1. New law to ban depraved child-like sexual abuse dolls
The government has backed a new law banning depraved child-like sexual abuse dolls.
The Child-like Sexual Abuse Dolls (Offences) Private Members’ Bill, which has progressed to committee stage, will make it illegal to buy, sell or own these dolls. Anyone caught with one could face up to 5 years behind bars.
Police have encountered these items while investigating child sexual abuse suspects and when monitoring registered sex offenders, but current legislation does not provide a specific offence for owning or making these dolls. By closing this crucial loophole, the bill will give police greater powers, stopping abusers and helping to prevent them from harming real children.

The bill builds on tough new measures in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 to intensify the response to both online and contact child sexual abuse. These include:

• bringing in a mandatory duty for people in key roles to report suspected child sexual abuse
• creating a new offence for anyone interfering with the duty to report
• making grooming an aggravating factor when courts sentence child sexual offences
• world-leading new offences to fight the rising tide of AI child sexual abuse material
• giving Border Force more powers to stop digital child sexual abuse material at our borders

2. Information Duty Statutory Guidance comes into force
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduced a revised Information Sharing Duty Statutory guidance for safeguarding organisations and their practitioners to come into effect 26th September. Which clarifies that there is no requirement for a child to meet a particular statutory threshold before information can be shared.

Statutory Guidance: Keeping children safe in education updated 1 September 2026
‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’ sets out the legal duties that schools and colleges must comply with to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.
It applies to all schools and colleges, and is intended for:

• headteachers, teachers and school staff
• governing bodies, proprietors and management committees

All staff must:

• read ‘Keeping children safe in education 2026 part one’ in full and all those who work directly with children should also read Annex A (which has been replaced with previous Annex B)
• follow their school’s or college’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

A full summary of the changes introduced in ‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’ is available in Annex C.

1. Guidance leaflets relating to eligibility and other DBS services and products
These Guidance leaflets provide information relating to eligibility and other Disclosure and Barring Service products and services.

2. A guide for parents and carers employing self-employed workers or personal employees
This guidance applies to DBS checks in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Information about checks in Scotland is available from Disclosure Scotland. Information about checks in Northern Ireland is available from AccessNI.

3. DBS launches campaign to help parents and carers make informed decisions when hiring self-employed workers
Parents and carers across England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are being encouraged to take an additional safeguarding step when hiring self-employed workers and personal employees, as the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) launches its new Every Check Helps public awareness campaign.

The campaign aims to help parents and carers understand what information may be available when employing someone such as a tutor, sports coach, music teacher, personal assistant or carer, and how that information can support safer recruitment and safeguarding decisions.

The campaign follows legislative changes introduced in January 2026, which enabled eligible self-employed workers and personal employees to apply for Enhanced DBS checks and, where eligible, Enhanced DBS checks with Children’s and/or Adults’ Barred List checks for the first time.

Research and stakeholder insight identified that many parents and carers are unaware that eligible self-employed workers can obtain an Enhanced DBS check, and some may feel unsure about asking to see one when making recruitment decisions. The campaign aims to increase awareness, understanding and confidence among parents and carers, helping them make safer and more informed choices.

At the heart of the campaign is a simple message: “They can get a DBS check. You can ask to see it.” The campaign encourages parents and carers to consider DBS information as one part of a wider decision-making process when choosing someone to work with their child or vulnerable family member.
Importantly, parents and carers cannot apply for a DBS check on behalf of someone else. Where eligible, self-employed workers and personal employees must apply themselves through a DBS Umbrella Body. Parents and carers can then ask whether an individual has a DBS certificate and whether they are willing to share it.
Alongside the campaign, DBS has published guidance explaining what parents and carers should look for when viewing a DBS certificate, including checking they are seeing the original certificate, confirming it relates to the correct workforce, checking the certificate issue date and understanding how the DBS Update Service may provide additional reassurance.

The guidance is designed to help parents and carers better understand what they can do, what they should look for on a DBS certificate and how DBS information can be considered alongside other recruitment and safeguarding considerations.

Parents and carers are encouraged to review the guidance on GOV.UK to better understand what DBS information may be available, how it can support informed decision-making and what to look for when someone chooses to share a DBS certificate.

Further support

•  A guide for parents and carers employing self-employed workers or personal employees
• Private individuals employing self-employed workers or personal employees
• DBS checks guidance for employers, voluntary organisations and third parties
• DBS identity checking guidelines
• DBS eligibility guidance
• DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees
• Find a DBS Umbrella Body
• DBS Update Service guidance

The Secretary of State has apologised to families and set out urgent action following the Thirlwall Inquiry’s findings
The Health and Social Care Secretary has set out immediate actions to strengthen patient safety, safeguarding and accountability across the NHS, following the publication of Lady Justice Thirlwall’s final report into the Countess of Chester Hospital

The Thirlwall Inquiry found serious failures of governance, leadership and safeguarding, with opportunities missed to act on concerns and protect babies from harm.

Responding to the findings in Parliament, the Health and Social Care Secretary said safeguarding must be at the heart of the NHS and that the government would act on the inquiry’s recommendations to help prevent such failures happening again.

The government has begun work on a series of measures while it considers the inquiry’s recommendations in full, including:

• urgent work to develop plans for CCTV, including ‘cot cams’, in neonatal settings to improve safety and provide reassurance to parents
• new guidance on the safe use and storage of insulin and strengthened guidance for medical examiners reviewing neonatal deaths
• plans to regulate NHS managers through a barring scheme for senior leaders who fail in their responsibilities
• continued rollout of the National Bereavement Care Pathway for families experiencing neonatal loss, with all NHS trusts now signed up to implement it
• creation of a single tracker to monitor delivery of recommendations from major maternity and neonatal reviews and inquiries, helping ensure reforms are implemented and progress is transparent

Charity and International Aid

OSCR concludes inquiry into Harvest Ministries Limited
Office Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has published its inquiry report into Harvest Ministries Limited (SC004545), which examined the charity's handling of safeguarding concerns and the oversight exercised by its trustees.
The report highlights the importance of robust safeguarding procedures, clear decision-making, effective record keeping and the appropriate management of conflicts of interest.

Read the inquiry report here: Inquiry Report: Harvest Ministries Limited (SC004545).

Safer Internet Day 2027: Reflect on tech: exploring digital wellbeing and our relationship with technology.
Safer Internet Day returns on 9 February 2027, marking 20 years of the UK’s Safer Internet Day celebrations.

Technology is a huge part of everyday life. From social media and gaming to messaging, streaming and learning, being online can bring connection, creativity and opportunity. But as concerns about the impact of technology on children and young people’s wellbeing continue to grow, it’s also important to pause and ask: what does a healthy relationship with technology look like?

Safer Internet Day 2027 is an opportunity for young people, families, schools, organisations, government and the technology industry to reflect on how technology affects our lives, our mood and our wellbeing. We’ll explore the pressures and influences we can experience online, as well as practical ways to make the most of our time with technology.

With Safer Internet Day taking place in the important months leading up to new Government restrictions, including a ban on social media accounts for under-16s, this year provides a particularly important opportunity for conversation, education and listening to young people’s voices.

Get involved
Schools and organisations can sign up as Safer Internet Day 2027 supporters and join thousands of others across the UK in helping young people develop positive and informed relationships with technology. If you don’t know your plans yet then don’t worry – you can still register by sharing your logo and organisation name.

They will also be sharing free educational resources in November, designed to help schools, families and organisations explore this year’s theme and start meaningful conversations with children and young people.

About Safer Internet Day
Under a global theme of ‘Together for a better internet‘, the UK Safer Internet Centre is responsible for coordinating Safer Internet Day actions in the UK. Each year, the celebration sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

Over the years, Safer Internet Day has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated worldwide.

For more information about Safer Internet Day worldwide, take a look at the Better Internet for Kids website.

1. Counterfeit toy investigations reported by Trading Standards rise
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its latest Trading Standards Survey report, setting out a picture of the IP crime issues local Trading Standards teams are investigating and observing on the frontline.

Dangerous counterfeit toys are now a more visible enforcement concern, with 67% of responding local authorities reporting investigations.

The annual survey covers April 2025 to March 2026 and received responses from 142 of 189 local authorities.

Responses provide valuable frontline insights from local Trading Standards teams about how counterfeit goods are reaching communities across the UK. In turn, this helps build a clearer picture of a criminal threat that operates locally, nationally and globally. These insights help inform wider enforcement action to disrupt the illegal trade in counterfeits, helping to protect consumers, local businesses and high streets.

Responses this year show that cigarettes and tobacco remain the most commonly investigated counterfeit goods, reported by 89% of responding local authorities, followed by clothing at 69% and toys at 67%.

This year’s report also underlines how counterfeit goods support a wider criminal economy. Sixty-four percent of responding local authorities observed links during investigations between counterfeiting and organised crime groups — around a third higher than last year. Trading Standards teams also continue to report links between people committing IP crimes and other forms of criminality including money laundering, people trafficking/modern slavery, and drug dealing.

2. Martha’s Rule information for patients, families and carers
Martha’s Rule is a patient safety initiative to support the early detection of deterioration by ensuring the concerns of patients, families, carers and staff are listened to and acted upon.

It has been developed in response to the death of Martha Mills and other cases related to the management of deterioration. Central to Martha’s Rule is the right for patients, families and carers to request a rapid review if they are worried that a patient’s condition is getting worse and their concerns are not being responded to.

NHS trusts are working hard to put Martha’s Rule in place in all acute inpatient settings. While it is not available everywhere yet, implementation in adult and paediatric inpatient settings is expected to be complete during 2026/27. More details are available in the Implementing Martha’s Rule section.

If you or a person you care for are admitted to hospital, you can check whether Martha’s Rule is available by:

• visiting the trust’s website
• asking staff on the ward

3. Justice is Changing: Justice Minister Launches Campaign to Help Victims of Sexual Crime
The Justice Minister launched a new public communications campaign to mark significant progress for victims of sexual crime.

Launching the ‘Justice is Changing’ campaign, Naomi Long said it demonstrates a commitment by the Department of Justice to deliver for victims across Northern Ireland.

The campaign aims to highlight the services introduced by the Department to support victims of sexual abuse; many of which were developed in response to the Gillen Review, an independent review of the handling of serious sexual offence cases within the Northern Ireland justice system.

Full details of the changes made by the Department as part of the Gillen implementation programme can be found at: Gillen Review Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in NI | Department of Justice

1. Offender sentenced for ‘upskirting’ photographs of schoolgirls
A man has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at Swansea Crown Court after being caught taking upskirting photographs of schoolgirls in Carmarthenshire.
Isa Ayan, 38, of Carmarthen, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to operate equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent. Each count relates to three separate victims.

He was also added to the sex offenders register and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order, both for ten years.

On 10th of February 2026, Dyfed-Powys Police received a report from a staff member in Poundland, Carmarthen saying that they had witnessed a male acting suspiciously in store with concerns that he was attempting to take a picture under a schoolgirl’s skirt.

Following an investigation by detectives in Ammanford and Carmarthen CID, Ayan was identified through CCTV footage and subsequently arrested. Digital forensic enquiries revealed that Ayan had taken images of schoolgirls from the Carmarthen area. The identified victims were aged between 13 and 14.

2. Former primary school teacher jailed for child sex offences
Former primary school teacher Joseph Haffenden has been jailed for sexually assaulting two children.
Haffenden, 32, pleaded guilty in July to six counts of sexual assault by touching and six counts of false imprisonment.
It followed a report on 12 February relating to two nine-year-old boys who had been sexually assaulted between January and February this year.

Both boys provided similar accounts of a what Haffenden labelled a ‘game’ whereby the victims were tickled under their clothing with his hands, a feather, and an electric toothbrush.

The offences were disclosed to adults who reported it to Sussex Police.

Haffenden, of Lindfield, was arrested and the victims and their families were supported by specialist officers.

3. Police officer who fostered toxic culture and requested explicit video is jailed
A former police officer has been jailed for misconduct in public office after he requested a sexually explicit video from a female suspect’s phone.
Paul Street, 41, a former sergeant with Cambridge Constabulary, was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office following a trial at the Old Bailey. He also previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Street was formerly based at Cambourne Police Station in 2021 and was leading a team focused on tackling county lines drug supply and organised crime.

During the trial, jurors heard how Street encouraged a toxic WhatsApp culture within his team, sharing abusive messages with fellow officers and using inflammatory language.

Following an incident in April 2020, Street made derogatory comments about a 17-year-old detainee following his arrest and strip search. He encouraged the use of violence and recorded a video threatening to damage the family home of the teenager.

In October 2020, a woman was arrested and her mobile phone was examined by PC Josh Williams, 38, also of Cambridgeshire Constabulary. After being informed of the phone download, Street asked if there were any explicit images.

Thousands of young disabled people to be offered guaranteed jobs
Under the scheme, eligible young people on health benefits will be offered a guaranteed job on a voluntary basis from week 13 after their Work Capability Assessment.

They will receive mentoring and tailored support with their mental health, finances and housing to prepare them for work, while employers will be supported with onboarding costs.

The government will also cover 100% of wage costs up to 25 hours a week for six months.
The move marks a significant expansion of the Jobs Guarantee, a government scheme launched earlier this year for long-term unemployed young people aged 18 to 24 who have been claiming Universal Credit for 18 months.
The expansion to young people on health benefits will start from April 2027 and comes as part of the government’s £3.5 billion investment to deliver the most significant employment reforms in a generation to tackle the UK’s persistently high disability employment gap.

These reforms include the ‘right to try’ guarantee announced earlier this year, which will enable those on sickness benefits to try to work without the immediate fear of losing their benefits.
Earlier this year, Alan Milburn’s interim report found that nearly half of young people who are NEET in the UK (45%) report having a disability - more than doubling from 21.1% in 2013/14.

Widening eligibility for the scheme to young disabled people means thousands will have the chance to join the scheme which is intended to help up to 90,000 young people into work by the end of the Parliament.
This comes as part of the government’s efforts to tackle the UK’s persistently high disability employment gap, including the ‘right to try’ announced earlier this year, which will enable those on sickness benefits to try work without the immediate fear of losing their benefits.

The government believes every young person should have the opportunity to earn or learn, with £2.5 billion committed over the next three years to Youth Guarantee schemes including £3,000 payments for businesses who hire a young person out of work for six months, and an expansion of youth apprenticeships.