Home Secretary at the outset treads carefully (4)
I believe the answer is:
pads
'treads carefully' is the definition.
'pads' can be an answer for 'treads' (I've seen this before). I am not sure about the 'carefully' bit.
'home secretary at the outset' is the wordplay.
'home' becomes 'pad' (pad can mean someone's home).
'at the outset' suggests taking the first letters (the outset is the beginning).
The first letter of 'secretary' is 's'.
'pad'+'s'='PADS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for pads that I've seen before include "Cricket leg-guards" , "flats?" , "tablets" , "Bolsters" , "19 acrosses" .)