Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS) — known publicly as Sarah's Law — is run by every police force in England and Wales. It is named after Sarah Payne, whose family campaigned for parents to have a controlled way of finding out about risk to their children.

You can ask about any adult who has contact with a child you care for — a new partner, a family friend, a neighbour, a coach, or someone offering babysitting or lifts. Anyone can make an application, but information is only ever disclosed to the person best placed to protect the child (usually a parent, carer, or guardian).

Scotland has an equivalent scheme called Keeping Children Safe. Northern Ireland runs a similar disclosure process through the PSNI.

1. Contact your local police force. Call 101 and ask to make a Sarah's Law / CSODS application, or use the online form on your force's website (search "[your force] Sarah's Law").
2. Give the details. The person's full name, date of birth if known, address or area, and your relationship to the child. The more identifying detail you can share, the faster police can confirm the right person.
3. Face-to-face meeting. Police normally visit within a few days to take a full statement and confirm your identity.
4. Risk assessment. Police, probation, and children's social care check records under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) and decide what, if anything, should be disclosed.
5. Outcome. If there is relevant information and disclosure is lawful, necessary, and proportionate, it is shared in person with the parent/carer under a confidentiality agreement.

Sarah's Law is not an emergency service. If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, call 999 now.

To report abuse that is not happening right now, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local children's social care team.

• Disclosure is confidential. You must not share it on social media, in group chats, or with anyone who does not need to know to protect the child.
• Sharing details publicly can be a criminal offence, can identify victims, can collapse ongoing investigations, and puts the child and others at greater risk.
• "No disclosure" does not always mean "no risk". Police may still act behind the scenes to safeguard the child even if nothing is shared with you.
• Vigilante action is never appropriate and is itself a crime. Sarah's Law exists so families never have to take matters into their own hands.

"Will the person be told I asked?" No. Applications are confidential. The subject of a disclosure is not routinely informed that a check was made.

"What if I'm wrong?" You will not get in trouble for asking in good faith. Police would rather you check than not.

"How long does it take?" Most forces aim to give an outcome within about 45 days, sooner if there is an urgent safeguarding concern.