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The government is launching a consultation on extending smoke-free places and introducing vape-free and heated tobacco-free spaces.

Source: Department of Health and Social Care published on this website Monday 16 February 2026 by Jill Powell

The government has launched a public consultation to seek views on stopping people smoking, vaping or using heated tobacco in public playgrounds and education settings in England.

Areas outside healthcare locations - such as hospitals - would also become smoke-free and heated tobacco-free under the proposals.

Indoor spaces, where smoking is already banned, would also become vape-free and heated tobacco-free, subject to consultation.

Outdoor hospitality settings, including pub gardens and open public spaces, are not included in the proposals. Private homes and private outdoor spaces are also out of scope. 

These proposals form part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to shift the focus of the NHS from sickness to prevention, tackling the root causes of ill health and reducing long-term pressure on services.

Second-hand smoke is harmful even outdoors, with children and medically vulnerable people at greatest risk. By acting in places where young people gather and patients receive care, the government aims to prevent avoidable harm before it happens and support a healthier generation.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

“No child in a playground or hospital patient should suffer because someone else chooses to smoke.

“Second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer and we want to protect children and the sick from harm.

“Prevention is better than cure, so this government is taking pressure off the NHS and building a healthier Britain where everyone lives well for longer.”

This consultation marks an important step towards implementing the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will create a smoke-free generation and protect young people from a lifetime of addiction. The bill is currently progressing through Parliament.

There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and children, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions are particularly vulnerable.

Short-term exposure can cause immediate symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing and headaches, while long-term exposure significantly increases the risk of chronic disease. 

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said:

“People who do not smoke but who are exposed to second-hand smoke can suffer significant harmful effects on their health, including an increased risk of asthma, poor birth outcomes, several cancers, stroke and heart disease. The health risks are greatest for children, pregnant women and people with medical conditions.

“No smoker wants to harm people, but with second-hand smoke they do - and these measures would reduce the harm second-hand smoke causes the most medically vulnerable in our society.”

It will also seek views on setting outdoor boundaries, exemptions and designated smoking areas, and how to inform people of restrictions to ensure the rules are proportionate and workable.” 

There will be a minimum of 6 months between any regulations being made and them coming into force, with guidance available on how to make sure people are aware of and follow the rules.

Enforcement would mirror existing smoke-free laws, where compliance has historically been extremely high. 

The Consultation closes 8 May 2026

Open Consultation, Keeping children safe in education: proposed revisions 2026

Source: Department for Education published on this website Friday 13 February 2026 by Jill Powell

The Department for Education is seeking your views on proposed changes to the statutory guidance: Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE).

They are seeking views on a range of updates to ensure the guidance remains current and relevant.

The aim is to help schools and colleges better understand what they are legally required to do, as well as what the Department for Education strongly advise to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The Department for Education is proposing changes to Draft Keeping children safe in education 2026

The statutory guidance sets out:

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

They have listed the main proposed changes in annex D of the draft statutory guidance document.

Keeping children safe in education: Part one – staff quick reference

To undertake the consultation and Share your views. Closes 22 April 2026

Almost all young Brits use AI – more than half say it makes life better

Source: UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) published on this website Wednesday 11 February 2026 by Jill Powell

Research for Safer Internet Day 2026 reveals 60% of teens worry about AI being used to make inappropriate pictures of them

Nearly all young people aged 8 to 17 (97%) are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools with (58%) saying that AI makes their lives better, but 60% are concerned about someone using AI to make inappropriate pictures of them.

The research, carried out for Safer Internet Day (10^th February 2026) by Nominet – the .UK registry and the UK Safer Internet Centre, polled 2000 young people (aged 8 to 17 years old) and 2000 parents and carers across the UK with questions about their attitude to the fast-evolving world of AI. This year, Safer Internet Day aims to start conversations about the safe and responsible use of AI, giving young people a voice in creating a safer environment for all online.

According to the research, 71% of young people say AI saves them a lot of time, while a growing number are using it for help and support, with 64% agreeing that AI is the best way to get advice quickly. Currently, 41% teens feel like people their age are relying heavily on AI for emotional support or help with emotional issues, while most one in seven (14%) say they use AI tools to discuss things they don’t feel they can talk to anyone else about.

Both young people and their parents identify issues related to the rapid growth of AI – with a third of parents and carers (33%) saying they are concerned about its impact on their children’s thinking and learning development. Nearly half of young people (49%) say that AI is making people their age less creative, while 35% say it has made them less creative personally.

When it comes to their studies, 73% of young people find AI useful and 54% said they use it to help with homework or studying. However, half (50%) of children say they’ve seen others their age using AI to do their school or homework for them. At the same time just 31% of parents believed their children were using AI to help with homework.

Will Gardner OBE, UK Safer Internet Centre Director, said:

“Young people wanted us to focus on the safe and responsible use of AI this year, because its adoption into our everyday lives is moving quickly. Our research shows how young people are excited by this incredible technology and are using it more than ever across many online services, but they still have concerns, questions and want to learn more to equip themselves to use AI safely and responsibly. Thousands of schools and other organisations are taking part in Safer Internet Day, and we hope this kickstarts conversations in classrooms and homes around the UK and helps young people be better supported when it comes to AI.”

Paul Fletcher, CEO, Nominet – who funded the research, added:

“This pace of change hasn’t been witnessed since the industrial revolution, so it’s essential we all get to grips with the possibilities and challenges that come with AI. It’s great that young people remain positive about the possibilities AI will bring them – but they are still concerned about the potential risks. No matter how quickly technology changes today’s normal, we should all take steps to ensure young people can benefit from AI – and parents don’t get left behind either.”

A detailed look into this year’s Safer Internet Day report is available here

National review calls for urgent action to protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants

Source: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published on this website Thursday 12 February 2026 by Jill Powell

A National child safeguarding review Feb2026 has called for urgent action to better protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants, following the tragic death of baby Victoria Marten.

Baby Victoria was born in December 2022 and died in early 2023 after her parents, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, concealed her birth and deliberately evaded statutory services. In 2025 both of baby Victoria’s parents were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, child cruelty, perverting the course of justice, and concealing the birth of a child.

While the circumstances of baby Victoria’s death are very rare, the review finds that the professional challenges and systemic safeguarding issues involved are much more common. The review highlights multiple risks in baby Victoria’s family circumstances including several concealed pregnancies, repeated child removals, domestic abuse, poor engagement with services, serious offending, and frequent moves between different areas. Many of these issues appear repeatedly in serious safeguarding incidents.

More than 5,000 unborn babies and infants under the age of one were subject to child protection plans last year. Such huge volumes of vulnerable unborn babies and infants, and struggling parents, represent a lot of risk but also a lot of opportunity to intervene positively in family life.

The review concludes that baby Victoria’s death was not predictable but, given the repeating pattern of concealed pregnancies and child removals in the family history, baby Victoria needed professionals to think ahead and consider her safety even before she was conceived. A stronger focus on engaging with her parents and earlier coordinated action across all relevant services might have made a difference.

The review calls for clearer national guidance to ensure vulnerable unborn babies and infants are consistently considered within child protection frameworks, alongside stronger multi‑agency working and improved information‑sharing.

Key findings and recommendations include:

Earlier and stronger pre‑birth safeguarding, including national guidance that explicitly includes vulnerable unborn babies and infants, and clearer protocols for responding to concealed or late‑disclosed pregnancies
Trauma‑informed practice, to help reach families who do not engage with services, recognising that avoidance of services often reflects grief and mistrust rather than deliberate refusal
Better engagement with and support for parents before and after child removal, to help break cycles of harm and reduce repeat risk
A preventative ‘Think Family’ approach, bringing together adult and children’s services to provide a holistic view and identify issues that affect the whole family unit
Stronger links between children’s social care and offender management services, especially when serious sex offenders are parents or carers
Clearer arrangements when families move, including formal information transfer, shared chronologies and defined safeguarding responsibility

The review finds that agencies are often aware of multiple risks within families such as domestic abuse or parental disengagement but do not always assess and manage these risks together. It warns that without stronger coordination, opportunities to protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants can be missed.

The report calls on government to act urgently to strengthen national guidance, improve information‑sharing between agencies, and ensure that professionals have the time, skills and support needed to safeguard unborn babies and infants effectively.

Panel Chair, Sir David Holmes CBE said:

“Few tragedies are greater than the death of a baby, and baby Victoria’s is all the more devastating because her parents caused it.

“Baby Victoria lived in a family where there had been several concealed pregnancies, repeated child removals, domestic abuse, lack of engagement with services, serious offending and frequent moves. These are risks we see time and again in serious safeguarding incidents, and they are examined in depth in our review.

“While baby Victoria’s death was rare, her status as a vulnerable unborn baby and then a vulnerable infant is not. Last year, more than 5,000 unborn babies and infants under one were on child protection plans. Their parents are struggling, often disengaged from services, and many receive little support.

“A key lesson from baby Victoria’s story is clear: to protect vulnerable babies better, we must support their parents too. That may be hard to hear and hard to understand, but it is essential if we are to stop cycles of harm from repeating. Safeguarding professionals need the time, skills and resources to understand why families disengage and to address the underlying issues - whatever they may be - domestic abuse, substance use, mental health, trauma after previous child removals or anything else.

“That is why we are calling for improved national guidance for safeguarding vulnerable unborn babies and infants, and better support for parents whose children are removed. These changes will help reduce future harm.

“We cannot prevent every act of extreme parental harm - but we can reduce the risks in families and help people to move forward. That must be baby Victoria’s legacy.”

Out-of-school settings: safeguarding guidance for providers updated

Source: Department for Education published on this website Tuesday 10 February 2026 by Jill Powell

Updated Safeguarding guidance, e-learning and resources for providers of after-school clubs, activities and tuition, and other out-of-school settings.

02 February 2026 the guidance was updated to include the 'DBS checks when self-employed or volunteering' section to include updated information on Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS checks and reflect changes to DBS advice on eligibility. Further minor updates made for formatting and accessibility.