If you work in a Welsh school or college, KCSIE does not apply to you. The statutory safeguarding guidance in Wales is Keeping Learners Safe, and the framework is meaningfully different from the England model. This page explains what does apply and where to find it.
Welsh schools and colleges are not subject to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). The statutory document that applies to them is Keeping Learners Safe, issued by the Welsh Government under section 175 of the Education Act 2002. It sets out the safeguarding obligations for local authorities, governing bodies, and proprietors of independent schools in Wales.
Keeping Learners Safe works alongside the Wales Safeguarding Procedures â the pan-Wales multi-agency operational guidance â and the broader legislative framework established by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, which is distinct from the Children Act 1989 duties that underpin the England framework.
Keeping Learners Safe is the Welsh Government's statutory guidance on safeguarding in education settings. It applies to maintained schools, further education institutions, independent schools, and pupil referral units in Wales. It is issued under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 (for maintained schools and local authorities) and section 157 (for independent schools).
The guidance places a duty on governing bodies and proprietors to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils, including the requirement to have a Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) at senior leadership level.
â Check the current version
Keeping Learners Safe was being reviewed and updated in spring 2026. The current authoritative version is always the one on the Welsh Government website â do not rely solely on third-party summaries, including this page, for the exact current requirements. View the current version on gov.wales â
The Wales Safeguarding Procedures provide the all-Wales, multi-agency operational guidance for child protection and safeguarding. They sit alongside Keeping Learners Safe and are published by the four Regional Safeguarding Boards in Wales. Schools in Wales work within these procedures rather than Working Together to Safeguard Children (the England framework).
The procedures are available at safeguarding.wales â â the authoritative source for current operational guidance in Wales.
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We're building out in-depth resources aligned to Keeping Learners Safe and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures â including practical guides for DSPs, a comparison of the Welsh and English frameworks, and region-specific information. Check back soon.
In the meantime, the most reliable source is gov.wales and safeguarding.wales.