Take a closer look at the 2024 updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and what your school or college needs to consider for effective child safeguarding.

You may recall that there was no public consultation for the changes in September 2024’s version of KCSiE.

Whilst this indicates that there weren’t huge new sections to note, it is still important to look at some of the more subtle changes and consider whether you are fully adhering to them in your setting.

An Overview of the KCSiE 2024 Updates

There are far more changes expected for KCSiE 2025 and a call for evidence (not the same as a consultation) closed in June 2024. With a new political party in government, we may also see further changes to guidance.

Indeed the early indications are that safeguarding concerns and trauma-informed approaches are likely to be supported rather than stricter “one-size fits all” behaviour policies, which for DSLs is something to celebrate.

To help you ensure that you are following best practices and consider whether your staff training has sufficiently covered everything they’ll need to know about Part 1 of this current key statutory guidance document, which is relevant for all staff, I’ve picked out many of the key changes below and posed questions to help you assess the effectiveness of implementation in your setting each time.

The Issue Raised in KCSIE	Questions For Your Setting
The definition of safeguarding was widened to include “protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online”	Do your staff understand what contextual safeguarding risks are in your local community? Do they consider extra-familial harm as regularly as the traditional models of harm centred in a family environment?  How would you evidence this?
Explicit discussion that Early Help is a strategy to use for children missing education due to persistent absence and if a child has had “multiple suspensions, is at risk of being permanently excluded from schools, colleges and in AP or a PRU”	How much safeguarding training has your Attendance Officer received, specific to their role? Is it widely understood by all staff that a safeguarding response may mean multi-agency contributions, wider support than simply following attendance procedures and a compassionate approach to a child returning to school who has missed significant curriculum input? When and how do you check this with staff? What external Early Help agencies do you involve and do you record all in an EHA?
Discussion of harms includes abuse, neglect and exploitation	When was your last training on Child Criminal and Child Sexual Exploitation? Have new staff received it? Who do you link with in the community to discuss contextual harms in your area? Where do you teach children in the curriculum about exploitation and how to talk to a trusted adult?
The impact on children of all forms of domestic abuse, including where they see, hear or experience its effects	Have you trained about the breadth of domestic abuse, not simply physical? Do you talk to staff and students about all aspects of negative relationships – coercive and controlling behaviour and financial harm for example? If children have no lunch money or their uniform hasn’t been replaced – would your staff consider that a parent may be suffering from financially controlling abuse and the child is experiencing the effects? How professionally curious are your staff? Do you consider a child of 16 or 17 could legally be classed as the abuser?
Discussion of unexplainable and/or persistent absences from education	Has your setting eliminated the use of the potentially victim-blaming statement “deliberately missing education”? Do you see persistent absence as a means of communication through behaviour? How would you know your staff are acting upon concerns if a child or parent can’t explain absence – do they routinely consider tone and behavioural signs too, as the lack of explanation and the circumstances surrounding it could be the final piece of the jigsaw to suggest significant harm?
Schools continue to be responsible for the safeguarding of a child placed in Alternative Provision and check the placement meets needs	Do staff understand it isn’t a case of “out of sight, out of mind” if a child is in AP? Do they know they might be called upon to give their view of the child’s attainment, capability and perceived safety? Do you train staff to be professionally curious if a child returns from AP if behaviours have altered? Or if a friend in your setting reports something of concern, would staff pass it on to a DSL?
The attainment of children in Kinship Care	Do you cover this in staff training – would all staff understand how this child might be vulnerable due to living with someone new, but also due to the possibility their carer has contact with the birth family which may pose a risk? Does your staff member responsible for LAC and liaising with the Virtual School also feed back to you with safeguarding concerns?
The definition of extremism has been updated to read “Extremism is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to: 1. Negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; 2. Undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or 3. Intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results in 1. or 2.”	Are all staff aware of the changes to the Prevent guidance that came out in December 2023? Are staff confident in their understanding of extremism and how it does not refer to one particular religious or political ideology? When did staff last receive Prevent training and would they be able to recall the detail? What might a “permissive environment” look like in a school setting? Where do you cover this in the curriculum and do staff have sufficient confidence and training to allow debate without allowing any permissive environment for extremist views?
DSLs must keep a record of the rationale of all decision making	Do you share your rationale with staff who have raised the initial concern? If not, why not? This should be for all decisions – whether a threshold is met or not, whether you used the escalation procedure or not, whether you got consent or not. Is this standard practice for all DSLs in your setting?  If not, why not?

Access More KCSiE and Safeguarding Support

If this short blog has got you thinking about the effectiveness of your safeguarding culture, why not contact us at safeguarding@servicesforeducation to discuss a Safeguarding Audit?

We also offer a Safeguarding Subscription that includes dozens of staff training webinars, which are designed to keep everyone informed throughout the academic year.

About the Author

Jo Perrin - Adviser, Services For Education

Jo Perrin is a seasoned Education Adviser with a strong background in safeguarding. She has held key roles as a Designated Safeguarding Lead and pastoral lead in the education sector. Facilitating training to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working directly with children and young people is her passion.

With a wealth of experience in teaching PSHE and expertise in childhood trauma from her time as a foster carer, Jo is dedicated to supporting organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults on safeguarding issues. She is actively involved in professional safeguarding groups in the West Midlands and is currently collaborating on a research project with colleagues from the University of Birmingham and the NHS focusing on FGM awareness within communities. Jo’s has worked as a West Midlands' Adviser for national PSHE resources, presented at the Sex Education Forum National Members' Event and authored an advertorial for PSM magazine and an article for SEND magazine.

Jo's expertise extends to training on topics such as Safer Recruitment and Mental Health at Work. She is also a facilitator for the nationally recognised NPQSL qualification, supporting senior leaders in education. Her contributions to publications and development of resources for RSE provision have been well-received by schools nationally and internationally.

With her extensive experience and dedication to professional development, Jo Perrin is a highly respected figure in the field of education. Her guidance on safeguarding, mental health awareness, personal development, and relationships education is highly valued within the industry.