Image of New KCSIE 2024: A Brief Guide to Updated Statutory Safeguarding Guidance

New KCSIE 2024: A Brief Guide to Updated Statutory Safeguarding Guidance

The Department for Education (DfE) has released its new iteration of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) which will take effect on 1 September 2024 and replace the 2023 version. This statutory guidance “sets out the legal duties you must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges”. 

We’ve just launched webinars to help you determine your statutory safeguarding and online safety priorities for the forthcoming academic year, aligned with KCSIE 2024. Please click here to browse our programme which includes webinars for specific phases and types of school. 

We also offer guidance on consultation on the government’s proposed changes to KCSIE for 2025 to help you shape your response. The closing date for responses is 20 June 2024. 

In this blog, Lorna Ponambalum, senior leader and safeguarding consultant with over 15 years’ experience as a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) guides you through the essential elements of KCSIE. Christina Leith, experienced head of safeguarding and subject matter expert on safeguarding children, then provides an overview of changes to the statutory guidance for 2024. 

What is Keeping children safe in education? 

Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) is statutory guidance produced by the DfE and issued under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002. It sets out the legal duties that all schools, colleges, and other institutes of education in England must follow when performing their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under the age of eighteen. 

The guidance was first introduced in 2014 to ensure that all staff working in education were recognised as having a key role in the safeguarding of children and young people, and that the education sector was identified as a vital component of the wider safeguarding system. 

KCSIE is organised into five parts as follows: 

Part 1: Safeguarding information for all staff – This part should be read and understood by all school and college staff. Part 1 of the guidance is also available as a standalone document. Staff who do not work directly with children on a regular basis can read a shortened version of Part 1 (found in Annex A) 

Part 2: The management of safeguarding – This part is aimed at headteachers, designated safeguarding leads (DSL) and their teams, and governors. It outlines the responsibilities of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees 

Part 3: Safer recruitment – This part refers to an organisation’s recruitment processes and includes information about:

  • advertising 
  • applications 
  • shortlisting 
  • interviewing 
  • selection 
  • pre-employment checks 
  • record keeping 

Part 4: Allegations made against/concerns raised in relation to teachers, including supply teachers, other staff, volunteers and contractors 

Part 5: Child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment. This section was expanded in the 2022 version of KCSIE, and incorporated the previously separate DfE non-statutory advice entitled Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges 

There are also six annexes at the end of the guidance which are: 

Annex A which is a shortened version of Part 1 that can be read and understood by staff who do not work directly with children, such as school keepers 

Annex B which should also be read and understood by all staff as it includes further guidance on specific safeguarding issues such as: 

  • child abduction and community safety incidents 
  • child criminal exploitation (CCE) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) 
  • county lines 
  • children and the court system 
  • children missing from education 
  • children with family members in prison 
  • cybercrime 
  • domestic abuse 
  • homelessness 
  • mental health 
  • modern slavery and the National Referral Mechanism
  • preventing radicalisation 
  • The Prevent duty and Channel 
  • sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges 
  • serious violence 
  • so-called ‘honour-based’ abuse (including female genital mutilation and forced marriage) 
  • forced marriage 

Annex C which outlines the role of the DSL 

Annex D which focuses on host families and homestay during exchange visits 

Annex E is the statutory guidance for regulated activity (children), supervision of activity with children which is regulated activity when unsupervised 

Annex F which changes each year as it sets out substantive changes made by the new guidance 

KCSIE also explains the structures that schools and colleges must have in place. This includes having a specific safeguarding policy, which must be displayed on their website. Ofsted are likely to view this as part their pre-inspection work. The guidance also says that all educational establishments must have a DSL, who is at the right level of seniority. All staff should know who the DSL is and should know how to contact them when issues of a safeguarding nature arise. 

Why is Keeping children safe in education so important? 

KCSIE is essential for overall wellbeing and development of all children and young people. Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that they are protected from harm and abuse, not only whilst they are in school but whilst they are online or within the school’s or college’s vicinity. Safeguarding includes protecting children and young people from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, bullying and harassment. Having a safe and nurturing environment for children in schools and colleges is vital for their happiness, academic progress and mental health. 

KCSIE also makes it clear that all staff should have safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction, with training being regularly updated. This means at least annually. The guidance also has information and tools that educational establishments can use to help keep children safe online. Furthermore, there are a bank of resources that schools and colleges can signpost to parents and carers to help them keep their children safe from different risks online. 

What is the role of the DSL in Keeping children safe in education? 

Whilst every school and college must have a DSL, it is governing boards (and proprietors of independent schools) who have strategic leadership responsibility for their school's or college’s safeguarding arrangements. 

The DSL should meet regularly with the designated governor or trustee for safeguarding to discuss key safeguarding priorities. However, it is important to make sure that all of the governing body or board of trustees: 

  • fulfil their duties under legislation 
  • check that a school's or college’s safeguarding policies, procedures and training are effective 
  • follow legislation in line with KCSIE 

Why is Keeping children safe in education revised each year? 

The guidance is usually updated annually to reflect any changes in legislation, such as the Coronavirus Act 2020, any changes in government policy such as Brexit, any reviews or reports on particular safeguarding issues such as the 2021 Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, or any other issues relating to the safety of children and young people. 

What are the changes to Keeping children safe in education for 2024? 

There was no consultation period for KCSIE 2024. The changes are not big, and the structure and layout of the guidance remain unchanged. The 2023 version comprised 178 pages, whereas the 2024 version comprises 185. There is a renewed focus on: 

  • contextual safeguarding and vulnerabilities 
  • exploitation 
  • prevention and early intervention 
  • safeguarding responsibilities, including alternative provision
  • DSL and record-keeping 
  • children questioning their gender 
  • children and the court system 
  • impact of domestic abuse 
  • data protection 

The updated version: 

  • aligns with other newly revised guidance including Working together to safeguard children (DfE 2023), Information Sharing (2024), and Prevent duty (2023) 
  • includes the newly updated definition of ‘safeguarding children’ and strengthens focus on vulnerabilities 
  • focuses on evidencing decision making which requires an understanding of risk and professional curiosity. The guidance states that the DSL should “be able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of all concerns, discussions and decisions made including the rationale for those decisions. This should include instances where referrals were or were not made to another agency such as LA children’s social care or the Prevent program etc” 
  • includes the addition of the phrase “children who are questioning their gender”. There is an emphasis on exercising caution when implementing support, including holistic needs assessment, parental collaboration (if safe to do so) and taking account of the wider vulnerabilities around the child
  • signposts to new resources aimed at increasing your knowledge and expertise 

What do I need to do now? 

  • Participate in the current consultation on KSCIE 2025 if you have not done so already. Be vigilant of impending developments
  • Continue to adhere to the current KCSIE 2023 until 1st September 2024 
  • Disseminate and cascade information within your early years, schools and college settings 
  • Communicate and collaborate
  • Review, strengthen and evaluate your safeguarding strategy, focusing on the ‘pillars of safeguarding’ culture, leadership, and governance 
  • Consider how you apply scrutiny and oversight to safeguarding practice and process 
  • How do you evidence that your efforts are meaningful and impactful? 
  • Engage with children and families 

See, hear, believe…do something 

  • Safeguarding is not just everyone’s business, its everyday business 
  • Consider contextual safeguarding 
  • Focus on collaboration: children, families, carers, agencies 
  • Take a trauma-informed approach: consider the causation beyond the symptoms 
  • Establish a culture of shared learning, professional curiosity and collaborative endeavours 
  • A whole-school approach is key 

KCSIE must be read alongside Working Together to safeguard children: Statutory guidance on multi-agency working to help, protect and promote the welfare of children (DfE 2023). 

If you’re concerned about keeping up to date with the latest education policy, practice and research, consider a membership with The National College. Not only does it provide access to thousands of professional development resources for all staff, but also enables leaders to create training programmes precisely tailored to individual and collective needs, to help ensure compliance and drive up standards.