18/06/2025: AI puts real child sex victims at risk, experts say
An increase in sophisticated AI-generated images of child abuse could result in police and other agencies chasing “fake” rather than genuine abuse, a charity has said.
05/06/2025: Safeguarding First: Children and the criminal legal system
Hear from experts on how to use safeguarding and welfare law to better defend children in the criminal legal system.
01/06/2025: ‘Every child will have contact with a stranger online’
Sophie was just 17 when she was contacted online by someone she believed to be a boy of her own age.
15/05/2025: ‘I thought the abuse was normal – he was my first proper boyfriend’
Lucy, not her real name, was just 13 years old when she met her ex-boyfriend online. The start of their relationship was “like something out of a rom-com or romance novel”.
13/05/2025: Devon children’s services rated inadequate again
Children in Devon are “at risk of harm” due to continued failings in council services, a report has found.
08/05/2025: High caseloads putting ‘significant strain’ on home education staff
Government plans to place new child protection duties on councils to identify children not in school are at risk without extra funding to tackle high caseloads among home education teams, the NSPCC is warning.
22/04/2025: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel report provides recommendations for safeguarding children from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its report following its thematic review of a sample of safeguarding reviews in relation to Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children.
17/04/2025: ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teen sex
A so-called “Romeo and Juliet” clause has been accepted in new plans for mandatory reporting of concerns around child sexual abuse.
10/04/2025: National child protection agency to provide oversight of practice in England
Government accepts Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommendation to create Child Protection Authority for England, which will initially form part of Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
03/04/2025: Racial bias greatly affects child protection practice, say social workers
Results of poll follow report into serious cases, which found the race and ethnicity of children was often not recognised or appropriately explored by practitioners.