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Guidance

Supporting children affected by serious violence

Published 22 October 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-and-preventing-serious-violence-in-education/supporting-children-affected-by-serious-violence

All children connected to an incident, including those harmed, witnessing harm, or engaging in harmful or risky behaviour need to be supported. The guidance on this page is based solely on existing safeguarding duties and guidance.

Ensure welfare and emotional safety

To make sure every child involved is safe after an incident, you should:

  • check each child’s immediate welfare, ensuring they feel safe and supported
  • provide a calm, private space to speak with each child
  • avoid asking leading or investigative questions and record only what you see and hear
  • report all concerns to your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) immediately
  • inform parents or carers, where appropriate, unless doing so would place the child at further risk

Provide trusted adults and ongoing support

Children may need continued reassurance and support to feel safe following violence.

You should:

  • ensure each child has access to a trusted member of staff, so they feel listened to and supported
  • provide regular pastoral check‑ins and ensure support is coordinated through your DSL
  • consider risks in the wider context (including peers, locations and times of day) and put appropriate measures in place to reduce harm
  • remain aware of peer dynamics and online behaviour, including behaviour that may continue beyond the incident

  • be alert to indicators of exploitation or coercion, including:

Consider individual safety and support plans

If concerns or risks continue, you may need to put in place an individual safety and support plan which should include:

  • key risks and protective factors
  • supervision arrangements at times and places of higher risk
  • safe arrival and departure arrangements
  • communication with parents or carers
  • involvement of safeguarding partners if thresholds are met
  • adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

These plans help you coordinate support and reduce risk by having a consistent approach across staff, in line with a clear, joined‑up safeguarding approach.

SEND, additional needs and dysregulation 

Where a child has SEND, additional needs or is experiencing dysregulation, support should be planned carefully with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), DSL and relevant pastoral staff. Staff should consider whether behaviour may be linked to communication needs, sensory needs, anxiety, or unmet support needs, while still acting immediately where there is a risk of harm. 

Plans should set out:

  • the support that will be provided
  • the roles of relevant staff
  • arrangements for communication with parents or carer
  • involvement of specialist services, where appropriate
  • any reasonable adjustments required if the child or young person is disabled
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