Source: Office for Products, Safety and Standards published on this website Tuesday 21 July 2026 by Jill Powell

Government has told businesses they must not rely on final product testing alone to assure the absence of asbestos in toys. 

Following a growing number of product recalls due to asbestos contamination, the Government is reminding businesses that they must be able to demonstrate that toys containing sand are safe before they are placed on the UK market.  

Businesses should have robust supply chain assurance in place to demonstrate that products are free from asbestos contamination. Product testing may form part of that assurance, but testing alone is not sufficient.  

They should therefore review their supply chains, take any necessary action to address risks, and maintain evidence demonstrating that products are safe and free from asbestos contamination. 

OPSS Chief Executive, Graham Russell said:  

“Parents should be able to trust that the toys they buy for their children are safe. We know the recent recalls have caused concern, and that’s why we’re reminding businesses of their responsibility to understand and manage the risks in their supply chains.

“The Government will hold businesses to account for ensuring they have the right checks and controls in place and can demonstrate that the products they sell are safe.”

Where asbestos is identified in products, businesses should take immediate action to protect consumers, including product withdrawal or recall. 

Consumers can find out more information about products that have been recalled and access advice here: Asbestos in consumer products - GOV.UK 

Businesses can read the advisory note on Assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys.

Source: Child Safeguarding Review Panel published on this website Friday 17 July 2026 by Jill Powell

Published in February 2026, the review Protecting all vulnerable babies better highlights the complex vulnerabilities faced by babies and unborn infants and calls for clearer national guidance, stronger multi-agency working and more effective information sharing to ensure that risks are identified and responded to at the earliest possible stage.

In its response, the Government has committed to strengthening early identification of risk, particularly during pregnancy and the first year of life, to ensure coordinated responses to the key factors associated with serious harm and death. This includes improvements to maternity, health visiting and primary care services, alongside expanded perinatal mental health support and the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs. Together, these measures aim to ensure that vulnerability is recognised earlier and that families receive timely, coordinated support.

The Government is also introducing stronger safeguarding systems and protections. Under the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work towards, a new duty will require agencies to share information and establish multi-agency child protection teams in every area, improving coordination and strengthening decision-making to better protect babies and unborn children.

Action is already underway to strengthen support for families at risk of babies entering care, particularly where parents have experienced the trauma of previous removals. For example, the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme helps safeguarding partners use funding and local arrangements to better support birth parents by addressing underlying issues such as trauma, domestic abuse, mental health needs, and substance use.

Since the Panel’s review, the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work with has also been strengthened to ensure babies are explicitly recognised as a priority group across both children’s and adult services. This gives professionals the information they need to help risk identification, pre-birth planning and for the first time, recognises the need to consider support for parents who have previously had a child removed from their care.

Panel Chair, Sir David Holmes CBE, said:

“The landmark changes the Government is implementing because of our national review are a positive step in the right direction, but unless they are fully delivered in practice, vulnerable babies will remain at risk.

“As babies feature so often in serious safeguarding incidents, what we see on paper must turn into real, lasting change to ensure that every baby is given the safest possible start in life.

“The Panel will do everything it can to help drive these improvements forward.”

Babies and unborn infants continue to form the largest group of children in safeguarding incidents – the latest figures reveal over 75 babies died last year – a stark reminder of the urgent need for strengthened, system-wide action. Babies under one made up over 60% of deaths seen in serious incident notifications last year.

These measures are a positive step forward to keep vulnerable babies safe and the Panel will work closely with the Government to deliver on today’s commitments and ensure that Victoria’s short life is honoured through meaningful, lasting change to better protect babies and unborn children.

Source: Church of England published on this website Monday 20 July 2026 by Jill Powell

This independent review, commissioned from thirtyone:eight, examines the Church of England’s handling of case TT, focusing on the response to allegations of rape, sexual abuse and spiritual abuse by two clergy youth officers, together with the Church’s subsequent management of those disclosures and the National Safeguarding Team (NST) investigation undertaken between 2019 and 2022. The allegations were first reported in 2001 but relate to events which occurred from 1979 and 1992.

The review considers the involvement of, and the actions taken by, the Dioceses of Southwark, Oxford and Leeds in response to TT’s allegations and related matters. The review considered whether the Church’s actions were thorough, proportionate, just, and consistent with safeguarding best practice, particularly in relation to survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches.

Key recommendations include embedding survivor-centred and trauma-informed practice throughout safeguarding processes, strengthening record keeping and communication standards, improving workforce stability and professional development, clarifying information-sharing arrangements, recognising spiritual abuse within safeguarding frameworks, establishing clearer routes to apology, accountability and redress, and implementing independent safeguarding scrutiny and oversight.

The review also notes examples of good practice, including the support provided by TT’s advocate, pastoral engagement and apologies from current diocesan leaders, and efforts by some individuals to pursue what they described as the “right moral response” beyond the limitations of formal safeguarding processes.

The review acknowledges that Dioceses and the NST have begun implementing changes that address some of the recommendations in this report.

Kevin Crompton was appointed as the ICIR in September 2023 with a remit to progress the case reviews promised by the former Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) to a group of survivors referred to as the ‘ISB 11’.

The Church of England’s Lead Safeguarding Bishop, Bishop Robert Springett, and the National Director of Safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, said in response to the review:

“We would like to pay tribute to TT for the courage, determination and perseverance she has shown in engaging with this review, which has looked at both when she originally reported in dioceses and then came to the National Safeguarding Team in 2019. We are deeply sorry for the abuse she reported, and for the profound impact it has had on her life. We are also sorry that her experience of Church safeguarding left her feeling unsupported and further traumatised.

“We welcome the publication of this review, which was commissioned following the Archbishops’ Council appointing Kevin Crompton to look at the work promised by the former Independent Safeguarding Board, ISB. It raises important issues about how the Church of England responds to survivors, and about trauma-informed practice, communication and accountability.

“As the National Safeguarding Team's independent audit (by INEQE) shows, the NST has undergone significant transformation in recent years and is now a professional national function focused on improving safeguarding practice across the Church of England. Key safeguarding standards inform all our work. We are aware that our approach now is different to when the NST started, but we are committed to learning from this review as we continue to improve safeguarding across the Church of England. The recommendations in the review will now be considered in detail and monitored via the Safeguarding Data Analysis, Research and Evaluation (DARE) Unit and the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG).”

Download the report

Source: Metropolitan Police published on this website Thursday 16 July 2026 by Jill Powell

A Met officer has been dismissed without notice after he abused his position of power over a female colleague for a sexual purpose.

A misconduct hearing found Chief Inspector Kevin Weeden, attached to the Public Order Command, abused his position of power over a female colleague for a sexual purpose.

Chief Superintendent Clair Haynes, who leads the command, said: 

“Ch Insp Weeden used his far more senior position to exert control over a junior member of staff, exploiting a clear imbalance of power, and subjecting her to unwanted attention.

“His behaviour very clearly did not meet the high standards we expect of all our officers and staff and he has now been held to account for his actions.

“From identifying the misconduct to Ch Insp Weeden’s dismissal today is just 12 weeks. It demonstrates the Met’s commitment to pursue those who commit misconduct and impact the trust and confidence the public and our own people have in the Met.”

The hearing, on Tuesday 14 July, heard that Ch Insp Weeden pursued a sexual and/or emotional relationship, engaged in inappropriate communications, and failed to declare or appropriately manage the professional relationship despite the officer working under his supervision.

Between November 2024 and February 2026, he engaged in persistent and unwanted contact with the same officer, continuing to send her messages despite being asked to stop.

The hearing found allegations Ch Insp Weeden breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, equality and diversity, and duties and responsibilities proven at the level of gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

He will also be added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing him re-joining the police or working for a number of other policing-related bodies.