As of January 2026, significant amendments to the UK’s Sentencing Act have introduced stronger legal protections for pregnant women and primary carers within the criminal justice system. Central to these reforms is an amendment to the Bail Act 1976, which now places a clear legal duty on courts to consider… ...
Working in probation, offender management, and safeguarding is complex, high-stakes work. Every decision—from assessing risk, planning interventions, or managing cases in the community—can have a profound impact on people’s lives. Recent reviews, including the Sara Sharif case and national Domestic Homicide Review analyses, show that missed risks, limited professional curiosity,… Red Snapper Learning's Evidence-Informed Practice & Reflective Learning in Safeguarding course is designed to help practitioners ensure that difficult decisions are informed, thoughtful, and defensible....
Clinks (the national infrastructure charity for the voluntary sectors working in the CJS) yesterday published a report on a ‘Whole Systems Approach’ for women in contact with the criminal justice system. Clinks convenes Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to advise on specific areas of policy and practice as the need arises.… Russell Webster reviews the findings of a new report from Clinks. ...
Often when people hear domestic abuse, they think about a woman being abused by a male partner. While this is a serious and widespread issue, it’s not always the case. It is important for us to understand and acknowledge that men can also be subjected to physical, psychological, emotional or… By Hardeep Roud...
The Reid technique is pioneered by Inabu, Reid and Buckley (1986) in their police training manual, detailing how deception and guilt can be detected using a variety of positive and negative reinforcing techniques, such as minimisation, leading questions, analysing body language, and false promises, whilst isolating the suspect for great… By Ciara Placentino...
The Government has launched a recruitment drive in the new year after setting out reforms to the courts system last month to tackle the crown court backlog. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said more than 2,000 more magistrates have been trained since 2022 and the latest call seeks to increase… Thousands of new magistrates are being sought to volunteer in England and Wales as part of efforts to speed up justice for victims....
Rehabilitation in the Digital Age A new briefing from Unlock, the charity which supports and advocates for people with criminal records to be able to move on positively in their lives, examines how the digital age has undermined the promise of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) and sets… Russell Webster reviews new research which looks at the challenges of rehabilitating offenders in the digital age. ...
This webinar offers a sensitive, multi-agency exploration of the key learning emerging from the Sara Sharif Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. Facilitated by a specialist in cultural competence, intersectional safeguarding and challenging systemic inequity, the session provides a reflective space for practitioners to examine what happened and what it means… Red Snapper Learning (RSL) is holding a webinar on this key safeguarding review case on December 12. You can book your place through the link at the bottom of the article. ...
Join Police Oracle for a vital, multi-agency webinar exploring the key lessons from the Sara Sharif Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. Sara Sharif tragically lost her life, highlighting systemic failures in safeguarding and the urgent need for reflective, culturally competent practice. This session provides practitioners with a safe, reflective space… By Chris English...
The following is a case study from the RSMS’ Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme, in which a service user was struggling to find themselves in the right headspace to engage fully with the programme and how our facilitator navigated their difficulties: Concerns for the Service User’s current partner had been raised… By Chris English...