Roles and responsibilities

Governing bodies and proprietors should have a senior board level (or equivalent) lead to take leadership responsibility for their school’s or college’s safeguarding arrangements.

Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure an appropriate senior member of staff, from the school or college leadership team, is appointed to the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The DSL should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety). This should be explicit in the role-holder's job description (Word doc) [41KB] (see Annex C of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (opens new window)’).

An education setting must have at least one deputy DSL to support the Lead DSL. It is up to the individual school or college to decide whether they have more than one. All deputy DSLs should be trained to the same standard as the Lead DSL. Although activities can be delegated (Word doc) [34KB] to the deputy DSLs, the ultimate responsibility always remains with the Lead DSL.