Safeguarding Bulletin - 29 October 2025
Victims and Courts Bill: Government tables reforms to protect children from parents who are sex offenders
The new measures will see parental responsibility automatically restricted in cases of children born of rape, and when a parent is convicted of serious sex offences against any child. This means a parent can no longer take active steps in their child’s life, including making decisions over their schooling, medical care or trips abroad.
Government plans to repeal presumption of parental involvement
Under the Children Act 1989 courts were required to presume that, unless there was evidence to the contrary, the involvement of a parent in a child’s life would further that child’s welfare. A review completed for the government found that such presumptions were potentially putting children at risk, for email in cases where there is alleged domestic abuse perpetrated by one parent to the other. In response the government have announced plans to repeal the presumption, with the aim that if parents are thought to be a threat to their child’s safety, involvement in their lives can be restricted.
The 6 7 Hype: What’s It All About?
If you have heard pupils shouting “six seven” recently and wondered what it means, you are not alone. The latest viral craze has quickly made its way from TikTok to classrooms across the country, leaving many teachers curious and slightly bewildered. Is it something to worry about, or just harmless fun? We have looked into where it came from, what it means, and why understanding online trends helps us connect with young people.
The Good Child Report
Published by The Children’s Society, this report reveals that whilst most children and young people were happy with their family, one in nine were unhappy with school, whilst two in five were worried about getting good grades. Children involved in the focus groups identified that they felt adults did not always understand their experiences or take them seriously, and that the constant stream of negative news and content, across all types of media, could feel overwhelming.
External safeguarding case review published into offending of Michael Strange
The English Cricket Borad has published a case review into the actions of Michael Strange who was a cricket coach in northeast England in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was subsequently convicted of 34 separate sex offences of underage boys, involving ten separate victims, between 1993 and 2004. Although arguably approaches to safeguarding two decades ago were different to those in place today, this review shows once again the power of individuals to make things that we should challenge seem normal, meaning that it is not then flagged as a concern. This is also particularly relevant if your organisation supports out of school settings – are their safeguarding processes as robust as they can be?
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