Is there a set route?
No. There is no national qualification, licence or register for designated safeguarding leads in England. What the role needs is set out in Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), the statutory guidance schools and colleges must have regard to. The current version is KCSIE 2026, in force from 1 September 2026. The DSL role is described in Part two and in Annex B.
KCSIE sets out three things that matter for anyone aiming at the role: seniority, training, and the knowledge and skills the role draws on.
1. Seniority
Governing bodies and proprietors should appoint “an appropriate senior member of staff, from the school or college leadership team” as DSL. They should make sure the DSL has “the appropriate status, authority, skills and experience” to carry out the role, and the extra time, funding, training, resources and support it needs.
In practice, that means the DSL is usually already on the leadership team, or joins it with the role. Many DSLs are headteachers, deputy or assistant heads, or senior pastoral leads. KCSIE does not say the DSL must be a teacher.
KCSIE also says it is not appropriate for the proprietor of a school to be the DSL.
2. Training
KCSIE says the DSL and any deputies should have training that gives them the knowledge and skills for the role, and that this training should be updated at least every two years. They should also do Prevent awareness training.
On top of that, their knowledge and skills should be refreshed at least once a year, for example through e-bulletins, meeting other DSLs, or taking time to read about safeguarding developments.
KCSIE describes what the training should cover rather than naming a course or level. Courses are often called “Level 3” or “DSL training”, and local safeguarding partnerships, local authorities and private providers run them. KCSIE asks DSLs to link with the local safeguarding partner arrangements so staff know about training opportunities, so your local partnership is a good place to start.
3. What the training and the role cover
Annex B says training should help the DSL and deputies:
- understand the assessment process for Family Help and statutory intervention, including local criteria and how to refer to children’s social care
- know how child protection conferences and review conferences work, and contribute to them
- understand the lasting impact of adversity and trauma, including on behaviour and mental health
- be alert to the needs of children in need, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), children with relevant health conditions and young carers
- understand information sharing and data protection law
- support the school with the Prevent duty
- understand online safety risks, including the extra risks children with SEND face online
- keep detailed, accurate and secure records of concerns, discussions and decisions, including the reasons for decisions and for making or not making referrals
These are also the areas an interview panel is likely to explore.
What schools look for
Schools write their own job descriptions, so requirements vary. What follows is drawn from what KCSIE expects of the role, not from a survey of adverts.
- Experience of safeguarding casework. The DSL refers cases to children’s social care, the police, Channel and the Disclosure and Barring Service, and takes part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings. Experience of making referrals and working with other agencies is directly relevant.
- Sound record keeping. The DSL is responsible for keeping child protection files up to date and for transferring them when a child moves school.
- Standing with staff. The DSL is the source of support, advice and expertise for all staff and needs the authority to act on concerns.
- Knowledge of children who have or have had a social worker. KCSIE gives the DSL a lead role in promoting their educational outcomes.
- Up-to-date training, or a commitment to complete it before starting.
Our safeguarding and DSL jobs page lists current DSL and deputy DSL vacancies in England, so you can see how schools describe the role.
Deputy DSL as a step
KCSIE says each school decides whether to have one or more deputy DSLs. Deputies should be trained to the same standard as the DSL, and the role should be in their job description.
The DSL can delegate activities to trained deputies, but the lead responsibility for child protection stays with the DSL. That makes the deputy role a natural step: you do the same training, cover when the DSL is unavailable, and build experience of referrals, meetings and records, with an experienced DSL accountable for the decisions.
Common ways in to a deputy role include pastoral leadership, head of year, SENCO, attendance or family support work, or a leadership role in a primary school.
A practical sequence
- Learn your school’s child protection policy and the local safeguarding partnership’s procedures, including the local criteria for action.
- Ask your DSL whether you can support casework, such as attending meetings or helping with referrals, within your current role.
- Complete DSL-standard training and Prevent awareness training.
- Take on a deputy DSL role, written into your job description.
- Keep your knowledge refreshed every year and your training updated every two years.
- Apply for DSL roles where the post sits on, or alongside, the leadership team.