Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 Update
Friday, September 6, 2024
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 (KCSIE) came into force in September 2024 replacing the 2023 edition. KCSIE outlines what schools and colleges must do to promote the welfare of and to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 in England.
There have been several changes this year. In this news article; our Compliance, Legal and Safeguarding Manager, Toni Pike recaps and explains these changes.
Updates made to 2023 KCSIE for 2024 include:
- Wording changes to reflect ‘Working together to safeguard children’
- Guidance on Early Help
- Recommendations in understanding data protection
- Clarification on safeguarding responsibilities for alternative provision providers
Safeguarding Definition
Changes to the definition of safeguarding made in ‘Working together to safeguard children’ have been reflected in KCSIE 2024. The new definition now extends to include:
- providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
- protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
Alongside:
- preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Early Help
Early help is defined as ‘providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years’. KCSIE 2024 updates that professionals should be alert to signs that early help is needed for a child who is/has (but not limited to):
- Frequently missing/goes missing from education, home or care
- At risk of multiple suspensions or being permanently excluded
- A parent or carer in custody or is affected by parental offending
Data Handling
KCSIE 2024 recommends that all professionals (staff, governors and trustees) should read the DFE guide to Data protection in schools. This is important:
- In order to be fully compliant with data protection law
- To be able to establish data policies
- To understand what data to keep
- To prevent personal data breeches
The guidance also outlines that as well as keeping records of allegations, referrals and decisions the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) should document a justification for any decisions made.
Alternative Provision – who is responsible?
The updated guidance clearly outlines that when a school places a pupil within an Alternative Provision that they must be satisfied that the placement meets pupil needs. It highlights the responsibility of the school for understanding additional risks and confirms the school has overall accountability for the safeguarding of the placed child.
Other changes include:
- Abuse and Neglect amended to reflect throughout as ‘Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation’ (Paragraph 19)
- Additional text added to domestic violence to include ‘including where they see, hear, or experience its effects’ (Paragraph 24)
- ‘Deliberately missing education’ redefined as ‘unexplainable and or/persistent absences from education’ (Paragraph 29)
- Disclaimer and further text added to Paragraphs 205 - 209 where the section remains under review pending the outcome of the Gender Questioning Children consultation.