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.”

Source: Department for Education published on this website Thursday 15 October 2026 by Jill Powell

More children in the care system in England will get the loving, supportive homes they need as the government calls on people to open their hearts and homes to some of the most vulnerable children in society.

A new national recruitment campaign – the first of its kind in England – will encourage adults to consider fostering, highlighting the fact that all kinds of different people can foster.

The campaign launch was marked by a celebration event at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday 13 October, bringing together foster carers frontline workers and people with lived experience of care.

The new campaign will target adults in their 30s and 40s who have the values and capacity to foster but may never have seriously considered it, supporting the government’s ambition to create 10,000 new foster care places by the end of this Parliament

There are more routes into fostering than ever before, but recent DfE polling found that too many adults are ruling themselves out before they find out more. The polling found that two thirds (66%) of people believe they could be a good foster carer if practical barriers were removed. 

To enable more people to become foster carers, the DfE is providing £88 million of funding to reform fostering, including £12.4 million for the fostering innovation fund which will trial new models of foster care, such as short term ‘respite fostering’ or fostering at weekends, to open it up to a wider range of people.

The number of approved foster carers has fallen by 12% since 2019, while the number of children needing care has increased. This is why the government aims to create 10,000 new foster places by the end of this parliament.

Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister said:

Fostering changes lives, not just for the children who finally get the stability and love every child deserves, but for the carers themselves, who tell us it’s one of the most rewarding things they’ve ever done.

Right now, thousands of children need that chance, and that’s exactly what our national campaign is about: cracking fostering open to ordinary people across England who have the values, the commitment, and the love to foster.

This is part of a bigger reset of children’s social care, one that puts loving, stable relationships back at the heart of the system.

Rachel Cole, CEO of Black Foster Carers Alliance, said:

Too many Black children in care grow up without anyone around them who reflects who they are. Black Foster Carers Alliance exists to change that, by recruiting, supporting and retaining the carers those children need.

UnLtd’s support gave us the backing to grow that work nationally, and its new fostering accelerator will continue to boost the impact of founders working in this sector. Social entrepreneurs bring something the system can’t manufacture: trust.

The launch event at Number 10 was attended by public figures with experience of the care system, including former NFL star Efe Odaba, care-experienced broadcaster and author Ashley John-Baptiste, and TOWIE star Lydia Bright.

The campaign follows the launch of the Fostering Action Plan by the Children’s Minister in February and the launch of the Enduring Relationships Programme in June.

It is supported by further reforms to fostering, including a new rulebook for foster carers that humanises the decision-making process, digital tools to speed up recruitment, and funding for innovative and more flexible new approaches to fostering. Over 70% of local authorities are now part of a Fostering Hub, showing real progress.

All of this is intended to make it easier not just to become a foster carer but also to ensure that existing carers are better supported and can understand the processes behind fostering at every stage.

The government is also announcing today the programmes receiving funding through the Fostering Innovation Fund, designed to test dynamic, more flexible new approaches to delivering foster care and build evidence about what works in fostering.

The 11 successful programmes include programmes focused on recruiting weekend foster carers, supporting carers through allegations, parent-and-child fostering, therapeutic training, increasing diversity among foster carers and helping children move from residential care into foster families where this meets their needs.

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.

Source: UK Safer Internet Centre UKSIC published on this website 14 October 2026 by Jill Powell

Online gaming remains one of the most popular activities for children and young people across the UK, offering opportunities for social connection. However, new findings from Ofcom’s Growing Up Gaming report highlight the importance of helping children navigate the social aspects of gaming safely and confidently.

The research found that 88% of children aged 3-17 play games on a device, while more than half (55%) of young gamers say they play online with people they have never met in person. One in five (20%) report doing this all or most of the time.

Alongside these findings, parents identified communication with strangers as their leading concern. Almost two-thirds (64%) said they worry about their child talking to unknown individuals through games or in-game chat features, placing it above concerns about bullying (60%), inappropriate content (59%) and spending pressures within games (51%).

Turning Concern into Action

While parents are clearly aware of the potential risks associated with online interaction, the research suggests many families are yet to put specific safeguards in place around who children can play with online.

Fewer than half of parents (43%) say they have rules about who their child can interact with while gaming. In contrast, families are more likely to set boundaries around screen time (56%), when gaming can take place (51%) and the types of content children can access (50%).
These findings highlight that online safety discussions should extend beyond managing time spent online. Understanding the social side of gaming is increasingly important as online play becomes a core part of young people’s lives.

Gaming Is About More Than Playing

For many children, online games provide valuable opportunities to communicate, build relationships and develop digital skills. However, these interactions can also expose young people to experiences they may not be prepared to manage on their own. Children may not always recognise when behaviour is inappropriate, when someone is attempting to manipulate, or when an online interaction has crossed a boundary.

This is why the role of parents, carers and trusted adults remains so important. Safety tools and platform protections can help reduce risk, but ongoing conversations help children develop the confidence and critical thinking skills needed to navigate online spaces safely.

Creating Space for Meaningful Conversations

At the UK Safer Internet Centre, we encourage parents and carers to take an active interest in children’s online lives, including the games they play and the communities they are part of.

Conversations about gaming work best when they focus on interest and engagement rather than interrogation. Showing curiosity about what children enjoy can help create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing both positive and negative experiences. Simple questions can help open up these discussions:

– What games have you been enjoying recently?
– Who do you usually play with?
– What do you like about that game?
– Have you ever seen or heard something online that made you feel uncomfortable?
– Do you know what to do if someone is being unpleasant or inappropriate?
– Would you know how to block, mute or report another player?

When gaming becomes a regular topic of conversation, children are often more willing to seek support if they experience something concerning.

Check, Chat, Change

To support this, Ofcom has launched a pilot campaign called Power Up, encouraging parents to adopt three simple actions: Check, Chat and Change.

Check the safety settings on games and devices, including privacy controls, communication settings and age-appropriate restrictions.
Chat regularly about gaming experiences, friendships and any concerns children may have.
Change settings or family agreements when needed, whether that’s limiting contact from unknown players, enabling additional safety tools or reviewing spending controls.

As part of Power Up there are challenges and family activities that young people can get involved with new resources launching later this month.