Department for Education
Central Government
Action Planned
AI-generated response summary
The Department for Education plans to introduce an information sharing duty and a Single Unique Identifier via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to improve safeguarding information sharing, though it does not support creating a national system or database. It also highlighted existing statutory guidance (KCSIE) for schools on record keeping and information sharing.
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Dear Darren Stewart OBE, I am writing on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education in response to the Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths issued on 4 February 2026 concerning the tragic death of Georgia Charlotte Scarff on 15 April 2024. I am responding in my role as the Minister for Children and Families. I was deeply saddened to learn of Georgia’s death and would like to offer my heartfelt sympathy to her family and friends. Your report identified two key areas where action might prevent future deaths:
• One action related to your concern that not all staff at the RHS were familiar with or proficient in the use of CPOMS which, although not causative of Georgia’s death, led to important information not being recorded in Georgia’s CPOMS record. You were concerned that in another case the failure of staff to record important safeguarding detail may result in a risk to life.
• You were also concerned that the absence of a single standard national safeguarding information management tool for schools and colleges may result in a risk to life, due to teachers being unfamiliar with different management tools and consequently, important information relating to safeguarding not being recorded in children’s safeguarding records. Schools and colleges play an incredibly important role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. They have daily contact with most children and are uniquely placed to identify concerns and address them early. We support schools and colleges to do this through our statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), which all schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including independent schools. KCSIE is very clear that all concerns, discussions and decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions, should be recorded in writing. Information should be kept confidential and stored securely. It is good practice to keep concerns and referrals in a separate child protection file for each child. Records should include:
• a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern. Sanctuary Buildings 20 Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT tel: 0370 000 2288 www.education.gov.uk/contactus/dfe
[Page 2]
• details of how the concern was followed up and resolved; and
• a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome. If in doubt about recording requirements, staff should discuss with the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy). KCSIE also makes very clear that information sharing, amongst other things, is vital in promoting children’s welfare, including in relation to their educational outcomes. Schools and colleges have clear powers to share, hold and use information for these purposes. As part of meeting a child’s needs, it is important for governing bodies and proprietors to recognise the importance of information sharing between practitioners and local agencies. This should include ensuring arrangements are in place that set out clearly the processes and principles for sharing information within the school or college and with local authority children’s social care, the safeguarding partners and other organisations, agencies, and practitioners as required. Part one of KCSIE is clear that the school’s designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) should always be available to discuss safeguarding concerns. If in exceptional circumstances, the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) is not available, this should not delay appropriate action being taken. Staff should consider speaking to a member of the senior leadership team and/or take advice from local authority children’s social care. We know that CPOMS is heavily used in many schools, but it is not a requirement for schools to use CPOMS. Instead, schools must have regard to KCSIE, which sets out expectations in relation to record keeping and the sharing of information, as well as that all staff receive safeguarding training and know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Independent schools in England, like RHS, are also regulated by this Department and must comply with the Independent School Standards (ISS) at all times. Schools are inspected against these standards by the relevant inspectorate. Compliance with safeguarding requirements is assessed through the ISS, which require schools to have regard to KCSIE. Where schools are found not to comply with the ISS, the Department may take regulatory or enforcement action in line with its regulatory and enforcement policy statement. Whilst we agree that information sharing needs to be improved, we do not think this is best achieved through the creation of a national system or database. Instead, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill we are introducing an information sharing duty, requiring relevant persons to share information relating to safeguarding and wellbeing, and making provision for a Single Unique Identifier, or consistent identifier, which will help join up systems and improve speed and accuracy of information sharing. We are currently piloting how this works and intend to introduce it by the end of this Parliament.
[Page 3] Thank you for bringing this important matter to my attention and giving me the opportunity to respond.
• One action related to your concern that not all staff at the RHS were familiar with or proficient in the use of CPOMS which, although not causative of Georgia’s death, led to important information not being recorded in Georgia’s CPOMS record. You were concerned that in another case the failure of staff to record important safeguarding detail may result in a risk to life.
• You were also concerned that the absence of a single standard national safeguarding information management tool for schools and colleges may result in a risk to life, due to teachers being unfamiliar with different management tools and consequently, important information relating to safeguarding not being recorded in children’s safeguarding records. Schools and colleges play an incredibly important role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. They have daily contact with most children and are uniquely placed to identify concerns and address them early. We support schools and colleges to do this through our statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), which all schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including independent schools. KCSIE is very clear that all concerns, discussions and decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions, should be recorded in writing. Information should be kept confidential and stored securely. It is good practice to keep concerns and referrals in a separate child protection file for each child. Records should include:
• a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern. Sanctuary Buildings 20 Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT tel: 0370 000 2288 www.education.gov.uk/contactus/dfe
[Page 2]
• details of how the concern was followed up and resolved; and
• a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome. If in doubt about recording requirements, staff should discuss with the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy). KCSIE also makes very clear that information sharing, amongst other things, is vital in promoting children’s welfare, including in relation to their educational outcomes. Schools and colleges have clear powers to share, hold and use information for these purposes. As part of meeting a child’s needs, it is important for governing bodies and proprietors to recognise the importance of information sharing between practitioners and local agencies. This should include ensuring arrangements are in place that set out clearly the processes and principles for sharing information within the school or college and with local authority children’s social care, the safeguarding partners and other organisations, agencies, and practitioners as required. Part one of KCSIE is clear that the school’s designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) should always be available to discuss safeguarding concerns. If in exceptional circumstances, the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) is not available, this should not delay appropriate action being taken. Staff should consider speaking to a member of the senior leadership team and/or take advice from local authority children’s social care. We know that CPOMS is heavily used in many schools, but it is not a requirement for schools to use CPOMS. Instead, schools must have regard to KCSIE, which sets out expectations in relation to record keeping and the sharing of information, as well as that all staff receive safeguarding training and know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Independent schools in England, like RHS, are also regulated by this Department and must comply with the Independent School Standards (ISS) at all times. Schools are inspected against these standards by the relevant inspectorate. Compliance with safeguarding requirements is assessed through the ISS, which require schools to have regard to KCSIE. Where schools are found not to comply with the ISS, the Department may take regulatory or enforcement action in line with its regulatory and enforcement policy statement. Whilst we agree that information sharing needs to be improved, we do not think this is best achieved through the creation of a national system or database. Instead, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill we are introducing an information sharing duty, requiring relevant persons to share information relating to safeguarding and wellbeing, and making provision for a Single Unique Identifier, or consistent identifier, which will help join up systems and improve speed and accuracy of information sharing. We are currently piloting how this works and intend to introduce it by the end of this Parliament.
[Page 3] Thank you for bringing this important matter to my attention and giving me the opportunity to respond.