Summary of the changes to England’s safeguarding guidance for schools in KCSIE 2018.
The Department for Education has revised the guidance Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges, following a 10 week consultation in 2018. The guidance comes into force for schools from 3rd September 2018.
The guidance has been strengthened and further clarified throughout. The key addition to the guidance is the new part (Part 5) on advice for schools on responding to and supporting young victims of sexual violence and harassment.
Relevant parts of the guidance may be updated in line with the new Working together to safeguard children statutory guidance published in July 2018 .
Our briefing highlights the main changes in the new version of Keeping children safe in education compared to the earlier version.
Summary of key changes
The updated guidance includes a new section (Part 5) on Child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment.
This section covers in detail:
- how schools should respond to incidents of sexual violence and sexual harassment, emphasising the need for effective training and policies in schools and colleges
- the need for risk assessments in school following reports of incidents of sexual violence or sexual harassment
- the action needed to take to support victims and alleged perpetrators of sexual violence or harassment.
The guidance adds further information on the management of safeguarding in a school, including emphasising that staff need to act immediately if they have a concern about a child.
The guidance includes new or more detailed information on safeguarding issues including:
- child criminal exploitation: children being used to carry drugs or money from urban to rural areas
- homelessness
- domestic abuse
- child sexual exploitation
- children missing from education.
Download the full guidance
Department for Education (2018) Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges. London: Department for Education.