The government have published a policy statement outlining their guidance and legislative intention which will impact on safeguarding practitioners, making it an imprtant read.

You can find a full copy of it here.

The Secretary of State for Education introduced the policy statement within her foreward as follows:

Our government is on a mission to give each and every child the very best life chances. We will ensure opportunity, not just for some of our children, but for all of our children.

Children’s social care is a top priority because it has the power to transform children’s lives. Around five children in every classroom will need support from a social worker at some point during their school years. Despite committed support from social workers, these children are more likely to be persistently absent, less likely to go on to university, and less likely to earn a decent living. Their life chances have been weighed down so heavily by their background.

Now is the time for change. It’s my department’s job to support families, of all shapes and sizes, and to break the links between background and success. Our vision for children’s social care reflects our child-centred approach across government, where children come first and services are designed around the support they need to be safe, to be healthy and to flourish in life.

We need more families to thrive together, while keeping children safe from harm. The foundation of a loving family gives children the security and stability they need to live happy, prosperous lives. But all families encounter challenges. We will prioritise helping families, we will tackle problems before they become crises, and we will build on what we know works well.

Local government spending on children’s social care has risen by £4.4 billion over the last decade whilst preventative services have been hollowed out, in part reflecting a greater number of children in care. However, outcomes for children and families remain poor. This paper sets out our first actions to address this. We are focused on working with children and families, supported by multiagency teams, to deliver clear plans for each child and support to prevent escalating needs.

Our priority is to keep families together. But for some children, at certain times, the safest place to be is in care. There are pockets of excellent practice where care provides safe, loving and supportive homes. But sadly, there are too many homes that fail to meet this standard. A shortage of homes in the right places means children in care are often moved many miles away from their support network and loved ones. And the increasing number of very high-cost placements for children and young people is putting enormous pressure on local authority budgets. We will drive high and rising standards in care. This government will also never tolerate excessive profiteering. In partnership with local government, we will reshape how placements are delivered. As set out in our manifesto, we will strengthen regulation so that children’s social care works in the best interest of all children.

This important new statement marks the first steps of this government’s journey towards a children’s social care system that delivers the best start in life for the children who most need it. It articulates our vision for the system, and sets out our legislative agenda for this new decade of reform. I thank all staff in the sector for your hard work and dedication, as well as the many committed carers across the country. You are all vital partners in this journey.

Children in social care are too often left feeling forgotten, powerless, and invisible. Our opportunity mission is for them. We are breaking down barriers for them, and delivering services that will support all children to succeed, regardless of their background. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family filled with love. That was my springboard to success. Life shouldn’t come down to luck. Success belongs to each and every child. I want to build a country where all children grow up with the love, care and support they need to achieve and thrive. The proposals in this statement bring us closer to that goal.

Ex-head teacher sexually abused children - court

A former head teacher posed as a "pillar of respectability" while he sexually abused two children, a court heard.

Lee Brumby, 63, and his ex-wife, Elaine Brumby, 61, are on trial having denied leading a campaign of sexual abuse spanning 13 years.

The pair had a "far from conventional" relationship while they lived together in Little Wakering, Essex, prosecutors told Basildon Crown Court.

Mr Brumby, of Wellands in Witham, was suspended from Mayflower High School in Billericay when the historic allegations - which predated his time at the school - came to light in 2022.

Mrs Brumby, of Kiln Way, Great Wakering, posed as a "dutiful housewife" while the offences were taking place, said Wayne Cleaver, prosecuting.

He alleged she was complicit in the "repeated sexual abuse" led by her husband between 2001 and 2014 and had, on occasion, taken part.

Acts included encouraging children to perform sexual acts on them and having sex in front of children, the jury was told.

"They engaged in sex when [a victim] was there quite intentionally and we say they did so because they enjoyed it," Mr Cleaver said.

"In some perverted way, they must have been getting sexual gratification from it."

The court heard on one occasion Mr Brumby made one of his victims, who was under the age of 10, perform a sex act on him after role play.

"They played a game where [the victim] had to pretend to be a waitress pretending to serve him and asking him what he wanted," Mr Cleaver added.

'Damaged'

Mr Cleaver said Mrs Brumby "knew full well" what had happened and became involved in other instances of alleged abuse.

Police officers were made aware of the allegations in December 2020, after the complainants confided in loved ones about what they said happened.

One said they "feel damaged to admit this" as they told of the alleged abuse, adding they had daily flashbacks about what happened.

Mr Brumby denies three offences of rape of a child, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and indecency with a child.

Mrs Brumby denies four offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault.

The trial continues.

The full report, please click here

Youth warnings, reprimands and cautions will no longer be automatically disclosed to employers who require Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates from 28 November.

The changes, which come as a result of a Supreme Court judgment that found some elements of the existing filtering rules for Standard and Enhanced DBS checks were disproportionate, are intended to make it easier for people with certain convictions to find employment.

A county lines drug gang forced 40 children to deal cannabis and cocaine at a single school.

The teens, some as young as 14, had been supplied with drugs and dealing kits including deal bags and scales. 

Police say grown-up dealers had a network of 40 pupils dealing at the school which has just over 1,200 pupils - meaning one in thirty was possibly selling drugs.

It is suspected that girls as young as 14 at Kingsdown School in Swindon, Wiltshire, have been pestered for sex in exchange for cocaine.

And the dawn police raid yesterday - on the eve of GCSE results - revealed the extent of the teens coerced into the operation.

Wiltshire Police arrested a 27-year-old man during the raid. He has since been released under investigation.

Sgt Nathan Perry, who planned the 7am raid, said: "We found the person we're looking for, we've managed to safeguard the children who were at risk and we've found drugs.

"We all know about county lines and the risks associated with that.

"The difficulty with this type of drugs operation is that it's specifically targeting very young children in order to get them to deal drugs.

"Some of the information we've been passed is that children are not only being coerced into this activity, but they're also being physically threatened.

"If they go to police or teachers they'll be harmed," he added. 

Police were said to have been alerted to the gang at Kingsdown School.

A pair of older teen boys, both 16, are believed to have been supplying a network of up to 40 children in their mid-teens at the Swindon school.

The 27-year-old was arrested during the morning raid on suspicion of possession of class B drugs with intent to supply and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The raid came as Swindon police focused their sights on modern slavery.

Nationally, police have increasingly turned to modern slavery laws to target drug dealers who force children and vulnerable adults to peddle their product.

Sgt Perry said those convicted could expect sentences of up to 15 years imprisonment.

"You've got children being exploited and young kids being forced to run the drugs. We will take it seriously," he said.

"The sheer nature of the exploitation of these young people is unacceptable.

"If we don't do something to stop that they're potentially going to be at risk for the rest of their lives.