Source: DfE 

Date: 15 December 2023

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance on multi-agency working to help keep children safe in England. The guidance applies to all organisations and agencies with functions relating to children and all education providers and childcare settings. A CASPAR briefing summarising changes to the guidance has been published on NSPCC Learning.

Read the guidance: Working together to safeguard children
Read the CASPAR briefing: Working together to safeguard children 2023: summary of changes

Source: His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)

Date: 08 December 2023

The HMICFRS has published a report on the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group-based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales. Findings include: a lack of a shared clear definition for group-based child sexual exploitation; inconsistency in the quality of criminal investigations; and some examples of victim-blaming language. Recommendations include: adopting the the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s (IICSA) definition of an ‘organised network’ for group-based child sexual exploitation; and chief constables should take steps to eradicate victim-blaming language in their forces.

Read/Download the report: An inspection of the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group-based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales

Read the press release: Police not doing enough to tackle group-based child sexual exploitation

Source: Lucy Faithfull Foundation 

Date: 22 November 2023

The Lucy FaithFull Foundation has released a new film about online grooming as part of the Stop It Now! campaign, which offers support to adults worried about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts about or behaviours towards children. The film discusses adults illegally engaging in sexual conversations with under-16s. It provides information about the law and consequences associated with online grooming.

Find out more: Conversations with strangers: launching our new film spotlight to deter online grooming

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Protecting children from online abuse

Source: UK Government
Date: 26 October 2023

The UK Government has announced that the Online Safety Act has now received Royal Assent putting rules to make the internet safer in the UK into law. The Act initiates Ofcom’s new powers and places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and remove illegal content and stop children seeing harmful content.

Read the press release: UK children and adults to be safer online as world-leading bill becomes law

Source: NSPCC Learning 

Date: 16 October 2023

NSPCC Learning has published a report on the Together for Childhood place-based approach to help prevent child abuse. The report evaluates the impact of the approach through work with community members and local partners across all four sites. Themes identified include: the collective impact of activities; centering the voices of children; and building strong community relationships.

Read the report: Together for Childhood: building stronger communities and preventing abuse