What KCSIE 2026 says
Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) 2026 covers mental health twice: in Part one, which all staff read, and in Part two, in the section on children requiring mental health support. The Part two section was updated for 2026.
- Mental health problems can “develop into safeguarding concerns”. This could include self-harm, signs of an eating disorder, suicidal ideation or suicide (paragraphs 47 and 227).
- They “could also be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation” (paragraphs 47 and 227).
- Only trained professionals should diagnose. Education staff are “well placed to observe children day-to-day” and spot those who may be struggling (paragraphs 48 and 228).
- If staff have a mental health concern “that is also a safeguarding concern”, they follow the child protection policy and speak to the DSL or a deputy (paragraph 50).
Our guide to suicide and self-harm in schools covers the warning signs in paragraph 48, what to do when a pupil tells you, emergencies and support lines. This guide looks at the wider question: when a mental health need becomes a safeguarding matter.
Three ways mental health becomes a safeguarding concern
1. The child is at risk of harm
Self-harm, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders are named in KCSIE because the child may come to serious harm. Pass these to the DSL the same day, even if the pupil says they are fine now. If a child is in danger, call 999 or get them to A&E (paragraph 50).
2. It may be a sign of abuse, neglect or exploitation
A change in a pupil’s mood or behaviour may be the first thing anyone notices. The DfE’s advice Mental health and behaviour in schools lists risk factors in the family, such as domestic abuse, parental mental illness or substance misuse, and abuse or neglect. In the community, it lists exploitation, including by criminal gangs and online (table 1). It says distressing experiences can show up as fearfulness, withdrawal, aggression, or seeking contact and affection from anyone (paragraph 3.11).
So when a pupil seems anxious, low or angry, ask what might lie behind it. Pass on what you have noticed, even if it seems small.
3. The adults around the child can’t or won’t help
KCSIE defines neglect to include failing to “ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment” and being unresponsive to “a child’s basic emotional needs” (paragraph 29). A parent refusing a referral the child clearly needs, or a child who is also a young carer for a parent with mental ill health, may need more than school support.
When it is not a safeguarding concern
The DfE’s advice says “short term stress and worry is a normal part of life”, such as nerves at exam time (paragraph 3.1). Many pupils with anxiety, low mood or other needs are best helped through:
- the school’s whole school approach and its senior mental health lead (KCSIE paragraphs 230 and 231)
- the Mental Health Support Team, where the school has one (paragraph 232)
- early help or Family Help, since KCSIE lists a child who “has a mental health need” among those who may benefit (paragraph 18)
- SEND support, where a mental health need is affecting learning
- NHS children and young people’s mental health services, through the GP
That support is not second best. KCSIE’s four roles for staff are promoting good mental health, spotting problems early, making sure early support is given, and referring to specialist services where needed (paragraph 228).
Who decides
The member of staff passes it on. The DSL decides. The DSL’s options include:
- support in school, with a plan reviewed by the senior mental health lead
- a referral to the Mental Health Support Team or NHS services
- early help or Family Help
- a referral to children’s social care, if the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm
- police or emergency services, if a child is in immediate danger
Annex B asks the DSL to work with the senior mental health lead, and with the Mental Health Support Team where there is one, “where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health”. In many schools these are different people, so agree how concerns pass between them and where they are recorded. A pupil’s mental health plan and their safeguarding file should not tell different stories.
Telling parents
The DSL or a deputy should consider whether to tell parents or carers “to support the child’s wellbeing, where doing so would not place the child at additional risk” (KCSIE paragraph 229). Record the decision and the reason for it.
Mental health and attendance
The DfE’s 2023 guidance on mental health issues affecting attendance says school staff “are not expected to diagnose mental health conditions or perform mental health interventions”, but are expected to work to ensure regular attendance, with support and reasonable adjustments agreed with the pupil and family. Absence can also be a safeguarding signal in its own right. See our guide to persistent and severe absence.
Recording
Record mental health concerns in the same system as other safeguarding concerns, using the pupil’s own words, with the date, time and who you told. One note about a pupil seeming tired means little. Several notes over a term, from different staff, can show a pattern the DSL needs to see.