Finally! Keeping children safe in education has been updated!

[WarriorN]

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6650a1967b792ffff71a83e8/Keepingchildrennsafeinneducation_2024.pdf

There is further guidance to schools (referred to in KCSIE 2024) here:

educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/19/gender-questioning-children-guidance-schools-colleges/

Which also includes information about toilets and other single sex spaces.

It's really important that a new government doesn't bin this draft guidance. It's an important step in restoring safeguarding and stopping schools being used to gaslight children into thinking they can change sex.

Article in the DM about it yesterday. It’s time that schools wound their necks in with all things “trans”.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13482315/Teachers-tell-parents-children-question-gender-right-know-unless-pupil-significant-risk-harm-say-new-rules.html

Thank heavens the Mail, Telegraph & Times are covering this stuff. Readers of the Guardian & BBC viewers will never hear about most of these important changes.

Thanks @WarriorN only just seen this - noticed it from another thread about Pride month in schools. However, I'm confused, as there's a 12 week consultation about KCSIE that's still open till 20th June. I posted about it here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5057233-kcsie-2025-12-week-survey-from-dfe and I still need to go in and respond to it as a school governor.

Does anyone know if it's still worth filling in the consultation?

Thanks

@WarriorN sorry, think I have worked it out.

The consultation is for KCSIE 2025 and only technical amendments will be made to KCSIE 2024. https://consult.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-strategy-systemic-improvement-team/safeguarding-children-in-schools-and-colleges/

'Ministers have decided that KCSIE 2024 will undergo technical changes only before final publication in September 2024, with a view to providing a more substantively updated document, encompassing wider changes, to be delivered in 2025.

Why your views matter
We are launching this 12-week call for evidence now, to take the views of schools, colleges, and other professionals on safeguarding practice development and direction, in advance of Keeping children safe in education 2025 (KCSIE). '

Hi thanks for the tags, it's still worth doing imo.

If Labour get in it's hopefully still some evidence the tories can refer to to bring to the table in future discussions.

In my honest opinion kcsie should be based on safeguarding evidence rather than crowd sourcing

There is further guidance to schools (referred to in KCSIE 2024) here:

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/19/gender-questioning-children-guidance-schools-colleges/

Which also includes information about toilets and other single sex spaces.

What concerns me is that as it is draft guidance it could be ripped up by the Labour government which is why I would have preferred it being included in kcsie. Though technically single sex loos are the law anyway

Apologies that I haven't yet RTFW (I will!) but I'm dipping in to try and get my head around the status of the pending 2024 guidance.

'Ministers have decided that KCSIE 2024 will undergo technical changes only before final publication in September 2024, with a view to providing a more substantively updated document, encompassing wider changes, to be delivered in 2025.

This means that the important adjustment to the section about "LGBT"... will be published on 1st September, unless Labour specifically intervene to stop that happening... Yes? 🤞🤞 i.e. this amendment is classed as a "technical change". I really hope so 🤞🤞

OK I've now RTFT and I think I can answer my own question:

The guidance will be published as written on 1st September unless there are technical (presumably clashing with existing laws?) changes that need to be made. So in other words, the new section covering "LGBT", where the LGB is separated from the T, is in.

Obviously a new government could put the brakes on but presumably this would be a very odd thing to do.

Does that sound right?!

If it's statutory wouldn't a new gov have to go through the process to change it? As it's based on Cass I can't see how they could?

In all honesty, I would be astonished if the version we've seen is NOT the version I'll be trained on, in the first day back in school. The DforE works too slowly for any large changes to now be made for September.

Every single member of staff, in every single school, across the land, will have to sign to say that they have had training in the updates, and that they agree to follow the guidelines.

Phewweeww

And - all the companies training schools will have to read Cass and reflect on key safeguarding aspects there for schools.

Burying Cass in kcsie has been significant, even if there are still a number of issues with Cass and what's been left out of the kcsie changes.

Sounds positive.

This has just been sent round to every single member of my very large Multi Academy Trust...

Is that the outdated provisional guidelines that have since been made statutory?

Sorry about the image quality, I have to take a screenshot of a photograph of a screen (image size issues)

This is the new KCSIE, for training and active from Sept 2024

It is listed as "KCISE 2024 - Pending publication of final version"

Over 10,000 staff have received this, having been told that this is what our safeguarding policies will be based on, come September.

It will be statutory from Sept 2024

There is the expected bit at the top, that this "is under review, pending the outcome of the gender questioning children guidance consultation, and the final gender questioning guidance documents being published."

There is also a table which highlights where all of the updates are found, including this one

Ah, right, thanks. I was squinting at it on my phone!

As the parent of a gender questioning ASD child, I welcome this with open arms. Caution should absolutely be the watchword here....

Can anyone summarise the changes re: Gender questioning in KCSIE for a thicko? I need to spell it out very clearly to my child’s school, TIA!

Trans children are no longer mentioned, they are referred to as "gender questioning" children.

T has been removed from the initial sentence, saying that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is not in itself an inherent riak factor for harm (T was added at the lobbying of Nancy Kelly of Stonewall).

The second paragraph states that Cass has identified that caution is necessary with children questioning their gender, as there remain many unknowns about the impact of social transition, and that children may have wider vulnerabilities, including complex mental health and psychosocial needs, and in some cases additional diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD.

Then recommends that families should be encouraged to seek clinical help and advice.

4th paragraph, schools need to take a cautions approach, consider the broad range of individual needs and do this in partnership with the parents of the child.

5th paragraph, is the same as before, stating that there needs to be open communication.

Hope that helps, I can only apologise again for the poor photo, I couldn't get it to upload any other way

What is a concern is what happens if Labour get in?

Which parts will be statutory and which may not make it?

Cass is ensconced now and the T is separated in kcsie. This is good.

But the proposed guidance published a while ago isn't yet 'safe' - it could be shelved.

However, Cass has influenced nhs and as is now in kcsie this is significant.

There is a consultation on it which closes on the 20th I think. We need to all reply as the TRSs will be! I imagine Labour will reverse it all for 2025...