Key Legislation and Guidance
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Last review date: 15th October 2026
Safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance provide the framework for protecting children, young people and adults from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.
Safeguarding responsibilities apply across a wide range of sectors, including education, health and social care, charities, workplaces, sports organisations and public-facing services.
Below are the key Acts of Parliament, statutory guidance and safeguarding frameworks relevant to organisations across the UK.
As safeguarding legislation differs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, organisations should ensure they follow the requirements relevant to their location and sector.
England - Key Legislation and Guidance
Children and Young People
Children Act 1989 – Establishes the legal framework for children's welfare, child protection enquiries and support for children in need.
Children Act 2004 – Strengthens multi-agency safeguarding responsibilities and cooperation between organisations.
Children and Young Persons Act 1933 – Includes criminal law protections against child cruelty and neglect.
Children and Families Act 2014 – Provides for children's welfare, family support and special educational needs and disabilities.
Children and Social Work Act 2017 – Reforms children's social care, safeguarding partnerships and child safeguarding practice reviews.
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 – Introduces reforms relating to children's welfare, safeguarding, information sharing and education. Some provisions are subject to phased commencement.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 – Statutory guidance updated in March 2026 on multi-agency working, early help, child protection and safeguarding responsibilities.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 – Statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges, effective 1 September 2026.
Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework – Establishes safeguarding and welfare requirements for early years providers. Use the September 2026 frameworks.
Children's Social Care National Framework – Statutory guidance setting out expectations and outcomes for children's social care, updated July 2026.
Information Sharing to Safeguard Children and Young People – September 2026 statutory guidance on sharing relevant information to safeguard children.
What to Do if You're Worried a Child Is Being Abused – Practical guidance for practitioners identifying and responding to child protection concerns.
Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 – Statutory guidance on childcare disqualification arrangements.
Promoting the Education of Looked-after and Previously Looked-after Children – Statutory guidance on supporting the educational needs and wellbeing of children in care and previously looked-after children.
Adult Safeguarding and Mental Health
Care Act 2014 – Establishes adult safeguarding duties, including Section 42 enquiries, Safeguarding Adults Boards and Safeguarding Adults Reviews.
Care and Support Statutory Guidance – Guidance on implementing the Care Act, including adult safeguarding responsibilities under Chapter 14.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 – Establishes principles for supporting people aged 16 and over who may lack capacity to make particular decisions.
Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice – Guidance on applying the Mental Capacity Act in practice.
Mental Health Act 1983 – Provides the legal framework for assessment, detention and treatment in specified mental health circumstances.
Mental Health Act 2025 – Reforms mental health legislation, including patient rights and safeguards, with phased implementation.
Abuse, Exploitation and Protection
Sexual Offences Act 2003 – Establishes offences relating to sexual abuse, grooming, exploitation and abuse of positions of trust.
Domestic Abuse Act 2021 – Strengthens protections for victims of domestic abuse, including children who experience its effects.
Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance – Guidance on recognising and responding to domestic abuse.
Modern Slavery Act 2015 – Addresses slavery, forced labour, servitude and human trafficking.
Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance – Guidance on identifying and supporting potential victims of modern slavery.
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 – Establishes criminal offences relating to female genital mutilation.
Multi-agency Statutory Guidance on FGM – Guidance on prevention, identification, protection and professional reporting responsibilities.
Serious Crime Act 2015 – Includes provisions relating to coercive control, child cruelty and sexual communication with children.
Serious Crime Act 2007 – Includes offences relating to encouraging or assisting crime.
Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 – Provides civil protections for people experiencing or at risk of forced marriage.
Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 – Includes forced marriage offences and public protection measures.
Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – Provides protections against harassment and stalking.
Stalking Protection Act 2019 – Introduces Stalking Protection Orders.
Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 – Introduces criminal offences relating to upskirting.
Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 – Strengthens aspects of victims' rights, support and criminal justice arrangements.
Crime and Policing Act 2026 – Introduces reforms relating to child sexual abuse, criminal exploitation, regulated activity and reporting suspected child sexual offences. Commencement dates vary.
Safer Recruitment and Organisational Safeguarding
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 – Establishes the framework for barring individuals from regulated activity involving children and adults.
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 – Reforms criminal record checking and regulated activity arrangements.
Police Act 1997 – Provides the legislative foundation for criminal record disclosure arrangements.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 – Governs the disclosure of spent convictions, subject to relevant exceptions.
DBS Guidance – Guidance on DBS eligibility, criminal record checks, barring and referrals.
Working or Volunteering in Regulated Activity with Children – Guidance reflecting changes to regulated activity, including the removal of the supervision exemption from September 2026.
Charity Commission Safeguarding Guidance – Guidance for charities and trustees, updated October 2026 to reflect DBS changes and online safety requirements.
Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships and Safeguarding Adults Boards – Local arrangements supporting multi-agency safeguarding, accountability and learning from serious incidents.
Workplace Safeguarding, Equality and Human Rights
Human Rights Act 1998 – Protects fundamental rights and freedoms relevant to safeguarding.
Equality Act 2010 – Provides protections against discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 – Establishes a preventative duty for employers to take reasonable steps to prevent workplace sexual harassment.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Establishes responsibilities for workplace health, safety and welfare.
Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 – Provides legal protections for qualifying workers making protected disclosures.
Prevent, Online Safety and Data Protection
Terrorism Act 2000 – Establishes offences and powers relating to terrorism.
Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 – Establishes the Prevent duty for specified authorities.
Prevent Duty Guidance – Statutory guidance on preventing people from being drawn into terrorism.
Online Safety Act 2023 – Establishes online safety requirements for certain digital services, including protections for children.
Ofcom Online Safety Guidance – Regulatory guidance for services within the scope of the Online Safety Act.
Data Protection Act 2018 – Governs the protection and lawful processing of personal information alongside UK GDPR.
UK GDPR – Establishes principles for lawful, fair and secure handling of personal information.
Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 – Introduces changes to aspects of the UK's data protection framework.
Wales - Key Legislation and Guidance
Children Act 1989 – Establishes fundamental child welfare and protection provisions.
Children Act 2004 – Includes duties concerning children's wellbeing and cooperation between agencies.
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 – Establishes the main framework for social care and safeguarding children and adults in Wales.
Wales Safeguarding Procedures – National procedures for identifying and responding to concerns about children and adults at risk.
All Wales Practice Guides – Practice guidance on specific safeguarding risks and circumstances.
Working Together to Safeguard People: Code of Safeguarding Practice – Welsh Government guidance on safeguarding arrangements for organisations providing services and activities.
Welsh Government Safeguarding Guidance – Official collection of guidance on safeguarding children and adults, including statutory guidance under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act.
Single Unified Safeguarding Review – Guidance on Wales's approach to reviewing serious safeguarding incidents.
Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 – Establishes public body duties relating to long-term wellbeing.
Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011 – Establishes duties relating to consideration of children's rights.
Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 – Strengthens prevention, protection and support relating to violence and abuse.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 – Provides the legal framework for decision-making where capacity may be lacking.
Equality Act 2010 – Protects against discrimination and harassment.
Disclosure and Barring Service – Criminal record checks and barring arrangements relevant to safer recruitment.
Northern Ireland - Key Legislation and Guidance
Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 – Establishes the principal framework for children's welfare and protection.
Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 – Promotes cooperation between authorities to improve children's wellbeing.
Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland – Regional policy framework for safeguarding children across statutory, private and voluntary sectors.
Safeguarding Board Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 – Establishes the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland.
Guidance on Information Sharing for Child Protection Purposes – Guidance for relevant health and social care staff on sharing information to protect children.
Adult Safeguarding: Prevention and Protection in Partnership – Regional framework for preventing and responding to abuse of adults at risk.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 – Establishes the regulated activity and barring framework.
Regulated Activity in Relation to Children – September 2026 – Updated guidance reflecting the removal of the supervision exemption.
Criminal Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 – Includes provisions concerning reporting information about certain offences.
Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 – Provides a legal framework for capacity and certain interventions, subject to commencement.
Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 – Establishes domestic abuse offences and related protections.
Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 – Addresses trafficking, slavery and exploitation.
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland – Guidance on equality and anti-discrimination legislation.
AccessNI – Criminal record disclosure arrangements supporting safer recruitment.
Scotland - Key Legislation and Guidance
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 – Strengthens children's rights, wellbeing and support arrangements.
National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 – Updated 2023 – National guidance for child protection practice and multi-agency responsibilities.
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) – Scotland's national approach to promoting children's wellbeing.
Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 – Establishes duties and powers to protect adults at risk of harm.
Adult Support and Protection Code of Practice 2022 – Guidance on implementing adult protection responsibilities.
Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 – Includes changes to adult safeguarding information sharing, with relevant provisions effective January 2026.
Adult Support and Protection Guidance – Scottish Government guidance and resources, including information-sharing changes and the 2026 learning and development framework.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 – Establishes Scotland's PVG safeguarding scheme.
Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 – Reforms disclosure and PVG arrangements.
Disclosure Scotland – Guidance on criminal record disclosure and PVG requirements.
Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 – Provides a framework for decisions and interventions concerning adults who lack capacity.
Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 – Establishes the legal framework for mental health care, treatment and safeguards.
Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 – Criminalises domestic abuse, including patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour.
Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 – Provides for domestic abuse protection measures, subject to commencement.
Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 – Addresses human trafficking, slavery and exploitation.
Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 – Establishes criminal protections against FGM.
Prevent Duty Guidance – Guidance for specified authorities on preventing people from being drawn into terrorism.
The Promise Scotland – National commitment to improving the experiences of children and young people in care.
Equality Act 2010 – Provides protections against discrimination, harassment and victimisation.