Early years child protection and responsibilities

Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.

The statutory framework for the early years foundation stage sets out the safeguarding requirements that all registered childcare providers must follow. These will help you create welcoming and safe environments where children can enjoy learning and grow in confidence.

As a provider, you must also use the government's statutory guidance working together to safeguard children. It identifies two key principles of effective safeguarding:

• safeguarding is everyone's responsibility
• have a child-centred approach

You have a significant role in both the prevention of abuse and the protection from abuse. You should be alert to the signs of abuse and neglect, and know who to refer concerns or suspicions to. Training on child protection issues and procedures must be kept up to date.

For some children, your childcare setting will be essential in achieving their developmental milestones. Others may need you to act on their behalf by providing relevant information to prompt an assessment and identify the child's needs.

Each early years provider has the responsibility to ensure that:

• there is a child protection procedure in place that follows NSSCP procedures
• a senior member of staff is assigned as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for child protection (for group childcare settings)
• if the group setting is run by a management committee, a member must be nominated to be responsible for liaising with the Designated Safeguarding Lead over children protection matters

The manager or management committee should use their child protection responsibilities:

• where allegations are made against a senior member of staff
• where a disciplinary action against a member of staff if necessary following a child protection investigation
• where an investigation of any complaint on noncompliance with child protection procedures is necessary
• to ensure that appropriate checks are made on all new staff and any volunteers who may have unsupervised access to children
• to ensure that the EYFS specific legal requirements under safeguarding are followed

The responsibility for investigating suspected cases of abuse lies with children’s services and the Police. If an allegation is made against a member of staff, the management is responsible for liaising closely with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), children’s services and the Police. This includes attending strategy meetings when asked.

Ofsted are the regulatory body for early years providers. The early years inspection handbook sets out the key points inspectors need to consider when inspecting safeguarding in early years settings.

All schools are required to have regard to the government’s keeping children safe in education statutory guidance. Other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.

The Safer Recruitment Consortium has published guidance for safer working in education settings. You may find it helpful when developing your staff behaviour policy and code of conduct.