contribute to the Inquiry could be significant given its broad scope, pace, the amount of potentially relevant material and demands on resources. Staff support and guidance will also be important as current and former employees may be asked to provide evidence. Authorities should ensure that appropriate support mechanisms are in place and that staff understand how to respond to requests within prescribed deadlines.

Early, structured preparation including clear senior oversight of inquiry-related activity and the identification of points of contacts for Inquiry engagement will be key to managing both the risks and demands associated with this Inquiry. Authorities that take proactive steps now will be better placed to respond effectively as the Inquiry progresses.

How Capsticks Can Help

Our teams have supported clients in relation to a number of public inquiries. If you have any queries around what’s discussed in this article, and the impact on your organisation, please speak to Partner in the Advisory team Naomi McMaster to find out more about how Capsticks can help.