20/03/2026
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📢 IMPORTANT: New safeguarding guidance has been released: Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026. Click here to access it: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2
Key updates include:
👉Chapter 1
Includes reference to police or the Crown Prosecution Service sharing information with other agencies involved in providing support and services to a child and their family, where appropriate.
Added a reference to the Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners providing safeguarding services for children, young people, parents and carers.
👉 Chapter 2
Added Combatting Drugs Partnership to list of public boards supporting partnership work.
Updated email address for the Multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements Unit.
👉 Chapter 3
Added a reference to Families First Partnership programme
Included a reference to operational details on the lead practitioner role which can be found in the Families First Partnership Programme guide.
Added a reference to further guidance on Operation Encompass.
Clarified the term ‘family group decision-making’.
👉 Chapter 4
Amended ‘named practitioner’ to ‘named professional’ or ‘named health professional’ for health provider organisations and agencies.
Removed the link to National Information Centre on Children of Offenders (NICCO) website.
Added a reference and link to Prisoners’ Families Helpline.
👉 Appendix A: glossary
Added new definitions and policies for family group decision making (FGDM), group-based child sexual exploitation, honour-based abuse and kinship care arrangements.
👉 Appendix B
Added links to resources on the information sharing duty:
Operation Encompass
interim guidance for independent child trafficking guardians (ICTGs)
child knife possession offences
CSA centre guidance on communicating with children
Prisoners’ Families Helpline
