The DSL Compliance Guide: What KCSIE 2024 and Working Together 2023 Demand of Your School

What Changed in KCSIE 2024?

The Department for Education published Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, in force from 1 September 2024.^[1] Ministers confirmed at publication that the 2024 edition contains primarily technical changes — aligning language and definitions with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 — with a more substantive update anticipated in 2025. Nonetheless, DSLs should be clear on what has changed:

• Updated definitions and terminology: Language throughout has been revised to align with Working Together 2023, including updates to how "harm," "abuse," and referral processes are described.
• Clearer links to Working Together 2023: The 2024 edition explicitly cross-references the revised inter-agency guidance, reinforcing that school safeguarding does not operate in isolation from the broader multi-agency system.
• Online safety maintained as a distinct category: Following the Online Safety Act 2023, online safety remains embedded throughout Part 1 as a non-negotiable element of safeguarding for all staff.
• Upskirting, harmful sexual behaviour and peer-on-peer abuse: Definitions and expected responses have been updated to reflect evolving case law and emerging risks among peer groups.

The DSL Role: Core Statutory Responsibilities

Under KCSIE 2024, every school and college must have a designated safeguarding lead who is a member of the senior leadership team. The DSL's role is not delegable — while a deputy DSL can act in the DSL's absence, ultimate accountability remains with the named DSL.^[1]

KCSIE 2024 Part 2 sets out the DSL's core functions:

Working Together 2023: The Multi-Agency Framework

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 replaces the 2018 edition and introduces several important changes that directly affect how schools engage with the wider safeguarding system.^[2]

• Stronger emphasis on early help: Schools are explicitly identified as key partners in early help provision. DSLs should be actively engaged in local early help networks, not only making statutory referrals at threshold.
• Child Protection Plans and Reviews: Updated guidance on timescales and expected contributions from schools at Child Protection Conferences and Reviews.
• Information sharing: Working Together 2023 strengthens the presumption in favour of information sharing where a child may be at risk — DSLs should feel empowered to share even without explicit consent where safety is the concern.
• Family engagement: Greater emphasis on involving families in assessment and planning, while maintaining the child's welfare as the paramount consideration.

DSL Training Requirements

Under KCSIE 2024, DSLs must complete training to the appropriate level at least every two years. All other staff must receive safeguarding training at induction and regular updates — at least annually, but ideally termly through briefings, bulletins or e-learning.^[1]

Training should cover: recognition of abuse and neglect across all four categories; online safety and harmful sexual behaviour; the school's reporting procedures; the role of the DSL; and what to do if a child discloses abuse. The training must be specific to the school's context — a rural primary school and an inner-city secondary will have different risk profiles and training needs.

Record-Keeping: What KCSIE Requires

Safeguarding records must be kept securely, separately from the main pupil file, and transferred to the receiving school when a child moves — even if the concern has not resulted in a formal referral. Records should be factual, dated, and written contemporaneously. They must be retained in accordance with your local authority's retention schedule — this is typically until the child reaches the age of 25, or longer if a Criminal Injuries Compensation claim is involved.

Safer Recruitment: The Non-Negotiables

Part 3 of KCSIE 2024 sets out the pre-employment checks required for all staff and volunteers working with children. The single central record (SCR) must be maintained and available for Ofsted inspection. At minimum, the SCR must record:

• Enhanced DBS check with children's barred list (renewed every three years or upon risk assessment)
• Right to work in the UK verification
• Identity verification
• Prohibition from teaching check (teachers only)
• Overseas checks where an applicant has lived or worked outside the UK
• References — at least two, including one from the most recent employer