The Home Office has published a draft version of the Employer’s guide to right to work checks, dated 16 July 2026, which will come into force on 1 October 2026 and replaces the version published on 26 June 2025. The guide supplements the draft Code of practice on illegal working which was issued on 30 June 2026, and includes various changs also made to that document. The most significant change is the extension of the Right to Work Scheme, under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, to cover a wider range of working arrangements beyond traditional employment, together with a new regime of ‘extended liability’ up contractual chains. The main substantive changes, including the fourteen example scenarios given to illustrate the operation of the new regime, are summarised below.

Law360, London: Green assets investor Octopus Renewables said 20 June 2025 that it has conditionally agreed to acquire an additional solar site in Ireland for approximately €27m, expanding its energy operations in the country.

The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) has launched a call for views on the adoption of trust services, such as electronic signatures, seals and time stamps, which are essential for secure digital transactions. Despite having a legal framework and a regulator (the ICO), the UK currently lacks any registered qualified trust service providers (QTSPs), relying instead on EU-based providers. The call seeks input from organisations offering or using trust services to better understand market barriers and inform future policy. It also explores the potential for integrating trust services with the UK digital identity framework to enhance security and usability.

The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) have released a preliminary version of the supplementary code for digital right to work (RtW) checks. The code sets out the requirements for digital verification services (DVS) that conduct RtW checks for holders of British and Irish passports or Irish passport cards.

The Office for Students (OfS) has announced that it will be changing the way it collects financial information from higher education providers. OfS has said that the changes come in the context of the financial challenges facing the higher education sector. Key changes to data collected include four new reporting requirements and removal of the requirement to submit EU students numbers and fee income forecasts separately from other international students and fee income.

The Office for Students (OfS) has scheduled two online consultation events for 2 and 9 April 2025 to discuss proposed reforms to its registration requirements. The reforms include two new initial conditions of registration covering fair treatment of students and effective governance. The changes aim to streamline the registration process for well-prepared providers while maintaining regulatory standards. The consultation particularly seeks input from providers interested in offering Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) courses and those involved in subcontractual arrangements.

The Office for Students (OfS) has announced a revised Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) following its September 2025 consultation. The new framework introduces a tiered quality assessment ratings system for all registered universities and colleges in England, under which institutions will receive Bronze, Silver or Gold ratings for 'student experience' and 'student outcomes'. Bronze ratings will be awarded to institutions meeting the OfS's minimum requirements, while Silver and Gold ratings will be awarded to those exceeding them. Institutions may receive a ‘Requires improvement’ rating where quality falls below the relevant minimum requirements. The OfS will impose student recruitment limits on institutions rated ‘Bronze’ or 'Requires improvement' and introduce a strengthened set of incentives linked to TEF ratings. A further consultation on the detail of these measures is planned for autumn 2026. The revised TEF will operate on a cyclical basis, with lower-rated institutions assessed more frequently. The OfS will also carry out additional assessments where new concerns arise through its regular monitoring of compliance with quality requirements.

The Office for Students (OfS) has allocated £2 million in funding to eleven collaborative projects aimed at promoting equality of opportunity in higher education. This initiative, part of the OfS's Equality in Higher Education Innovation Fund, seeks to address sector-wide risks affecting student access, success, and progression. The selected projects will foster new collaborations between universities, colleges, and various organisations, including those in healthcare, community support, and the charitable sectors. Key focuses include testing novel approaches to support diverse student groups, developing resources for the sector, innovating staff training, and implementing transition programmes. The funding aims to drive innovation in delivering equality of opportunity and support the higher education sector in better understanding and addressing the needs of different student groups.

The Office for Students (OfS) has announced a call for evidence concerning the role and purpose of the OfS funding. In particular, the OfS is seeking views on the general policy aims of the funding; how to determine strategically important courses; the activities the OfS’s funding should be supporting; and the most effective use of the OfS’s funding. The call for evidence closes on 23 May 2024.

The Office for Students (OfS) has launched a consultation on guidance for new conditions E11 and E12 applying to universities and other higher education providers in England. The conditions will apply to all universities and colleges registered with the OfS from 1 April 2027, with condition E11 also applying to providers applying to register from that date.  E11 requires governing documents to be consistent with providers’ free-speech duties and management and governance arrangements to be adequate and effective to secure compliance. E12 requires institutions to meet their legal duties to secure freedom of speech and academic freedom, promote their importance and maintain a free-speech code of practice. The OfS is seeking views on guidance to help providers interpret the conditions, including additional guidance to Regulatory advice 24, which is being integrated into the OfS’s regulatory framework, and new draft guidance on the duty to promote the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom. The consultation also includes a lower-burden approach for further education colleges without, or not seeking, degree awarding powers. The consultation closes on 23 November 2026. The OfS expects to publish its final decision in spring 2027 ahead of the conditions coming into effect on 1 April 2027.

The Office for Students (OfS) has launched a consultation proposing a new ongoing condition, Treating students fairly (C6), replacing existing conditions Guidance on consumer protection law (C1) and Student protection plan (C3). The proposals introduce overarching fairness principles, clearer information requirements, and mandatory publication of accessible documents. The consultation responds to concerns that many students report unmet commitments and limited understanding of their rights, aiming to strengthen accountability and support informed student decision-making. The consultation closes on 9 July 2026.

The Office for Students (OfS) has launched a consultation on a future quality system for higher education providers in England. From 2027–28, providers would be assessed cyclically, with nearly all providers with undergraduate provision covered in the first three years. Those with enough data could apply for Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ratings for student experience, student outcomes or both: Gold, Silver, Bronze or Requires improvement. Providers that do not apply, or lack enough data, would receive minimum requirements outcomes of ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’. Assessments could draw on National Student Survey results, student outcomes data, provider and student submissions and, where risks are identified, visits or extra evidence. Outcomes and reports would be published for students. Proposed incentives and consequences include TEF-linked access to fee uplifts and degree awarding powers, 10% annual recruitment reductions for ‘Requires improvement’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’ outcomes and later growth limits for ‘Bronze’ or ‘Satisfactory’ outcomes. The consultation closes on 28 January 2027.