National guidance on Education Safeguarding

A summary of all key national documents can be viewed on this page

It is important for everyone who works in a school or educational establishment to keep up to date with current issues, as well as any planned changes to national safeguarding children policies.

The DfE and Ofsted websites are the best sources of information:

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 Guidance

This guidance sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and how practitioners should conduct the assessment of children.

It replaces Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010); The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000); and statutory guidance on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 (2007). Links to relevant supplementary guidance that professionals should consider alongside this guidance can be found at Appendix C of this guidance - Dealing with allegations against staff

Safer Recruitment/Dealing with allegations against staff

Keeping Children Safe in Education

This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education. This means recipients must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to handling allegations of abuse against teachers and other staff. The guidance also includes DBS requirements and safer recruitment procedures.

DSCB Procedures

These are local procedures to manage allegations against staff and must be followed in accordance with the South Yorkshire Child Protection procedures.

What legislation does this guidance relate to?

the Children Act 1989
section 175 of the Education Act 2002 (local authorities, governing bodies of maintained schools and institutions in the further education sector)
section 157 of the Education Act 2002 and the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010
the Children Act 2004
section 11 of the Children Act 2004 (other agencies)
sections 141F, 141G and 141H3 of the Education Act 2002

Information sharing

Information sharing link

This guidance is for all practitioners who provide services to children, young people, adults and families, who have to make decisions about sharing personal information on a case-by-case basis.

It is also for managers and advisors who support these practitioners in their decision making and for others with responsibility for information governance.