VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Health organisations call for smacking ban
16/05/2025 An open letter signed by 13 leading health organisations has been sent to Government demanding that the ‘reasonable’ defense of physically punishing children is abolished. |
Local areas failing to address racism in child safeguarding
11/03/2025 Local areas are failing to address the safeguarding needs of Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children, a new report into child safeguarding has found. |
Child sexual abuse identification at 30 year low
07/03/2025 Safeguarding professionals are protecting the lowest number of children at risk of sexual abuse in three decades despite a rise in convictions, data reveals. |
Southport attack report highlights ‘serious issues’ with Prevent
27/01/2025 An investigation into the handling of Axel Rudakubana before he carried out the fatal Southport attack has found ‘serious issues’ with Prevent. |
Council welcomes Prevent inquiry after Southport attack
21/01/2025 Lancashire County Council has welcomed the announcement of an inquiry into the Prevent programme following the conviction of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. |
Questions over grooming inquiries' legal backing
17/01/2025 Concern has been raised over the legal backing for local inquiries into child sexual exploitation. |
ADCS: Cuts have led to poor safeguarding outcomes for children
14/01/2025 The combination of poor-quality housing and the cost-of-living crisis is contributing to ‘family distress and breakdown’, safeguarding report concludes. |
Jay distances herself from fresh inquiry calls
07/01/2025 The former head of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse has warned against ‘politicising' the issue. |
Landmark Bill to introduce ‘children not in school’ registers
17/12/2024 Council chiefs welcome Bill that could bring in new registers to identify children who are not in school but say it should go further to ensure child safety. |
Call for change after Sara Sharif murder
13/12/2024 Some 485 children in England died or were seriously harmed by abuse or neglect in a year, a report by the child safeguarding practice review panel has revealed, as experts called for change in the wake of the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. |
Social worker in Kirstie Allsopp referral ‘did nothing wrong’
29/08/2024 The council worker who responded to a social services referral involving the teenage son of celebrity presenter Kirstie Allsopp has been defended by a major social work association. |
Child neglect ‘normalised’, professionals warn
28/08/2024 Child neglect has become ‘normalised’ amid financial strain on families and a lack of early support, a major children’s charity has heard. |
Levelling up sexual health services to protect children
14/08/2024 Sue Bunn, Commercial Director, Inform Health, looks at how sexual health services are levelling up to better protect children from harm. |
Family to sue council over paedophile former headteacher
08/08/2024 A family whose child was subjected to emotional and physical abuse by former headteacher and paedophile Neil Foden is taking legal action against Gwynedd Council. |
Council introduces DBS checks for members
11/07/2024 West Northamptonshire Council will require all members to receive Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. |
Grooming gangs unit arrests 550 child predators
21/05/2024 A specialist grooming gangs unit has helped arrest over 550 suspected child predators over the last year, according to the Home Office. |
Safeguarding panel calls for register of home-educated children
15/05/2024 An expert child safeguarding panel has joined calls for a statutory register of children who are electively home educated. |
Brum council-owned company reprimanded for data breach
14/05/2024 A Birmingham City Council-owned company has been reprimanded following a data breach that saw the personal information of a child disclosed to another family. |
Child sexual abuse review to inform new strategy
09/05/2024 Findings of a review of Walsall Safeguarding Partnership’s strategy after the largest child sexual abuse case investigated by police will now be published. |
Council warns of dangerous autism ‘cure’ fraud
18/04/2024 Greenwich council has warned schools and nurseries to be on guard after learning of an individual offering ‘experimental procedures’ for autistic children. |
Struggles continue for scandal-hit council contractor
16/04/2024 A council contractor previously at the centre of a residential care abuse scandal has continued to struggle since it closed the sites. |
Toolkit to support gender-questioning children 'unlawful'
15/04/2024 A ‘toolkit’ used by many schools to support gender-questioning children is unlawful, according to a leading equality and human rights barrister. |
Finley Boden: Council apologises for ‘missed opportunities’
28/03/2024 Derbyshire CC has apologised for the ‘missed opportunities’ to do more to safeguard 10-month-old Finley Boden who was murdered on Christmas Day in 2020. |
Campaign to raise data and safeguarding awareness launched
01/02/2024 Local authorities and social service providers have been urged to do more to raise awareness about responsible data sharing to protect children from harm. |
Worcestershire council contacted 36 times before child’s death
29/01/2024 Worcestershire County Council was contacted multiple times about the welfare of nine-year-old Alfie Steele, who was killed by his mother and her partner. |
More than 1,000 child refugees placed in adult accommodation
23/01/2024 Child refugees arriving in the UK alone are exposed to harm and abuse in adult accommodation because of the Home Office’s flawed age assessment system, according to a new report. |
Bronson Battersby: Review launched after toddler’s death
18/01/2024 Lincolnshire County Council has launched a review after the tragic death of two-year-old Bronson Battersby. |
Online Safety – Time to Act
08/12/2023 Schools still have work to do despite onus being put on online platforms to conform to new safeguarding legislation, says safeguarding expert Mark Bentley. |
Damning reality of asylum
05/12/2023 A shocking public health report by Hounslow LBC exposes bleak conditions as councils urge Home Office and contractors to improve. |
DLUHC defends homelessness monitoring
23/11/2023 Mandarins have denied they do not have a clear picture of homelessness levels among Ukrainian refugees. |
Safeguarding review after 10-year-old's death
05/10/2023 An independent safeguarding review is to begin following the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif. |
Concern over Bristol schools’ app use to monitor children
22/09/2023 Campaign groups have accused Bristol schools who use an app to monitor pupils and their families of ‘intrusive monitoring’. |
Council confirms murdered Sara Sharif was known to authorities
21/08/2023 A 10-year-old girl who was found dead in Surrey nearly two weeks ago was known to the county council. |
Scandal-hit firm reports losses
14/08/2023 A firm at the centre of a residential care abuse scandal has reported operating losses of £5.8m for the year to June 2022. |
Shedding light on modern slavery statements
10/08/2023 Gabriella Jimenez, communications manager, Shiva Foundation discusses the importance of modern slavery statements and how councils can effectively write one. |
20,000 vulnerable children taught in unregistered settings
07/08/2023 Tens of thousands of children are being taught in unregistered settings, some of which do not meet safeguarding standards and one which had a firearm on site. |
Case review requirement ignored
27/07/2023 Safeguarding partners in Walsall have admitted failing to send a serious case review to the education secretary as required. |
London boroughs call for more powers to oversee in-year school admissions
19/07/2023 Pupils who change schools during term-time run the risk of missing out on education because of a complex in-year admissions system, London boroughs warn. |
Third of parents say school travel affected by cuts
12/07/2023 Almost a third of parents say that their child’s school travel has been affected by funding cuts, new research has revealed. |
'Family group conferencing' helps keep at-risk children out of care
14/06/2023 At-risk children who take part in 'family group conferencing' meetings are much less likely to go into care, a new study has found. |
Council not informed when homeless families relocated
07/06/2023 A council in the North West was not told when several London councils sent vulnerable homeless families to live in temporary accommodation in its area. |
Review identifies ‘missed opportunities’ in Baby Acer’s death
06/06/2023 The death of a five-month-old boy in his bouncer was part of a systemic failure of social services at Surrey County Council, review concludes. |
Abuse victims ‘exposed to risk’ due to funding issues
24/05/2023 Funding to tackle violence against women and girls in London is fragmented, complex and difficult to understand, according to a new report. |
Court clarifies council obligations under Human Rights Act
18/05/2023 There is no requirement for children to be in the care of a local authority for the obligations under the Human Rights Act to arise, Court of Appeal rules. |
MP calls for home schooled children to be registered
16/05/2023 Parliament is facing a call for a new law saying councils must log information on home-schooled children in their areas. |
Opportunities missed to help man who died of starvation
15/05/2023 A man with severe mental health problems died alone weighing four and a half stone after opportunities to help him were missed, a review of the case found. |
Councils failing to support abused children, charity warns
15/05/2023 Children and young people who have suffered sexual or domestic abuse risk missing out on the help they need due to lack of support from councils, NSPCC warns. |
Parents reluctant to report missing children, report finds
26/04/2023 Low trust and confidence in the Metropolitan police is making some parents and carers reluctant to report children missing, according to the London Assembly. |
Safeguarding overhaul called for after ‘horrific’ child abuse case
20/04/2023 Council leaders have called for more powers to hold partners to account after a review into the abuse of children with disabilities at Hesley Group of homes. |
New safeguarding software to transform collaboration between councils and schools
18/04/2023 Software company CPOMS has developed a first-of-its-kind solution to transform the way councils work with schools to log and manage safeguarding concerns. |
Independent review into baby murder case
18/04/2023 The case of a 10-month-old baby murdered by his parents just 39 days after being placed back into their care is to be independently reviewed. |
Schools report 60% increase in safeguarding referrals
18/04/2023 Schools in England saw a 59% increase in safeguarding referrals and re-referrals made to children's services between 2020-21 and 2021-22, according to survey. |
Lambeth council fined £20k after child misses operation
13/04/2023 A young person spent three years in unnecessary pain because delays by Lambeth council meant they could not have a crucial operation, the ombudsman has ruled. |
Safeguarding review of child sex abuse case withheld
11/04/2023 Walsall Safeguarding Partnership (WSP) will not be publishing its review into the largest child sex abuse case investigated by West Midlands Police. |
Abuse survivors take legal action against council
05/04/2023 Former pupils who were sexually and physically abused at a school in Liverpool have begun legal action against the city council that ran it. |
Children in youth custody face ‘tension and paranoia’
29/03/2023 Children as young as 10 in youth custody are facing ‘palpable tension and paranoia’, according to an official report. |
Effective monitoring of safeguarding
20/03/2023 John Wild, managing director at CPOMS, explores the role and importance of safeguarding software in aiding multi-agency collaboration. |
Council welcomes £3.5m Morrisons fine after employee death
20/03/2023 Morrisons has been fined £3.5m following successful prosecution by Tewkesbury BC after the death of an epileptic employee in one of the supermarket’s stores. |
Council calls for review into missing children
30/01/2023 Brighton & Hove City Council has called for a safeguarding review after dozens of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children went missing from a hotel in the city. |
Schools should be better utilised for local safeguarding, report says
23/01/2023 Schools and primary care networks should be better utilised in supporting Local Safeguarding Partnerships, a new report into foster care has concluded. |
Council chiefs call for powers to close illegal schools
09/01/2023 Council leaders called for tougher powers to regulate out-of-school settings after a Government-commissioned report uncovered major safeguarding concerns. |
Watchdog raises safeguarding concerns at Powys
20/12/2022 A watchdog has taken Powys CC to task over the lack of ‘control’ of its safeguarding arrangements. |
Council accused of undermining safety of sex workers
12/12/2022 Newham Council has been accused of undermining the safety of sex workers after the local authority set out proposals for a clampdown on ‘kerb crawlers’. |
Councils told to review children’s homes after ‘culture of abuse’ revealed
26/10/2022 Councils have been urged to ensure children with disabilities living in children’s homes are safe after a new report finds a ‘culture of abuse’ in three homes. |
Ofsted blasts Cheshire East’s safeguarding services
27/09/2022 Child safeguarding services in Cheshire East have ‘serious and fundamental weaknesses’ which leave children at risk of exploitation, according to Ofsted. |
Shropshire Council facing £18.8m overspend
01/09/2022 Shropshire Council has warned that it is facing a predicted overspend of up to £18.8m due to inflation, rising energy costs, and the demand for services. |
Review calls for creation of local child protection units
26/05/2022 A review into the deaths of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has recommended that specialist units with a child protection focus should be established. |
Councils need support to protect refugees from exploitation, experts say
29/04/2022 The Government has been urged to take ‘urgent measures’ to support councils in their response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis in order to tackle exploitation. |
Report warns of stark variation in the identification of child sexual abuse
20/04/2022 Some local areas are failing to identify and respond to child sexual abuse, a new report has warned today. |
Third of trafficked children go missing from council care
19/04/2022 One in three trafficked children go missing from council care, say children’s charities who warn Nationality and Borders Bill will make the problem worse. |
Government intervenes over council's 'inadequate' children's services
11/04/2022 The Government has issued a statutory direction to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council forcing it to improve its children’s social care services. |
Child Sexual Exploitation: Why awareness days matter
25/03/2022 Georgina Middleton discusses the importance of awareness days and how they can be a key stepping stone towards real and lasting change. |
'Alarmingly high' numbers of exploited looked-after-children going missing from care
21/03/2022 Nearly half of looked-after-children that have experienced criminal or sexual exploitation went missing from care in 2020, charities have warned. |
Government launches Liberty Protection Safeguards consultation
18/03/2022 Government has launched a consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards to ensure the freedom of people who may need decision-making assistance is protected. |
Charity calls for ‘safeguarding measures’ to protect Ukrainian refugees
16/03/2022 Human trafficking experts have urged the Government to ensure that the Homes for Ukraine scheme includes ‘rigorous safeguarding measures’ to protect refugees. |
Children still not safe from sexual abuse in schools, inquiry finds
01/03/2022 Children are not as safe as they should be from sexual abuse in residential schools, a damning new report has warned today. |
Solihull ordered to improve children's services
01/03/2022 The Government has ordered Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to make urgent improvements to its children’s social care services following ‘serious’ concerns over how it protects vulnerable children. |
Abused school pupils threaten council with legal action
25/01/2022 Former pupils of a council-run school are considering legal action against Lincolnshire County Council after two former staff members were convicted of abuse. |
Shortcomings revealed in second child murder case
14/12/2021 A second court case in a month has revealed serious shortcomings in how local agencies responded to allegations of abuse shortly before a child’s murder. |
National review launched in wake of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder
06/12/2021 A national review and local inspection will take place following the murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has been announced by the Government. |
Keeping the safety net
09/09/2021 Local authority leadership is invaluable to Transitional Safeguarding and councils are ideally placed to enable complexity-attuned commissioning, says Dez Holmes. |
Children abused for decades under care of Lambeth Council, inquiry finds
27/07/2021 Hundreds of children were subjected to decades of cruelty and sexual abuse while in the care of Lambeth Council, a damning inquiry has found. |
Sexual harassment ‘normalised’ for children, Ofsted warns
10/06/2021 Sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, has become ‘normalised’ for children and young people, Ofsted has found. |
Newborn baby care orders on the rise, research finds
04/06/2021 The majority of mothers facing urgent care proceedings are given less than a week’s formal notice that their newborn baby might be removed, new research has warned today. |
Crack down on abuse of modern slavery safeguards
22/03/2021 Local authorities will receive training to help frontline staff identify genuine victims of modern slavery. |
Councils warn of 'harrowing' rise in serious child harm cases during pandemic
05/02/2021 The number of serious child-related incidents reported by councils has risen by more than a quarter during the pandemic, new figures show. |
New strategy 'a golden opportunity' to tackle child sexual abuse
22/01/2021 A new strategy to protect children from all forms of child sexual abuse has been published by the Government today. |
Council pays mother £8,000 after failing to protect her from violent son
19/01/2021 Three young children were left without any protection from their violent older brother after Somerset County Council failed to help their family, Ombudsman finds. |
'Data desert' on vulnerable children and county lines, report warns
03/12/2020 Local authorities and police forces are failing to identify the number of vulnerable children being exploited by criminal gangs, a new report has warned. |
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Pandemic made vulnerable children 'invisible' report warns
01/12/2020 Vulnerable children became 'invisible' during the pandemic, Ofsted's chief inspector warned today. |
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Council apologises over failings at Morleigh Group care homes
03/11/2020 Cornwall Council has apologised after a report highlighted failures at the former Morleigh Group care home provider. |
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Half of professionals feel childhood obesity is a child protection issue
03/09/2020 Nearly half of health and social workers believe child obesity should be considered a child protection issue, according to a new study. |
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Framework for referring child victims of trafficking 'not working' warns commissioner
12/08/2020 The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for identifying child victims of trafficking is 'not working', the anti-slavery commissioner has warned. |
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Shared Lives in health
22/07/2020 Personalised care must be high on the agenda as we look to create a stronger, kinder and more connected society, writes Alex Fox OBE. |
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Coronavirus is jeopardising child welfare
16/07/2020 Chris Lloyd-Smith examines how the coronavirus is endangering child welfare, posing a challenge to local authority childcare and protection services. |
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Paediatricians urge PM to make school reopenings ‘a priority’
18/06/2020 Over 1,500 paediatricians have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to make the reopening of schools a priority. |
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Social workers to be placed in schools to spot children at risk
22/05/2020 The Government has committed £6.5m to place social workers in schools to help spot the signs of child abuse and neglect. |
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Ensuring continuity of care in a time of crisis
22/05/2020 Julie Tyas discusses how tech is becoming the eyes and ears of social workers during the pandemic. |
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Survey highlights child abuse could go unreported during lockdown
18/05/2020 Child abuse could go unreported during lockdown as a quarter of adults do not know where to go for help, a survey has found. |
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Charities call for 'vital' early intervention funding to safeguard children
18/05/2020 Funding cuts to children's services have left councils unable to cope with the current crisis, charities have warned today. |
