Crime and Policing Bill Protection for women and girls boosted with new amendments on online abuse and pornography tabled to the Crime & Policing Bill
The new amendments – a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change – will mean criminals who take or share an intimate image without consent can be prosecuted up to three years after the offence was committed, giving victims crucial time and breathing space to come forward.
This will help break down unnecessary barriers victims face when reporting a crime, improving access to justice for those who need it the most.

Intimate image abuse is an abhorrent sexual offence, and this Government is determined to see the perpetrators of these cowardly crimes get the punishment they deserve.

The depiction of strangulation in pornography will be designated as a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning platforms will be held accountable and ensuring content does not spread, which can lead to normalising harmful practices in people’s private lives.

They will be required to take proactive steps to prevent users from seeing illegal strangulation and suffocation content. This could include companies using automated systems to pre-emptively detect and hide the images, moderation tools or stricter content policies to prevent abusive content from circulating.

Intercollegiate document (2025) Safeguarding children and young people & children and young people in care: Competencies for health care staff
The safeguarding remit encompasses protection of a person’s health, wellbeing and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Health care professionals need competencies to navigate a range of situations. From support and acknowledgement of need – including for adults, child protection for Children and young people, and responsibility for children and young people in the care of a local authority/council/health and social care trust. Children in care and young people are protected by separate legislation, processes, outcomes, workforce, and leadership.

Accepting the range of the safeguarding responsibility and circumstances, the safeguarding children and looked after children competence frameworks have been combined in this Inter-Collegiate Document (ICD). This is for ease of reference and to raise the expectation of capability when providing services for children in care. Each area of practice is recognised as important and complex. As such, different competencies, separate job roles and leadership are required.

North Wales Safeguarding Board Publish Gwynedd Child Practice Review
Following the completion of the Criminal Justice process into the offending of Neil Foden ex-headteacher of Ysgol Friars a Child Practice Review was commissioned. The Child Practice Review aims to identify any steps that can be taken by the Safeguarding Board partners (Police, Local Authority, Health or other bodies) to achieve improvements in multi-agency child protection practice. The Child Practice Review process commenced in August 2024.
Learning from this review relates to:

• Perpetrator behaviour and the culture in the school that enabled his offending.
• The Perpetrator professional conduct and behaviour and his management and leadership of the schools at which he worked.
  Governance arrangements.
• Disclosure and decision making.
• The impact of sexual abuse on children and the wider school community.
• Improving systems and arrangements for the protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

How to contact the Review Team
In the initial stages of the Child Practice Review, we have been collecting information from many sources, spending time in the school and interviewing those that worked with Neil Foden.

We would welcome your involvement if you or family members has been impacted by the actions of Neil Foden.

As we have a fluent Welsh speaker on the team, please do contact us in your language of choice. If you feel you could contribute to the Child Practice Review or have other information to share, please contact the review team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We wish to assure you that your information will be treated in the strictest confidence we will only breach this confidence if we believe a child or adult with care and support needs is currently at risk of harm.

Within the review you will not be identified, this is to ensure all feel able to speak up.

The Board has published the Child Practice Review called ‘Our Bravery Brought Justice.’ This is the Child Practice Review in response to Neil Foden’s sexual offending at Ysgol Friars in Gwynedd.

The name of the report has been chosen by one of the young people who took part in the review, and it was important that the courage of these young people was recognised and at the heart of the review.

Surrey County Council statement: Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership Local Child Safeguarding Practice review for Sara Sharif
Following the conclusion of criminal proceedings in December 2024, a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) was progressed in relation to Sara Sharif, with the agreement of the national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. This local review was commissioned and overseen by the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) and undertaken by independent authors who brought together partners including the police, health, social care and education to review the practice of all agencies involved with the family and identify any learning.

Review of public order and hate crime legislation
Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC has been appointed to lead an independent review of laws on public order and hate crime.
Following the terrorist attack in Manchester on 2 October, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of existing public order and hate crime legislation.

This resulted from concerns around community tensions and the impact of disruptive and intimidating protests and hate crime on the cohesion and safety of society.

The government will always protect the right to lawful protest and free speech, but we will not tolerate individuals or groups who intimidate others, incite hatred, or create disorder.

The review will therefore look at the powers police have to manage protests and the current hate crime laws, including offences for aggravated behaviour and “stirring up” hatred.

It will examine whether existing legislation is effective and proportionate, and whether it protects communities from hate and intimidation.

It will also consider if the law protects free speech and peaceful protest, while also preventing disorder and keeping people safe.

Ofsted

Ofsted’s safeguarding policy and guidance for inspectors on handling safeguarding disclosures.
On the 9 November Ofsted set out a renewed approach to education inspection that will give parents better and more detailed information, is fairer on professionals, and – crucially – will help raise standards for all children.

The Ofsted policy was updated on the 7 November. This policy sets out Ofsted’s approach to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. It applies to all aspects of Ofsted’s work and to everyone working for Ofsted, including permanent and temporary employees, contractors and self-employed contracted inspectors.

Ofsted has a duty to regulate and inspect how effectively providers keep children and adults at risk safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation, in line with statutory guidance.

Charity Commission

Church of England charity must rapidly accelerate safeguarding reforms
The Charity Commission has set an expectation that the Archbishops’ Council should implement independent safeguarding structures as endorsed by the Church’s General Synod in February 2025 within 18 months from now – a year sooner than current plans indicate – and in the meantime, put robust interim measures in place to keep people safe.

The expectation is part of a Regulatory Action Plan issued to the Archbishops’ Council, a registered charity whose objects are to co-ordinate, promote, aid and further the work and mission of the Church of England. It follows the Commission engaging with the charity over whether its trustees are taking sufficient steps to address the safeguarding concerns and implement recommended changes raised in a number of safeguarding reviews.

Parents urged to be vigilant over their children's phones
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London are urging parents across the Capital to be vigilant about the online activity of their children, with many buying them phones and tablets for Christmas.

The warning comes as referrals in London to the Government’s Prevent scheme have increased by more than a third (38 per cent) in the last year. The increase has been primarily driven by a record number of referrals due to concerns about the vulnerability to radicalisation of children under the age of 18.

The concern is that with more and more children having access to the internet through their phones, there is an increased risk they may be exposed to dangerous and harmful material that could lead them down a path towards radicalisation.

If you are concerned about a loved-one who may be on a path towards radicalisation, then you can visit the ACT Early website. The site contains useful tips, advice and guidance on how to spot potential warning signs, as well as what to do should someone you know be taking a dangerous path.

New law to tackle AI child abuse images at source as reports more than double
New legislation sees government work with AI industry and child protection organisations to ensure AI models cannot be misused to create synthetic child sexual abuse images.
Children will be better protected from becoming victims of horrific indecent deepfakes as the government introduces new laws to ensure Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot be exploited to generate child sexual abuse material.

Data from the Internet Watch Foundation released on Wednesday 12 November shows reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

There has also been a disturbing rise in depictions of infants, with images of 0–2-year-olds surging from 5 in 2024 to 92 in 2025.

Under stringent new legislation, designated bodies like AI developers and child protection organisations, such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), will be empowered to scrutinise AI models, and ensure safeguards are in place to prevent them generating or proliferating child sexual abuse material, including indecent images and videos of children.

Tech firms must up their game to tackle online harms against women and girls
Online safety watchdog, Ofcom, today launches new industry guidance demanding that tech firms step up to deliver a safer online experience for millions of women and girls in the UK.
Women and girls face distinct and serious risks online, including misogynistic abuse, sexual violence, coordinated pile-ons, stalking, coercive control and intimate image abuse.

Ofcom’s guidance, includes a wide range of practical safety measures that the regulator is urging tech firms to adopt to tackle these harms. These go above and beyond what is needed to comply with their legal duties under the Online Safety Act, setting a new and ambitious standard for women’s and girls’ online safety.

Stronger security checks for adults working with children
Parents will be able to get Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks when hiring private tutors, carers and therapists, among others. This will give them greater peace of mind that the people they let through their front door will not have a history of abusing vulnerable people. Under the current system, only those working for an organisation, such as a school or hospital, could request this information.

This change comes good on one of Professor Alexis Jay’s recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse - to make greater use of the Disclosure and Barring Service barred list to save children and vulnerable people from the horrors of abuse. It will come into effect from January 2026.

Bishop of Tewkesbury to be new lead safeguarding bishop
The Bishop of Tewkesbury, Robert Springett, is to be the Church of England’s new Lead Safeguarding Bishop, taking over from Bishop Joanne Grenfell who leaves the role at the end of March 2026, when her three-year term ends.
Bishop Robert will work closely with the National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, and other members of the National Safeguarding Team which provides specialist expertise on casework, policy development, training, evaluation and survivor participation. The Church of England is continuing to strengthen its safeguarding practices by committing to independent scrutiny and improving delivery. This includes implementing recommendations from the Makin review, the Charity Commission, and insights gained from independent safeguarding audits.

Bargain hunters urged to stay alert to cyber scams ahead of holiday shopping season
The latest Stop! Think Fraud campaign provides practical advice to help individuals stay secure online. Online shoppers looking for savings over the festive period are being urged to stay alert to potential scams and secure their accounts.

Monday 17 November marked the launch of the nationwide Stop! Think Fraud campaign which provides trusted, practical guidance to help individuals and small businesses protect themselves from cyber criminals at a time when many people will be looking for deals online.

Scammers will often deploy underhand tactics, claiming that offers are only available for a limited time or that products are scarce, to manipulate people into acting quickly, parting with money or personal information.

Some £11.8m was lost to online shopping fraud over last year’s festive shopping season (from 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025), according to data from the City of London Police, the operational lead for tackling fraud nationally.

Check the shop is legitimate: check reviews on trusted websites before you buy.

Secure your important online accounts: turn on 2-step verification (2SV) for all your important accounts to instantly toughen up your online security, even if your password has been compromised. It creates an extra layer of security making it harder for fraudsters to access your information.

Check out and pay securely: check out ‘as a guest’ if you can, don’t allow the website to store your bank/card details. Never pay by direct bank transfer and use a credit card (if you have one). If you use payment services such as PayPal, Apply Pay or Google Pay, check what cover they provide.

Beware of delivery scams: if you receive a message or a phone call about a delivery, stop and think if the request is genuine. Don’t click links in unexpected messages. Check a request is genuine by contacting the organisation directly.

Individuals are encouraged to report suspicious emails, text messages or fake shop websites to the NCSC, which works with partners to analyse, investigate and take down malicious content.

A creator of an online child sexual abuse group has been jailed for multiple offences
A creator of a private online group which was set up exclusively for the sexual exploitation of children has been jailed on 31 October.

Michael Clennell, 46, has been sentenced to a total of 9.5 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court for multiple counts of child abuse including the facilitation of the sexual exploitation of children, participation in an organised crime group and the making, possession, and distribution of indecent images of children after pleading guilty to these offences. He was also given six years on extended licence.

This prosecution came after an NCA investigation into Clennell, who is responsible for the creation and moderation of a private online group in which the sexual abuse of children is openly discussed, and indecent images of children are circulated, including those of a 16-year-old girl he had travelled to Germany to meet. Clennell had further participated in another similar online group in which amongst other activity members discussed techniques on how to groom victims, which the evidence revealed he had put into practise.

Man jailed for sex offences against children
A man from Bury St Edmunds has been jailed after committing a series of sexual offences against children.
Martin Hogg, aged 73 and of Worcester Close in Bury St Edmunds was sentenced on Monday 17 November at Cambridge Crown Court to nine years imprisonment.
It follows his guilty plea at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three offences relating to child sex offences that took place between 31 August 2024 and 15 February 2025. These were sexual communications with a child, cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and cause or incite a child to watch a sexual activity. These all took place against a single victim.

On Thursday 22 May at Cambridge Crown court, Hogg pleaded guilty to a further 18 offences that took place between the same dates and included multiple offences of meeting a child following sexual grooming, cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a child against seven further victims who were all children. Following on from this, another child victim was identified and a further three sexual offences were taken into consideration after an acceptance of guilt from the defendant.

To report being a victim or for support and advice please use this link:

Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Suffolk Constabulary

Anyone who would like to speak to someone in confidence about sexual abuse or violence can contact Suffolk police on 101, or staff at the Suffolk SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre), The Ferns, on 0330 223 0099 or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Survivors In Transition | Support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse - Specialist support in Suffolk for female and male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, violence and exploitation.

Here To Help | Brave Futures - provides a therapeutic service for children and young people up to 21 years who have reported being sexually abused and to offer support for their families.

Thank you for reading this newsletter and we hope you have a peaceful festive break and a prosperous 2026.