All organisations working with children, young people and adults across the United Kingdom, regardless of the sector, need to place safeguarding at the heart of their service provision. This includes developing processes and systems which ensure that every staff member or volunteer understands their safeguarding responsibilities and knows what steps to follow if someone they come into contact with is at risk of, or is experiencing harm.
Effective organisational safeguarding policies and procedures must reflect relevant legislation and statutory guidance. Different laws apply to safeguarding practice depending on where in the United Kingdom the organisation operates.
When responding to safeguarding concerns organisations must always refer to legislation and guidance applicable within the geographical area where the child, young person or adult at risk resides (e.g. a different process may apply to a resident of Northern Ireland as opposed to England etc.) or where abuse, neglect or exploitation took place (e.g. when reporting an allegation against a person in a Position of Trust their location must be considered).
Whilst safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance vary across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland they are all underpinned by human rights principles. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and The Human Rights Act 1998 apply across the United Kingdom.
The following principles should be applied to safeguarding practice across the four nations:
- Person-centred approach
- Prevention and protection
- Empowerment
- Co-operation and partnership
- Accountability
- Proportionality
Whilst there are many fundamental similarities across the four nations safeguarding legislation and guidance, there are also differences.
Most notably, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without safeguarding adults’ legislation and Scotland’s definition of domestic abuse is limited to intimate partners and former partners.
The following tables set out for each nation the legislation and statutory guidance.
England
Children’s
Legislation
- Children Act 1989
- Children Act 2004
- Children and Social Work Act 2017
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Statutory guidance
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2025
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025
- What to Do If You Are Worried That a Child is Being Abused: Advice for Practitioners (2015)
- Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation (2015)
- Information Sharing Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers (2018)
- Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance 2022
Adults
Legislation
- Care Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Statutory guidance
- Care and Support Statutory Guidance (2023)
- Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice 2020
- Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance 2022
Northern Ireland
Children’s
Legislation
- The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
- The Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015
Statutory guidance
- Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland 2017
- Regional Core Child Protection Policies and Procedures for Northern Ireland 2018
- Understanding the Needs of Children in Northern Ireland (UNOCINI) Framework 2011
Adults
Legislation
- No specific adult safeguarding legislation, however there is an adult Protection Bill introduced to the NI assembly in June 2025
- Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
- Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021
Statutory guidance
- Adult Safeguarding Prevention and Protection in Partnership Policy 2015
Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice
Scotland
Children’s
Legislation
- Children (Scotland) Act 1995
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020
Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024
Statutory guidance
- Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) 2006
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (2023)
- Children and young people (Scotland) Act 2014: National Guidance on Part 12, 2016
Adults
Legislation
- The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007
- Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000
- Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018
Statutory guidance
- Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) 2007 Code of practice 2022
- Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 Forms and Guidance
Wales
Children’s
Legislation
- Children Act 1989
- Children Act 2004
- The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014
Statutory guidance
- Social Services Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 Codes of Practice 2025
- Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice 2020
- Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance 2022
Adults
Legislation
- Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Statutory guidance
- Working Together to Safeguard People 2021
- Wales Safeguarding Procedures and Practice Guides 2019
- Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance 2022