Children in residential settings are explicit
The updated guidance clarifies its application to looked-after children in foster and residential settings. For homes, this reinforces the need to understand safeguarding as shared multi-agency work rather than an isolated internal process.
Direct work and children’s experience
Recording that a child was spoken with is not the same as understanding what they experienced or demonstrating how their view influenced the response. Systems should preserve the child’s account while keeping factual evidence and professional interpretation distinct.
Information sharing and professional challenge
Good safeguarding depends on timely, purposeful information sharing. Homes also need evidence of how they challenged delays or ineffective responses from partner agencies where the child’s welfare required it.
Learning beyond notification thresholds
The updated summary highlights learning from incidents that may not meet formal notification criteria. That supports a culture where reflection is not reserved only for the most serious events.
Primary source: DfE: Working Together 2026 summary of changes.