Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment. Published July 7, 2026, in force 1 September 2026.

‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’ is for information only and does not come into force until 1 September 2026.
Schools and colleges must continue to use ‘Keeping children safe in education 2025’ until 31 August 2026.

The statutory guidance sets out:

• what schools and colleges should do
• the legal duties that they must comply with to keep children safe

The main proposed changes are listed in annex C.

1. Consultation outcome: Establishing the Child Protection Authority in England
Respondents showed strong support for a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England. The government will use the findings to inform the CPA’s future role, functions and powers, including its ability to:

•  identify emerging risks
•  strengthen the use of data and evidence
•  support workforce development
•  address serious and persistent failings

2. First ever cross-government action plan to support unpaid carers published
Millions of unpaid carers in England will be better recognised, referred to support and helped to reach their full potential, under a new cross-government action plan published 14 July 2026.

Nearly one in 10 people in England is an unpaid carer - providing an invaluable service in society looking after family members, friends or loved ones.

However, unpaid carers can experience challenges with keeping up careers or education, looking after their own health - including loneliness and isolation - and difficulties in taking breaks away from caring.

The action plan is underpinned by 3 central pillars:

• recognising our carers
• referring them to services
• helping them reach their potential

Recognising includes making sure they are identified early, particularly young carers. Unpaid carers can then be referred to the support they need whether it’s financial (such as the Carer’s Allowance), employment support (such as Carer’s Leave and flexible working) or health and social care services. Support also includes helping them to reach their potential or remain in work or education, so they can have fulfilling lives beyond their caring responsibilities.

The government’s Unpaid carers action plan: recognise, refer, reach contains 42 clear actions and sets out practical steps across health, social care, education, employment and social security to improve support for unpaid carers.

The main measures of the plan include:

• unpaid carers registering their role on the NHS App so health professionals can clearly see they are a carer and involving them in care planning and referring them to the right support
• the single patient record will mean all health and care providers will have the same information for a person - meaning unpaid carers will no longer need to repeat the same information about the person they care for, while helping them manage appointments and prescriptions
• unpaid carers information page on GOV.UK putting clear guidance from health, social care, employment and benefits in one place for the first time - launching this summer
• a ‘carers’ charter’ to be published, setting out the carer’s rights and entitlements
• the government will require employers with more than 250 workers to improve the support for unpaid carers from spring 2027 so they can continue in their careers while carrying out their caring responsibilities
• carers to be central to hospital discharge planning, under reforms to the Better Care Fund
• young carers will be identified quicker and better supported so they can stay in education without falling behind at school. Schools will be held accountable by data on young carers’ attendances alongside secure information sharing about young carers across services, so they are supported
• The action plan follows the steps the government has already taken to support unpaid carers including raising the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit by more than £2,750 in 2 years, the largest increase since the 1970s. Alongside this, Universal Credit and Pension Credit provide an additional £2,500 a year to 1.1 million unpaid carers through the carer element and carer addition.
• The Department for Business and Trade has also launched a consultation on employment rights and carer’s leave, with proposals to introduce paid carer’s leave and a right to return to work following a period of intensive caring.
• Baroness Casey’s independent commission on adult social care is underway, which includes exploring the needs of unpaid carers, as part of our first steps towards a national care service. The commission’s initial recommendations are due this year.

3. The Government has published its response to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s national review following the tragic death of baby Victoria Marten

Published in February 2026, the review Protecting all vulnerable babies better highlights the complex vulnerabilities faced by babies and unborn infants and calls for clearer national guidance, stronger multi-agency working and more effective information sharing to ensure that risks are identified and responded to at the earliest possible stage.

In its response, the Government has committed to strengthening early identification of risk, particularly during pregnancy and the first year of life, to ensure coordinated responses to the key factors associated with serious harm and death. This includes improvements to maternity, health visiting and primary care services, alongside expanded perinatal mental health support and the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs. Together, these measures aim to ensure that vulnerability is recognised earlier and that families receive timely, coordinated support.

The Government is also introducing stronger safeguarding systems and protections. Under the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work towards, a new duty will require agencies to share information and establish multi-agency child protection teams in every area, improving coordination and strengthening decision-making to better protect babies and unborn children.

Action is already underway to strengthen support for families at risk of babies entering care, particularly where parents have experienced the trauma of previous removals. For example, the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme helps safeguarding partners use funding and local arrangements to better support birth parents by addressing underlying issues such as trauma, domestic abuse, mental health needs, and substance use.

Since the Panel’s review, the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work with has also been strengthened to ensure babies are explicitly recognised as a priority group across both children’s and adult services. This gives professionals the information they need to help risk identification, pre-birth planning and for the first time, recognises the need to consider support for parents who have previously had a child removed from their care.

Babies and unborn infants continue to form the largest group of children in safeguarding incidents – the latest figures reveal over 75 babies died last year – a stark reminder of the urgent need for strengthened, system-wide action. Babies under one made up over 60% of deaths seen in serious incident notifications last year.

These measures are a positive step forward to keep vulnerable babies safe and the Panel will work closely with the Government to deliver on the commitments and ensure that Victoria’s short life is honoured through meaningful, lasting change to better protect babies and unborn children.

4. Independent Review of Case TT commissioned by the Interim Commissioner for Independent Case Reviews
This independent review, commissioned from thirtyone:eight, examines the Church of England’s handling of case TT, focusing on the response to allegations of rape, sexual abuse and spiritual abuse by two clergy youth officers, together with the Church’s subsequent management of those disclosures and the National Safeguarding Team (NST) investigation undertaken between 2019 and 2022. The allegations were first reported in 2001 but relate to events which occurred from 1979 and 1992.

The review considers the involvement of, and the actions taken by, the Dioceses of Southwark, Oxford and Leeds in response to TT’s allegations and related matters. The review considered whether the Church’s actions were thorough, proportionate, just, and consistent with safeguarding best practice, particularly in relation to survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches.

Key recommendations include embedding survivor-centred and trauma-informed practice throughout safeguarding processes, strengthening record keeping and communication standards, improving workforce stability and professional development, clarifying information-sharing arrangements, recognising spiritual abuse within safeguarding frameworks, establishing clearer routes to apology, accountability and redress, and implementing independent safeguarding scrutiny and oversight.

The review also notes examples of good practice, including the support provided by TT’s advocate, pastoral engagement and apologies from current diocesan leaders, and efforts by some individuals to pursue what they described as the “right moral response” beyond the limitations of formal safeguarding processes.

The review acknowledges that Dioceses and the NST have begun implementing changes that address some of the recommendations in this report.

Kevin Crompton was appointed as the ICIR (interim commissioner of independent reviews) in September 2023 with a remit to progress the case reviews promised by the former Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) to a group of survivors referred to as the ‘ISB 11’.

5. House of Commons Library Research Briefing: Protections for whistleblowing and non-disclosure agreements
Whistleblowing law
The legal framework for whistleblowing protections is contained in Part 4A of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. These protections apply across Great Britain, including England, Scotland and Wales. Employment law is devolved in Northern Ireland.

This framework protects workers who disclose information about malpractice at their workplace, or former workplace, provided certain conditions are met. The conditions concern the nature of the information disclosed and the person to whom it is disclosed. If these conditions are met, the act protects the worker from suffering detriment or dismissal due to having made the disclosure. If the conditions are not met a disclosure may constitute a breach of the worker’s duty of confidence to his employer.

These rights are enforceable through the employment tribunal system. The Commons Library publishes a briefing on Making a claim to an employment tribunal.

Non-disclosure agreements

A “non-disclosure agreement” is a confidentiality clause in a contract, typically in a type of contract known as a “settlement agreement”. A settlement agreement is a contract concluded at the end an employment relationship that seeks to prevent future disputes, usually accompanied by a payment to the worker, who waives their entitlement to pursue any legal claims they may have against the employer. A non-disclosure agreement cannot prevent a worker from making a protected disclosure.

Recent reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 made two significant changes regarding whistleblowing protections and the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of sexual harassment:

• Section 23 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 amended section 43B of the Employment Rights Act 1996 so that information relating to sexual harassment qualifies as a “qualifying disclosure” for the purposes of whistleblowing protections, provided that the information is disclosed by a protected person using the correct legal procedure. Section 23 came into force on 7 April 2026.
• Section 24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 inserted a new section into the Employment Rights Act 1996 which voids any provision in an agreement between an employer and a worker (such as a settlement agreement) that prevents the worker from speaking about relevant harassment or discrimination.

Section 24 is only partially in force. The government consulted on how the provisions in section 24 should be implemented between 15 April and 8 July 2026.

Whistleblowing in the NHS

NHS workers can get advice on whistleblowing from the freephone Speak Up Direct Helpline on 08000 724 725 or Speak Up website. They can also speak to their organisation’s Freedom to Speak up Guardian.

Support and advice

The Commons Library briefing Legal advice and help in employment matters provides information on appropriate sources of professional legal advice relevant to whistleblowing law.

Protect

Protect is a charity which offers legal advice about whistleblowing. Protect has guidance on whistleblowing law for both workers and employers.

Protect also operates a confidential advice line, supervised by lawyers, which provides free advice on whistleblowing law and how best to raise whistleblowing concerns.

Acas

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has a series of guidance pages on whistleblowing at work, including guidance for workers on how to make a whistleblowing disclosure and for employers on responding to a whistleblowing disclosure and having a whistleblowing policy.

Acas also operates a confidential helpline of free advice on all aspects of employment law, including whistleblowing.

6. Southport Public Inquiry: The Government’s response to phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry
This follows a serious safeguarding incident in July 2024 when 17-year-old AR murdered 3 young girls and injured 10 others in a shocking knife attack at a children’s dance club in Southport.

The Southport Public Inquiry was commissioned in April 2025 to develop a clear understanding of how the attack was able to happen and to identify lessons to minimise the risk of a future tragedy. The Phase 1 report provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the attack and identifies key failures across agencies.

The Southport Inquiry phase 1 report

It highlights five major areas of systemic failure:

1. Absence of risk ownership: No agency or multi-agency structure accepted responsibility for assessing and managing the grave risk posed by the perpetrator
2. Critical failures in information sharing: Essential information was repeatedly lost, diluted or poorly managed across agencies
3. Misunderstanding of autism: AR’s conduct was wrongly attributed to his autism spectrum disorder, leading to inaction and a failure to address dangerous behaviours
4. Lack of oversight of online activity: AR’s online behaviour, which provided the clearest indications of his violent preoccupations, was never meaningfully examined
5. Significant parental failures: AR’s parents did not provide boundaries, permitted knives and weapons to be delivered to the home, and failed to report crucial information in the days leading up to the attack

These findings demand careful attention and reflection across the safeguarding system. You can access a summary of the learning from NSPCC here.

Phase 2 of the Inquiry will assess the adequacy of multi-agency systems to address the public safety risk posed by young people who display a fixation on and desire to commit acts of extreme violence. In support of the Public Inquiry, we continue to work with Lancashire Safeguarding Partnership to discuss its response to this tragic incident and share the system learning identified in the report.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel would expect to offer support and expertise to any safeguarding partnership involved with a relevant public inquiry. This might include giving advice on whether it is sensible to pause an LCSPR while an inquiry takes place or by making introductions to other partnerships who have managed similar situations in the past.

Drawing on learning from the Southport Inquiry, a new briefing paper has been published about managing public inquiries to support multi-agency leaders and practitioners to respond to high-profile incidents with confidence, transparency and a commitment to learning when public concern is at its highest.

Public inquiries and high-profile incidents

A briefing paper has been published to support local Safeguarding Children Partnerships to manage public inquiries for high-profile incidents July 2026.

Office of Products, Safety and Standards

Stronger asbestos controls needed to keep kids safe

Government has told businesses they must not rely on final product testing alone to assure the absence of asbestos in toys.

Following a growing number of product recalls due to asbestos contamination, the Government is reminding businesses that they must be able to demonstrate that toys containing sand are safe before they are placed on the UK market.

Businesses should have robust supply chain assurance in place to demonstrate that products are free from asbestos contamination. Product testing may form part of that assurance, but testing alone is not sufficient.

They should therefore review their supply chains, take any necessary action to address risks, and maintain evidence demonstrating that products are safe and free from asbestos contamination.

Where asbestos is identified in products, businesses should take immediate action to protect consumers, including product withdrawal or recall.

Consumers can find out more information about products that have been recalled and access advice here: Asbestos in consumer products - GOV.UK

Businesses can read the advisory note on Assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys.

Charity and International Aid

Charity Commission offers interim update on provisions of EHRC’s code that clarify the law on matters of sex and gender
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations will soon come into force, and have legal status, including for charities.

Charities are therefore advised to take steps towards ensuring they can comply with the Code and the law, notably the changes regarding the definition of sex under the Equality Act 2010 as relating to biological sex. Such steps might, depending on the nature of a charity’s work, include seeking legal advice. Meanwhile the Charity Commission is working at pace to update its Equality Act guidance for charities. It aims to publish this guidance during the Autumn.

The guidance will provide further support to charities in understanding how the Equality Act, and the Code, affect them as charities. For example, it will set out how the charities’ exception can apply to charities, and how charities might take positive action under the Act.

But charities need to be aware that our guidance will not alter the legal principle set out by the April 2025 Supreme Court judgment, For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, that ‘sex’ for the purpose of the Equality Act means ‘biological sex’.

Charities do not need to wait for the Commission’s guidance to comply with the Act and the Code. It is the responsibility of trustees to ensure their charity is compliant with the Code, once it is legally enforceable, and unreasonable delays in taking steps towards compliance may be considered a breach of those responsibilities.

Ofsted

Ofsted outlines plans to tackle sharp growth in unregistered children’s homes
Ofsted has outlined a change in its approach to tackling unregistered children’s homes, designed to stop unsafe and unlawful placements and to address issues of sufficiency in the children’s social care system.
Sufficiency – the amount of suitable accommodation available for children in care and care leavers – is shaped by a complex set of factors, rather than by the volume of provision alone.

Local authorities have a duty to ensure there are enough suitable places for looked-after children, close to their home and able to meet their needs. However, while there are now more children’s homes than ever before, homes are getting smaller, are often not in the right places, or are unable to meet the needs of children needing residential care. Meanwhile, local authorities are spending record figures on placements.

Research, published by Ofsted, reveals that issues with workforce capacity, affordability of housing and lack of foster carers has led to children being placed further from home, or in placements not suited to their needs.
This problem of sufficiency is contributing to a sharp growth in local authorities’ use of unregistered children’s homes, as Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Regulation and Social Care, explains in this article.

Unregistered homes put children at risk of being looked after by unvetted and unsuitable people. There are also indications that profiteering and criminality are increasingly a problem in the sector.

The article explains how Ofsted will crack down on unregistered children’s home providers, through criminal investigations and prosecution, and by working with partners such as the local authority or the police to take immediate action to safeguard children. At the same time, Ofsted’s upcoming consultation on children’s social care inspection reforms will include proposals aimed at eradicating the use of illegal unregistered provision by awarding ‘urgent improvement’ and ‘needs attention’ grades where local authorities are using illegal provision and have not demonstrated determined action to match local sufficiency with local need.

Ofsted has also updated its guidance on registering children’s homes to prioritise providers offering specialist provision in the right places. With a growing number of applications, the revised approach aims to make sure that Ofsted’s finite regulatory resources are used to process applications that meet local authorities’ most urgent sufficiency needs and support the welfare of children.

The Children’s Minister, Josh MacAlister, has written to Ofsted expressing his strong support for a targeted approach to processing applications that can provide homes for children when and where they are needed most. As part of a list of criteria for priority applications, Ofsted will expect applicants to have engaged directly with the relevant local authorities to make sure that the proposed provision meets the needs of children locally and regionally.

Letter from Children’s Minister, Josh MacAlister to Sir Martyn Oliver

Ofcom and all Online Safety

1. New guidance for parents and carers as AI-manipulated images of children become a growing concern
Parents and carers are being alerted to the growing threat of children’s images shared online being manipulated into AI generated sexual abuse material.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have seen an increase in online offenders exploiting openly available images of children to create realistic sexualised content.

IWF analysts found 3,440 AI-generated videos of child sexual abuse in 2025, compared to just 13 in 2024, and the NCA have increasingly seen offenders exploiting AI technologies to target children in new ways.
AI child sexual abuse material is illegal and causes real harm, even where an image has been artificially created or manipulated it contributes to the abuse and exploitation of children and can have a devastating impact.
Alongside the social media campaign, the organisations have also issued new guidance for parents and carers, as concerns grow about criminals’ access to children’s imagery.
The new guidance states: “You may have already discussed image consent with friends, family and even within the places your child attends like schools and clubs.
“It can be helpful to revisit these conversations and involve your child, especially as they get older and start exploring new spaces online. Talk about how they feel about their photos being taken or shared, and help them to understand it’s okay to say no.”

When reviewing image consent for sharing of photography, parents and carers are asked to consider:

• Am I still comfortable with how my child’s images might be used?
• Have my preferences changed?
• Do I want to limit or withdraw consent?
• It’s ok to ask people not to post photos or videos of your child online

It also suggests creating a ‘close friends’ group for parents still wanting to share images online, or limiting visibility so only selected people can see them, as well as advice on speaking to children and young people about AI, ‘deepfake’ nudes and image consent and what to do if they are targeted or imagery of them is made or shared online.
This follows similar advice issued to education professionals by the IWF and the NCA last year, providing information on how to protect student images from AI manipulation.

Images and videos of child sexual abuse are illegal in the UK whether they have been made with AI or not. The IWF warns AI-generated child sexual abuse is becoming more and more widespread, and is increasingly lifelike as technology improves.

• In 2025, the IWF identified 8,029 AI-generated images and videos of realistic child sexual abuse, a 14% increase in criminal AI content on the previous year.
• An additional 82 items were classed as prohibited, actioned under UK law even if the material is not photorealistic, such as cartoons, illustrations and animations
• Of the 3,443 AI-generated child sexual abuse videos identified, which is a more than 260-fold increase on the 13 videos found in 2024, 65% were classified as Category A. This is the most severe legal category under UK law which encompasses offences such as rape, sexual torture and bestiality.
• By comparison, 43% of non-AI criminal videos seen by the IWF in 2025 were Category A – demonstrating that AI is being used to create more violent content.

The IWF says tech companies must evaluate and safeguard AI models before releasing them to make it harder for criminals to abuse AI image generators and create child sexual abuse imagery.

2. Age checks helping make online experiences safer for UK children, but ‘job not done’ and tech industry must act to strengthen protections
In just one year, age checks are being deployed at an unprecedented scale, ensuring the UK is at the forefront of global efforts to make online experiences safer for children. But, as the UK prepares to introduce a social media ban for under 16s, more action from the tech industry is needed to further strengthen protections for children across the system.

A new report published by Ofcom reveals that age checks are now being deployed at an unprecedented scale across the pornography, social media, dating and gaming sectors. Many services are taking steps to ensure these checks are highly effective in practice, in line with Ofcom’s industry guidance.

The proportion of children being asked to prove their age who encountered highly effective age checks increased from 25% to 43% between July 2025 and January 2026. All of the UK’s top 10 and the majority of the top 100 porn sites now have age checks in place.

Among the minority of online children who attempt to access pornography (8%), the presence of age checks acts as an effective deterrent. Half of these children only reached sites with age checks in place. Nearly nine in ten of these children’s visits (87%) to porn sites were for under 30 seconds, and 65% were for less than 10 seconds.

Checking up on age checks

Specifically, Ofcom’s report identifies shortcomings in some services’ implementation of age checks, as well as areas requiring further collaboration and innovation from the wider tech industry.

It wants to see action in the following four areas:

1. Too many porn sites still don’t have age checks in place
   Action:
   All porn services without age checks must introduce them without delay, in line with Ofcom guidance.
   So far, Ofcom have opened 23 investigations into the providers of 88 adult services. Ofcom will continue to take action against services which flout the law and put children at risk, using the full extent of their enforcement powers.
2. Children finding porn sites without age checks via search
   Action:
   Google and Bing will be working with Ofcom as a priority on practical solutions to tackle the discoverability of porn sites without age checks via their services.
3. Serious doubts about age inference methods used by some popular social media companies, with Tiktok under investigation
   Action:
   Ofcom have particular concerns about the effectiveness of TikTok’s approach to age assurance and have launched a formal investigation into whether it is complying with its duties to protect children from encountering harmful content on its service.
   
   The message to social media companies is clear: those which use age inference models to comply with their child protection duties should switch to other methods listed in the guidance as highly effective without delay. If they don’t, they must be able to prove using reliable and compelling evidence to Ofcom that their current method is highly effective.
4. Age checks need implementing more effectively, including by dating services
   Action:
   All relevant services must ensure that their age checks are highly effective. That means following Ofcom guidance in full, conducting regular due diligence on any third-party vendors they use to deliver age checks and complying with privacy and data protection obligations.

Next steps for under 16s’ use of social media
When implemented properly, highly effective age checks work, and they will be vital in underpinning future social media restrictions for under 16s.
But Ofcom are clear that social media firms’ current age inference methods are insufficient in preventing children from accessing a service at the point of entry to implement a ban, nor can they be used to enforce minimum age restrictions effectively. As such, sites and apps must strengthen their approach.

Building on the existing guidance, Ofcom will deliver to Parliament by the end of October a rapid assessment of what highly effective age checks look like in practice to determine whether someone is over 16. This will help inform parliamentary debate ahead of potential age restrictions coming into force in 2027.

The wider industry should also be prepared to play their part in strengthening protections for children. Ofcom have already seen action in this space, including from Apple, and expect to see further innovation including from app stores, operating systems and at a device level.

Ofcom will publish a statutory report about the role of app-store level protections by January 2027.

1. Rape victims to get opportunity for case review before prosecution is stopped as CPS rolls out pilot across England and Wales
The first victims of rape have seen cases continue following second review as a pioneering pilot reaches the one-year mark – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

The CPS and the Solicitor General (SG) have announced the pilot have been rolled out nationally across all 14 CPS Areas from next week, to support high-quality decision making in some of the most serious cases.
The existing CPS’s Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme allows victims to challenge decisions not to bring or to stop a prosecution.

If a case is stopped in court by prosecutors offering no evidence, it cannot legally be restarted. That is because of the legal framework in England and Wales.

But under a first-of-its-kind CPS pilot, rape victims are told in advance if their case might be stopped – giving them the chance to request a review before that happens.

Under the Early VRR pilot, victims of rape whose cases are eligible are told in advance if their case might be stopped. They can request a review before that happens.
This means that if a second prosecutor concludes the case should continue, it can still proceed.

The VRR pilot works within the current jurisdiction, with cases in which the CPS would be offering no evidence in court.

The expansion of the Early VRR pilot will give prosecutors more evidence towards its final evaluation, which is already showing benefits for victims and supporting high-quality decision-making in some of the most challenging cases.

Most decisions to offer no evidence are upheld after a victim asks for a review – both in the pilot and as part of the normal VRR scheme. But occasionally, under the current VRR scheme, in some cases, a prosecution that could have continued may be stopped.

Across the four pilot Areas — West Midlands, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, and Cymru-Wales — 28 victims were offered a review.

Fourteen requested a review. Twelve decisions were upheld, and two were overturned, allowing those cases to continue. They are now awaiting trial.

What is the pilot?

RASSO victims will now be told when a provisional decision is made to offer no evidence. They are given the opportunity to ask for a second prosecutor to review the evidence before that decision is approved.

If the second prosecutor considers that the two-stage test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors is met, the prosecution proceeds.

2. Grooming gang victim’s convictions quashed following CCRC referral
The convictions of a woman who was groomed and sexually exploited as a child have been quashed by the Crown Court, following a referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
The CCRC referred Ms AB’s convictions to the Crown Court in May 2026 after concluding there was a real possibility they would not be upheld because her prosecution may have amounted to an abuse of process.

Ms AB was convicted in December 2002, aged 14, of being carried in a stolen motor vehicle, possession of an imitation firearm and assault. She received a non-custodial sentence.

The CCRC’s investigation found compelling evidence that, at the time of the offences, Ms AB had been the victim of child sexual exploitation and grooming. The CCRC concluded there was a real possibility that the failures of public authorities to identify and protect Ms AB meant she had been unable to effectively participate in the proceedings and consider any defences open to her.

The CCRC referral followed publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which highlighted widespread institutional failings in protecting children from grooming gangs. This was the first case referred by the Commission involving the convictions of a grooming gang victim in light of those findings.

Where new evidence demonstrates that a conviction may be unsafe, the CCRC will investigate carefully and independently. People do not have to approach us on their own; they can ask a solicitor, charity or support organisation to help them make an application.

Having reviewed the material, the CCRC concluded there was a real possibility the Crown Court would find the convictions unsafe because the failures to protect Ms AB and investigate the abuse she was suffering deprived her of the opportunity to receive a fair trial and properly advance any available defence.

1. Walthamstow man sentenced to 31 years for sexually abusing children following Met investigation
Investigators have appealed for other potential victim-survivors to come forward.

A former foster carer from Walthamstow has been sentenced to 31 years in prison, having been convicted in May of numerous non-recent sexual offences against children. The conviction came after an extensive Met investigation, with specialist officers supporting the brave victim-survivors who reported him.
Bradley Dilsworth was convicted of 22 counts of child sex offending on Thursday, 21 May at Snaresbrook Crown Court. His convictions relate to offences committed against five victims, one of whom was as young as seven at the time.

Bradley Dilsworth’s offending spanned over several years between 2002 and 2009, during which those he preyed on were aged between seven and 16. Evidence presented in court showed that he repeatedly exploited his position as a trusted adult within the Walthamstow community, presenting himself as a friendly and approachable neighbour.
The court heard that Dilsworth would invite children into his home after school, allowing them to smoke and drink alcohol. This environment was deliberately used to lower their inhibitions and create opportunities for abuse.
As part of his defence, Dilsworth claimed that the children who spent time at his home were visiting his son, who was of a similar age to them. However, this explanation was rejected by the jury, who found the evidence demonstrated a clear pattern of grooming and abuse.

Prior to his offending Dilsworth was a registered foster carer and is known to have fostered two children during the 1980s.

Anyone with information are asked to contact the Metropolitan Police on 101. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

2. Man who encouraged child abuse facilitators to make children ‘cry’ sentenced
A man who encouraged child sexual abuse facilitators to make their victims ‘cry’ has been sentenced, following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.
The NCA launched an investigation into Christopher Sanders, 50, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, after receiving intelligence from international partners in July 2023 about a UK individual who was a prolific purchaser of live-streaming content.

From August 2017 to February 2019 Sanders used online communication platform Skype to contact five facilitators based in the Philippines who were known, had been previously arrested, or were suspected of inciting the abuse of children.

NCA officers were able to track down Sanders after analysing information associated with his Skype account. This included links to 22 PayPal accounts, email addresses, his home address and mobile number.

Sanders was arrested in April 2024. Officers searched his home and seized a number of electronic devices, some of which contained 20 images of categories A and C, as well as extreme pornography and evidence of his chat activity.

Sanders pleaded guilty to all charges in February 2026 at Leicester Crown Court. He was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment at the same court on Tuesday 7 July. He has also been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention order (SHPO) and will be on the Sex Offender's Register, both for life.

3. Decade long prison sentence for child sexual abuser
A sex offender who abused a young girl in Margate has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Kevin O’Toole repeatedly sexually abused a child, beginning in spring 2022. He gained the trust of his victim before eventually forcing her to perform sexual acts on him. The abuse continued for around a year before the victim disclosed the offences to an adult, who reported it to Kent Police the same evening in April 2023.

An investigation was immediately launched, and O’Toole was arrested. During his police interview O’Toole categorically denied ever touching his victim, even going as far as answering ‘no way in hell’ when posed questions about his abuse. The 46-year-old was released under strict conditional bail whilst the investigation continued.

Police in Lincoln, where O’Toole moved following his arrest, conducted a warrant on his address in June 2025 and discovered over 180 indecent images of children on his devices. He was arrested and investigated for these offences.

O’Toole was later charged with 7 sexual offences, including 3 for the indecent images discovered on his devices.

He pled not guilty, however, following a three-day trial in May 2026, a jury found him unanimously guilty on all counts at Canterbury Crown Court. On Thursday 9 July he was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the same court. He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

4. Officer dismissed after abusing position of power for sexual purpose
A Met officer has been dismissed without notice after he abused his position of power over a female colleague for a sexual purpose.

A misconduct hearing found Chief Inspector Kevin Weeden, attached to the Public Order Command, abused his position of power over a female colleague for a sexual purpose.

The hearing, on Tuesday 14 July, heard that Ch Insp Weeden pursued a sexual and/or emotional relationship, engaged in inappropriate communications, and failed to declare or appropriately manage the professional relationship despite the officer working under his supervision.

Between November 2024 and February 2026, he engaged in persistent and unwanted contact with the same officer, continuing to send her messages despite being asked to stop.

The hearing found allegations Ch Insp Weeden breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, equality and diversity, and duties and responsibilities proven at the level of gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

He will also be added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing him re-joining the police or working for a number of other policing-related bodies.

5. Man jailed after secretly filming women in their homes
A man who secretly filmed women through the windows of their homes has been jailed for more than two and a half years.

Jake Austin, age 31, of Norwich was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court, Wednesday 22 July, after previously admitting five counts of voyeurism, three counts of upskirting and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Austin was first arrested in March 2024 when a woman in Norwich reported seeing him on CCTV footage looking through the window of her ground floor bedroom window. Officers attended and arrested him nearby to the victim’s address and seized his mobile device. When this and other electronic devices were examined, detectives found hours and hours of voyeuristic videos. Some filmed from the street- showed women getting dressed and undressed in their homes. Others recorded in supermarkets, pubs and in the street were filmed up women's skirts.

Detectives were able to identify six of the other victims and let them know what had happened, but some women in the videos were never identified.

Further downloads from Austin's computer also showed a number of indecent images of children.

In court he was sentenced to 31 months imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for life. He was also issued with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Non-contact sexual offences can include: Catcalling and harassment, indecent exposure (flashing), voyeurism, upskirting, spiking and stalking. By recognising these behaviours for what they are and reporting them, we can help prevent further harm and make our communities safer for everyone.

6. Mother and her partner sentenced to life for murdering two-year-old Isabelle Welsh
A mother and her boyfriend who murdered two-year-old Isabelle Rose Welsh following a campaign of violence have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Harrison Simpson will serve a life sentence with a minimum 27 years and 231 days, whilst Alexandra Walker will serve a minimum 21 years and 48 days.

Emergency services were called to an address in Thornaby on 13 September 2025 following concerns for the welfare of a young child.

Isabelle was taken to hospital shortly afterwards where she very sadly passed away from a catastrophic head injury. In the weeks before her death, Isabelle sustained multiple fractures to 21 bones and her body was covered in bruises.

Isabelle’s mother, Alexandra Walker, 26, and Alexandra’s boyfriend Harrison Simpson, 22, were both arrested in connection with her death due to the severity of her injuries.

They were subsequently charged with a number of offences which the pair denied when they appeared in court.

Following a trial lasting five weeks, the jury found Simpson guilty of murder, sexual assault by penetration and child cruelty while Walker was found guilty of murder and child cruelty on Tuesday 28 July at Teesside Crown Court.

Over 40 arrests during Operation Foxtail enforcement week
47 people have been arrested and 11 have been charged following a week of action, as a part of Operation Foxtail.

The operation, which took place on the A11, Thetford between 6-10 July, involved officers carrying out proactive enforcement activity focused on organised crime, immigration offences, driving offences, fraud and drug-related criminality. The week of intensification was funded by the Home Office following a successful bid.

Officers were joined by HMRC, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). This allowed them to take a coordinated approach and deliver maximum impact by combining resources, powers and expertise.

The week of action resulted in 47 arrests and 11 charges for offences including fraudulent driving licences, immigration offences, drug supply, possession of criminal property, driving while disqualified and knife possession.
One of the men arrested was found to be in possession of suspected illegal tobacco. Further enquiries revealed he was also driving whilst disqualified and without any insurance. HMRC conducted checks on his vehicle and discovered he was using red diesel without a legitimate reason to do so. He was arrested and taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning, where he was searched and officers found approximately £5,000 in his underwear. He was further arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

A second man was stopped by officers and approximately £8,000 was found within the glovebox of his vehicle. He had no driving licence, no insurance and was in the country illegally. He was charged and remanded into custody.

56 vehicles were seized during the week and 88 Traffic Offence Reports were issued.

Operation Foxtail is a multi-agency initiative aimed at disrupting organised criminality, protecting vulnerable people and tackling offences linked to exploitation, immigration crime and road safety.