26 October 2026 | RLB Safeguarding
A series of important publications and government announcements between 22 and 25 October 2026 have implications for safeguarding children and adults across education, health, social care, recruitment and the workplace.
This round-up examines the developments, what they mean in practice and where organisations should consider reviewing their arrangements.
1. CQC State of Care Report Highlights Leadership and Safeguarding Concerns
Published: 23 October 2026 | England
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its State of Care 2025/26 report, examining the quality of health and adult social care services across England.
The findings highlight a system experiencing significant pressures, with persistent inequalities in access to care, growing complexity of need and concerns about leadership and governance.
Among the key findings:
Of 3,783 assessed care homes, 30% were rated requires improvement or inadequate overall.
Around 34% of assessed care homes were rated requires improvement or inadequate for the well-led key question.
CQC identified concerns about delays in Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications and inconsistent record-keeping.
Some inspections identified restrictive practices that were not adequately linked to individual support plans or risk assessments.
Why this matters for safeguarding
The report reinforces the relationship between safeguarding effectiveness, organisational culture, leadership and accountability.
Policies alone cannot demonstrate that people are safe. Organisations must be able to evidence effective decision-making, lawful and proportionate restrictions, competent staff and meaningful oversight.
What should organisations consider?
Care providers should review safeguarding governance, Mental Capacity Act and DoLS arrangements, workforce competence and how emerging risks are escalated to senior leaders.
Source: CQC State of Care 2025/26
2. DfE Publishes New Guidance on Serious Violence in Education
Published: 22 October 2026; updated: 23 October 2026 | England
The Department for Education has published Understanding and Preventing Serious Violence in Education, a collection of six guidance documents supporting schools and colleges.
The guidance addresses physical violence, weapons, criminal exploitation and the safeguarding responsibilities of education settings.
It covers understanding risk, prevention, responding to incidents, supporting affected children and sharing information with safeguarding partners.
Why this matters for safeguarding
Serious violence must not be treated solely as a behaviour or disciplinary issue.
Children involved in violence may also be experiencing exploitation, coercion, threats or harm outside the education setting.
Effective responses require professional curiosity, appropriate referrals, multi-agency working and continued support after incidents.
What should organisations consider?
Education leaders and DSLs should review how they recognise serious violence risks, respond to incidents, support affected children and work with safeguarding partners.
The guidance does not introduce new expectations. It consolidates existing duties and recommendations.
The 23 October amendment clarifies the section concerning the Serious Violence Duty and educational authorities.
Source: DfE: Understanding and Preventing Serious Violence in Education
3. New Domestic Abuse Referral Programme Introduced Across 12 Areas
Published: 23 October 2026 | England
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the first phase of Steps to Safety, a programme designed to strengthen responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence within general practice.
The programme will support GP staff to recognise abuse and connect patients with specialist services.
Participating practices will have access to independent specialist workers who can provide advice, receive referrals, undertake risk assessments, support safety planning and advocate for patients.
Twelve integrated care boards have been selected for the first phase, with up to £34.4 million allocated over three years.
The government aims to achieve national provision by 2029.
Why this matters for safeguarding
Healthcare professionals may be among the few people outside a survivor's immediate circumstances who have opportunities to recognise abuse.
However, identifying concerns is only part of an effective safeguarding response.
Professionals also need confidence in sensitive enquiry, appropriate information-sharing, risk assessment and referral pathways.
What should organisations consider?
Healthcare providers should review staff training, domestic abuse procedures, specialist referral arrangements and how they respond when children or adults may be experiencing harm.
Source: DHSC: Steps to Safety Initiative
4. New Mental Health Pilot for Children Supported by Social Care
Published: 23 October 2026 | Greater Manchester
The government has announced Care Together, a pilot programme intended to improve access to mental health support for children and young people receiving support from children's social care.
The pilot will embed NHS mental health professionals within children's social care teams, aiming to provide more coordinated and timely support.
It will involve Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and the local authorities of Stockport, Tameside and Rochdale.
Up to £9.4 million will be invested over three years, with the programme covering up to 7,000 children and young people alongside their families and carers.
Why this matters for safeguarding
Children supported by social care may experience trauma, adversity, exploitation and complex emotional needs.
Fragmented services can create barriers to accessing support, particularly where children require coordinated responses from mental health, education and social care professionals.
The pilot offers an opportunity to test a more integrated, needs-led approach.
What should organisations consider?
Safeguarding partnerships should reflect on how effectively children's emotional wellbeing is considered within safeguarding assessments, care planning and multi-agency arrangements.
The programme is a pilot, and its outcomes will need evaluation before conclusions can be drawn about its effectiveness.
Source: DHSC: New Mental Health Pilot
5. DBS Introduces Easier Online Sharing of Basic Check Results
Published: 22 October 2026 | UK
The Disclosure and Barring Service has introduced a simpler process allowing applicants to share online basic DBS check results directly with employers and other organisations.
Applicants can select who receives access during the application process, with DBS providing a direct link to view the result.
The change aims to simplify recruitment administration and give applicants greater control over sharing their information.
Why this matters for safer recruitment
The development may improve the efficiency of basic DBS checks, but it does not change the eligibility criteria for different levels of DBS checks.
Organisations must continue to determine the appropriate level of check for each role and undertake proportionate safer recruitment processes.
A basic DBS check is not a substitute for an enhanced DBS check or barred list check where the role is eligible for those checks.
Source: DBS: New Online Sharing Service
6. Stronger Employment Protections Announced for Pregnant Women and New Parents
Published: 22 October 2026 | Great Britain
The government has announced plans to strengthen protections against unfair dismissal for pregnant employees and new parents from 2027.
The proposed approach will require employers to demonstrate that reasonable alternatives to dismissal have been considered.
Protections will also extend to employees taking certain forms of family-related leave, including adoption, shared parental, neonatal care and bereaved partner's paternity leave.
Why this matters for workplace wellbeing
Although primarily an employment rights development rather than a change to safeguarding legislation, the announcement is relevant to organisational culture, discrimination prevention and the welfare of employees.
Employers should ensure their policies and management practices promote fairness, dignity and appropriate support during pregnancy, family leave and return-to-work arrangements.
Current status: Announced reforms with implementation expected from 2027.
Source: Government: Stronger Protections for Pregnant Women and New Parents
7. Ofcom Calls for Stronger Protection Against Harmful Online Content
Published: 22 October 2026 | UK-wide
Ofcom has published its first statutory report on content harmful to children under section 63 of the Online Safety Act 2023.
The report examines children's exposure to harmful content and its potential impact on physical and psychological wellbeing.
Ofcom recommends that two additional categories receive priority protection under the legislation:
Body stigma content.
Depression content.
Why this matters for safeguarding
The findings reinforce the need to consider online harm beyond grooming, sexual exploitation and cyberbullying.
Content affecting children's body image, emotional wellbeing and mental health can also create significant safeguarding concerns.
Schools, youth organisations and other services should consider whether their safeguarding training and online safety education adequately address these risks.
Current status: Ofcom recommendations. The proposed additional categories are not yet changes to the law.
Source: Ofcom: Report on Content Harmful to Children
RLB Safeguarding: From Awareness to Action
Although these developments span different sectors, they reinforce several common safeguarding priorities: effective leadership, professional curiosity, early intervention, appropriate information-sharing and organisational accountability.
For safeguarding professionals, the challenge is not simply keeping pace with announcements, but understanding their implications and translating relevant learning into practice.
Organisations should also distinguish between existing statutory duties, updated guidance, pilot programmes and proposals awaiting implementation.
Effective safeguarding is not measured by how many policies an organisation holds, but by how consistently those arrangements protect people in practice.
At RLB Safeguarding, we support organisations through independent safeguarding audits, consultancy, training and reflective safeguarding supervision.
Our work helps organisations strengthen governance, identify emerging risks and embed safeguarding beyond compliance.
Contact RLB Safeguarding to discuss your organisation's safeguarding arrangements.