LCC online harms risk assessment review
Lancashire County Council should undertake a comprehensive review of how its children’s services and Early Help teams (i.e. Children and Family Wellbeing Service) assess and manage risk and online harms to children. This review should ensure that all frontline staff have a consistent and up-to-date understanding of online risks, and that they have access to effective tools and guidance to identify and respond to these risks. It should specifically include consideration of the risks associated with the use of Virtual Private Networks, which can enable children to bypass the safeguards established under the Online Safety Act 2023. The Department of Health and Social Care should consider whether reforms to national guidance, policy or training are required.
- Department for Education guidance on mobile phones in schools became statutory, stating all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default, with schools implementing from September 2026 (Mobile phones in schools, Department for Education, June 2026).
- The government stated the Department for Education is taking responsibility in place of DHSC and expects to complete implementation by mid-2026, that new Lead Child Protection Practitioner standards including online harms content are due to be published in June 2026, and that equivalent screen use guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16 will follow (Government Response to Phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry, CP 1623, Home Office, July 2026).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedThe Department for Education (DfE) is taking responsibility for this recommendation in place of the Department for Health and Social Care and expects to complete implementation of this recommendation by mid-2026. Progress and next steps:
- New Lead Child Protection Practitioner standards for social work are due to be published in June 2026. The standards will include content on managing the risk of online harms to children.
- On 27 March 2026, the government published advice for parents on screen use for children aged 0-5 on the Best Start in Life website, informed by an expert panel's independent report.
- The government will follow this up by producing equivalent evidence-based screen use guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16. This will reflect both the outcomes of the government's digital wellbeing consultation, and a separate call for evidence to be published in due course.
- The Department for Education has published strengthened 'mobile phones in schools' guidance which is now statutory and states that all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default for the entire school day, including breaks. Schools are expected to begin implementing it from September 2026.
Progress Timeline
Government response published 2 July 2026 (CP 1623). The government accepted this recommendation; the lead department reports implementation is in progress.
Awaiting government response. Phase 1 report published 13 April 2026.