Source: Ministries of Housing, Communities and Local Government published on this website Thursday 10 July 2025 by Jill Powell

More young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors can now have greater access to social housing, thanks to new changes removing a local connection requirement coming into effect today.    

Last month the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the government is rewriting the rules for vulnerable groups who have faced barriers to social housing when they do not have a connection to the local area, meaning they can no longer be unfairly penalised. The move has been largely welcomed by charities across the sector including Become and Centrepoint.

Many domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under the age of 25 face unique challenges, such as fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety or adjusting to life outside of the care system, so may be forced to move from area to area without having a local connection. 

Government guidance for councils across England, nearly 90% of which currently use local connection tests, sets out their obligations to prioritise vulnerable people applying for social housing. This has now been updated to confirm young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors must be exempt from any local connection tests.

It comes as the government recently published its five-point plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing and pave the way for the biggest boost in a generation. This includes the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to build around 300,000 new homes over the next decade, with at least 60% for social rent.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“I’m immensely proud this government is delivering real change for some of our most vulnerable in society, making sure more young people and families can have a safe and secure roof over their head.  

“It’s only right we remove local connection tests for these groups and from today they will no longer face such barriers – it’s a promise we made and a promise we’ve kept.  

“This builds on our Plan for Change to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, turning the tide on the crisis we’ve inherited and building hundreds of thousands of new homes to bring down housing waiting lists for good.”

Today’s changes follow the rules overhauled last year to remove local connection tests for all former UK Regular Armed Forces Veterans, regardless of when they last served, as pledged by the Prime Minister.  

The government remains fully committed to supporting more vulnerable groups and veterans into social housing but also recognises the challenges faced by councils dealing with unprecedented pressures on housing supply as well as depleted housing stocks.  

That’s why the government has now set out ambitions to ramp up housing delivery for this Parliament and beyond, equipping councils and providers with greater tools to invest in existing and new social homes. This includes:

• Bringing forward long-overdue reforms to Right to Buy, including a 35-year exemption for newly built social homes, to protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing.  
• Extending the flexibilities on spending Right to Buy receipts introduced last year, as well as allowing councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts and from next year combine receipts with grant funding for affordable housing, which will further accelerate the delivery of new homes to replace those sold.  
• Introducing a new long-term 10-year settlement for social housing rents to provide the sector with the certainty they need to reinvest in new housing stock.

New funding for a £12 million Council Housebuilding Skills & Capacity Programme has also been announced, which will upskill and expand council workforces to get more spades in the ground for a new era of council housebuilding.

Last month the government published a written ministerial statement confirming new changes for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. The regulations were laid on 19 June and come into force today.  

While the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.  

On 24 September, the Prime Minister set out his ambition to improve access to social housing for former UK Armed Forces Veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors.  

The government recently set out its long-term plan – Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing – which includes a commitment to support more vulnerable groups and veterans having access to social housing.

Source: Department for Education - GOV.UK published on this website Tuesday 8 July 2025 by Jill Powell

This guidance sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges.

It applies to all schools and colleges, and is for:

• headteachers, teachers and staff
• governing bodies, proprietors and management committees

All school and college staff should read part one of this guidance.

We will publish KCSIE 2025 (final version) when it comes into force on 1 September. We expect to include links to revised guidance on:

• relationships, sex, and health education
• gender questioning children

There are technical only changes to KCSIE 2025 and future versions will reflect the:

• progress into legislation of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
• emerging further learnings from the work of the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and subsequent inquiries
• future work on tackling violence against women and girls

This government is clear that there are – and will continue to be – further learnings about how we can better protect children in the future as we understand more clearly what has gone wrong in the past. Schools and colleges will continue to play an important role in this.

Annex F: Table of changes from KCSIE September 2024 version

This table explains where we have made changes and our rationale for doing so. We will publish KCSIE (final version) 2025 on 1 September 2025, by which time we expect it to include links to revised guidance on Relationships, Sex, and Health Education and revised guidance on gender questioning children.

KCSIE has been revised regularly for many years, and we intend that it will continue to be revised and improved on a regular basis. Whilst there are only technical changes to KCSIE 2025, future iterations will reflect the progress into legislation of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the emerging further learnings from the work of the recent Casey Audit and subsequent inquiries, the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and the interactions between these advances.

This Government is clear that there are and will continue to be further learnings about how we can better protect children in the future as we come to understand more clearly what has gone wrong in the past and schools and colleges will continue to need to play an incredibly important role in this. Summary About the guidance (no changes made)

Part one:

Safeguarding information for all staff (no changes made)

Part two:

The management of safeguarding Page 36 Para 128 - We have added a note to say that we expect to publish revised guidance on Relationships, Sex, and Health Education this summer. If published, we will signpost to this guidance in September 2025. Page 38 Para 135 - Updated to clarify misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories are safeguarding harms. Page 40 Para 142 - Link added to the plan technology for your school service, which schools can use to assess themselves against the filtering and monitoring standards and receive personalised recommendations on how to meet them. Page 41 Para 143 - Link added to DfE guidance on the use of generative AI in education (2025) at end of filtering and monitoring (FM) section to support schools and colleges. 184 Para 144 - wording amended in the cybersecurity standards for schools and colleges advice to clarify that it was developed to help schools improve their cyber resilience. Page 47 Para 169 - 170 information added that clarifies and reflects existing AP Guidance Page 49 Para 177 - updated to clarify ‘working together to safeguard attendance’ ‘is now ‘statutory’ guidance. Page 54 Para 199 - has been amended to clarify that the role of the virtual head has been extended to include responsibility for promoting the educational achievement of children in kinship care. Page 56 Para 204 - We have added a note to say that we expect to publish the revised guidance on gender questioning children this summer. If published, we will signpost to this guidance in September 2025. Para 205 - removal of ‘spectrum’ and ‘disorder’ to align with SEND code of practice.

Part three:

 Safer recruitment Page 74 Para 260 - reference to TRA’s Employer Access Service removed and replaced with new link to GOV.UK page. Page 75 Para 266 - references to TRA’s Employer Access Service removed and replaced with new link to GOV.UK page. Page 85 Para 319 - reference to Employer Secure Access removed and replaced with link to GOV.UK for S128 checks. Page 87 Para 331 - information added that clarifies and reflects existing AP Guidance.

Part four:

 Safeguarding concerns or allegations made about staff, including supply teachers, volunteers and contractors Page 106 Para 422 - amended to correct the title of the Information Commissioner’s employment practice guidance.

Part five:

 Child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment Page 140 Para 545 - Link added to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s ‘Shore Space’. which offers a confidential chat service supporting young people concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts and behaviours.

185 Annexes:

 A, B, C, D and E Annex B - Page 157 Header removed Annex B – Page 163 Link added to the CSA Centre’s Resources for education settings | CSA Centre. Annex B – Page 164 Link added to the Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation | The Children's Society. 186

Source: Crown Prosecution Service published on this website Wednesday 9 September 2025 by Jill Powell

A man who was the first to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 has been sentenced to a nine years and four month prison term - partially to be served in hospital. 

Tyler Webb, 22, used the Telegram communications app to repeatedly tell a vulnerable 22-year-old woman to cut herself, and then to kill herself by hanging during a video call so he could watch, telling her she had nothing to live for and giving her methods to end her life.

He admitted encouraging self-harm and encouraging suicide at Leicester Crown Court on May 9.

After hearing today from the prosecution and defence and considering Sentencing Guidelines, including Webb's guilty plea, the court handed down an eight year and two months prison term for encouraging suicide, with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.

Separately he was given a one year two month prison term for encouraging self-harm, which will run on top of his other sentence, meaning a total of nine years and four month prison term.

Alex Johnson, a specialist crown prosecutor in the Special Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Tyler Webb contacted a vulnerable woman online and encouraged her to commit serious self-harm and to end her life by hanging. 

“He knew she was vulnerable and would act on his requests but went ahead with his persistent requests knowing she may well die. 

“Fortunately, his repeated and insistent suggestions did not result in a death.”

On one occasion the woman followed his instructions while on a video call to him, passing out.  

On another occasion she cut herself after being encouraged to do so by him, and sent him a photograph of her injury. 

On 2 July 2024, during a 44-minute call he made persistent efforts to get her to kill herself after her previous attempt. 

When it became apparent she would not do so, he said he would block further contact with her. 

She reported what had happened to police and he was arrested at his Loughborough home by Leicestershire Police. 

Due to his own mental health difficulties the sentence was made as a hybrid hospital order, which means he will be sent to hospital for treatment, but after treatment ends, be moved back to a prison.

DC Lauren Hampton, of Leicestershire Police, who investigated the crimes and brought the evidence to the CPS to prosecute, said: “This case is not only truly shocking but also deeply concerning.

“Webb preyed upon a vulnerable woman at a time when she was reaching out to people in online forum for help and support.

“He quickly gained her trust and then he began with his barrage of vile requests – all the time knowing that what he was telling her to do could result in her ending her own life. Thankfully, this did not happen, and the victim was able to report what had happened.

“The courage and strength the victim has shown is truly incredible. I want to thank her for coming forward and reporting to police the despicable behaviour of Webb. Her actions have undoubtedly safeguarded other vulnerable people from being targeted.”

Building the case; proving someone went online to encourage another to kill or self-harm themselves

This was the first time a person had been charged with encouragement of serious self-harm under the Online Safety Act 2023. Encouraging suicide has been a criminal offence under statute since 1961 and before that it was an offence under common law. The charge, as with all encouraging suicide cases, required the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson’s personal consent to proceed.

To prove either of the offences the CPS needed to show that Webb committed an act that encouraged serious self-harm, or encouraged suicide, and was intended to do so; or that he believed his acts were capable of encouraging suicide or self-harm.

We were able to do this by proving:

• Webb came across the woman in an online forum where people discussed mental health difficulties, showing he knew she was vulnerable.
   
• The first time they spoke she cut herself at his request, which was evidence he knew she would act on his requests
   
• He watched her on video attempting to end her life once, proving she would do it, but tried once more. He could not claim he was fantasising or in role play.
   
• An audio recording of a call made by the woman showed his persistent attempts and the way he tried to push her.
   
• Digital images and drawings depicting hangings, decapitations and sexual violence towards women showed his mindset.
  
  As a result Webb admitted his guilt.

Source: Department for Education published on this website Monday 7 July 2025 by Jill Powell

Parents across the country will benefit from greater support to make family life easier on their doorstep, as the government rolls out ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ across every local authority – relieving pressure on parents and giving half a million more children the very best start in life.

Postcodes shouldn’t dictate the support available, but one in four families with children under five cannot access local children’s centres or Family Hubs, rising to one in three lower income families. This means thousands of parents cut off from vital community support networks and specialist services – left to navigate the challenges of parenthood alone – as well as a devastating impact on children’s life chances, with early development, wellbeing and future attainment all in jeopardy.  

Best Start Family Hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services.

Rolling out in every local authority by April 2026, Hubs will offer interventions and courses which work for parents – such as stay and play groups which help parents connect or sessions which help manage children’s emotional needs – while providing a single point of access for services across health, education, and wellbeing.

Backed by over £500 million, the rollout will help transform the existing Family Hubs and Start for Life programme and create up to 1,000 hubs across the country by the end of 2028. This includes areas currently without any access to support hubs – from Warrington and Leeds to Reading and Somerset.

Sure Start revolutionised family and community services, with research showing that children who lived within a short distance of a Sure Start centre for their first five years were 0.9 percentage points more likely to achieve five good GCSEs at grades age 16. 

Plans launched Saturday 5 July, will draw on lessons learned from the legacy programme, as well as build on infrastructure from the current Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. It complements work already underway to make family life easier and alleviate the burden on parents, including by expanding government-funded childcare to 30-hours, increasing the reach of school-based nurseries, and rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school to support working parents.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

“It’s the driving mission of this government to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve – our new Best Start Family Hubs will put the first building blocks of better life chances in place for more children.

“I saw firsthand how initiatives like Sure Start helped level the playing field in my own community, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life, and as part of our Plan for Change, we’re building on its legacy for the next generation of children.

“Making sure hard-working parents are able to benefit from more early help is a promise made, and promise kept – delivering a lifeline of consistent support across the nation, ensuring health, social care and education work in unison to ensure all children get the very best start in life.”

Hubs will also act as a ‘front door’ to local family help workers for vulnerable families – providing a single point of entry to join-up universal services and children’s social care, ensuring early help before issues escalate. 

This forms a key plank of the government’s direction setting ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ strategy to be published tomorrow, making sure parents don’t have to battle complex systems to access basic parenting, health and family services.

Best Start Family Hubs will help families with services like:

• Activities for children aged 0-5
• Birth registration
• Debt and welfare advice
• Domestic abuse support
• Early language support
• Health Visiting
• Housing support
• Infant Feeding Support
• Mental health services
• Midwifery/maternity services
• Nutrition and weight management
• Oral health improvement
• Parenting Support
• Reducing Parental Conflict
• SEND support and services
• Stop smoking support
• Substance (alcohol/drug) misuse support
• Support for separating and separated parents
• Youth services

To further streamline the path to support, a new Best Start digital service will also be launched to enable parents to access evidence-based guidance within seconds.

The digital platform will provide advice on a range of topics and connect parents to their local Best Start Family Hub, as well as link to the NHS App – making sure these services are at the centre of every community, whether on- or off-line.

It comes as the government has already confirmed it will launch a new data tool for schools to assess whether there is more they can do in reception year to get children ready for year 1, and that every council will be expected to play its part with an individual statutory target for school readiness in their area.

The Hubs will be open to all, making a particular difference to the most vulnerable families and helping tackle the stain of child poverty ahead of the ambitious strategy due to be launched by the government’s Child Poverty Taskforce.

‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ also outlines the key role local authorities will play to drive improvements in the number of children achieving a good level of development by 5 years old.

Local authorities will build on their existing work with families, young children and babies, to develop ambitious local plans for meeting their 2028 target.