Welcome to our Research and Report Briefings page, which contains short summaries of recently published research findings and other reports useful for practitioners working with children and families. These briefings help you easily access key information about current topics with a link to the full published report. They are listed under headings of the main relevant discipline or practice area.
December 2025
This briefing is a summary of the statutory guidance Duty on Police Forces in England and Wales to Notify Education Establishments of Domestic Abuse Incidents: Operation Encompass, published by the Home Office in November 2025.Operation Encompass is an information-sharing scheme between the police and relevant educational settings. It requires police forces in England and Wales to notify educational settings and – where relevant – local authorities about domestic abuse incidents they attend.
Previous briefings
September 2025
Use of Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Safeguarding and Social Care
This briefing looks at ways in which AI is being used in social care and safeguarding services including how it has the potential to improve efficiency, reduce costs, enhance decision-making and provide better services. The briefing also outlines some of the key risks (around issues such as consent, confidentiality and reliability for example) which must be considered before introducing AI.
July 2025
This briefing – for both the children’s and adults sectors – summarises the regulations about making websites accessible and government guidance about the use of PDFs.
June 2025
Children’s Sector – Casey Audit
This month’s briefing for the safeguarding children’s sector, National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, summarises the audit conducted by Baroness Casey – published in June 2025.
Protecting Children from Online Harms – May 2025
This briefing, Ofcom Statement: Protecting Children from Harms Online, summarises the Ofcom statement regarding increased measures to protect children from online harms.
Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse – March 2025
This briefing, Proposed Legal Changes to Reporting Child Abuse, outlines proposed changes in legislation which will make reporting of child sexual abuse mandatory for practitioners.
