2024 KCSIE Update: Summary of Key Changes

Amendment to the definition of ‘safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children’

The definition of safeguarding has been amended to reflect the changes made in Working Together to Safeguard Children. Paragraph 3 now states “Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of this guidance as:

• 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
• 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

Paragraph 18 has been amended to add that staff should be alert to the potential need for Early Help for pupils who have “experienced multiple suspensions, [are] at risk of being permanently excluded from schools, colleges and in Alternative Provision or a Pupil Referral Unit.”

In Part Five where options to manage reports of child-on-child sexual violence and/or sexual harassment are discussed, paragraph 497 has been amended to include the importance of Early Help at any stage in a child’s life. It states, “Early Help is support for children of all ages that improves a family’s resilience and outcomes or reduces the chance of a problem getting worse.”

Children and the court system

In Annex B, links to two age-appropriate guides have been included to support children who are required to give evidence in court.

Preventing radicalisation

In Annex B, a disclaimer has been added to outline that this section is still under review following the new definition of extremism released on 14th March 2024. Additional information is also provided to state that possible indicators of radicalisation should be taken into consideration alongside other factors or contexts.

Wording and minor definition changes

Several wording and minor definition changes occur in KCSIE 2024, including:

• Headings have been amended across KCSIE to reflect that pupils may experience “abuse, neglect and exploitation” rather than solely “abuse and neglect”. (Paragraph 19)
• The definition of abuse has been expanded slightly to emphasise that witnessing ill treatment of others is harmful to children. The paragraph makes references to the relevance of this in all forms of domestic abuse, including where children “see, hear or experience its effects". (Paragraph 24)
• In the section called ‘safeguarding issues’ (which outlines the awareness of safeguarding issues that staff should have), the wording about absence has been changed. The term “deliberately missing education” has been replaced with “unexplainable and/or persistent absences from education”. (Paragraph 31)

1. Begin to review your safeguarding, child protection and other related policies to ensure they reflect the changes and are ready for when KCSIE 2024 becomes statutory in September.
2. Share the updates with your governing body.
3. Start to plan your staff training update for September INSET days to ensure all staff are informed and up to date on the changes.
4. Consider other safeguarding and child protection training that your setting requires.
5. You may wish to audit your safeguarding processes, procedures and provision before the new academic year and action plan for any identified areas requiring focus.