The Department for Education has published its draft, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024. Whilst there are no substantive changes to the document, amendments include revised definitions of safeguarding and early help. These are consistent with the definitions in the revised Working Together to Safeguarding Children. The section of part 1, focussing on abuse and neglect, has been widened to include exploitation. Other changes include recognising unexplainable and/or persistent absences from education and additional text to clarify that the school, where the child is on roll, remain responsible for their pupils who attend alternative provision.
The section in part 2 about children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or gender questioning remains under review pending the outcome of the gender questioning children guidance consultation.
The definition of extremism remains unchanged, but this is being reviewed and may be amended to be consistent with that published earlier this year and in Annex C, (Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead) the holding and sharing information section has been amended to include recording the rationale for how decisions were made, including whether or not a referral was made.
Schools and colleges are reminded that this is a draft version of Keeping Children Safe in Education and that the Department may make further amendments when it is finally published in September.
Substantive changes to the document are anticipated to the document in 2025 following the Department’s Safeguarding call for evidence which is currently live.
