How alignment becomes accreditation
The Alignment Accreditation formalises how safeguarding responsibility is understood and applied when work takes place in live education and early years environments.
This page explains the process for becoming accredited — including how alignment is assessed, how the framework is applied, and what is required to maintain accreditation over time.
Choose the pathway that reflects your role
Alignment is assessed differently depending on how you interact with education and early years environments.
Pathway 1
Engineers & Contractors
On-site presence in live environments; planned works, reactive works, inspections or call-outs.
Pathway 2
FM Helpdesks & TFM Providers
Off-site coordination, instruction, oversight and decision-making that affects live environments.
Pathway 3
External Cleaning & Routine Roles
Regular or routine presence in settings, often outside core teaching hours.
Selecting a pathway ensures the guidance and assessment criteria are relevant to your role.
How alignment applies to your role
While the accreditation process is consistent, alignment is assessed differently depending on how you interact with education and early years environments.
1
Engineers & Contractors
How safeguarding responsibility shows up
For engineers and contractors working on site, safeguarding responsibility is shaped by physical presence in live environments.
Alignment focuses on:
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Awareness of routines, supervision and visibility
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Access arrangements and boundaries
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Timing of works and temporary measures
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Decision-making when conditions change on site
This pathway considers how safeguarding implications are recognised and acted on during both planned and reactive work.
2
FM Helpdesks & TFM Providers
How safeguarding responsibility shows up
For helpdesks and TFM providers, safeguarding responsibility is often exercised indirectly — through instruction, coordination and system-based decisions.
Alignment focuses on:
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Quality and clarity of instructions issued
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How safeguarding implications are identified off site
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Escalation and oversight when risks are identified
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How decisions are recorded and communicated
This pathway recognises that safeguarding responsibility does not require physical presence to be held.
3
External Cleaning & Routine Presence Roles
How safeguarding responsibility shows up
For cleaning and routine presence roles, safeguarding responsibility is shaped by regular access to environments where children are present.
Alignment focuses on:
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Familiarity and professional boundaries
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Visibility, supervision and lone working
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Consistency of routines and expectations
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Awareness of safeguarding considerations embedded in daily activity
This pathway reflects the cumulative impact of routine presence in live environments.
The Alignment Framework
The accreditation is underpinned by a consistent framework that defines how safeguarding responsibility is understood and exercised where responsibility is shared.
The framework applies across all pathways, with role-specific interpretation.
Framework pillars
Environment awareness
Understanding how live education and early years environments operate — including routines, supervision, visibility and the presence of children.
Role & responsibility clarity
Recognising where safeguarding responsibility sits within your role, and where it is shared with others.
Decision-making at the interface
How safeguarding considerations are recognised, escalated and held when decisions affect people, spaces or systems.
Communication & consistency
How expectations, instructions and safeguarding considerations are communicated across teams, systems and providers.
The Accreditation Process
Step 1
Register interest
What this means
You signal your intent to align with safeguarding expectations in education or early years environments.
Includes
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Organisation details
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Pathway confirmation
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No assessment
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No payment
Step 2
Alignment Orientation
What this means
You are guided through how the framework applies to your role
Includes
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Role-specific guidance
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Practical scenarios
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Clear expectations
Step 3
Alignment Assessment
What this means
You demonstrate understanding of safeguarding responsibility as it applies to your role.
Assesses
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Environment awareness
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Role clarity
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Decision-making
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Communication in practice
Step 4
Accreditation & Review
What this means
Alignment is formally recognised and maintained through review.
Outcome
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Accreditation awarded
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Referenceable by schools and early years settings
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Annual review required
Pricing
Safeguarding Interface Alignment Accreditation (SIAA)
One accreditation.
Scaled by organisation size.
About annual review
The annual review confirms continued alignment to the framework.It is not a re-accreditation and does not include audits or DBS validation.