Charities are calling for legal action to be made against schools, hospitals and care homes to make them more vigilant in protecting young people.

Under controversial proposals to be discussed in government consultation, doctors and teachers will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report concerns that children are suffering from abuse.

The demand for changes in the UK’s child protection law has been underway since it was revealed that Jimmy Savile sexually abused thousands of children and vulnerable teens across the UK.

In what has been described as the most important debate in regards to child protection, the government have planned to announce a twelve-week consultation on the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

Mandate Now, the largest coalition of survivor charities, has been pushing for the law requiring staff to inform concerns of the welfare of children to local authorities.

Tom Perry the founder of Mandate Now who forwarded the complainant in Caldicott School child abuse scandal, claimed that the mandatory reporting of suspected or known child abuse was vital of a functioning child protection system and has potential to provide positive impact to lives.

Lucy Faithfull Foundation that works with abuse victims and sex offenders has admitted they doubt that mandatory reporting would be effective.

Donald Findlater pointed out there sanctions are already in place: “Where there is knowledge or suspicion of abuse, I believe this is mostly passed on to the authorities. And where it is not, employers can take disciplinary action, professional associations can withdraw registration and the Disclosure and Barring Service can ban someone from working with children.”

NSPCC head Peter Wanless have said the charity was preparing to engage in the consultation adding that reporting child abuse is the first step in protecting children.