The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) publishes 'In Conversation With' video to support faith organisations with the legal duty to refer

The DBS has released a new podcast video designed to support faith organisations in understanding and confidently applying the legal duty to refer.

As part of the DBS’ national faith safeguarding campaign, the podcast brings together Kelly Matthews, Southeast Regional Outreach Adviser at the DBS, and Louise Whitehead, Head of Safeguarding at the Diocese of Oxford, for an open conversation about what the duty to refer looks like in practice within faith settings.

The duty to refer requires organisations to notify the DBS when they remove a person from regulated activity because they have harmed, or may pose a risk of harm to, a child or vulnerable adult. The requirement applies across all sectors, including faith organisations.

The podcast video highlights the importance of partnership working between the DBS and faith organisations, particularly around early engagement and open communication.

The conversation aims to empower safeguarding leaders, volunteers and practitioners across the faith sector to respond decisively and compassionately when concerns arise, recognising that referrals are a protective measure designed to keep people safe.

The podcast is available as part of the DBS’ ongoing work to strengthen safeguarding awareness and improve understanding of key responsibilities within the faith sector.

Further information

• Guidance on the DBS legal duty to refer
• Faith organisations can contact the DBS Regional Outreach service - GOV.UK for tailored advice, support, and training
• Follow along with the Faith in Safeguarding campaign on Social Media for more information and further resources:
  • Twitter/X
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Baroness Anne Longfield CBE will lead a 3-year statutory independent inquiry, focusing on grooming gangs and looking at ethnicity, religion and culture.

Baroness Anne Longfield CBE has been appointed to chair the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs as part of a 3-person panel appointed under the Inquiries Act, finally getting answers for victims and survivors.

Longfield, a former Children’s Commissioner appointed in 2015 under the previous government, will be part of a 3-person panel. The three, appointed under the Inquiries Act, will investigate how young people were failed time and again by the very people who should have protected them. Longfield will work alongside Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE as panellists.

Longfield will instigate and direct local investigations in areas where it is suspected serious failures occurred, including Oldham. These will examine the actions of the police, councils, social services and other agencies, both locally and nationally, making sure any wrongdoing or cover-ups are brought to light and holding those responsible to account. Any evidence and findings from the inquiry that could support putting perpetrators behind bars will be passed to the police.

It has also been confirmed that the inquiry will focus exclusively on grooming gangs and explicitly ask how ethnicity, religion and cultural factors impacted both the response from authorities and the perpetrators themselves.

A statutory inquiry was a key recommendation in Baroness Casey’s recent audit into grooming gangs, which exposed serious failings in how institutions responded to child sexual exploitation. It forms part of the government’s Plan for Change commitment to halve violence against women and girls, ensure safer streets and protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

Hundreds of previously closed investigations into abuse and exploitation are being reviewed as part of a national police operation, Operation Beaconport, focused on bringing more perpetrators to justice and getting justice for victims and survivors. The inquiry will also work closely with this police operation and any evidence or findings they uncover that could lead to a criminal charge will be passed to the police.

The government will also bring in an automatic disregard scheme for “child prostitution” convictions and cautions, so that survivors can get on with their lives free from unjust criminalisation and stigma.

1, Brand new resources on AI available for Safer Internet Day 2026
To help you deliver sessions for Safer Internet Day, UKSIC have created a range of free, engaging and interactive resources on this year's official theme: Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI.

Whether you are a school, nursery, youth group, library, police service, or wider, these educational resources have been specifically designed to support educators in delivering messages about AI that are suitable for all ages.

2. Two men jailed for horrific online sexual exploitation of children in legal first as CPS tackles Violence Against Women and Girls
Two men who committed unspeakable acts of violence against vulnerable children have been jailed as the CPS continues to crack down on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Charlie Johnson, 24, and Prince Singh, 23, encouraged their victims to self-harm before illegally sharing indecent images and videos of them in online chat rooms.

The case involved two girls as young as 16, who made complaints to separate police forces across the UK. It demonstrates the growing complexity of technology-facilitated child sexual abuse and exploitation.

3. CameraForensics joins forces with IWF to empower investigations and protect children online
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is proud to welcome CameraForensics as a new Member, strengthening a shared mission to eradicate child sexual abuse material from the internet and safeguard children worldwide.

CameraForensics is a global leader in online imaging intelligence, working closely with law enforcement agencies to develop cutting-edge tools that tackle emerging threats and accelerate time-critical investigations into crimes against children. The company’s technology helps investigators to identify victims and offenders faster, while reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful material.

By embedding IWF’s Hash List into its capabilities, CameraForensics will enable investigators to prioritise high-risk cases, protect more children from harm and reduce trauma among professionals on the front line.

The comprehensive library of unique ‘digital fingerprints’ of known child sexual abuse content allows CameraForensics to detect criminal images and videos quickly and accurately. 

1. Groundbreaking Crown Prosecution Service panel calls on experts to help tackle hidden and evolving ‘honour’-based crime.
Experts have joined prosecutors to advise on how to spot hidden signs of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) as part of a drive to improve how these complex and often-hidden crimes are prosecuted.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) invited specialist organisations to scrutinise the handling of these cases - which can include female genital mutilation and forced marriage - as part of its first ever national ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) scrutiny panel.

The first session, brought together women’s and victim support organisations, police and prosecutors to examine real cases and identify what more could have been done to spot signs of abuse.

Jaswant Narwal, CPS national lead for HBA, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, said: “Victims of ‘honour’-based abuse often suffer in silence, trapped by fear and loyalty, and terrified of speaking out against those closest to them.

The panel gave those gathered the opportunity to ask representatives of the CPS questions about a handful of cases. Specialist organisations were able to provide expert insight, including into the impact of offending on victims’ behaviour and responses and how they could have been better supported.

It also explored the potential impact of a new statutory legal definition of HBA, announced by the government, which aims to ensure consistency in how these crimes are identified and recorded.

HBA offences are frequently underreported because victims can face pressure and the fear of repercussions from their abusers who are often members of their own families or communities. These crimes can be deeply hidden, creating additional layers of consideration for prosecutors.

2 Three women convicted in connection with cruelty and assaults at Sisters of Nazareth homes in Scotland
Three women have been convicted in connection with child cruelty and assaults in the 1970s and 1980s at two homes run by the Sisters of Nazareth in Scotland.
Eileen McElhinney, aged 78, Carol Buirds, aged 75, and Dorothy Kane, aged 68, were convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, 28 November, 2025.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

The offences took place between 1972 and 1981 at children’s homes in Lasswade, Midlothian, and in Kilmarnock.

Anyone with information or concerns about child abuse should call Police Scotland on 101 or 0300 426 0101 if calling from outside Scotland or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

3. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy will focus on healthy relationships and consent, and tackle relationship abuse through a new helpline.
The next generation of girls will be better protected from violence and young boys steered away from harmful misogynistic influences, under sweeping new measures announced by the Prime Minister.
The plans unveiled today will focus on prevention and tackling the root causes of abuse, and come as the latest stats show that nearly 40% of teenagers in relationships are a victim of relationship abuse and over 40% of young men hold a positive view of Andrew Tate.

Under the £20 million package, teachers and families will be empowered to address these harmful attitudes and behaviours head on, with young people taught to identify positive role models and challenge unhealthy myths about women and relationships.

This is just one part of the government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, deploying the full power of the state in the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.

1. Man placed on sex offenders register for 10 years
A man found with more than 270 sexual images and videos involving children and babies has been sent to prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Michael Mitchell’s collection of sexual imagery was discovered when police raided his home in Blenheim Close, Shepreth, South Cambridgeshire, on 5 March last year.
Police searched devices owned by the 24-year-old and found category A images – the worst level of offending – in his recently deleted folder.

Mitchell had images in all categories – A, B and C - on numerous devices and including some showing images of babies being abused.

They also uncovered evidence of Mitchell engaging in sexual communications with a teenager where he threatened to share intimate photos and videos of her to friends and family if she did not perform sex acts and send him recordings.

2. Man convicted of 26 charges following serious sexual offences against children
A nursery worker has pleaded guilty in one of the most harrowing and complex child sexual abuse investigations undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service. The conviction, which includes 26 charges, marks a chilling chapter in the fight against crimes targeting society’s most vulnerable.

Vincent Chan, 45 (28.10.80), a British national of Stanhope Avenue, Finchley, appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, 3 December for a pre-trial hearing. Chan pleaded guilty to 26 offences relating to sexual assault offences against children and the taking and making of indecent images of children.

The offences include five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration, four counts of sexual assault of a child by touching, 11 counts of taking indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, and six counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child. The latter offences involved images across categories A, B, and C, with category A depicting the most severe abuse.

3. Children's mentor convicted of 14 charges of sexual assault against former students
A south London children's mentor has been convicted of 14 sexual offences against former students following a Met Police investigation into historic child sexual abuse dating back more than two decades.

On Monday, 15 December, a jury at Isleworth Crown Court found Emem Udaw, 50, of Knollmead, Tolworth, guilty after a three-week trial. Udaw was convicted of 14 counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16.

The offences relate to five victims, all in their early teens at the time, and took place at Holland Park Secondary School between 2001 and 2004 where Udaw worked as a children's mentor. He will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 29 January 2026.

Safety Alert issued for baby sleep pillows
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a Safety Alert for baby sleep pillows following child fatalities in the UK and overseas.
The alert identifies the products as pillows or cushions for babies to sleep – or be placed – on unsupervised. Risks to the baby include suffocation and overheating which can lead to injury or, in some cases, death.

The term ‘Baby Sleep Pillows’ covers a range of products marketed under names that include baby comfort cushions, sleeping pillows or exhaust pillows. The Safety Alert gives a fuller list of common names on the market.

Parents and carers are urged not to use these products for babies under 12 months old or to place them in a cot or crib. If the product was marketed for baby sleep or to be used unattended, parents and carers should contact the business directly to discuss redress.