Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is a statutory guidance document that outlines the legal responsibilities of schools and colleges in England to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under 18. A new version of KCSIE is effective from September 1, 2024, replacing the 2023 edition.

Key Updates

The 2024 update introduces several technical changes to align with the 2023 guidance on working together to safeguard children. Key updates include:

- Definition of Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation: Updated definitions to include exploitation alongside abuse and neglect.

- Child Protection: Enhanced guidance on child protection both inside and outside the home.

- Staff Roles and Responsibilities: Clearer guidelines on staff duties related to filtering and monitoring. SCR.

- Attendance Concerns: Recognition that absences or missing children can be potential warning signs.

- Integration of Related Guidance: Incorporation of information from "Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Between Children in Schools and Colleges."

- Domestic Abuse: Addition of domestic abuse as a key safeguarding issue.

- Intra-familial Harms: Emphasis on understanding and addressing intra-familial harm. Intra-familial harm is a term that refers to harm that occurs within a family environment, and can include physical, sexual, emotional, or neglectful abuse:

- Collaboration with Safeguarding Partners: Importance of schools and colleges participating in discussions with statutory safeguarding partners.

Document Structure

The KCSIE 2024 document is organised into four parts:

Part 1: Safeguarding Information for All Staff - General safeguarding information for all school staff.

Part 2: Management of Safeguarding - Guidelines for managing safeguarding within the school.

Part 3: Safer Recruitment - Procedures and practices for safer recruitment.

Part 4: Safeguarding Concerns or Allegations Made About Staff - Handling concerns or allegations regarding staff members.

We strongly recommend reviewing the updated guidance in full to ensure compliance.

Summary of Changes in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2024

The 2024 edition of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) introduces several key updates, effective from September 1, 2024:

Definition of Safeguarding: The definition has been revised to align with "Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023," emphasising early intervention, protection from harm, and promoting children’s welfare.

Exploitation: The term "exploitation" has been added to the safeguarding definition. The phrase "abuse and neglect" is now replaced with "abuse, neglect, and exploitation."

Early Help: Enhanced guidance on identifying when children may need early help and providing timely support has been included.

Data Protection: School staff, governors, and trustees are advised to refer to the DfE Data Protection guidance for schools to better understand data protection requirements.

Domestic Abuse: Domestic abuse is now explicitly mentioned as a safeguarding concern. The guidance covers various forms of domestic abuse—psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional—and its impact on children.

Additional Updates: The document features updated terminology, a new section on alternative provision, and specific guidance on supporting children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or gender-questioning.

The 2024 KCSIE guidance is slightly larger than the 2023 version, at 185 pages, but maintains the same structure and layout.