Legislation | Crime and Policing Act 2026
Overview
The Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent
on 29 April 2026, introduces a comprehensive set of reforms designed to
strengthen the response to crime, enhance victim protection, and restore public
confidence in policing and the justice system.
For professionals working safeguarding children and
vulnerable adults, the Act represents a significant policy shift. It places
greater emphasis on early intervention, prevention, and the recognition of
harm, particularly where criminality overlaps with safeguarding. The
legislation supports the Government’s wider Safer Streets Mission, including
commitments to reduce serious violence and violence against women and girls,
while addressing exploitation, online harm, and antisocial behaviour.
Importantly, the Act introduces over 70 measures, many of
which directly affect multi-agency safeguarding practice, including new
criminal offences, enhanced civil orders, and expanded police powers.
Key
Safeguarding-Relevant Measures
Independent
Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) Recommendations
The Act implements key recommendations from the Independent
Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), representing a significant
strengthening of the statutory safeguarding framework. Central to this is the
introduction of a mandatory reporting duty, requiring professionals in
regulated roles working with children to report known or disclosed sexual abuse
to the police or local authority as soon as reasonably practicable. This is
supported by a new criminal offence of obstructing or preventing a report, reinforcing
accountability and addressing historic systemic failures to act on concerns.
The Act also strengthens safer recruitment arrangements by removing the
supervision exemption within regulated activity, enabling a broader range of
roles to be subject to enhanced DBS checks.
In addition, it introduces grooming as an aggravating factor
in sentencing, ensuring that offences involving coercion or manipulation of
children are treated as more serious by the courts. Further provisions remove
time limits for civil claims by survivors of abuse and rebalance the burden of
proof in such cases, improving access to justice. Collectively, these measures
signal a decisive shift toward greater accountability, earlier identification,
and stronger protection for children, with direct implications for professional
practice and organisational safeguarding responsibilities.
Child
Criminal Exploitation (CCE), Cuckooing & Internal Concealment
The Act introduces a strengthened legal framework that
explicitly recognises child criminal exploitation as a form of abuse rather
than offending behaviour. A new standalone offence makes it illegal for adults
to exploit children into criminal activity, with a maximum sentence of 10
years’ imprisonment.
Alongside this, the Act introduces Child Criminal
Exploitation Prevention Orders, which allow courts to impose restrictions on
individuals who pose a risk of exploiting children. These orders can be applied
even where no conviction has been secured, highlighting a clear shift toward
preventative safeguarding measures.
The introduction of a specific offence of cuckooing (home
takeover) is particularly relevant for vulnerable adults. This addresses
situations where perpetrators take control of a person’s home for criminal
purposes, often targeting individuals with mental health issues, substance
misuse problems, or other vulnerabilities.
In addition, the Act criminalises coerced internal
concealment, recognising extreme forms of exploitation where individuals are
forced or manipulated into hiding drugs or other items within their bodies.
Together, these measures reinforce that both children and
vulnerable adults who are exploited are victims first, requiring safeguarding
intervention rather than criminalisation.
Child
Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
The Act responds to the rapidly evolving nature of online
child sexual abuse, particularly the emergence of artificial intelligence
technologies. It introduces a new criminal offence targeting AI models designed
to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), with penalties of up to five
years’ imprisonment.
It also strengthens existing legislation by expanding
offences relating to so-called “paedophile manuals” to include AI-generated
content, recognising that technological advancements are creating new avenues
for abuse and exploitation.
Crucially, the Act introduces accountability for those who
facilitate online abuse, including individuals or organisations that host or
moderate platforms used to share abusive material.
Additionally, Border Force powers have been expanded to
allow the inspection of digital devices at the UK border, including requiring
individuals to unlock devices where there is suspicion of CSAM possession.
For safeguarding practitioners, these measures reinforce the
need to understand online risk, digital behaviours, and emerging technologies,
as well as to work closely with law enforcement to identify and disrupt harm.
Counter-Terrorism
and National Security
The Act includes provisions to strengthen the UK’s response
to terrorism and national security threats, including enhanced powers for
policing and intelligence agencies.
For professionals working with children and vulnerable
adults, these measures are relevant to safeguarding in the context of
radicalisation and exploitation, particularly under Prevent duties. The Act
supports earlier identification of risk and improved multi-agency coordination
to disrupt pathways into extremism.
The Act includes a number of targeted provisions to
strengthen the UK’s response to terrorism and state-related threats, with a
particular focus on early intervention, disruption, and risk management. A key
measure is the introduction of Youth Diversion Orders, which enable agencies to
intervene at an earlier stage where young people are involved in
terrorism-related activity, diverting them away from prosecution where
appropriate while still managing risk.
The Act also strengthens existing counter-terrorism powers
by broadening the definition of weapons within Terrorism Prevention and
Investigation Measures (TPIMs), allowing authorities to place stricter controls
on individuals’ access to a wider range of potentially harmful items. In
addition, changes extend offences relating to support for proscribed
organisations, including in custodial settings, and enhance police powers to seize
articles or materials that indicate support for terrorist groups, even where
these are not required as evidence in a prosecution.
Collectively, these provisions improve the ability of police
and security services to identify, manage, and disrupt terrorism-related risk
at an earlier stage, including where individuals - particularly young people - may
be vulnerable to radicalisation or exploitation. This has clear safeguarding
relevance, reinforcing the importance of early identification, multi-agency
working, and the Prevent duty in protecting children and vulnerable adults from
harm. This reinforces the importance of professional vigilance where
individuals may be groomed, coerced, or influenced into harmful ideologies.
The Act introduces a robust package of measures aimed at
reducing serious violence involving weapons, with a particular focus on young
people. It strengthens age verification requirements for online purchases of
knives and crossbows, requiring photographic identification at both the point
of sale and delivery.
Retailers are now required to report suspicious or bulk
purchases, reflecting a preventative approach to identifying risk before harm
occurs.
A new offence of possession of a weapon with intent to use
unlawful violence carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment,
signalling a stronger legal response to risk behaviours.
Police are also given expanded powers to seize weapons,
including from private premises, where there is reasonable suspicion of
intended harm.
For safeguarding professionals, these measures highlight the
importance of early identification of risk factors, including association with
weapon carriage, and the need to engage in prevention-focused interventions.
There are stronger protections for victims of stalking,
recognising the significant harm it causes, including psychological trauma and
escalation into serious violence. Courts are now empowered to issue Stalking
Protection Orders (SPOs) on conviction or acquittal, rather than relying solely
on police applications.
The introduction of statutory multi-agency guidance
reinforces expectations that organisations, including education, health, and
social care, work together effectively to identify and manage stalking
behaviour.
The Act also enhances mechanisms for sharing information
with victims, including circumstances where individuals may not know the
identity of their perpetrator.
These changes strengthen the role of professionals in
recognising patterns of behaviour, assessing risk, and contributing to
coordinated safeguarding responses.
Wider System Reforms
Beyond specific safeguarding measures, the Act introduces
broader reforms that impact practice. These include new “Respect Orders” to
manage persistent antisocial behaviour, a specific offence of assaulting retail
workers, and expanded police powers to enter premises without a warrant to
recover stolen goods.
The Act also enhances data-sharing capabilities, including
access to national databases to identify offenders, and expands drug testing on
arrest.
Collectively, these changes signal a system-wide shift
toward proactive policing and earlier disruption of harm, which has direct
implications for safeguarding partnerships.
Implications for Safeguarding Practice
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 reinforces a number of key
principles that are central to safeguarding practice:
·
Strengthens the recognition that criminal
exploitation is a safeguarding issue, requiring coordinated multi-agency
intervention rather than a purely criminal justice response.
·
Increases the availability and use of civil and
preventative orders, meaning professionals must understand how these tools can
be used to manage risk and protect individuals before harm escalates.
·
Highlights the growing importance of digital
safeguarding, particularly in relation to online abuse, AI-generated harm, and
technology-enabled exploitation.
·
Reinforces expectations around multi-agency
working, aligning closely with wider statutory guidance and requiring
professionals to collaborate effectively, share information, and take timely
action.
Key Messages for Partners
The Act represents a significant development in the
safeguarding landscape, with a clear focus on prevention, early intervention,
and victim protection. It places greater responsibility on professionals to
recognise and respond to risk, particularly where children and vulnerable
adults are being exploited, harmed, or placed at risk of harm.
It also reinforces that safeguarding is a shared
responsibility, requiring coordinated action across all agencies to achieve
effective outcomes.
Actions for Professionals
Professionals working with children and vulnerable adults
should:
- Familiarise
themselves with the legislation
- Understand
new offences (e.g. child criminal exploitation, cuckooing, stalking,
AI-enabled abuse) and how they intersect with safeguarding
responsibilities
- Strengthen
identification of risk
- Be
alert to indicators of exploitation, coercion, stalking, weapon-carrying,
and online harm
- Recognise
that concerning behaviours may indicate victimisation rather than
offending, particularly for children
- Act
early and proportionately
- Use
early help and safeguarding pathways where risks are emerging
- Avoid
waiting for criminal thresholds to be met before taking action
- Use
multi-agency approaches effectively
- Engage
with police, health, education, and social care partners to share
information and coordinate responses
- Contribute
to risk assessments and safety planning
- Understand
and utilise new legal tools
- Be
aware of preventative measures such as CCE Prevention Orders and Stalking
Protection Orders
- Support
referrals or applications where appropriate
- Enhance
focus on online safety
- Consider
digital behaviours, devices, and online environments in all assessments
- Recognise
risks linked to AI-generated harm and online exploitation
- Support
victims using a trauma-informed approach
- Treat
exploited children and vulnerable adults as victims of abuse
- Ensure
their voice is heard and that support is consistent and responsive
- Review
organisational practice
- Update
policies, procedures, and training to reflect the Act
- Ensure
staff understand new responsibilities and thresholds
- Promote
information sharing
- Share
relevant information lawfully and promptly to reduce risk
- Maintain
clear, accurate recording of concerns and actions
- Focus
on prevention and disruption
- Work
proactively to reduce exposure to harm (e.g. exploitation networks,
access to weapons, coercion)
- Support
interventions that reduce repeat victimisation
Resources:
Crime
and Policing Act Factsheets
CCE
Prevention Orders and Stalking Protection Orders
ECP Resources:
Responding
to indecent images being shared
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