England Children
Legislation, Statutory Guidance, Good Practice Guidance, and Regulatory Authorities.
The Department of Education (DfE) In England the DfE holds responsibility for child protection. It sets out the legislation, statutory guidance and policy for safeguarding children in all settings and situations.
The local safeguarding partners are the relevant:
- local authority
- clinical commissioning group
- police
To find your local council, use this link; Report Child Abuse to Social Care or dial 999 if an emergency
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
LEGISLATION
All Legislation - Government website where you can search all UK Legislation. Below are links to many that are directly relevant to Safeguarding;
ALL and MULTI-AGENCY SECTORS
The Children Act 1989 Brought many different laws together and is now the law on which the current child protection system is based
Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2019
Children Act 2004 A legislative framework for cooperation between agencies working to safeguard children and includes the role of Commissioner for children in England
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
An Act to make provision about the safeguarding and welfare of children; about support for children in care or leaving care; about regulation of care workers; about regulation of establishments and agencies under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000; about employment of children; about breakfast club provision and school uniform; about allergy safety in schools; about guidance relating to use of mobile phones and other interactive communication devices in schools; about attendance of children at school; about regulation of independent educational institutions; about inspections of schools and colleges; about teacher misconduct; about Academies and teachers at Academies; repealing section 128 of the Education Act 2002; about school places and admissions; about establishing new schools; about preventing or restricting access by children to internet services; about the age of consent in relation to processing of a child’s personal data in relation to information society services; and for connected purposes.
Child-like Sexual Abuse Dolls (Offences) Private Members’ Bill,
The above Bill will build upon the Crime and Policing Act 2026 to:
- make it illegal to buy, sell or own these vile dolls.
- bring in a mandatory duty for people in key roles to report suspected child sexual abuse
- create a new offence for anyone interfering with the duty to report
- make grooming an aggravating factor when courts sentence child sexual offences
- develop world-leading new offences to fight the rising tide of AI child sexual abuse material
- give Border Force more powers to stop digital child sexual abuse material at our borders
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
Public Interest Disclosure Act 1989
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
Serious Crime Act 2015 Part 5 of this Act is about Protection of Children etc
EDUCATION
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
Children, Schools and Families Act 2010
Education and Traininig (Welfare of Children) Act 2021
The Act imposes duties on certain education and training providers in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
The Education Act 2002 Includes a provision (section 175) requiring school governing bodies, local education authorities and further education institutions to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Regulations made under section 157 state that proprietors of independent schools (which include Academies and Free schools) must make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and in doing so must have regard to any statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Children and Social Work Act 2017
OTHER
STATUTORY GUIDANCE
ALL and MULTI-AGENCY SECTORS
Statutory guidance
Information sharing to safeguard children and young people September 2026
Regulated activity: removal of the supervision exemption (comes into force 1 September 2026)
Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation
Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation – procedural information
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Revised Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales
The Right to Choose: Multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage
Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care
EDUCATION
Department for Education all statutory guidance for schools
Including
- Keeping Children Safe in Education
- Behaviour in Schools September
- Searching, Screening and Confiscation Advice for schools
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Department for Health and Social Care all Regulations and Guidance
OTHER
CPS So-Called Honour-Based Abuse and Forced Marriage Legal Guidance
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE AND ADVICE
ALL and MULTI-AGENCY SECTORS
National referral mechanism guidance: adult (England and Wales)
DBS filtering guide Please note, the new filtering guidance applies to certificates issued on or after 28 October 2023. The previous filtering guidance is still available for reference.
Government Guidance for Parents and Carers on safeguarding children in out of school settings
Female Genital Mutilation Prosecution Guidance
Child exploitation disruption toolkit (England and Wales)
Criminal Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: County Lines guidance
Whistleblowing: Prescribed persons guidance
Victims of modern slavery – frontline staff guidance
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused Advice for practitioners
Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked - Practice guidance
EDUCATION
Department for Education all Guidance and Regulation
Including
- Staffing and employment advice for schools Departmental advice for school leaders, governing bodies, academy trusts and local authorities
- Female Genital Mutilation: Guidance for schools: Understanding your role in safeguarding girls, engaging parents and teaching about FGM
- Teaching online safety in school guidance
- UKCIS Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people
- Safeguarding children affected by parental alcohol and drug use guidance
- Preventing and tackling bullying advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies
- Public sector equality duty guidance for schools in England
To be read alongside the statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Whistleblowing Helpline for the NHS and Social Care Telephone 08000 724725
Department for Health and Social Care all Regulations and Guidance
Safeguarding in general dental practice (England)
Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff: Intercollegiate document
Protecting children and young people: The responsibilities of all doctors
REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
For Education
Ofsted all Regulation and Guidance
Including
- Education and Inspections Act 2006
- Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills
- Ofsted Safeguarding Policy Guidance
- Ofsted Safeguarding concerns: guidance for inspectors
- Whistleblowing about children's social care services to Ofsted
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) Inspection Framework
For Health and Social Care
Care Quality Commission (CQC) all Regulation and Guidance
Including
Charity Commission
Charity Commission all Guidance and Regulation
Including
- Report serious wrongdoing at a charity as a worker or volunteer
- Safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees
- Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) in the aid sector