Improving help and child protection: revised framework

Closes 4 Sep 2026

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Introduction

Transforming children’s social care is central to this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity for all children. It is also fundamental to ensuring that every child grows up safe, supported and able to thrive, and key to putting our public services, and our public finances, on a sustainable long‑term footing. 

Over the past eighteen months we have laid the legislative, financial and operational foundations for whole‑system reform. 

  • The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (CWS Act 2026) now enables the most significant overhaul of children’s social care legislation in a generation. CWS Act 2026 creates duties to establish new multi-agency child protection teams in every local authority area, improve information sharing between agencies and automatically include education and childcare settings in local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. It also makes sure families are offered family group decision making, so issues can be addressed earlier and, where possible, children can stay safely with their families. The Information Sharing Duty will commence in September 2026. Statutory guidance has been co-developed with the sector and is currently subject to consultation which can be found at this link. Working Together will be updated to align with the Information Sharing Duty and signpost relevant guidance.

 

  • The Crime and Policing Act 2026 has strengthened our response to child sexual abuse and criminal exploitation. It makes the reporting of child sexual abuse mandatory.  Work is underway across government to prepare for commencement and ensure workforce readiness, building on existing statutory safeguarding responsibilities and guidance already in place.

 

  • Reform is being backed by sustained investment. At Spending Review 2025, the government confirmed £555 million from the Transformation Fund and £523 million per year for three years for the Families First Partnership Programme. This was reinforced through the Local Government Finance Settlement, bringing total investment in Families First to £2.4 billion.