1999 – Original guidance introducedThe first version established a national framework for how agencies work together to safeguard children.
2018 – Major revision
The guidance strengthened multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and clarified responsibilities for local safeguarding partners.
2023 – Current main statutory version
The most recent full revision introduced significant changes, including the family help model, clearer multi-agency expectations, and stronger focus on early intervention.
2026 – Clarifications and updates published
The 2026 update does not replace the 2023 framework but introduces additional clarifications, strengthened safeguarding themes, and updated references to emerging safeguarding risks.
Core practice updates to know
• Remember the guidance now makes clearer that safeguarding applies to all children, including those living with birth family, extended family, in kinship care, under special guardianship, adopted, looked after, in foster care, or in residential settings.
• Be aware that concerns about unborn children must also be considered. Practitioners should think about help, support and protection before birth where concerns are present.
• Understand that leaders are expected to create inclusive, anti-discriminatory cultures. Practitioners are now more explicitly expected to challenge racism and discrimination.
• Refresh staff awareness of harms that may be less visible or harder to spot, including coercive control, abusive behaviour in intimate relationships, child sexual abuse, and teenage relationship abuse.
• Recognise that children may experience multiple harms at the same time. This is now reinforced more clearly in the updated guidance.
Early help, child protection, and family support
• Note the stronger emphasis on “family help.” The guidance explains that targeted early help and section 17 support should work as a more seamless offer, with consistent practitioner relationships and a family help plan led by a multidisciplinary team.
• Check that your setting understands anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice in safeguarding work.The update recognises that racism and past experiences can affect relationships with families and professionals.
• Update staff awareness around domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, infant abuse, and honour-, faith-, or belief-based abuse. These areas are specifically strengthened in the revised guidance.
• Include online harms and group-based exploitation in safeguarding thinking. These are now referenced more directly.
• Understand that assessments and planning should connect to existing family help plans or care planning where relevant.
• Be prepared to think more broadly about the child’s lived experience, not just isolated incidents. The guidance strengthens the expectation that support and protection should be considered in the round.
• For babies and very young children, keep “infants abuse” explicitly on the radar. This is one of the areas now highlighted in the updated content.
• Ensure concerns linked to domestic abuse are not overlooked just because the child is very young or non-verbal. Domestic abuse is specifically strengthened within the revised guidance.
• When there are safeguarding concerns, remember that direct work with the child remains important. The updated section 47 content strengthens expectations around robust multi-agency assessments and direct work with the child.
• Expect stronger emphasis on data sharing and information analysis across safeguarding partners.
• Know that police or the Crown Prosecution Service may share information with agencies supporting a child and family, where appropriate.
• Use the updated information sharing advice alongside safeguarding practice. The summary specifically adds reference to the government’s information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners.
• Be aware of the added reference to Operation Encompass guidance. This matters for settings supporting children affected by domestic abuse incidents.
• Expect greater focus on disproportionality and racism in safeguarding systems. Safeguarding partners are expected to analyse information to identify these issues more clearly.
• Check that your safeguarding culture supports respectful challenge and inclusive practice. This is now reinforced both at leadership level and within frontline safeguarding practice.
• Be aware that the guidance gives clearer attention to looked-after children, including accountability and the link between care planning and child protection planning.
• Understand that risks for looked-after children, including sexual exploitation and risks in residential settings, are more explicitly addressed.
Practice language and reference updates worth noting
• Familiarise yourself with “family group decision-making” terminology. The term is clarified in the updated guidance.
• Be aware that the glossary now includes new definitions or policies linked to family group decision making, group-based child sexual exploitation, honour-based abuse, and kinship care arrangements.
• Note that health terminology has been updated from “named practitioner” to “named professional” or “named health professional” in relevant health contexts.
• Know that the summary adds links to further resources, including Operation Encompass, interim guidance for independent child trafficking guardians, child knife possession offences, CSA Centre guidance on communicating with children, and the Prisoners’ Families Helpline.
For most early years practitioners, the biggest practical messages are these:
keep unborn babies in safeguarding thinking, strengthen awareness of domestic abuse / coercive control / child sexual abuse / online harms / honour-based abuse, work in an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory way, understand that children may face multiple harms at once, and be ready to share information appropriately within stronger multi-agency systems.
Kim Tupper is the Founder of EYFS Training Hub, providing practical, high-quality safeguarding and early years training for childminders and early years teams.
Explore our training or get in touch to find out more.
