External guidance and resources about safeguarding for the education sector in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
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Due to the Data (Use and Access) Act coming into law on 19 June 2025, this guidance is under review and may be subject to change. The Plans for new and updated guidance page will tell you about which guidance will be updated and when this will happen.
We have checked external links are accurate at the time of writing this guidance.
UK-wide guidance and resources
NSPCC
Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse
Private day nurseries
- National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA): National Day Nurseries Association - NDNA
- NDNA England
- NDNA Scotland
- NDNA Cymru
- In Northern Ireland: About Us — Early Years - the organisation for young children
Private schools
- Independent Schools Council (ISC) Independent Schools Council - ISC Safeguarding guidance and resources - ISC
Universities
Health
GMC:
- Protecting children and young people: The responsibilities of all doctors - professional standards - GMC
- 0-18 years - professional standards - GMC
- Royal College of General Practitioners: RCGP Safeguarding toolkit: Part 5: Information Sharing and multi-agency working | RCGP Learning
Country specific guidance and resources
England
Department for Education (DfE)
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Keeping children safe in education – statutory guidance.
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Working together to safeguard children – statutory guidance.
Annex B has further sources of information.
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Information sharing - advice for practitioners – non-statutory guidance
Children’s Commissioner for England
Health
The Caldicott Principles - GOV.UK (England) - eight principles for health and social care organisations to ensure people's information is kept confidential and used appropriately.
Social care
DfE statutory guidance: Children's social care National Framework
Northern Ireland
Department of Education:
Education Authority:
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Education Authority – School Resource Hub - Data protection guidance Education Authority Northern Ireland
Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI):
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Regional core child protection policies and procedures for Northern Ireland – This is a live document which is frequently updated. This guidance, first published in 2018, explains the actions that must be taken when there are concerns about the welfare of a child or young person.
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY):
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NICCY Safeguarding Hub
Department of Health (DoH):
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Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland (Department of Health, 2017): This provides the overarching policy framework for safeguarding children and young people in the statutory, private, independent, community, voluntary and faith sectors.
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DoH Guidance on Information Sharing for Child Protection Purposes.
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Operation Encompass: Operation Encompass website states that it is “a partnership between the PSNI, Safeguarding Board Northern Ireland, the Education Authority and schools aimed at supporting children who witness domestic violence or abuse in the home”.
Scotland
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The Scottish Government has produced detailed guidance on ensuring that the wellbeing and safety of children in Scotland are protected. National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland.
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Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) provides Scotland with a consistent framework and shared language for promoting, supporting, and safeguarding the wellbeing of children and young people.
Wales
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Keeping learners safe | GOV.WALES (updated 2023): the central statutory guidance for safeguarding in education in Wales.
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Wales Accord on the Sharing of Personal Information (WASPI) – templates and guidance to support planned information sharing for public service delivery in Wales. Includes a library of data sharing agreements from across Wales, including ones relating to safeguarding.