Updates to Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2026

The updates to Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026) signal a clear shift towards a more proactive safeguarding system that prioritises Early Help and Family Support, alongside a reflective approach grounded in a strong learning culture, greater accountability through evidence of impact, and more effective collaboration across multi-agency partnerships. One of the most significant developments is the strengthened emphasis on learning culture, with increased expectations for professionals to actively learn from serious safeguarding incidents and reviews. The focus is now on identifying systemic issues rather than attributing blame to individuals, alongside demonstrating how learning leads to measurable improvements in practice. As a result, safeguarding is increasingly understood as a process of continuous improvement rather than simple compliance.

The guidance continues to highlight the importance of safeguarding supervision. Supervision sessions play a vital role in encouraging critical reflection on cases, including mistakes and findings from serious case reviews, helping to inform practice and strengthen those working on the frontline. The guidance reinforces this by highlighting that lead practitioners should have access to high-quality supervision, which is essential in maintaining a clear focus on the child’s welfare and supporting practitioners to reflect on the impact of their decisions on children and families. Ongoing supervision also supports continuing professional development and professional accountability.

In light of these changes, policies should be treated as working documents. Now is an important time for organisations to review their Safeguarding and Child Protection and Behaviour policies to ensure they reflect the strengthened expectations around learning, reflection, supervision, and continuous improvement.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. It doesn't rely on one DSL, one policy or one organisation. We must work collaboratively together to support children and families as early as possible and to learn from the past to continually improve practice over time. This cannot be achieved in silos so if you don't currently have Supervision in in place, get in touch.