Ruth Kelly has unveiled new guidance for schools and other education establishments, local authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service and the police on arrangements to speed up the process of dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers and support staff.

The guidance spells out standard procedures that will apply in all local authorities in England to replace existing local procedures and ensure cases are dealt with consistently in all areas.

Government Response: Ruth Kelly

Education secretary Ruth Kelly said: "The number of allegations made each year is very small as a proportion of the children and staff in our schools.

"But it is vital that they are dealt with properly and fairly. We must protect children. Being abused by a trusted adult can have a devastating effect on a child and their future.

"Equally, I am very much aware of the devastating effect that being wrongly or unfairly accused can have on an individual, their family and career, and how delay and publicity can exacerbate that."

Stakeholder Response: NASUWT

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "I welcome the positive action the government has taken in response to NASUWT's campaign on this important issue. Too many innocent teachers have had their lives and careers wrecked by false allegations of abuse.

"Teachers and others who work with children are extremely vulnerable to false allegations. NASUWT has campaigned for years for this to be recognised and for an investigative process which takes this into account to be introduced.

"The guidance represents a significant step forward towards securing more balanced and fair procedures.

"This guidance will not prevent those who abuse children from being identified and dealt with appropriately. Those who abuse children have no place in schools.

"It does, however, have the real potential to ensure that those who are falsely accused, and their families, are spared the months and sometimes years of trauma and distress before being exonerated.

"Teachers will warmly welcome the fact that for the first time there is a clear recognition in guidance that sanctions, including legal procedures, against accusers, should be considered seriously where allegations are found to be malicious.

"The tightening up and standardisation of the recording of the outcomes of investigations will help to ensure that teachers who have been the victims of false allegations seeking to obtain a job in another school or local authority are not denied employment on the basis of inaccurate information.

"Although the procedures do not introduce anonymity for teachers up to the point of conviction, the fast-tracking of investigations should reduce significantly the opportunity for public and media exposure which exacerbates the devastating impact of being falsely accused.

"Case study analysis demonstrated that the longer an investigation took, the more likely it was for confidentiality to be breached.

"NASUWT has secured a commitment from the government for the introduction of a monitoring procedure to enable regular review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the new guidance with a view to the introduction of further changes if the problems still persist.

"Regrettably, these procedures only apply in England and so NASUWT will now continue its campaign in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to secure their introduction. False allegations are not confined to England and teachers throughout the UK deserve the same protection."

Stakeholder Response: National Union of Teachers

Steve Sinnott, NUT general secretary, said: "A lot of hard work has gone into producing this guidance in an attempt to ensure that allegations of abuse are dealt with fairly and quickly and to protect teachers from the damaging impact of false allegations. Its proposals are very welcome as far as they go.

"In particular the emphasis on avoiding delay and ensuring that suspended teachers are not left in isolation but are supported during the period of any investigation.

"However the opportunity for confusion and conflict between national and local guidance will continue. There will be a minimum of three different sets of guidelines that will have to be followed when an allegation is made.

"There is no certainty that there will not be conflict between them. This could lead to inconsistency in the treatment of teachers depending on which area of the country they work.

"Without the opportunity to ensure that records of malicious false allegations are removed entirely from their records, teachers will be vulnerable to such allegations blighting their careers."

Stakeholder Response: Secondary Heads Association

Dr John Dunford, SHA general secretary, said: "SHA has warned for some time about the damage that can be done to staff as a result of untrue allegations. This guidance shows that the government is serious about addressing the issue, and is determined to make the process less of an ordeal for all parties.

"Of course, schools should and do take allegations of abuse very seriously. However, in some cases the reality is that students make malicious, unfounded accusations. We know there are cases of wrongly accused teachers experiencing real professional and personal tragedy as a result of unacceptable delays and lack of anonymity."

"The guidance issued today introduces a procedure which will help avoid unnecessary delays and respect anonymity. It is now up to local authorities and the police to take on board the recommendations. We sincerely hope they do."

"The agreement of the police in maintaining anonymity is a crucial part of improving procedures. For the situation to improve, it will be essential for all police services to respect the confidentiality of everyone involved."

Stakeholder Response: PAT

Professional Association of Teachers solicitor David Brierley said: "We are very pleased to see that the guidance is focusing on dealing with allegations quickly and consistently.

"These procedures have to take as long as necessary but not longer than necessary.

"We welcome the advice that employers should be proactive in progressing cases rather than letting them take their course for indefinite periods of time.

"This guidance recognises that there should be basic safeguards and rights for school staff accused of abuse. They are entitled to expect support from all the relevant agencies. In our view, they are also entitled to anonymity and we are disappointed that the government does not agree."