Crime and Policing Act 2026

So they will need an enhanced DBS check regardless of that supervision arrangement.

And this change sits within the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and it updates the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

So supervision has always assumed a level of oversight that in reality isn't always consistent.

A supervised volunteer can still find themselves alone with a child even briefly.

The new mandatory reporting duty we are working to implement will be a vital step in safeguarding children more effectively across a range of institutions and settings.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 does not provide any exemption for mandatory reporting on the basis of religious practice or the setting in which information is received.

In defining who is subject to the duty, the Act makes specific provision for those providing religious instruction to children beyond the regulated activity framework in Section 12.

The Act also makes clear how the duty interacts with any wider expectations of confidentiality that a reporter may be subject to.

Now, the, uh, UK government has just passed a new law in April.

It's called the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

It will actually come into force on the 29th of June, which is, uh, at the date of recording is next week, and that provides for a very s- clear, uh, stipulated sort of deadline of 48 hours take down.

So when a, when a victim notifies, uh, for example, image-based sexual abuse, they have 48 hours to take it down.

Welcome back to English and Welsh Police Law Explained, the podcast where we break down criminal legislation into clear, simple explanations using real-life examples.

I'm your host, Stephen, and this week we're looking at a significant change in the law surrounding begging following a repeal of the Vagrancy Act of 1824 and the introduction of new offences under the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

For almost 200 years, certain forms of begging and vagrancy could result in criminal prosecution under the Vagrancy Act.

But that has now changed.

Begging itself is no longer a criminal offence in England and Wales.

However, the law has introduced new offences aimed at particular conduct associated with begging, including the offence of arranging or facilitating another person's begging for gain, under Section 12 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

In this episode, we'll look at exactly what Section 12 means, what is meant by arranging or facilitating begging, and perhaps most importantly, what needs to be proven before someone can be convicted.

We'll also consider how the new offence differs from the old Vagrancy Act provisions, and how other offences may still apply to conduct associated with begging.