Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (KCSIE): What It Means for School Cleaning Contractors

KCSIE 2026: what schools should know about cleaning contractors

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 is the current statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England. It came into force on 1 September 2026 and replaced the 2025 version.

For schools and academy trusts using external cleaning contractors, the key issue is not simply whether a contractor can say it is "safeguarding compliant". KCSIE sets out specific expectations around contractor arrangements, appropriate DBS checks, supervision, identity checks, safeguarding information and procedures for concerns or allegations.

This guide focuses on the points most relevant to cleaning contracts. It is practical guidance only and does not replace the Department for Education guidance, a school's own safeguarding policy or professional safeguarding advice.

The key KCSIE 2026 contractor requirements

KCSIE 2026 contains a dedicated section on contractors at paragraphs 368 to 373.

1. Put safeguarding requirements into the contract

Paragraph 368 says schools and colleges should set out their safeguarding requirements in the contract between the organisation and the school or college.

For a cleaning contract, that means safeguarding should not sit only in a separate policy that is never reflected in the service specification. The contract or mobilisation documents should make clear what the school expects in relation to vetting, access, conduct, relief staff, supervision, induction and reporting concerns.

2. Use the appropriate level of DBS check

Paragraphs 369 and 370 distinguish between different contractor circumstances.

• A contractor who is engaging in regulated activity relating to children will require an enhanced DBS check including children's barred list information.
• A contractor who is not engaging in regulated activity but whose work gives them an opportunity for regular contact with children will require an enhanced DBS check without children's barred list information.
• Where a contractor does not have an opportunity for regular contact with children, the school or college should decide whether a basic DBS check would be appropriate.

KCSIE also makes clear that, when considering whether contact is regular, it does not matter whether the contractor works on one site or across several sites.

This is why schools should avoid a one-line assumption that every cleaning role automatically needs exactly the same check. The correct level depends on the role and working arrangements.

Can an unchecked contractor work unsupervised?

No.

Paragraph 371 says that a contractor on whom no checks have been obtained should under no circumstances be allowed to work unsupervised or engage in regulated activity relating to children.

The school or college is responsible for deciding the appropriate level of supervision according to the circumstances.

For cleaning services, this makes absence cover and emergency replacement arrangements especially important. A relief cleaner should not simply arrive informally because the regular cleaner is absent. The replacement process needs to follow the agreed safeguarding and access arrangements.

Contractor identity should be checked on arrival

Paragraph 373 says schools and colleges should always check the identity of contractors on arrival.

A practical cleaning-contract process should therefore make it easy for the school to know who is expected on site, particularly where relief staff, mobile cleaners, periodic teams or specialist operatives are attending.

Useful controls can include:

• an agreed personnel list;
• named or controlled relief arrangements;
• prompt notification of starters, leavers and replacements;
• site sign-in and identification requirements;
• clear rules for keys, fobs and access codes; and
• a process for challenging anyone who is not expected.

What safeguarding information should cleaning contractors receive?

KCSIE 2026 says governing bodies and proprietors should take a proportionate, risk-based approach to the information provided to temporary staff, volunteers and contractors.

That means schools should decide what a contractor needs to know for the role and the setting. For cleaning personnel this may include:

• who the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or deputy is;
• how to report a safeguarding concern;
• expected conduct around pupils;
• areas that are restricted;
• access and sign-in procedures;
• rules on photographs, phones and personal devices where relevant;
• what to do if a pupil makes a disclosure or seeks help; and
• who to contact if the cleaner has a concern about another adult.

The school's own safeguarding policy remains the governing local procedure.

Concerns or allegations involving contracted staff

KCSIE Part Four covers safeguarding concerns or allegations involving staff, including contractors.

Schools and colleges should have procedures for concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold and for lower-level concerns that do not. Cleaning contractors should therefore understand the school's reporting route and should cooperate with the school's safeguarding process where one of their employees is involved.

This should also be reflected in the relationship between the school and the cleaning company so that information can be shared promptly with the right people while respecting confidentiality and due process.

What should schools ask a cleaning contractor?

When reviewing or procuring a school cleaning service, useful questions include:

• How do you determine the correct DBS level for each school deployment?
• How do you record and control vetting information?
• How are relief, mobile and agency staff checked before deployment?
• How do you notify a school when personnel change?
• What safeguarding information is given to new starters and relief staff?
• How are identity and site-access arrangements controlled?
• Who supervises the cleaning team and how is supervision evidenced?
• What happens if an unchecked replacement is the only person available?
• How would a cleaner report a safeguarding concern?
• How do you respond if a safeguarding concern or allegation involves one of your employees?
• How are subcontracted specialist cleaners or periodic teams controlled?

A strong answer should describe the actual process, not simply say that the contractor has a safeguarding policy.

What this means for a cleaning specification or tender

A school cleaning specification should normally make the safeguarding arrangements explicit enough that bidders can price and resource them properly.

Depending on the setting, relevant requirements may include:

• required checks for the proposed roles;
• arrangements for regular and relief personnel;
• identity and access controls;
• school-specific induction;
• restrictions on lone or unsupervised working where applicable;
• supervision expectations;
• notification of staff changes;
• safeguarding training or awareness expectations;
• reporting and escalation procedures; and
• evidence the school may request during contract management.

The School Cleaning Tender Assistant and Specification Health Check can help schools structure these questions alongside wider cleaning-service requirements.

KCSIE 2026 and school cleaning: key facts

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