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Statements from the Defence Secretary and the Army, in response to today’s proceedings at Catterick Military Court, in the case of Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd.

Source: Ministry of Defence published on this site Friday 18 September 2026 by Jill Powell

Defence Secretary Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP said:

“No family should have to go through the loss that Jaysley-Louise’s family are having to deal with every single day. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones. I commend the bravery and determination they have shown in pursuing the change needed in our Armed Forces.

“Every person who serves in our Armed Forces is owed a duty of care, and all have a responsibility to uphold standards of behaviour befitting the uniform they wear.

“The Army has accepted all of the findings identified by the Service Inquiry and responded to the recommendations to improve Service life across its culture, policies, and practices.

“While significant reforms have been introduced since Jaysley-Louise’s tragic death, including commissioning the first-ever Armed Forces sexualised behaviour and sexual harassment survey, appointing the first Armed Forces Commissioner, and strengthening the Victim Witness Care Unit and Defence Serious Crime Command, there is more to do.

“I am deeply committed to improving how complaints and crimes are reported and investigated. Service personnel must have confidence that unacceptable and criminal behaviour will be tackled, that concerns will be acted upon, and that they will be supported when they come forward. Jaysley-Louise’s family have my commitment that I will continue to drive the changes needed to ensure every voice is heard.

“I encourage anyone who has experienced a sexual offence to seek support and report it. Information on reporting options, specialist support services and help available within and outside Defence can be found on the Defence support: sexual offences guidance on GOV.UK.”

Brigadier Melissa Emmett, Head of Army Personnel Services Group (APSG), speaking on behalf of the Chief of the General Staff and the Army, said:

“To Jaysley-Louise’s family, we remain deeply sorry for the circumstances surrounding her death, and reiterate my and the Army’s deepest condolences to you, her family, and to her friends.

“The conclusion of this independent court martial brings the legal process in this case to an end., We recognise the impact that this process has had on all those involved and that there is no outcome that will lessen the profound loss Jaysley-Louise’s family continues to live with every day.

“In the years since Jaysley-Louise’s untimely death, the Army has acted on the findings of the service inquiry, the inquest, and subsequent investigations as we seek to drive improvements to our culture. We are raising expectations of behaviour, strengthening leadership at every level, and improving the way concerns are reported and addressed. Our focus is on creating an environment where people feel confident and safe to speak up, where reports of unacceptable or criminal behaviour are taken seriously, and where prompt and appropriate action follows.

“Those personnel who have been subject to these proceedings will continue to receive all appropriate “support and must be enabled to return to duties as serving members of the Army.

We are determined to build a culture founded on respect, trust and accountability, and to continue our work to stamp out abuse and unacceptable behaviour affecting our people. We encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of a crime to report it to the police.”

Police officer who fostered toxic culture and requested explicit video is jailed

Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published on this website Thursday 17 September 2026

A former police officer has been jailed for misconduct in public office after he requested a sexually explicit video from a female suspect’s phone.

Paul Street, 41, a former sergeant with Cambridge Constabulary, was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office following a trial at the Old Bailey. He also previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Data Protection Act 2018

Street was formerly based at Cambourne Police Station in 2021 and was leading a team focused on tackling county lines drug supply and organised crime.

During the trial, jurors heard how Street encouraged a toxic WhatsApp culture within his team, sharing abusive messages with fellow officers and using inflammatory language.

Following an incident in April 2020, Street made derogatory comments about a 17-year-old detainee following his arrest and strip search. He encouraged the use of violence and recorded a video threatening to damage the family home of the teenager.

In October 2020, a woman was arrested and her mobile phone was examined by PC Josh Williams, 38, also of Cambridgeshire Constabulary. After being informed of the phone download, Street asked if there were any explicit images.

PC Williams shared an image showing the woman in her underwear and described a sexually intimate video. Street later asked to see the sexually explicit video from the device, saying he wanted to ‘show it to the lads at footy’.

PC Williams, of Huntingdon, pleaded guilty on 27 May 2025 to misconduct in public office.

Street also committed offences under the Data Protection Act by sharing screenshots from a police computer system with his then partner. These contained personal data relating to members of the public who had made complaints against him.

Today at the Old Bailey, Street was jailed for a total of four years, while PC Williams was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment.

The prosecution followed an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Lisa Rose, Senior Specialist Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division, said:

“This case exposed a sustained pattern of unacceptable conduct by a police officer who abused his position of trust. Paul Street repeatedly crossed clear professional boundaries, by encouraging the mistreatment of detainees and seeking access to intimate material that had no place in a criminal investigation.

“Police officers are entrusted with significant powers and are expected to uphold the highest standards at all times. Members of the public should have confidence that any personal material obtained during an investigation will be handled lawfully and appropriately.

“The actions of Paul Street and Joshua Williams represented a serious breach of that trust.”

OSCR concludes inquiry into Harvest Ministries Limited

Source: Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)

OSCR has published its inquiry report into Harvest Ministries Limited (SC004545), which examined the charity's handling of safeguarding concerns and the oversight exercised by its trustees.

The report highlights the importance of robust safeguarding procedures, clear decision-making, effective record keeping and the appropriate management of conflicts of interest.

Read the inquiry report here: Inquiry Report: Harvest Ministries Limited (SC004545).

The Secretary of State has apologised to families and set out urgent action following the Thirlwall Inquiry’s findings, published on 15 September.

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

The Health and Social Care Secretary has set out immediate actions to strengthen patient safety, safeguarding and accountability across the NHS, following the publication of Lady Justice Thirlwall’s final report into the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The Thirlwall Inquiry found serious failures of governance, leadership and safeguarding, with opportunities missed to act on concerns and protect babies from harm.

Responding to the findings in Parliament, the Health and Social Care Secretary said safeguarding must be at the heart of the NHS and that the government would act on the inquiry’s recommendations to help prevent such failures happening again.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“The suffering endured by these babies and their families is impossible to comprehend.

“On behalf of the government and the health service, I am profoundly sorry for the failures set out so clearly in this report.

“For the harm, distress and unthinkable loss for their families. For the failures by the NHS to keep babies safe.”

The government has begun work on a series of measures while it considers the inquiry’s recommendations in full, including:

urgent work to develop plans for CCTV, including ‘cot cams’, in neonatal settings to improve safety and provide reassurance to parents
new guidance on the safe use and storage of insulin and strengthened guidance for medical examiners reviewing neonatal deaths
plans to regulate NHS managers through a barring scheme for senior leaders who fail in their responsibilities
continued rollout of the National Bereavement Care Pathway for families experiencing neonatal loss, with all NHS trusts now signed up to implement it
creation of a single tracker to monitor delivery of recommendations from major maternity and neonatal reviews and inquiries, helping ensure reforms are implemented and progress is transparent

In Parliament, the Health and Social Care Secretary said:

“The safety and care for babies, the safeguarding of every patient, the respect for families - all these go right to the heart of our NHS values.

“The inquiry recognises that in many areas things have changed since these terrible events took place, including welcome improvements at the Countess in services for women and children.

“However, the inquiry is clear that new action is needed.

“I take these recommendations extremely seriously and the government will of course consider the entire report and set out a full response.

Statutory guidance: Information sharing to safeguard children and young people September 2026

Source: Department for Education published on this website Monday 14 September 2026 by Jill Powell

Statutory information sharing duty guidance 2026 for practitioners and organisations providing safeguarding and welfare services for children and young people.

Summary of Guidance

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduced an information sharing duty to provide clarity for practitioners on what and when they should share information for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Local safeguarding arrangements, practices and procedures, alongside pre-existing statutory responsibilities, then determine how this information should be shared, and with whom. As with all processing of personal data, data protection law determines how to do so appropriately. This guidance explains what organisations and practitioners must do to comply with the information sharing duty under section 16LA (s16LA) of the Children Act 2004, and what they should do to ensure consistent and effective information sharing to safeguard children and promote their welfare. Organisations to whom the information sharing duty applies must have regard to this guidance in accordance with s16LA(6) of the Children Act 20041. This document should be complied with, unless exceptional circumstances arise. Regulators and inspectorates may consider compliance when assessing effectiveness. Legislation this publication refers to This guidance refers to section 16LA of the Children Act 2004 (s16LA), as amended by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act.

This guidance applies to organisations in England, within s16LA(4), including:

Section 11(1) Children Act 2004 organisations (e.g. local authorities, Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts, the police, prison and probation services, youth justice services, and youth custody services)2. • Designated childcare or education agencies for the purposes of section 16E3.
Providers delivering services pursuant to arrangements made by the above for functions relating to safeguarding and promoting welfare. This includes GPs, dentists, and other primary care providers.
Organisations and practitioners to whom the information sharing duty does not apply may find this guidance helpful for best practice, and for understanding how the statutory safeguarding framework, which they contribute information to, operates.