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For the first time, domestic abuse survivors will be protected in social housing law without having to flee, helping them keep their tenancy and stay safely in their home while the perpetrator is made to leave.

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published on this webpage Thursday 22 October 2025 by Jill Powell

A new measure tabled for the Social Housing Bill today (Tuesday 20 October) will stop survivors having to prove abuse again where a protection order is already in place. The proposals strengthen reforms in the Bill that will protect joint tenancies from abusive partners, helping end the choice between staying in danger and losing a home and support network.

Council tenants will also get stronger support to take charge of repairs, maintenance and communal services through a simpler Right to Manage, giving residents a clearer route to demand better when services fail.

Together, the reforms will put tenants first, raise standards and protect social homes, alongside the biggest investment in new social and affordable housing in a generation.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

“No survivor should have to choose between staying with their abuser or losing their home, community and support network. We are changing the law so the perpetrator, not the survivor, can be made to leave.

“Abusers will no longer be able to use a shared home as a weapon of control. Survivors will get the certainty of knowing their tenancy and their social home are protected.

“We are also putting power back in tenants’ hands so they can demand better when services fail, while protecting the social homes communities need for generations to come.

“New laws will help keep more social homes in the hands of communities, giving councils and housing associations twice as long to consider buying them before they leave the sector, alongside better information to help them make that decision.”

Recognising that affordable homes can be particularly difficult to replace in rural communities, councils will have more control over protecting eligible areas from the Right to Buy, with the wider package of reforms expected to keep an additional 18,000 homes in the social sector over the next decade.

Alongside our £442 million investment to tackle rough sleeping, the Bill will also help tackle homelessness earlier by requiring councils and public services to identify people at risk and work together before they lose their home, while housing associations will be required to offer suitable homes to households referred by councils unless there is good reason not to. Veterans will also face fewer barriers to getting help, with plans to ensure they can seek homelessness support from any council in England regardless of local connection rules.

Also confirmed, from April 2027 Tenant Management Organisations that manage council housing will be brought under Freedom of Information rules. This means residents will be able to request information about services such as repairs, estate management, and rent collection, improving transparency and making these organisations more open and accountable.

Backed by £39 billion investment in council, social and affordable housing, the biggest in a generation, the measures will help protect the homes communities rely on while building the new homes they need.

Additional Information:

The Social Housing Bill was introduced to Parliament on 14 May 2026. The amendments will be tabled as the Bill progresses through its Commons stages. These include:
Extending the notification period for social housing disposals from 4 to 8 weeks;
Including additional property information in the notification for social housing disposals to include type of rent the home was previously let at;
Allowing councils to designate eligible rural areas themselves against specified criteria in order to exempt them from the Right to Buy. Currently councils are required to apply formally to Government for designation, and this will reduce bureaucracy;
Bolstering the discretionary possession grounds within the Bill’s domestic abuse tenancy reforms, streamlining the process for victims by ensuring the existence of a relevant protective order is sufficient for the court to consider to take action;
Modernising the social housing Right to Manage framework, including clearer and more proportionate governance requirements, stronger information-sharing requirements and new safeguards where serious failures put residents at risk
Introducing a new statutory ‘Duty to Collaborate’, requiring key public bodies to take proactive steps to identify households at risk of homelessness and take coordinated action to prevent homelessness or address it sooner;
Introducing a new statutory ‘Duty to Offer’, which will require a private registered provider to offer suitable accommodation to a homeless household referred to them by a local housing authority, unless they have a good reason not to do so; and
Providing a power for the Secretary of State to set out circumstances where local connection referrals must not apply, which the government intends to use for armed forces veterans.
This is backed by the government’s £39bn investment in social and affordable housing, the biggest in a generation
The social housing Right to Manage allows local authority tenants to take responsibility for managing housing services through a Tenant Management Organisation. It is separate from the Right to Manage available to qualifying leaseholders. This comes as new strengthened measures will be introduced to submit Freedom of Information requests to Tenant Management Organisations.

Man jailed for multiple child sex offences

Source: Suffolk Police published on this website Wednesday 21 October 2026 by Jill Powell

A 51-year-old man has been jailed after being found guilty of multiple child sex offences against two victims.

John Fordham, of no fixed abode but from Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, 16 October, where he was handed an extended licence totalling 26 years, made up of 19 years’ imprisonment and seven years on licence.

Extended sentences are handed to those who are convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, where an additional period of post-release supervision is required to protect the public.

Fordham had denied the charges against him but was found guilty by a jury following an eight-day trial of the following:

Four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 years
Three counts of rape
Three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
Two counts of sexual activity with a child

The offences involved two victims – two girls.

The court heard that Fordham repeatedly sought opportunities to isolate his victims to sexually assault them and that the abuse was carried out separately to each other.

In addition to his sentence, Fordham was made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention order and lifetime restraining orders in respect of his victims. He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

PC Karen Hammond, who was the officer in charge of the case, said: “John Fordham has taken no responsibility for his actions or shown any remorse. He is a dangerous sexual predator who manipulated and abused his victims, causing profound and lasting harm.

“The victims had their childhood stripped from them and while no sentence can undo the trauma they have endured, I hope this sentencing result provides them with a sense of justice and helps them to move forward with their lives.

“I would like to pay tribute to the immense bravery shown by the victims throughout the investigation and court proceedings. It is because of their courage that Fordham has been brought to justice and will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars.

“I would urge anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to please report it. We will always listen to you and take appropriate action, no matter how long ago the offence took place.”

Suffolk Survivor Pathway is a single access point for multi-agency support for victims of sexual violence. It includes six specialist services that work together to co-ordinate care and support. https://suffolksurvivorpathway.co.uk/

For more information and to find the support services available to you, please visit the Suffolk Constabulary website: Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Suffolk Constabulary

Always call 999 in an emergency

Man jailed for attempted false imprisonment, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and actual bodily harm in Sussex, and child sex offences in Hampshire

Source: Sussex Police published on this website Monday 19 October 2026

A man from Hampshire has been sentenced for attempted false imprisonment, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, and actual bodily harm in Sussex and for child sex abuse in Hampshire.

Christopher Buxey, 43, broke into the home of a family known to him in Rogate in the early hours of Thursday 4 June.

Inside the home, a 13-year-old girl awoke to find a man in her bedroom, standing over her bed wearing all black clothing, balaclava to cover his face, and black latex gloves.

He was also holding pre-looped cable ties and had a further ten prepared ties attached to a carabiner on his belt.

Her parents were alerted to Buxey’s intrusion by the girl’s screams.

After rushing to her bedroom to find their daughter lying in bed kicking at the unidentified intruder, they immediately called the police.

Buxey attempted to escape the address assaulting the girl’s parents in the process, however they detained him until officers arrived shortly after, during this time he identified himself to the family.

Officers swiftly arrested Buxey and held him in police custody.

During a search of the address, it was identified that Buxey had forced open a downstairs door to enter the home.

Officers seized roll of duct tape, a torch which Buxey had left on the floor by the girl’s bed, and a multitool with a hammer left on her pillow.

A rucksack belonging to Buxey was also found in the room containing similar items.

Buxey was later charged with attempted kidnap (common law), knowingly or recklessly trespassing on a premises with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence, and actual bodily harm.

On 6 July, Buxey appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court and pleaded guilty to trespassing on a premises with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence, and actual bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnap but instead admitted a charge of attempted false imprisonment, which was accepted by the court.

During the hearing, Buxey also pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child in connection with a separate investigation in Hampshire.

He was remanded into custody an appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 15 October.

Christopher Buxey, 43, of Privett Place, Gosport was jailed for 18 years with a further five years on licence for a total sentence of 23 years.

Detective Superintendent Colin Garman said:

“Buxey perpetrated immensely distressing ordeals on the victims and their families.

“I’d like to thank all of the officers across both Sussex Police and Hampshire Police who have worked diligently and ceaselessly supporting the victims and their families, and carrying out complex investigations which ultimately held Buxey accountable for his crimes.

“I am pleased to see today’s sentencing reflect the severity of the offences committed, however the likely lasting impact on these children and their families due to the trauma inflicted by Buxey cannot be understated.”

Persistent themes in safeguarding reviews

Source: The Child Safeguarding Review Panel published on this website Tuesday 20 October 2026 by Jill Powell

The Child Safeguarding Review Panel’s persistent themes bring together national learning from child safeguarding reviews where children have died or suffered serious harm from abuse or neglect. They focus on recurring challenges that continue to feature across safeguarding practice and the wider safeguarding system.

These themes are not new but their continued appearance in safeguarding reviews makes them impossible to ignore. Tackling them is a shared responsibility. Practitioners, managers, leaders, safeguarding partnerships and the wider safeguarding system, including the Panel, all have a role to play in understanding why these challenges persist and what needs to change. The themes reflect the complexity of family life, safeguarding practice and the organisational and multi-agency systems in which safeguarding takes place.

Designed for practitioners, managers, leaders and safeguarding partnerships, the themes provide an opportunity to reflect, challenge existing practice, consider how these themes are addressed strategically, and discuss what can be done differently. We want them to support conversations at every level about the changes we can make locally, alongside the action needed nationally to help tackle them together.

To find the details of the themes and how to use them click

Ofsted to pilot new Independent Complaints Review service

Source: Ofsted published on this website Friday 16 October 2026 by Jill Powell

Under the pilot, state-funded schools that have complained about an inspection will be able to request a review of how Ofsted handled their complaint and – for the first time – whether the outcome was fair and reasonable, including where it related to the inspection process and findings.

Soon after taking up the post of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) in 2024, Sir Martyn Oliver introduced several changes to the complaints process, including a provider helpline to help resolve concerns as they arise, a national complaints hub, and new panels, including external sector and Trade Union representatives, to scrutinise a sample of recently closed complaints.

This new pilot aims to further increase trust and confidence in the inspection system by introducing another level of independence to Ofsted’s complaint arrangements. It comes in response to recommendations made by Dame Christine Gilbert’s ‘Independent learning review for Ofsted’, and Sinead McBrearty’s ‘Independent wellbeing impact assessment of the revised Ofsted framework’.

Currently, schools that are unhappy with how Ofsted has handled their complaint can appeal to the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted (ICASO). ICASO will determine whether their complaint was handled properly by Ofsted, but it cannot consider whether the outcome of the complaint was fair and reasonable.

Under the pilot, the ICR service will have access to the original complaint and Ofsted’s response. But, unlike current ICASO arrangements, the ICR will also be able to consider the original, unredacted inspection evidence to reach a view on whether Ofsted’s complaint response was fair and reasonable, including aspects related to the inspection process and grades awarded.

Schools will be able to contact the ICR following the conclusion of Ofsted’s internal complaints process, and after the publication of their inspection report card.

The ICR will report their findings and recommendations back to the complainant and HMCI. If they find mistakes have been made, or that Ofsted has not acted fairly and reasonably, the ICR will be able to recommend that Ofsted looks at the complaint again, including where it relates to the inspection process.

HMCI will personally consider and respond to every ICR recommendation.

If the ICR makes a recommendation around a grading decision, HMCI can set aside the published report card and arrange for a new inspection to be carried out as soon as possible. This could lead to the same, or different, grades being awarded. Under the law, only His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (delegated through Ofsted’s inspectors) can make grading decisions.

Sir Martyn Oliver said:

“I am confident that our current quality assurance and complaints processes are robust enough to put things right in the vast majority of cases when schools have concerns about an inspection.

“However, I am fully aware that this confidence is not shared by everyone in the education sector. I hope that by adding a new level of independent oversight to our complaints process we will further increase trust in the system.

“I am committed to openness and transparency in everything Ofsted does, so if the new ICR service finds cases where we have not acted reasonably and fairly, I will be open to the challenge and will take appropriate action.”

The new ICR service will be closely monitored and evaluated during the pilot, before a decision is taken on whether to officially implement and extend arrangements across the other remits Ofsted inspects. As part of the evaluation, Ofsted will seek feedback from complainants on how their ICR review was handled, as well as from trade unions and the Confederation of School Trusts on how they perceive the new process.

The pilot will begin shortly and will run through the 2026/27 academic year. It will apply to complaints about school inspections, including any ongoing complaints raised by schools about an inspection this term.

The current complaints-handling process
The reviewing organisation will be a full member of the Ombudsman Association and must operate strictly in compliance with their high standards for case handling and impartiality.
Arrangements are subject to contract – the award of contract is being managed by the Department for Education.