95 Response Accepted Self-assessed

CICA specialist caseworker training

Recommendation

The Chair and Panel recommend that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority ensures that claims relating to child sexual abuse are only considered by caseworkers who have specific and detailed training in the nature and impact of child sexual abuse.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the UK government in December 2018, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) provides training to all its operational staff on handling sexual abuse cases, including child sexual abuse. Additionally, CICA offers specialist application support and named caseworkers for complex cases, as stated in July 2019.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
England
Section Reference
I
Response
Accepted
Accepted UK Government Initial Response
22 Jul 2019

CICA continues to look for opportunities to work with stakeholders to improve its understanding of victims' experiences. Since the abolition of the pre-1979 same roof rule, CICA is providing specialist application support and named caseworkers for those affected by this rule who wish to apply or reapply for compensation.

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Accepted UK Government Follow-up
22 May 2023

On 19 December 2018, the UK government stated that all Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority operational staff are given training on handling sexual abuse cases, including child sexual abuse. It also stated that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority provides a dedicated caseworker to applicants in particularly complex and difficult cases. On 22 July 2019, the UK government stated that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority provides specialist application support and named caseworkers for those affected by the 'same roof' rule who wish to apply or reapply for compensation.

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Source
Inquiry IICSA
Report Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse 25 Apr 2018
View Source
Responsible Bodies
Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Primary
Themes & Tags
Staff training and development Cica Training Caseworkers
Recommendation age 7.9 yrs
Last formal update 1037 days ago