Issue

safeguarding

25 stories · discussed at 30 council meetings · 21 councils

Local councils are addressing adult social care quality, tackling violence and exploitation, and enhancing internal safeguarding practices.

Councils are currently addressing the quality of adult social care and strategies to protect vulnerable individuals. Lambeth Adult Social Care received a 'Good' CQC rating in May 2026, with 'Outstanding' for equity. Islington's adult social care services exceeded their care home admission target in September 2026, prompting an investigation into earlier intervention options. Barnet reported a 24% increase in domestic abuse referrals by September 2026, while Enfield Council adopted a 10-year Serious Violence Strategy in September 2026.

Other councils are focusing on internal practices and broader safeguarding issues, which are measures to protect vulnerable individuals from harm. Bromley Council's Executive agreed in June 2026 to extend its mental health services partnership to allow more time for improvements in safeguarding arrangements. Newham Council's Standards Committee outlined a Councillor Development Programme in March 2026, which includes safeguarding training for 2026/27. Harrow's waste plan is facing scrutiny over safeguarding concerns related to protected waste sites, as reported in July 2026.

Key facts

  1. Lambeth Adult Social Care was rated 'Good' overall by the CQC in May 2026, achieving 'Outstanding' for equity. Source
  2. Islington's adult social care services recorded 197 admissions to residential and nursing care homes in 2025/26, exceeding the target of 190. Source
  3. Referrals to Barnet's Domestic Abuse Support Hub increased by 24% over the past year, as noted in September 2026. Source
  4. Enfield Council's Cabinet adopted a 10-year Serious Violence Strategy in September 2026. Source
  5. Bromley Council's Executive agreed in June 2026 to extend its mental health services partnership until November 2028. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 7 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Latest stories

  1. Lambeth Adult Social Care Achieves 'Good' CQC Rating with 'Outstanding' Equity Performance Lambeth Adult Social Care Achieves 'Good' CQC Rating with 'Outstanding' Equity Performance Lambeth 7 October 2026
  2. Islington Adult Social Care Exceeds Care Home Admission Target Amidst Strong Overall Performance Islington's adult social care services have seen an increase in admissions to residential and nursing care homes, exceeding the council's target for the 2025/26 financial year.... Islington 23 September 2026
  3. Barnet Domestic Abuse Referrals Surge 24%, Straining Resources Referrals to Barnet's Domestic Abuse Support Hub (BDASH) have seen a significant increase of 24% over the past year, with self-referrals surging by 68%. This rise, noted at a... Barnet 20 September 2026
  4. Enfield Council Adopts Serious Violence Strategy Enfield Council's Cabinet has formally adopted a comprehensive 10-year strategy aimed at preventing and tackling serious violence across the borough. Enfield 13 September 2026
  5. H&F Council tackles cuckooing with new strategy Hammersmith and Fulham Council is enhancing its strategy to combat cuckooing, a form of exploitation where vulnerable residents' homes are taken over by perpetrators, often... Hammersmith and Fulham 20 July 2026
  6. Harrow's waste plan faces scrutiny over safeguarding Harrow's plan to manage waste across West London is facing scrutiny over concerns related to safeguarding, particularly regarding the potential release of protected waste sites. Harrow 16 July 2026
  7. Redbridge Council to Deep Dive into Educational Attainment Gaps Redbridge Council's Children and Young People Committee has set out its priorities for the upcoming municipal year, with a strong emphasis on educational attainment,... Redbridge 16 July 2026
  8. Bromley Council to extend mental health services deal Bromley Council's Executive has agreed to extend its partnership agreement with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust for adult mental health social work services for a further two years,... Bromley 30 June 2026