The statutory guidance Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) 2021includes new guidance for schools and colleges in England on dealing with low-level concerns about the behaviour of teachers, other staff, volunteers and contractors (Department for Education (DfE), 2021).
A low-level concern is any concern that an adult has acted in a way that:
Low-level concerns are part of a spectrum of behaviour. This includes:
Examples of such behaviour could include:
Having clear procedures for responding to low-level concerns is part of creating a school culture of openness and trust. It helps ensure that adults consistently model the school’s values and helps keep children safe. It will also protect adults working in school from potential false allegations or misunderstandings.
Schools should have a low-level concerns policy and procedures. These should be part of your school’s overall safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. It should be closely linked to the code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
There should be clear processes in place for sharing and responding to any concerns about an adult’s behaviour, no matter how small. A concern can still be significant even if it does not meet the threshold of harm.
Schools should ensure adults understand: