In June 2023, the Department for Education (DfE) updated the statutory safeguarding guidance for schools in England. The renewed guidelines – keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) – will come into effect on 1 September 2023, replacing the KCSIE 2022 guidance.
2023 changes include:
- more clarity on the roles of various education staff, as well as further information regarding responsibilities around filtering and monitoring
- explanation around how being absent or missing from education can indicate various safeguarding concerns and forms of abuse
- additional information for pre-recruitment checks
- clarity on handling allegations regarding those using school premises for various reasons
More information on the update can be found on the NSPCC Learning briefing outlining the summary of changes to KCSIE in both 2022 and 2023.
What do these updates mean for sport?
Although the revised guidance relates to education, there are still important implications for sport. In particular, the KCSIE 2023 report addresses the use of school premises for the purposes of running events for children outside of the school day, including sport and physical activity sessions.
The update clarifies that schools should follow their safeguarding procedures for any allegations that arise when an individual or organisation is using the school premises to run activities for children. This includes community groups, sports associations and more.
The KCSIE 2023 guidance can help to set clear guidelines, offer education and support, and implement policies, allowing children to thrive in a safe learning environment. There is frequently a crossover between safeguarding in education and safeguarding in sport and physical activity that make it important to keep aware of all changes in legislation.