Safeguarding Bulletin - 24 June 2026
With KCSiE 2026 approaching we have scheduled four topical webinars. Click on the titles to find out more and book your places.
The continuum of child-on-child abuse – what staff need to know: 1st July, 12pm - 1pm
KCSiE 2026 - key updates and implications for DSLs: 1st July, 3pm - 3.45pm
Children questioning gender guidance: 17th September, 4pm - 5pm
Insights into affluent neglect: 15th October, 4pm - 5pm
These webinars are free for members, and £59 + VAT for non-members.
Help us plan our 2026/27 training offering
We’re proud to offer a popular programme of face-to-face and virtual training courses throughout the academic year, designed to strengthen your knowledge and confidence in safeguarding and child protection.
As we plan for the new academic year, we’re looking to introduce a range of new courses — and we’d love your input. We’re keen to understand which topics would be most valuable to you in your safeguarding role and which sessions you’d be interested in attending.
Please take a few moments to complete our short questionnaire via the link below. Your feedback will help shape our future training offer. Thank you!
DfE consultation opens - Improving help and child protection revised framework
The Department for Education are seeking views on proposals to update Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Children’s Social Care National Framework, and the policy that will underpin the development of multi-agency child protection teams regulations.
The DfE would like to hear your views on whether the proposed updates are clear and easy to understand, practical to implement and likely to improve outcomes for children and their families.
This proposals include measures to strengthen support for families, such as making better use of family networks, improving multi-agency child protection arrangements for all children, and supporting better decision-making across safeguarding partners.
The consultation is aimed at parents and carers, and people who work in local authorities, health, police, education and voluntary organisations. The consultation period ends on 4th September 2026.
Find out more and leave your feedback
Mandatory reporting for child sexual abuse
A key recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, a mandatory reporting requirement has been discussed for a number of years.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduces a duty to report abuse. People who work or volunteer with children (such as teachers, healthcare staff and coaches) must report child sexual abuse if they are told about it or witness it. If they fail to do so, they could be referred to professional bodies or the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which may stop them from working with children in future. The Act also makes it a criminal offence to prevent someone from reporting abuse, with a possible prison sentence of up to seven years. As yet there is no implementation date.
Regulated activity changes
From 1st September 2026, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will change how “regulated activity” with children is defined. The current rule that allows some supervised volunteers to be exempt will be removed.
In the past, unpaid roles (such as volunteers helping to teach, supervise or care for children) were not counted as regulated activity if they were supervised by staff. This will no longer apply. From September 2026, anyone, paid or unpaid, who does these activities regularly (more than three days in a 30-day period) or overnight will be classed as working in regulated activity.
This change mainly affects volunteers. Schools and colleges will need to make sure that volunteers who meet the new criteria have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a check of the children’s barred list. It is important to note that someone can be on a barred list even if they do not have a criminal conviction. DBS checks for volunteers are still free.
Organisations must also make sure that barred individuals do not carry out regulated activity. It is a criminal offence both for a barred person to do this work and for an organisation to allow it. In some cases, additional checks, such as the DfE’s “check a teacher’s record” service, may be used.
The changes will mainly affect people who volunteer regularly, across different settings, or on overnight school trips, as these roles will now require full checks. Occasional volunteers, such as those helping at one-off events or day trips, are unlikely to be affected.
Overall, these changes are designed to improve safeguarding by ensuring that anyone who regularly works with children is properly checked. Schools and colleges should review their volunteer arrangements now so they are ready for September 2026, when the new rules come into force.
Safeguarding isn't just training or vetting
Safeguarding is about far more than checks, certificates and training records.
Sharon Birch explores why professional curiosity, a strong safeguarding culture and the confidence to challenge concerns are the most effective tools in protecting children.
Online safety: social media restrictions
The UK government has announced plans to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, as part of efforts to improve online safety.
Proposed measures also include restrictions on live streaming and communication with strangers. Ofcom has been asked to review age-assurance measures and enforcement options, with a strategy to follow. The government has also published findings from its Growing up in the online world consultation, which ran from March to May 2026.
Lead child protection practitioner standards published
The lead child protection practitioner (LCPP) standards set out the knowledge and skills LCPPs are expected to have to effectively lead child protection processes.
This guidance is for LCPPs and team managers, and training providers, and may also be of interest to statutory safeguarding partners; other practitioners working in multi-agency child protection teams and their parent agencies (health, police, education and others); and other practitioners working in services and settings who come into contact with children who are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm inside or outside the home (such as family help lead practitioners).
DSM Foundation's new drug education delivery booklet published
The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation have just released their drug education delivery booklet for the 2026-27 academic year.
This contains details of their provision for schools and colleges, from workshops for students, webinars for parents and caregivers, and training for teachers and other professionals, to live and filmed performances of ‘I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die’ accompanied by resources that enable those who have seen Dan’s story told in the words of his family and friends to discuss its themes and messages and take away tangible staying safe strategies.
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