Twelve-month Legal Timeline

October 2025

• The REC Legal and Compliance Summit is being held in Manchester on the 14th of October 2025. Members can book their place here.
• Bidding for the new CCS Framework for Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment is due to open later this month, although the exact date is TBC. More information can be found here.
• On 12th September 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) published its Statutory guidance for local authorities on the use of agency child and family social workers, (the Child and family social workers agency rules).The changes come into force on 31st October 2024, however, full implementation is scheduled for 1st October 2025. For further guidance please see our guide to the Child and Family Social Workers Agency Rules here. 
• Section 17 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 comes into effect on 1st October 2025. The provision intends to codify existing common law protections for the reporting of crime to the police and whistleblowing in relation to criminal activity. The provision will also result in contract terms seeking to prevent the making of such disclosures will be void and unenforceable.
• From 1st October, under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, confidentiality clauses in England and Wales will be void if they stop a "victim" (widely defined) from disclosing information to law enforcement, lawyers, regulators, victim support and/or close family. Employers must updated settlement agreements and templates to stay compliant. Further information can be found here.
• Despite the fact that The School Teacher's Pay and Conditions (Wales) Order 2025 comes into force on 7th October 2025, this order makes a retrospective provision (under section 123(3) of the Education Act 2002), to provide that the provisions set out in section 2 of the 'School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2025' and guidance on the school teacher's pay and conditions have effect on and after 1st September 2025. 
• On the 7th October, HMRC is conducting a webinar for labour supply chains covering the proposed changes from April 2026 looking at: 
  • When the rules apply
  • Who the new rules apply to 
  • How the new rules apply to agencies, end clients, umbrella companies and workers employed by umbrella company. 

To sign up to, and attend the webinar, the link is available here. 

• The ICO has launched two consultations on its draft guidance explaining the requirements introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
  • The consultation gathering feedback on its draft guidance for organisations handling data protection complaints closes on 19th October 2025.
  • The consultation gathering feedback on its draft guidance regarding the recognised legitimate interest basis for processing personal data closes on 30th October 2025.
• The government consultation on the Small Business Plan, which aims to tackle late payment culture, including amending the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, closes on 23rd October 2025.
• The House of Lords will consider amendments to the Employment Rights Bill made by the House of Commons on 28th October 2025. It is expected that Royal Assent will follow in early November.