Every community in the UK has children at risk from knife crime, county lines exploitation, and serious youth violence. The Safeguard Hub exists to change that — free, statutorily aligned resources that put life-saving knowledge in the hands of the people who can act: teachers, police officers, parents, and young people themselves.
"Protecting Lives, Building Hope" — 8 Young Futures Hubs open (50 planned by 2029) · £34m County Lines Programme renewed
Sources: ONS · NCA · Home Office · OHID · Ofcom · Updated May 2026
Every number represents a life, a family, a community shattered.
Knife crime, county lines exploitation, Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), and substance misuse are not isolated harms — they are deeply interconnected threats that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable children in our communities. Under the Children Act 1989 and 2004, every agency has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 mandates multi-agency collaboration through Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships. Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 requires all school staff to recognise indicators of exploitation, serious violence, and online harm. The Serious Violence Duty (Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) compels schools, police, health, and local authorities to work together on prevention. County lines operations constitute child trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Addressing these harms requires every safeguarding professional, parent, and community member to understand the warning signs — and the referral pathways that can save a child's life.
Real-time safeguarding indicators drawn from ONS, NCA, Home Office, and NHS sources.
Tools and guides for officers working with schools and safeguarding partners
GDPR-compliant legal gateway analysis for police-school information sharing.
Same-day domestic abuse notifications to schools when children witness incidents.
Assess the correct referral threshold: Early Help, MASH, or Emergency.
Planning guides, safeguarding checklists, and consent frameworks for school visits.
CCE indicators, cuckooing, county lines involvement, and multi-agency response protocols.
Radicalisation referral guidance, Channel panel process, and Prevent duty support.
CME protocols, tracking duties, and school liaison procedures.
Governance, safeguarding structures, DSL roles, and liaison best practice.
Statutory guidance is updating this September. Here's what DSLs and schools need to prepare now.
Every confirmed change ahead of the 1 September 2026 deadline, with a practical action checklist for DSLs.
What moved where — the Annex A/B/C renumbering explained, so your policies and induction packs point to the right place.
What the new AI and deepfake provisions actually require, from image-based abuse to generative AI use in the classroom.
The new weapons-reporting duty, peer conflict de-escalation, and how it fits your existing knife crime safeguarding practice.
Look up your local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub or Police & Crime Commissioner by postcode or area.
Select your role to access tailored safeguarding resources
Information sharing tools, school liaison guides, referral threshold tool, Operation Encompass, CCE resources, and Prevent/Channel support for officers working with schools.
Access resources → 🏫 Schools & DSLs For Schools & DSLsKCSIE 2025 guide, DSL toolkit, 35 lesson plan packs, policy templates, MASH compliance tools, and CPD resources for Designated Safeguarding Leads.
Access resources → 👨👩👧 Parents & Carers For ParentsPlain-English safeguarding guides. Knife crime, online safety, county lines, substance misuse, and mental health — with conversation starters and referral pathways.
Access resources → 🌟 Ages 13–18 For Young PeopleSafe, accessible safeguarding information for young people. Your rights, staying safe online, recognising exploitation, and where to get help — without judgment.
Access resources →Curriculum-aligned safeguarding lesson plans for primary and secondary schools. Each pack includes teacher notes, pupil worksheets, discussion guides, and statutory framework references covering PSHE, RSE, and KCSIE 2025 requirements.
Browse All Lesson Plans →Practical guides to help parents recognise and respond to substance misuse and exploitation