The latest guidance that the Department for Education issues for schools and colleges on safeguarding and safer recruitment, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 raises the bar for safeguarding across the sector. But its implications for further education need particular attention. FE colleges support a high proportion of learners who have not completed formal education, or who have come through alternative pathways such as pupil referral units, alternative provision or exclusion. That makes the renewed focus on violence prevention especially important for the sector. This year’s guidance reflects the way that safeguarding risks are changing. The explicit inclusion of deepfakes and AI-generated nude imagery shows how seriously digital harms now need to be treated. Stronger language on misogyny and harmful sexual behaviour, alongside the recognition of cybersecurity as a safeguarding issue, also makes clear that online and offline risk can no longer be looked at separately. For FE leaders, these changes are not abstract. They overlap directly with the realities of their students. Young people with disrupted education, previous offending or a history of being outside mainstream settings are already known to be at higher risk of carrying a weapon or becoming caught up in violent conflict. FE colleges are often where those risks become visible. Recent national conversations around the Southport Inquiry and the introduction of Martyn’s Law, underline why this matters. Colleges are publicly accessible, community-facing spaces. They need to be able to demonstrate that they are prepared for serious incidents, with clear policies, practical response plans and staff who know what to do if concerns arise. At the same time, the rise of extremism and casual violent ideation online is making the picture more complex. Social media and gaming spaces can expose young people to content that blends grievance, misogyny, gender-based violence and casual references to harm. For some learners, particularly those who feel disconnected or resentful, these narratives can become part of everyday digital life. This creates a very practical challenge for FE safeguarding teams. The line between terrorism, extremism, criminality and harmful behaviour is becoming harder to define. Risk may show up through disengagement, resentment, sudden changes in a young person’s social circle, increased secrecy online, fixation on particular narratives or shifts in digital behaviour. These are the signs staff need to feel confident spotting and escalating. In this context, staff training needs to be precise. Colleges should review whether safeguarding training reflects the realities set out in KCSIE 2026, and whether staff understand how these risks connect. But there is also a hopeful message here, and it is one that feels specific to FE. Colleges are deeply embedded in their communities. They are often the place where young people find a route back into learning, purpose and belonging after difficult or disrupted experiences. That puts them in a strong position to offer effective early intervention. Effective safeguarding in FE is therefore not only about identifying risk. It is also about creating the conditions for positive engagement. Programmes that build skills, confidence and peer support can reduce vulnerability, while trusted staff relationships can help learners feel seen before concerns escalate. FE is often the last structured opportunity to intervene before risk becomes consequence. For many learners, it is the final point at which an education setting can influence behaviour, challenge harmful attitudes and support safer digital habits. That makes the role of FE in safeguarding not just preventative, but pivotal. KCSIE 2026 reinforces the idea that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. In FE, that means every part of the college community has a role to play, from teaching teams and support services to senior leaders and employers. The response needs to be joined up because the risks young people face rarely sit neatly in one category. The message for FE is clear. Safeguarding must evolve in line with the world young people are growing up in. Colleges need strong policies, confident staff and clear routes for action. But they also have a unique opportunity to offer belonging, purpose and support at the point it can make the greatest difference. Done well, FE can play a crucial role in preventing harm and helping young people build safer, more positive futures.