Policies

At Little Green Nursery we provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees and a safe early learning environment in which children learn and are cared for. To develop and promote a strong health and safety culture within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children and parents, we provide information, training and supervision. We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements which we will make to implement our health and safety procedures are set out within this policy and we make sufficient resources available to provide a safe environment.

Legal framework

We follow all relevant legislation and associated guidance relating to health and safety within the nursery including:

• The requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) September 2024
• The regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation such as Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH)
• Any guidance provided by Public Health England, the local health protection unit, the local authority environmental health department, fire authority or the Health and Safety Executive.

Aims and objectives

The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises.

To achieve this we will actively work towards the following objectives:

• Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery including outdoor spaces
• Establish and maintain safe working practices amongst staff and children
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the minimising of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of hazardous articles and substances
• Ensure the provision of sufficient information, instruction and supervision to enable all people working in or using the nursery to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety and to ensure that staff have access to regular health and safety training
• Maintain a healthy and safe nursery with safe entry and exit routes
• Formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. Practice this procedure on a regular basis to enable the safe and speedy evacuation of the nursery
• Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers or for workers who have recently given birth, including undertaking appropriate risk assessments
• Maintain a safe environment for those with special educational needs and disabilities and ensure all areas of the nursery are accessible (wherever practicable)
• Provide a safe environment for students or trainees to learn in
• Encourage all staff, visitors and parents to report any unsafe working practices or areas to ensure immediate response by the management.

We believe the risks in the nursery environment are low and we will maintain the maximum protection for children, staff and parents. The nursery will:

• Ensure all entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits are clearly identifiable, free from obstruction and easily opened from the inside
• Regularly check the premises room by room for structural defects, worn fixtures and fittings or electrical equipment and take the necessary remedial action
• Ensure that all staff, visitors, parents and children are aware of the fire procedures and regular fire drills are carried out
• Have the appropriate fire detection and control equipment which is checked regularly to make sure it is in working order
• Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedure to follow in case of accidents for staff, visitors and children
• Ensure that all members of staff take all reasonable action to control the spread of infectious diseases and wear protective gloves and clothing where appropriate
• Ensure there are suitable hygienic changing facilities (see Infection Control Policy)
• Prohibit smoking on the nursery premises
• Prohibit any contractor from working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in charge
• Encourage children to manage risks safely and prohibit running inside the premises unless in designated areas
• Risk assess all electrical sockets and take appropriate measures to reduce risks where necessary and ensure no trailing wires are left around the nursery
• Ensure all cleaning materials are placed out of the reach of children and kept in their original containers
• Wear protective clothing when cooking or serving food
• Prohibit certain foods that may relate to children’s allergies, e.g. nuts are not allowed in the nursery
• We follow the EU Food Information for Food Consumers Regulations (EU FIC). These rules are enforced in the UK by the Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR). We identify the 14 allergens listed by EU Law that we use as ingredients in any of the dishes we provide to children and ensure that all parents are informed
• Follow the Allergies and Allergic Reactions Policy for children who have allergies
• Ensure risk assessments are undertaken on the storage and preparation of food produce within the nursery
• Familiarise all staff and visitors with the position of the first aid boxes and ensure all know who the appointed first aiders are
• Provide appropriately stocked first aid boxes and check their contents regularly
• Ensure children are always supervised
• Take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises and have an agreed procedure for checking the identity of visitors
• Ensure no student or volunteer is left unsupervised at any time
• Ensure staff paediatric first aid certificates are on display (or made available to parents).

Responsibilities

The designated Health and Safety Officer in the nursery is Amy McManus.

The employer has overall and final responsibility for this policy being carried out at: Little Green Nursery, 12 Grant Road, SW11 2FR.

Patrice Doyles will be responsible in her absence.

All employees have the responsibility to cooperate with senior staff and the manager to achieve a healthy and safe nursery and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Neglect of health and safety regulations/duties will be regarded as a disciplinary matter (see separate policy on disciplinary procedures).

Whenever a member of staff notices a health or safety problem which they are not able to rectify, they must immediately report it to the appropriate person named above. Parents and visitors are requested to report any concerns they may have to Amy McManus.

Daily contact, staff meetings and health and safety meetings provide consultation between management and employees. This will include health and safety matters.

Health and safety training

Person responsible for monitoring staff training is Amy McManus.

Health and safety is covered in all induction training for new staff.

Training table:

Area	Training required	Who
Paediatric First aid	Course	All staff
Dealing with blood	In house training/course	All staff
Safeguarding/Child protection	In house training/course	All staff
Care of babies	Course	At least half of the staff working with under 2’s
Risk assessment	In house training/course	All staff
Fire safety procedures	Course/In house training	All staff
Use of fire extinguisher	In house training/course	All staff where possible
Food hygiene	In house training/course	Anyone involved in preparing and handling food
Allergy awareness	In house training/course	All staff
Manual handling	In house training/course	All staff
Stress awareness and management	In house training/course	All staff
Changing of nappies	In house training	All staff
Fire warden duties	External course	Fire Warden
Medication requiring technical or medical knowledge e.g. Epi Pen	External course	As required
SENCO	External course	SENCO
Supervision and appraisal	External course	Manager and senior team

At present at least one member of staff on duty MUST hold a full paediatric First Aid certificate in the nursery and when on outings. In addition to this, all newly qualified entrants to the early years workforce who have completed a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification on or after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate within three months of starting work in order to be included in the required staff: child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting

All trained first aiders must be listed in the First Aid Policy.

Health and safety arrangements

• All staff are responsible for general health and safety in the nursery
• Risk assessments will be conducted on all areas of the nursery, including rooms, activities, outdoor areas, resources, cleaning equipment, legionella and lone working
• These are reviewed at regular intervals and when arrangements change
• All outings away from the nursery (however short) will include a prior risk assessment – more details are included in our Outings Policy
• All equipment, rooms and outdoor areas will be checked thoroughly by staff before children access them or the area. These checks will be recorded and initialled by the staff responsible. Unsafe areas will be made safe/removed from the area by this member of staff to promote the safety of children. If this cannot be achieved the manager will be notified immediately
• We provide appropriate facilities for all children, staff, parents and visitors to receive a warm welcome and provide for their basic care needs, e.g. easy to access toilet area and fresh drinking water
• We adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH) to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are safe in relation to any chemicals we may use on the premises
• We identify and assess any water sources at risk of legionella[1], and manage these risks including avoiding stagnant water
• All staff and students will receive appropriate training in all areas of health and safety which will include risk assessments, manual handling and fire safety. We may also use benefit risk assessments for particular activities and resources for children
• We have a clear Accident and First Aid Policy to follow in the case of any person in the nursery suffering injury from an accident or incident
• We have a clear Fire Safety Policy and Procedure which supports the prevention of fire and the safe evacuation of all persons in the nursery. This is to be shared with all staff, students, parents and visitors to the nursery
• We review accident and incident records to identify any patterns/hazardous areas
• All health and safety matters are reviewed informally on an ongoing basis and formally every six months or when something changes. Staff and parents will receive these updates, as with all policy changes, as and when they happen
• We welcome feedback from staff and parents. They can contribute to any policy through informal discussions, the suggestion scheme and/or during regular meetings held at nursery.

 

Qualified First Aiders – full 12 hour Paediatric First Aid

• Amy McManus 03.25
• Patrice Doyles  Expires 30.08.2026
• Karolina Djemal Expires 29.09.2026
• Olga Evripidou Expires 30.08.2026
• Annette Miller Expires 16.03.25

[1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/

This policy has been created with regard to:

• The SEND Code Of Practice 2015
• Children and Families Act 2014 (Part 3)
• Equality Act 2010
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
• Statutory Framework for the EYFS Jan 2024

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) code of practice.

The nursery has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of practice (DfE 2015) to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs.

At Little Green Nursery we use the SEND Code of Practice (2015) definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability:

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

 A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

Statement of intent

At Little Green Nursery we are committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside their peers through positive experiences, to enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs, and we work hard to ensure no children are discriminated against or put at a disadvantage because of their needs. Each child’s needs are unique, therefore any attempt to categorise children is inappropriate.

We are committed to working in partnership with parents in order to meet their child’s individual needs and develop to their full potential. We are committed to working with any child who has a specific need and/or disability and making reasonable adjustments to enable every child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.

The nursery will undertake a Progress Check of all children at age two in accordance with the Code of Practice. The early years provider will also undertake an assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (in the final term of the year in which a child turns five) to prepare an EYFS Profile of the child.

Where we believe a child may have additional needs that have previously been unacknowledged, we will work closely with the child’s parents and any relevant professionals to establish if any additional action is required.

Where a child has additional needs, we feel it is paramount to find out as much as possible about those needs; any way that this may affect his/her early learning or care needs and any additional help he/she may need by:

• Liaising with the child’s parents and, where appropriate, the child
• Liaising with any professional agencies
• Reading any reports that have been prepared
• Attending any review meetings with the local authority/professionals
• Observing each child’s development and monitoring such observations regularly.

 

All children will be given a full settling in period when joining the nursery according to their individual needs.

We will:

• Recognise each child’s individual needs and ensure all staff are aware of, and have regard for, the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice

• Ensure that all children are treated as individuals/equals and are supported to take part in every aspect of the nursery day according to their individual needs and abilities

• Include all children and their families in our provision
• Identify the specific needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and meet those needs through a range of strategies
• Ensure that children who learn at an accelerated pace e.g. ’most able’ are also supported

• Encourage children to value and respect others

• Provide well informed and suitably trained practitioners to help support parents and children with special educational difficulties and/or disabilities
• Develop and maintain a core team of staff who are experienced in the care of children with additional needs and identify a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCO) who is experienced in the care and assessment of children with additional needs.  Staff will be provided with specific training relating to SEND and the SEND Code of Practice
• Monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments, and seek specialist equipment and services if needed
• Challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices
• Promote positive images and role models during play experiences of those with additional needs wherever possible
• Celebrate diversity in all aspects of play and learning
• Work in partnership with parents and other agencies in order to meet individual children’s needs, including the education, health and care authorities, and seek advice, support and training where required

• Share any statutory and other assessments made by the nursery with parents and support parents in seeking any help they or the child may need.

Our nursery Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Amy McManus

The role of the SENCO in our setting includes:

• ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEN
• advising and supporting colleagues
• ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting
• liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting
• taking the lead in implementing the graduated approach and supporting colleagues through each stage of the process.

We will:

• Designate a named member of staff to be the SENCO and share their name with parents
• Ensure parents have initiated all other medical examinations before we explore potential SEND

• Have high aspirations for all children and support them to achieve to their full potential

• Develop respectful partnerships with parents and families
• Ensure parents are involved at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their child’s care and education and where possible include the thoughts and feelings voiced by the child
• Signpost parents and families to our Local Offer in order to access local support and services
• Undertake formal Progress Checks and Assessments of all children in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice January 2015
• Provide a statement showing how we provide for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and share this with staff, parents and other professionals
• Ensure that the provision for children with SEN and/or disabilities is the responsibility of all members of staff in the nursery through training and professional discussions
• Set out in our inclusive admissions practice on how we meet equality of access and opportunity
• Make reasonable adjustments to our physical environment to ensure it is, as far as possible suitable for children and adults with disabilities using the facilities
• Provide a broad, balanced, aspirational early learning environment for all children with SEN and/or disabilities and differentiated activities to meet all individual needs and abilities
• Liaise with other professionals involved with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families, including transition arrangements to other settings and schools.
• Use the graduated response system to assess, plan, do and review to ensure early identification of any SEND
• Ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their parents are consulted at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability
• Review children’s progress and support plans every half-term and work with parents to agree on further support plans
• Provide privacy of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities when intimate care is being provided
• Raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff
• Ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. additional support reviews, Education and Healthcare (EHC) plans, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually
• Provide a complaints procedure and make available to all parents in a format that meets their needs e.g. Braille, audio, large print, additional languages
• Monitor and review our policy and procedures annually.

Effective assessment of the need for early help

Local agencies should work together to put processes in place for the effective assessment of the needs of individual children who may benefit from early help services. Children and families may need support from a wide range of local agencies. Where a child and family would benefit from coordinated support from more than one agency (e.g. education, health, housing, police) there should be an inter-agency assessment. These early help assessments should identify what help the child and family require to prevent needs escalating to a point where intervention would be needed via a statutory assessment under the Children Act 1989.

The early help assessment hould be undertaken by a lead professional who should provide support to the child and family, act as an advocate on their behalf and coordinate the delivery of support services. The lead professional role could be undertaken by a General Practitioner (GP), family support worker, teacher, health visitor and/or special educational needs coordinator. Decisions about who should be the lead professional should be taken on a case-by-case basis and should be informed by the child and their family.

For an early help assessment to be effective:

• The assessment should be undertaken with the agreement of the child and their parents or carers. It should involve the child and family as well as all the professionals who are working with them;
• A teacher, GP, health visitor, early years’ worker or other professional should be able to discuss concerns they may have about a child and family with a social worker in the local authority. Local authority children’s social care should set out the process for how this will happen; and
• If parents and/or the child do not consent to an early help assessment, then the lead professional should make a judgement as to whether, without help, the needs of the child will escalate. If so, a referral into local authority children’s social care may be necessary.

If at any time it is considered that the child may be a child in need as defined in the Children Act 1989, or that the child has suffered significant harm, or is likely to do so, a referral should be made immediately to local authority children’s social care. This referral can be made by any professional. Working together to safeguard children 2018.

Graduated Approach

We follow the SEND Code of Practice (2015) recommendation that, in addition to the formal checks above, nurseries should adopt a graduated approach to assessment and planning, led and coordinated by a SENCO. Good practice of working together with parents, and the observation and monitoring of children’s individual progress, will help identify any child with special educational needs or disability. This graduated approach will be led and coordinated by the SENCO and appropriate records will be kept according to the Code of Practice.

 Assess

In identifying a child as needing SEN support, the key person, working with the SENCO and the child’s parents, will carry out an analysis of the child’s needs. This initial assessment will be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist teachers or from health, social services or other agencies beyond the setting. Where professionals are not already working with the setting, the SENCO will contact them, with the parents’ agreement.

Plan

Where it is decided to provide SEN support, and having formally notified the parents, the key person and the SENCO, in consultation with the parents, will agree the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans will take into account the views of the child.

The support and intervention provided will be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and provided by practitioners with relevant skills and knowledge. Any related staff development needs should be identified and addressed. Parents will be involved in planning support and, where appropriate, in reinforcing the provision or contributing to progress at home.

 Do

The child’s key person will be responsible for working with the child daily. With support from the SENCO, they will oversee the implementation of the intervention agreed as part of SEN support. The SENCO will support the key person in assessing the child’s response to the action taken, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.

Review

The effectiveness of the support and its impact on the child’s progress will be reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact and quality of the support will be evaluated by the key person and the SENCO in full consultation with the child’s parents and taking into account the child’s views. Information will be shared with parents and the reasoning behind the targets being set and the impact of the support provided.

Assess – The key person works with the setting SENCO and the child’s parents and brings together all the information, then analyses the child’s needs.

Plan – The key person and the SENCO will agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking for the child, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development and behaviour and finally a date for review.

Do – The child’s key person implements the agreed interventions or programmes

Review – On the agreed date, the key person and SENCO working with the child’s parents, and taking into account the child’s views, will review the effectiveness of the support and the impact of the support on the child’s progress. They will then evaluate the impact and quality of support on the child.

Education and Health Plan (EHC)

Some children and young people may require an EHC needs assessment to decide whether it is necessary to develop an EHC plan with input given from LEA Teams. The purpose of an EHC plan is to make adjustments and offer support to meet the special educational needs of the child, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care.

The local authority will conduct the EHC needs assessment and consider a wide range of evidence, including

• evidence of the child’s developmental milestones and rate of progress
• information about the nature, extent and context of the child’s SEN
• evidence of the action already being taken by us as the early years provider to meet the child’s SEN
• evidence that, where progress has been made, it has only been as the result of much additional intervention and support over and above that which is usually provided
• evidence of the child’s physical, emotional and social development and health needs, drawing on relevant evidence from clinicians and other health professionals and what has been done to meet these by other agencies.

We will then work with the local authority and other bodies to ensure that the child receives the support they need to gain the best outcomes.

At Little Green Nursery we recognise that we hold sensitive/confidential information about children and their families and the staff we employ. This information is used to meet children’s needs, for registers, invoices and emergency contacts. We store all records in the locked secure office or on the office laptop with files that are password protected in line with data protection principles. Any information shared with the staff team is done on a ‘need to know’ basis and treated in confidence. This policy will work alongside the Privacy Notice to ensure compliance under General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

Legal requirements

• We follow the legal requirements set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2024 and accompanying regulations about the information we must hold about registered children and their families and the staff working at the nursery
• We follow the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 with regard to the storage of data and access to it.

Procedures

It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their families, and we do so by:

• Storing confidential records in a locked filing cabinet or on the laptop computer with files that are password protected
• Ensuring staff, students and volunteers inductions include an awareness of the importance of confidentiality and that information about the child and family is not shared outside of the nursery other than with relevant professionals who need to know that information. It is not shared with friends and family, discussions on the bus or at the local bar. If staff breach any confidentiality provisions, this may result in disciplinary action and, in serious cases, dismissal. Students on placement in the nursery are advised of our confidentiality policy and required to respect it
• Ensuring that all staff, volunteers and students are aware that information about children and families is confidential and only for use within the nursery and to support the child’s best interests with parental permission
• Ensuring that parents have access to files and records of their own children but not to those of any other child, other than where relevant professionals such as the police or local authority children’s social care team decide this is not in the child’s best interest
• Ensuring all staff are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery setting. If any of this information is requested for whatever reason, the parent’s permission will always be sought other than in the safeguarding circumstances above
• Ensuring staff do not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs
• Ensuring staff, students and volunteers are aware of and follow our social networking policy in relation to confidentiality
• Ensuring issues concerning the employment of staff remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions
• Ensuring any concerns/evidence relating to a child’s personal safety are kept in a secure, confidential file and are shared with as few people as possible on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. If, however, a child is considered at risk, our safeguarding/child protection policy will override confidentiality.

All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the nursery, which is to the safety and well-being of the child.

General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) compliance

In order to meet our requirements under GDPR we will also undertake the following:

1. We will ensure our terms & conditions, privacy and consent notices are easily accessed/made available in accurate and easy to understand language
2. We will use your data to ensure the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our Nursery. We will only contact you in relation to the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our Nursery. We will not share or use your data for other purposes. Further detail can be found in our GDPR Privacy Policy.
3. Everyone in our nursery understands that people have the right to access their records or have their records amended or deleted (subject to other laws and regulations).
4. We will ensure staff have due regard to the relevant data protection principles, which allow them to share (and withhold) personal information, as provided for in the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR. This includes:

• Being confident of the processing conditions which allow them to store and share information for safeguarding purposes, including information which is sensitive and personal, and should be treated as ‘special category personal data.’
• Understanding that ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ is a processing condition that allows practitioners to share special category personal data. This includes allowing practitioners to share information without consent where there is good reason to do so, and that the sharing of information will enhance the safeguarding of a child in a timely manner but it is not possible to gain consent, it cannot be reasonably expected that a practitioner gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.

Staff and volunteer information

• All information and records relating to staff will be kept confidentially in a locked office.
• Individual staff may request to see their own personal file at any time.

Hints and tips

For more information on data protection and to register your nursery visit

https://ico.org.uk/

Location of data protection certificate find in the nursery office on the wall.

Disclaimer from Ofsted: The EYFS requires that a setting’s safeguarding policy ‘should be in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant local authority’.

 

We review this policy to be consistent with the requirements of our local authority Safeguarding Partnership.

 

At Little Green Nursery we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.

 

We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures (please refer to our Inclusion and Equality Policy for further information). Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the nursery’s other policies and procedures. Safeguarding children is everybody’s responsibility. At Little Green Nursery all staff, students, supply staff and visitors are made aware of signed and adhere to the policy.

 

This policy works alongside these other specific policies to cover all aspects of child protection:

• Online Safety
• Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
• Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
• Domestic Abuse, Honour Based Abuse (HBA) and Forced Marriage
• Looked After Children
• Monitoring Staff Behaviour
• Social Networking
• Mobile Phone and Electronic Device Use
• Safe Recruitment of Staff
• Disciplinary
• Grievance
• Promoting Positive Behaviour

 

Legal framework and definition of safeguarding

• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Childcare Act 2006 (amended 2018)
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Children and Social Work Act 2017
• The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Jan 2024
• Working Together to Safeguard Children Dec 2023
• Keeping Children Safe in Education Sep 2023
• Data Protection Act 2018
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• Inspecting Safeguarding in Early years, Education and Skills settings Aug 2021
• Prevent Duty 2015

 

 

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

(Definition taken from the HM Government document ‘Working together to safeguard children 2018).

 

Policy intention

To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:

• Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
• Provide positive role models and develop a safe culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct
• Ensure all staff can identify the signs and indicators of abuse, including the softer signs of abuse, and know what action to take
• Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
• Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
• Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities
• Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling
• Always listen to children
• Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
• Share information with other agencies as appropriate.

 

The nursery is aware that abuse does occur in our society, and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Staff working on the frontline with children and families are often the first people to identify a concern, observe changes in a child’s behaviour or receive information relating to indicators of abuse. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.

 

Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for Children’s Social Care, family support, health professionals including health visitors or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.

 

The nursery aims to:

• Keep the child at the centre of all we do, providing sensitive interactions that develops and builds children’s well-being, confidence and resilience. We will support children to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe, healthy and develop positive relationships.
• Ensure staff are trained right from induction to understand the child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse (including the signs known as softer signs of abuse), understand what is meant by child protection and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children (peer on peer) through bullying or discriminatory behaviour
• Be aware of the increased vulnerability of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), isolated families and vulnerabilities in families, including the impact of this toxic trio on children and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s).
• Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child; maintaining professional curiosity around welfare of children and share information and seek the help that the child may need at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures, including thorough annual safeguarding newsletters and updates
• Make any child protection referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by Wandsworth Council
• Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know to protect the child and act in their best interest.
• Keep the setting safe online using appropriate filters, checks and safeguards, always monitoring access and maintaining safeguards around the use of technology by staff, parents and visitors in the setting.
• Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff.
• Identify changes in staff behaviour and act on these as per the Staff Behaviour Policy.
• Take any appropriate action relating to allegations of serious harm or abuse against any person working with children or living or working on the nursery premises including reporting such allegations to Ofsted and other relevant authorities including the local authority.
• Ensure parents are fully aware of child protection policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and are kept informed of all updates when they occur read and sign sheet .
• Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements and any guidance or procedures issued by Wandsworth Council.

 

Contact telephone numbers

Wandsworth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)  020 8871 6622

Wandsworth Designated Officer (LADO)  Anita Gibbons 07974 586461

DSL PVI settings  Matt Hutt 020 8871 8820 matt.hutt@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk

Wandsworth Out of Hours Team  020 8871 7999 (24hours helpline)

NSPCC 0808 800 5000

Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership WSCP 020 8871 7401

Wandsworth Early Help services 020 8871 7899 earlyhelpsystems@wandsworth.gov.uk

 

Ofsted 0300 123 4666

Emergency police 999

Non-emergency police 101

Government helpline for extremism concerns 020 7340 7264

Child exploitation and Online protection command (CEOP) https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

 

Types of abuse and particular procedures followed

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused within a family, institution or community setting by those known to them or more rarely, a stranger.

This could be an adult or adults, another child or children.

 

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (advice for practitioners) 2015 and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2021)

 

The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused but will help us to recognise that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree.

 

Indicators of child abuse

• Failure to thrive and meet developmental milestones
• Fearful or withdrawn tendencies
• Unexplained injuries to a child or conflicting reports from parents or staff
• Repeated injuries
• Unaddressed illnesses or injuries
• Significant changes to behaviour patterns.

 

Softer signs of abuse as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include:

Emotional states:

• Fearful
• Withdrawn
• Low self-esteem.

Behaviour:

• Aggressive
• Oppositional habitual body rocking.

Interpersonal behaviours:

• Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
• Over-friendliness to strangers including healthcare professionals
• Excessive clinginess, persistently resorting to gaining attention
• Demonstrating excessively ‘good’ behaviour to prevent parental or carer disapproval
• Failing to seek or accept appropriate comfort or affection from an appropriate person when significantly distressed
• Coercive controlling behaviour towards parents or carers
• Lack of ability to understand and recognise emotions
• Very young children showing excessive comforting behaviours when witnessing parental or carer distress.

 

Peer-on-peer abuse

We are aware that peer-on-peer abuse does take place, so we include children in our policies when we talk about potential abusers. This may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse or sexual abuse. We will report this in the same way we do for adults abusing children and will take advice from the appropriate bodies on this area; to support both the victim and the perpetrator, as they could also be a victim of abuse. We know that children who develop harmful sexual behaviour have often experienced abuse and neglect themselves.

 

Physical abuse

A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

 

All children can suffer injuries during their early years as they explore and develop. If an explanation of how a child received their injury doesn’t match the injury itself or if a child’s injuries are a regular occurrence or there is a pattern to their injuries, then you must report your concerns.

 

Fabricated illness

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. The parent or carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation; they may exaggerate a real illness and symptoms or deliberately induce an illness through poisoning with medication or other substances or they may interfere with medical treatments. Fabricated illness is a form of physical abuse, and any concerns will be reported, in line with our safeguarding procedures.

 

Female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM can also be known as Female Genital Cutting.  FGM is a procedure where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. It is frequently a very traumatic and violent act for the victim and can cause harm in many ways. The practice can cause severe pain and there may be immediate and/or long-term health consequences, including mental health problems, difficulties in childbirth, causing danger to the child and mother; and/or death (definition taken from the Multi-agency Statutory Guidance on Female Genital Mutilation)

 

The  procedure may be carried out shortly after birth and during childhood as well as adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy and varies widely according to the community.

 

FGM is child abuse and is illegal in the UK. It can be extremely dangerous and can cause:

• Severe pain
• Shock
• Bleeding
• Infection such at tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C
• Organ damage
• Blood loss and infections
• Death in some cases

 

 

If you have concerns about a child or family, you should contact children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse. We have a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18.

 

Breast ironing/flattening

Breast ironing also known as “breast flattening” is the process where young girls’ breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down using hard or heated objects for the breasts to disappear, or delay the development of the breasts entirely. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage.

 

Breast Ironing/Flattening is a form of physical abuse and can cause serious health issues such as:

• Abscesses
• Cysts
• Itching
• Tissue damage
• Infection
• Discharge of milk
• Dissymmetry of the breasts
• Severe fever.

 

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing, or enticing, a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Adult males do not solely perpetrate sexual abuse; women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

 

Action must be taken if a staff member witnesses an occasion(s) where a child indicates sexual activity through words, play, drawing, has an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters; or has an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, or language, for their developmental age. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls/toys or in the role-play area with their peers; drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words.

 

If a child is being sexually abused, you may see both emotional and physical symptoms.

 

Emotional signs:

• Being overly affectionate or knowledgeable in a sexual way inappropriate to the child’s age
• Personality changes such as becoming insecure or clingy
• Regressing to younger behaviour patterns such as thumb sucking or bringing out discarded cuddly toys
• Sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating
• Being isolated or withdrawn
• Inability to concentrate
• Lack of trust or fear of someone they know well, such as not wanting to be alone with a carer
• Becoming worried about clothing being removed
• Suddenly drawing sexually explicit pictures or acting out actions inappropriate for their age
• Using sexually explicit language

 

Physical Signs:

• Bruises
• Bleeding, discharge, pains or soreness in their genital or anal area
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Pregnancy

 

Child sexual exploitation (CSE)

Keeping Children Safe in Education (2021) describes CSE as: CSE occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. CSE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur using technology. CSE can affect any child or young person (male or female) under the age of 18 years, including 16 and 17 year olds who can legally consent to have sex. It can include both contact (penetrative and non-penetrative acts) and non-contact sexual activity and may occur without the child or young person’s immediate knowledge (e.g. through others copying videos or images they have created and posted on social media).

 

Signs and indicators may include:

• Physical injuries such as bruising or bleeding
• Having money or gifts they are unable to explain
• Sudden changes in their appearance
• Becoming involved in drugs or alcohol, particularly if you suspect they are being supplied by older men or women
• Becoming emotionally volatile (mood swings are common in all young people, but more severe changes could indicate that something is wrong)
• Using sexual language that you wouldn’t expect them to know
• Engaging less with their usual friends
• Appearing controlled by their phone
• Switching to a new screen when you come near the computer
• Nightmares or sleeping problems
• Running away, staying out overnight, missing school
• Changes in eating habits
• Talk of a new, older friend, boyfriend or girlfriend
• Losing contact with family and friends or becoming secretive
• Contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

 

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

CCE is where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. CCE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur using technology.

 

CCE can include children being forced to work in cannabis factories, being coerced into moving drugs or money across the country forced to shoplift or pickpocket, or to threaten other young people. Some of the following can be indicators of CCE:

• Children who appear with unexplained gifts or new possessions;
• Children who associate with other young people involved in exploitation;
• Children who suffer from changes in emotional well-being;
• Children who misuse drugs and alcohol;
• Children who go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late; and
• Children who regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.

Emotional abuse

Working Together to Safeguard Children defines emotional abuse as the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.

 

It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

 

Signs and indicators may include:

• Physical, mental and emotional development lags
• Sudden speech disorders
• Overreaction to mistakes
• Extreme fear of any new situation
• Neurotic behaviour (rocking, hair twisting, self-mutilation)
• Extremes of passivity or aggression
• Appear unconfident or lack self-assurance.

 

Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection. Children may also experience emotional abuse through witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.

 

Neglect

Working Together to Safeguard Children defines Neglect as the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

1. Provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
2. Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
3. Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers)
4. Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

 

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

 

Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in, or a child having an illness or identified special educational need or disability that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs.

 

Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g. a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. In addition, neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.

Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been any type of neglect of a child.

 

County Lines

The National Crime Agency (NCA) describe county lines as a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs from big cities into smaller towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line.’ Customers will live in a different area to where the dealers and networks are based, so drug runners are needed to transport the drugs and collect payment.

 

Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims. Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in a number of locations including schools, further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, special educational needs schools, children’s homes and care homes.

 

Signs and indicators to be aware of include:

• Changes in the way young people you might know dress
• Unexplained, sometimes unaffordable new things (e.g. clothes, jewellery, cars etc.)
• Missing from home or schools and/or significant decline in performance
• New friends or relationships with those who don’t share any mutual friendships with the victim or anyone else
• May be carrying a weapon
• Receiving more texts or calls than usual
• Sudden influx of cash, clothes or mobile phones
• Unexplained injuries
• Significant changes in emotional well-being
• Young people seen in different cars/taxis driven by unknown adults
• Young people seeming unfamiliar with your community or where they are
• Truancy, exclusion, disengagement from school
• An increase in anti-social behaviour in the community
• Unexplained injuries
• Gang association or isolation from peers or social networks.

 

Cuckooing

Cuckooing is a form of county lines crime in which drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to criminally exploit them as a base for drug dealing, often in multi-occupancy or social housing properties. Signs that this is happening in a family property may be an increase in people entering or leaving the property, an increase in cars or bikes outside the home; windows covered or curtains closed for long periods, family not being seen for extended periods; signs of drug use or an increase in anti-social behaviour at the home.

If we recognise any of these signs, we will report our concerns as per our reporting process.

 

Contextual safeguarding–

As young people grow and develop they may be vulnerable to abuse or exploitation from outside their family. These extra-familial threats might arise at school and other educational establishments, from within peer groups, or more widely from within the wider community and/or online.

As part of our safeguarding procedures we will work in partnership with parents/carers and other agencies to work together to safeguard children and provide the support around contextual safeguarding concerns.

 

Domestic Abuse / Honour Based Abuse / Forced Marriages

We look at these areas as a child protection concern. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this.

 

Extremism – the Prevent Duty

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to safeguard at risk or vulnerable children under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and refer any concerns of extremism to the police (In Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support).

 

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme. Radicalisation is the way a person comes to support or be involved in extremism and terrorism. It is a gradual process so young people who are affected may not realise what’s happening.

 

Radicalisation is a form of harm. The process may involve:

• Being groomed online or in person
• Exploitation, including sexual exploitation
• Psychological manipulation
• Exposure to violent material and other inappropriate information
• The risk of physical harm or death through extremist acts

 

We have a Prevent Duty and Radicalisation policy in place. Please refer to this for specific details.

 

Online Safety

We take the safety of our children very seriously and this includes their online safety. Please refer to the Online Safety policy for further details.

 

Human Trafficking and Slavery

Please refer to our Human Trafficking and Slavery policy for detail on how we keep children safe in this area.

 

Adult sexual exploitation

As part of our safeguarding procedures we will also ensure that staff and students are safeguarded from sexual exploitation.

 

Up skirting

Up skirting involves taking a picture of someone’s genitals or buttocks under their clothing without them knowing, either for sexual gratification or in order to humiliate, or distress, the individual. This is a criminal offence and any such action would be reported following our reporting procedures.

 

Child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB)

Child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB) can happen in families when there is a concept of belief in:

 

• Witchcraft and spirit possession, demons or the devil acting through children or leading them astray (traditionally seen in some Christian beliefs)
• The evil eye or djinns (traditionally known in some Islamic faith contexts) and dakini (in the Hindu context)
• Ritual or multi murders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits, or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies
• Use of belief in magic or witchcraft to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation.

 

This is not an exhaustive list and there will be other examples where children have been harmed when adults think that their actions have brought bad fortune.

 

Reporting Procedures

All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.

• Staff will report their concerns to the DSL Amy McManus (in the absence of the DSL they will be reported to the Deputy DSL) Patrice Doyles
• Any signs of marks/injuries to a child or information a child has given will be recorded and stored securely.
• For children who arrive at nursery with an existing injury, a form will be completed along with the parent’s/ carer’s explanation as to how the injury happened. Staff will have professional curiosity around any explanations given, any concerns around existing injury’s will be reported.
• If appropriate, any concerns/or incidents will be discussed with the parent/carer and discussions will be recorded. Parents will have access to these records on request in line with GDPR and data protection guidelines.
• If there are queries/concerns regarding the injury/information given, then the following procedures will take place:

 

The designated safeguarding lead will:

• Contact the Local Authority children’s social care team to report concerns and seek advice immediately, or as soon as it is practical to do so . If it is believed a child is in immediate danger we will contact the police. If the safeguarding concern relates to an allegation against an adult working or volunteering with children, then the DSL will follow the reporting allegations procedure (see below).
• Record the information and action taken relating to the concern raised
• Speak to the parents (unless advised not do so by LA children’s social care team)
• The designated safeguarding lead will follow up with the Local Authority children’s social care team if they have not contacted the setting within the timeframe set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2021). We will never assume that action has been taken.

 

Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the DSL or deputy DSL they should call the Local Authority children’s social care team, the Police  or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.

 

These contact numbers are displayed on our notice board and in our office space.

 

 

Responding to a spontaneous disclosure from a child

If a child starts to talk openly to a member of staff about abuse they may be experiencing then staff will:

• Give full attention to the child or young person
• Keep body language open and encouraging
• Be compassionate, be understanding and reassure them their feelings are important. Phrases such as ‘you’ve shown such courage today’
• Take time and slow down: we will respect pauses and will not interrupt the child – let them go at their own pace
• Recognise and respond to their body language
• Show understanding and reflect back
• Make it clear you are interested in what the child is telling you
• Reflect back what they have said to check your understanding – and use their language to show it’s their experience
• Reassure the child that they have done the right thing in telling you. Make sure they know that abuse is never their fault
• Never talk to the alleged perpetrator about the child’s disclosure. This could make things a lot worse for the child.

 

(Information taken from NSPCC)

 

Any disclosure will be reported to the nursery manager or DSL and will be referred to the local authority children’s social care team immediately, following our reporting procedures.

 

Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures

Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure, supported by the nursery manager or designated safeguarding lead (DSL). This record should include:

• Child’s name
• Child’s address
• Age of the child and date of birth
• Date and time of the observation or the disclosure, location
• Exact words spoken by the child (word for word) and non-verbal communication
• Exact position and type of any injuries or marks seen on body map if possible
• Exact observation of any incident including any concern was reported, with date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time
• Any discussion held with the parent(s) (where deemed appropriate).

 

These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the DSL, dated and kept in a separate confidential file.

 

If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse, it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure is not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately. It is not the nursery’s role to investigate, it is the role of statutory services to complete this.

 

Staff involved in a safeguarding case may be asked to supply details of any information/concerns they have about a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the local authority children’s social care, police, and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.

 

Staff must not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent, child or member of staff.

 

Informing parents

Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this to happen. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.

 

Confidentiality

All suspicions, enquiries and external investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared in line with guidance from the local authority. All staff, students and volunteers are bound by confidentiality and any information will not be discussed out of work, or this will become a disciplinary matter.

 

The Nursery has due regard to the data protection principles as in the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)[1]. These do not prohibit the collection and sharing of personal information, even without consent, if this would put the child at further risk. We will follow the principles around data collection and information sharing, and ensure any information is recorded and shared in an appropriate way.

 

Support to families

The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff, students and volunteers within the nursery.

 

The nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst enquiries are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst any external investigations are carried out in the best interest of the child.

 

Record Keeping

Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate and in line with guidance of the local authority with the provison that the care and safety of the child is paramount. We will do all in our power to support and work with the child’s family.

 

The Nursery keeps appropriate records to support the early identification of children and families that would benefit from support. Factual records are maintained in a chronological order with parental discussions. Records are reviewed regularly by the DSL to look holistically at identifying children’s needs.

 

Allegations against adults working or volunteering with children

If an allegation is made against a member of staff, student or volunteer or any other person who lives or works on the nursery premises regardless of whether the allegation relates to the nursery premises or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below.

 

An allegation against a member of staff/student/volunteer/supply staff or any other person may relate to a person who has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children; or
• behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

 

The allegation should be reported to the senior manager on duty. If this person is the subject of the allegation, then this should be reported to the DSL instead.

 

At Little Green Nursery we will follow our own local safeguarding partnership website information about how to report an allegation and we would also inform Ofsted  immediately for this to be investigated by the appropriate bodies promptly:

• If as an individual you feel this will not be taken seriously or are worried about the allegation getting back to the person in question then it is your duty to inform the local authority children’s social care team yourself directly
• The local authority children’s social care team will be informed immediately for advice and guidance
• A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals (local authority children’s social care team , Ofsted) to determine how this will be handled
• The nursery will follow all instructions from the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted and ask all staff members to do the same and co-operate where required
• Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation in line with local authority children’s social care team support and advice
• The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation and legal advice will be sought to ensure compliance with the law.
• All enquiries/external investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked cupboard for access by the relevant authorities
• Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisations including the local authority children’s social care team and where an offence is believed to have been committed, the police will also be informed.
• Founded allegations will be dealt with as gross misconduct in accordance with our disciplinary procedures and may result in the termination of employment, Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision along with notifying the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their records are updated.
• All safeguarding records will be kept until the person reaches normal retirement age or for 21 years and 3 months if that is longer. This will ensure accurate information is available for references and future DBS checks and avoids any unnecessary reinvestigation
• The nursery retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry
• Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated
• A return-to-work plan will be put in place for any member of staff returning to work after an allegation has been deemed unfounded. Individual support will be offered to meet the needs of the individual staff member and the nature of the incident; this may include more frequent supervisions, coaching and mentoring and external support.

 

Monitoring children’s attendance

As part of our requirements under the statutory framework and guidance documents we are required to monitor children’s attendance patterns to ensure they are consistent and no cause for concern.

 

Parents should  inform the nursery prior to their children taking holidays or days off, and all incidents of sickness absence should be reported to the nursery  the same day so the nursery management are able to account for a child’s absence.

This should not stop parents taking precious time with their children, by keeping us informed parents can help us to meet our statutory requirements and let us know that children are safe.

 

If a child has not arrived at nursery within one hour of their normal start time the parents will be called to ensure the child is safe and healthy. If the parents are not contactable then the emergency contacts numbers listed will be used to ensure all parties are safe. Staff will work their way down the emergency contact list until contact is established and we are made aware that all is well with the child and family. It is a parent’s responsibility to keep their emergency contact details updated.

 

Where a child is part of a child protection plan, or during a referral process, any absences will immediately be reported to the local authority children’s social care team to ensure the child remains safe and well.

 

Looked after children

As part of our safeguarding practice we will ensure our staff are aware of how to keep looked after children safe. In order to do this we ask that we are informed of:

• The legal status of the child (e.g. whether the child is being looked after under voluntary arrangements with consent of parents or on an interim or full care order)
• Contact arrangements for the biological parents (or those with parental responsibility)
• The child’s care arrangements and the levels of authority delegated to the carer by the authority looking after him/her
• The details of the child’s social worker and any other support agencies involved
• Any child protection plan or care plan in place for the child in question.

 

Please refer to the Looked After Children policy for further details.

 

Staffing and volunteering

Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. We follow safer recruitment practices including obtaining references and all staff employed to work with children will have enhanced criminal record checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before being able to carry out intimate care routines or be left unsupervised with children.

 

We will obtain enhanced criminal records checks (DBS) for volunteers in the setting. Volunteers and visitors will never have unsupervised access to children.

 

All staff will attend child protection training and receive initial basic child protection training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for spotting signs and behaviours of abuse and abusers/potential abusers, recording and reporting concerns and creating a safe and secure environment for the children in the nursery. During induction staff will be given contact details for the local authority children’s social care team’s, the local safeguarding children partnership and Ofsted to enable them to report any safeguarding concerns, independently, if they feel it necessary to do so.

 

Ongoing suitability of staff is monitored through:

• regular supervisions
• peer observations
• annual declaration of staff suitability
• safeguarding competencies
• regular review of DBS using the online update service

 

Designated Safeguarding Lead

We have named persons within the nursery who take lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinate child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL), there is always at least one designated person on duty during the opening hours of the setting. The designated persons will receive comprehensive training at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis, but at least once a year.

 

The nursery DSL’s liaise with the local authority children’s social care team, undertakes specific training, including a child protection training course, and receives regular updates to developments within this field. They in turn support the ongoing development and knowledge of the staff team with regular safeguarding updates.

 

The Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) at the nursery are Amy McManus and Patrice Doyles (Deputy).  

 

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead:

• Ensure that the settings safeguarding policy and procedures are reviewed and developed in line with current guidance; and develop staff understanding of the settings safeguarding policies
• Take the lead on responding to information from the staff team relating to child protection concerns
• Provide advice, support and guidance on an on-going basis to staff, students and volunteers.
• To identify children who may need early help or who are at risk of abuse
• To help staff to ensure the right support is provided to families
• To liaise with the local authority and other agencies about child protection concerns
• Ensure the setting is meeting the requirements of the EYFS Safeguarding requirements
• To ensure policies are in line with the local safeguarding procedures and details
• Disseminate updates to legislation to ensure all staff are kept up to date with safeguarding practices
• To manage and monitor accidents, incidents and existing injuries; ensuring accurate and appropriate records are kept
• Attend meetings with the child’s key person
• Attend case conferences and external safeguarding meetings, as requested, by external agencies.

 

The Nursery safeguards children and staff by:

• Providing adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of all children.
• Informing applicants for posts within the nursery that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information.
• Giving staff members, volunteers and students regular opportunities during supervisions and having an open-door policy to declare changes that may affect their suitability to care for the  This includes information about their health, medication or about changes in their home life such as child protection plans for their own children.
• We use the DBS update service (with staff consent) to re-check staff’s criminal history and suitability to work with children at regular intervals.
• Abiding  by the requirements of the EYFS and any Ofsted guidance in respect to obtaining references and suitability checks for staff, students and volunteers, to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers working in the setting are suitable to do so.
• Ensuring  we receive at least two written references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us.
• Ensuring all students will have enhanced DBS checks completed before their placement starts.
• Volunteers, including students, do not carry out any intimate care routines and are never left to work unsupervised with children.
• Abiding  by the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Childcare Act 2006 (amended 2018) in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern, to be reported to the Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS).
• Having procedures for recording the details of visitors to the nursery and take security steps to ensure that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children.
• Ensuring all visitors/contractors are supervised whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use.
• Staying vigilant to safeguard the whole nursery environment and be aware of potential dangers on the nursery boundaries such as drones or strangers lingering. We will ensure the children always remain safe.
• Having a Staff Behaviour Policy alongside this policy to enable us to monitor changes in behaviours that may cause concern. All staff sign up to this policy to ensure any changes are reported to management so we are able to support the individual staff member and ensure the safety and care of the children is not compromised.
• Ensuring that staff are aware not to contact parents/carers and children through social media on their own personal social media accounts and they will report any such incidents to the management team to deal with.
• Ensuring that all staff have access to, and comply with, the whistleblowing policy which provides information on how they can share any concerns that may arise about their colleagues in an appropriate manner. We encourage a culture of openness and transparency, and all concerns are taken seriously.
• Ensuring all staff are aware of the signs to look for of inappropriate staff behaviour. This may include inappropriate sexual comments; excessive one-to-one attention beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities; or inappropriate sharing of images. This is not an exhaustive list; any changes in behaviour must be reported and acted upon immediately.
• Ensuring all staff receive regular supervision meetings where opportunities will be made available to discuss any issues relating to individual children, child protection training, safeguarding concerns and any needs for further support or training.
• Having peer on peer and manager observations in the setting to ensure that the care we provide for children is at the highest level and any areas for staff development are quickly identified. Peer observations allow us to share constructive feedback, develop practice and build trust so that staff are able to share any concerns they may have. Concerns are raised with the designated lead and dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Ensuring the deployment of staff within the nursery allows for constant supervision and support. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar or other safeguards will be put into action to ensure the safety of the child and the adult.

 

We also operate a Phones and Other Electronic Devices and Social Media policy which states how we will keep children safe from these devices whilst at nursery. This also links to our Online Safety policy.

 

Our nursery has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the DSL at the earliest opportunity.

Early Help services

When a child and/or family would benefit from support but do not meet the threshold for Local Authority Social Care Team, a discussion will take place with the family around early help services.

Early help provides support as soon as a concern/area of need emerges, helping to improve outcomes and prevent escalation onto local authority services. Sometimes concerns about a child may not be of a safeguarding nature and relate more to their individual family circumstances. The nursery will work in partnership with parents/carers to identify any early help services that would benefit the child or individual family circumstances, with parent/carer consent; this may include family support, foodbank support, counselling or parenting services.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/721581/Information_sharing_advice_practitioners_safeguarding_services.pdf