Safeguarding | LocalGov


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.
Pandemic made vulnerable children 'invisible' report warns 01/12/2020 Vulnerable children became 'invisible' during the pandemic, Ofsted's chief inspector warned today.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Warnings that vulnerable children 'hidden from sight' during lockdown 27/04/2020 New local area profiles will help councils identify how many vulnerable children are in their area.