What is Regulated Activity in Schools?
In this article, Sam Preston explains the role of regulated activity within the education system and the context of regulated activity roles.
Safeguarding is a paramount responsibility for schools to ensure the well-being and protection of staff and all pupils. Regulated activity plays a crucial role in safeguarding, providing a framework of rules, policies, and procedures to minimise risks and promote a safe learning and working environment.
Regulated activity in schools refers to any activity that is subject to specific rules, regulations, or standards set by external bodies. For example, Keeping children safe in education KCSIE sets out statutory safeguarding standards expected for all types of educational settings, whilst Working together to safeguard children sets out the standards for multi-agency practice and the collaborative standards expected for each agency.
Regulatory standards are set by a whole range of organisations such as government departments, regulatory agencies, or professional bodies, and making sense of all these requirements can seem a daunting task however, key to application is for staff to understand the fundamental difference between regulated and non-regulated activity.
To explain this simply, there are some aspects where all staff, no matter what their role is, will be working in a regulated activity capacity. This involves adherence to regulations designed to ensure safety, quality, and accountability within the educational environment. Common examples of regulated activities in schools include:
- Health and Safety: This includes measures to prevent accidents and injuries, such as fire safety, risk assessments, and first aid procedures.
- Food Safety: Ensuring that food served in school canteens and cafeterias meets hygiene standards and is safe for consumption.
- Child Protection: Policies and procedures to safeguard children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
- Special Educational Needs (SEN): Provision for students with additional learning needs, including individualised education plans (IEPs) and appropriate support services.
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Promoting a fair and inclusive learning environment for all students, regardless of their background or characteristics.
- Data Protection: Protecting the personal information of students, staff, and parents in compliance with data protection laws.
- Financial Management: Ensuring that schools have sound financial practices and are accountable for the use of public funds.
- Curriculum and Assessment: Adherence to national curriculum standards and assessment requirements.
In essence all staff are governed by these practice standards.
Why is Regulated activity in schools is crucial?
- Safety and Well-being: to ensure that pupils and staff are protected from harm and have a safe learning environment.
- Quality Education: to help maintain high standards of education and ensure that pupils receive a quality education.
- Accountability: to hold schools accountable for all their actions and ensure that they meet their obligations.
- Compliance: to comply with relevant laws and regulations and avoid legal issues and penalties.
Regulated Activity in Safeguarding
There are four key aspects of regulated activity which applies to safeguarding:
- Legal Compliance: to ensure that schools comply with relevant laws and regulations, protecting both the school and the pupils involved.
- Consistency: a framework whereby regulated activity provides a consistent approach to safeguarding across the school, reducing confusion and ensuring that all staff are aware of their responsibilities.
- Accountability: holding schools accountable for their safeguarding practices, promoting transparency and public confidence.
- Prevention: by identifying and addressing potential risks, regulated activity can help to prevent safeguarding incidents from occurring.
In addition, there are aspects where all staff will be working in a non-regulated activity capacity such as adhering to policy not subject or governed by external oversight. This includes adherence to internal policies, procedures and protocols set out by governance of the setting. In such cases internal quality assurance measures will be in place to measure compliance however this is not subject to external standards.
Key Differences Between Regulated and Non-Regulated Activities
| Feature | Regulated Activity | Non-Regulated Activity |
|---|---|---|
| External Oversight | Subject to rules and regulations set by external bodies | Not subject to external oversight |
| Legal Implications | Failure to comply with regulations can lead to legal consequences | Primarily governed by internal policies |
| Quality Assurance | Often involves quality assurance processes to ensure compliance | May have internal quality assurance measures, but not subject to external standards |
| Examples | Health and safety, child protection, special educational needs, financial management | Classroom teaching, extracurricular activities, staff development |
By effectively managing regulated activity, schools can create a safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environment for all pupils. By effectively implementing regulated activity, schools can create a safe and supportive learning environment for all pupils, protecting them from harm and promoting their well-being, and a safe, supportive working environment for staff.
SSS Learning Safeguarding Director
