Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC) published on this website Thursday 1 October 2026 by Jill Powell

CQC are developing new guidance on what good dementia care should look like across health and social care services. Before we launch a planned formal consultation on the guidance in early 2027, we would like your views to help shape the guidance before we start to write it.

This work aims to improve people’s experience of dementia care and their outcomes from care, including people who are living with dementia, their families and carers. Everyone should be able to expect to receive care that treats them as an individual person – recognising what matters most to them, and responding to their needs with dignity, compassion and understanding.

Why DBS are developing this guidance

The guidance will form part of our Dementia Strategy. It will be statutory guidance, which means that CQC-registered care providers must follow it. We want the guidance to create a clear, shared understanding of what people living with dementia should be able to expect from care services, and what good dementia care looks like in practice.

The purpose of the guidance is to:

• describe what good dementia care looks like
• support health and adult social care providers to deliver high-quality care
• promote consistency across services
• protect and promote people’s rights
• improve experiences of care for people living with dementia and their carers.

We will need to combine evidence from our regulatory work, professional expertise and people’s lived experience into a practical framework that care providers and professionals can use to help deliver high-quality dementia care across different settings.

Take part in the survey

CQC are now moving to the co-design phase of developing the guidance. We want to hear a broad range of views from organisations and individual people who have knowledge, experience or an interest in this area about what the guidance should include.

The survey has 4 questions. Please submit your responses by 5pm on 30 October.

Before you answer the questions click

CQC staff will analyse the information you include in your response to this survey. CQC are not collecting any personal data, so please do not include any personal information in your responses.

You can find more information in our privacy statement.

Please do not include any personal information in your responses.

If you have any problems completing this form, please email our web team.

How CQC use your information

CQC staff will analyse the information you include in your response to this survey. We are not collecting any personal data, so please do not include any personal information in your responses.

You can find more information in our privacy statement.

Source: Department of Justice published on this website Tuesday 29 September 2026 by Jill Powell

The Justice Minister today launched a new public communications campaign to mark significant progress for victims of sexual crime.

Launching the ‘Justice is Changing’ campaign, Naomi Long said it demonstrates a commitment by the Department of Justice to deliver for victims across Northern Ireland.

The campaign aims to highlight the services introduced by the Department to support victims of sexual abuse; many of which were developed in response to the Gillen Review, an independent review of the handling of serious sexual offence cases within the Northern Ireland justice system.

Ms Long said: “Victims of sexual crime told the Gillen Review that the justice process could often exacerbate their trauma; particularly through unnecessary delays, invasions of privacy, and a lack of timely support and information.

“We have listened to these concerns and directly addressed them through a range of new measures.

“I hope this campaign raises public awareness of the services that are now available and that it will encourage victims to come forward and report these crimes and to remain within the justice system until their case concludes”. 

The services introduced by the Department and its partners include:

• Establishing new Remote Evidence Centres (RECs) in Belfast and Craigavon alongside the existing NSPCC-led facility in Derry/Londonderry that allow victims to give evidence in a safe, specially designed environment away from the courthouse and where there is no chance they will meet the defendant on the day of the trial. In 2025, over 600 vulnerable witnesses gave evidence from a REC. The conviction rate in REC cases stands consistently at around 90%;
• The Adult Sexual Offences Legal Advisor (SOLA) scheme provides publicly funded legal advice to adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases, with over 2,200 people benefitting from the scheme since its launch in 2021. The service has since been extended to children, with more than 400 child victims benefiting from support provided by a CSOLA since its launch in 2025;
• The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) NI Act 2022 introduced stronger anonymity protection for victims, increased penalties for breaches of anonymity laws, and allowed for the exclusion of the public from courtrooms during serious sexual offence trials;
• The Rape Myths = Real Harm social media campaign has worked to dispel misinformation about sexual crimes;
• Committal reform has removed the requirement for victims of sexual offences to give oral evidence at two separate hearings; reducing delay and reducing the burden on victims;
• The judge-led Under 13/16 Protocol is also reducing delay in sexual offence cases involving young children; and,
• The Belfast Domestic Abuse Contest Court was set up to put victims of domestic and sexual abuse first. All complainants give evidence from the Belfast Remote Evidence Centre with specialist prosecutors and support services. The Court starts at 11am so people can attend to family commitments first. The conviction rate is consistently around 90%.

The Minister continued: “We have made good progress but I’m determined to keep going and build on the measures already in place. 

We are working towards the introduction of a Barnahus type model to Northern Ireland; the creation of guidance for the media in relation to the reporting of rape and other sexual crimes and the introduction of new measures in the Victims & Witnesses Bill, introduced to the assembly in June, that will further protect the disclosure of complainants’ personal information, including counselling notes and medical records. 

Sexual assault is one of the most heinous and violating crimes, and it can have a devastating and lasting impact on victims. As Justice Minister, I will do all I can to ensure that the justice system does not exacerbate that trauma.”

The ‘Justice is Changing’ campaign will run across the Department’s social media channels. Full details of the changes made by the Department as part of the Gillen implementation programme can be found at: Gillen Review Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in NI | Department of Justice

Source: Department of Education published on this website Wednesday 30 September 2026 by Jill Powell

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduced an information sharing duty statutory guidance to provide clarity for Practitioner 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.

• 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.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review and Relevant Agency (England) Regulations 2018 3 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.

Section 11(4) of the Children Act 2004 requires persons and bodies to which the section 11 duty applies to have regard to any guidance given to them by the Secretary of State.

Section 7 LA Social Services Act 1970 requires LAs to act, in their social services function, under the general guidance of the Secretary of State.

Section 11(1) Children Act 2004

Designated childcare or education agencies are listed in 2018 Regulations

Source: Department of Work and Pensions published on this website Monday 28 September 2026 by Jill Powell

Under the scheme, eligible young people on health benefits will be offered a guaranteed job on a voluntary basis from week 13 after their Work Capability Assessment.

They will receive mentoring and tailored support with their mental health, finances and housing to prepare them for work, while employers will be supported with onboarding costs.

The government will also cover 100% of wage costs up to 25 hours a week for six months.

The move marks a significant expansion of the Jobs Guarantee, a government scheme launched earlier this year for long-term unemployed young people aged 18 to 24 who have been claiming Universal Credit for 18 months.

The expansion to young people on health benefits will start from April 2027 and comes as part of the government’s £3.5 billion investment to deliver the most significant employment reforms in a generation to tackle the UK’s persistently high disability employment gap.

These reforms include the ‘right to try’ guarantee announced earlier this year, which will enable those on sickness benefits to try to work without the immediate fear of losing their benefits.

Earlier this year, Alan Milburn’s interim report found that nearly half of young people who are NEET in the UK (45%) report having a disability - more than doubling from 21.1% in 2013/14.

Widening eligibility for the scheme to young disabled people means thousands will have the chance to join the scheme which is intended to help up to 90,000 young people into work by the end of the Parliament.

This comes as part of the government’s efforts to tackle the UK’s persistently high disability employment gap, including the ‘right to try’ announced earlier this year, which will enable those on sickness benefits to try work without the immediate fear of losing their benefits.

The government believes every young person should have the opportunity to earn or learn, with £2.5 billion committed over the next three years to Youth Guarantee schemes including £3,000 payments for businesses who hire a young person out of work for six months, and an expansion of youth apprenticeships.

Emma Taylor, Chief People Officer at Tesco, said:

We welcome the Government’s expansion of the Jobs Guarantee, which will help more young people with disabilities and long-term health conditions access the opportunities, experience and support they need to get started in the world of work.

At Tesco, we’ve always been committed to helping young people develop the skills and confidence required for a long-term career, and we recognise that creating more ways into employment for those facing additional barriers is vital if every young person is to have the chance to fulfil their potential.

As a Disability Confident Leader, inclusion is a long-standing priority for Tesco and we’re proud to support initiatives that help widen access to work while creating meaningful opportunities for more young people to succeed.

Harriet Edwards, Director of Influencing at the national disability charity Sense, said:

We welcome investment that gives more young disabled people the opportunity to get into work. Too many who want to work are still locked out by barriers, including a lack of appropriate support, inaccessible workplaces and negative attitudes.

These jobs must be accessible, work for the individual and lead to lasting opportunities. Young disabled people need tailored support and inclusive workplaces, and success should be measured not just by how many start a job, but whether they have the support and opportunities to build the future they choose.