Safeguarding Spotlight: Key News, Research and Resources You Shouldn't Miss
Safeguarding continues to evolve across education, health, social care, criminal justice and wider society. We've brought together some of the latest developments and resources that may be of interest to safeguarding professionals, leaders and organisations.
Shore: a safe space for young people worried about sexual behaviour
This paper analyses conversations between young people and Shore advisors during the service’s first seven months, between July 2023 and January 2024.
This provides a rare insight into the experiences of young people seeking help at an early stage, often before any contact with professionals or statutory services. We help them take action to manage their behaviour and prevent sexual harm.
New National Security Designations Introduced
The Government has formally designated the first organisations under new state threats legislation, strengthening powers to tackle hostile activity linked to foreign states. The changes create new offences relating to supporting or assisting designated organisations and aim to improve national security protections.
Border Force Warns Young People About Drug Smuggling
Border Force has launched a summer campaign warning young travellers about organised criminals targeting them with offers of "free holidays" or cash in exchange for transporting illegal drugs.
The campaign reminds young people that they remain legally responsible for anything they carry and highlights the devastating long-term consequences of becoming involved in organised crime.
Beyond the Headlines: Violence Affecting Young People
The Youth Endowment Fund's latest report explores what lies behind recent headlines about violence affecting children and young people, examining evidence, trends and the factors that influence serious violence.
The Youth Sector's Role in Preventing Violence
A second Youth Endowment Fund report highlights the valuable contribution youth organisations make in preventing violence, building trusted relationships and creating protective environments for young people.
State of Child Health 2026
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has introduced its State of Child Health 2026, bringing together evidence on children's health, inequalities and the factors influencing outcomes across the UK.
Home Again Guidance Published
The Government has published new Home Again guidance for Regional Care Cooperatives and partner organisations, supporting children to safely return home from care where this is in their best interests.
The guidance emphasises careful planning, partnership working and ensuring families receive the support needed to make reunification successful.
Supporting Children Exploring Sexuality and Gender Identity
The NSPCC has reported that Childline delivered 2,457 counselling sessions during 2025/26 relating to sexuality and gender identity.
The most common reason children contacted Childline was concerns about coming out, alongside questioning their sexuality or gender identity, experiencing discrimination and prejudice, and living with gender dysphoria.
Loneliness Continues to Affect Thousands of Children
Childline also reported delivering almost 4,900 counselling sessions relating to loneliness, an increase of 7% compared with the previous year.
Many young people described struggling with significant life transitions, feeling isolated and finding it difficult to build friendships.
Final Thoughts
Across all of these developments, one clear theme emerges: effective safeguarding depends upon seeing the whole person, not simply the presenting issue.
Whether supporting a lonely teenager, responding to online harm, recognising the impact of discrimination, strengthening partnership working or ensuring fair decision-making, safeguarding professionals must remain curious, compassionate and evidence-informed.
At RLB, we continue to monitor the latest safeguarding developments, translating complex guidance into practical learning that helps organisations strengthen culture, leadership and frontline practice.
Because safeguarding isn't just about compliance, it's about creating safer environments where people can thrive.