Little Rockets Childcare
'aiming higher, together'
Child protection and safeguarding policy
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Procedure
Little Rockets Childcare
This policy was adopted on 27th September 2023
This policy is due for review on 26th September 2024
Key contacts
Designated Safeguarding Lead Langney – Sonya Willson - 01323 301220
Eastbourne – Lynn Spooner - 07516987199
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Amanda Saunders (both settings) -
01323 301220 / 07516987199
Named person for dealing with allegations Amanda Saunders –
01323 301220 / 07516987199
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO and Assistant LADO)
• Children's LADO referral form
Referrals into Early Help and Social Care
• Single Point of Advice (SPOA) - Monday to Thursday: 8.30am to 5pm
• Friday: 8.30am to 4.30pm 01323 464222 | Email SPOA 0-19
• Emergency Duty Service – after hours, weekends and public holidays - 01273 335906 or 01273 335905
• Make a referral via the Portal or download a referral form
• Contact Ofsted to report a serious childcare incident
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
1. Introduction
1.1 Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who has contact with children and families has a role to play. Our whole setting approach to safeguarding is based upon an understanding of the local context and an attitude of ‘it could happen here.’
This policy applies to all members of staff in our setting including all:
• permanent staff
• temporary staff
• support staff
• students
• volunteers
• trustees
• contractors
• external service activity providers
The names of the DSLs will be clearly advertised in the setting, for example photographs of the DSL team are displayed in the setting, as well as in each room and the staffroom where applicable.
1.2 Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
• protecting children from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable children to have the best outcomes.
1.3 Child protection is the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
1.4 Our children’s welfare is our paramount concern. We always take a child centered approach to our work and ensure that we listen to the voice of the child so that all children feel heard and understood.
1.5 The registered person or body will ensure that the setting will safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We will work together with other agencies to ensure that our setting has robust arrangements to:
• identify children who are suffering or likely to suffer harm
• assess children who are suffering or likely to suffer harm
• support those children who are suffering or likely to suffer harm.
1.6 The use of technology has become a significant component of many safeguarding issues. We teach children to stay safe online whether they are at the setting or at home. We have a separate Online Safety Policy which covers this area of work.
1.7 We recognise that abuse may occur in a range of situations:
• within families or households
• within the community
• online
• face to face
We also recognise too that it is not only adults who may abuse children but also that children can abuse other children as well.
1.8 Our setting is a community and all those directly connected have an essential role to play in making it safe and secure. This includes:
• staff
• volunteers
• trustees
• parents
• families
• pupils
1.9 Within this document the term ‘staff’ should be broadly read as any adult working within the setting. They may be:
• directly employed
• providing a contracted service
• providing a one-off service such as a ‘bank’ worker
• a volunteer
2. Our ethos
2.1 We believe that our setting should provide a caring, positive, safe, and stimulating environment that promotes the:
• social
• physical
• emotional
• moral development of the individual child
2.2 We recognise the importance of providing an environment that will help children feel safe and respected. We also recognise the importance of enabling children to talk openly and to feel confident that they will be listened to.
2.3 We recognise that all adults within the setting have a full and active part to play in protecting our children from harm. This includes
• permanent and temporary staff
• volunteers
• Professionals who visit
2.4 We will work with parents to build an understanding of the nursery’s responsibilities to ensure the welfare of all children. This includes the need for referrals to other agencies in some situations.
3.The legal framework
3.1 Under section 10 of the Children Act 2004, there is the requirement to cooperate with the local authority to improve the well-being of children in the local authority area. This includes all:
• maintained schools
• further education colleges
• independent schools
• free schools
• academies
• early years providers
3.2 Under section 14B of the Children Act 2004, the East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (ESSCP) can require a provider to supply information to perform its functions. This includes:
• schools
• colleges
• early years providers
This request must be complied with.
3.3 Under section 40 of the Childcare Act 2006, registered providers must comply with the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This includes:
• early years providers registered on the Early Years Register
• schools providing early years childcare
3.4 This policy and the accompanying procedure have been developed in accordance with the following statutory guidance and local safeguarding procedures:
• Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Inter-Agency Working to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children, July 2018 (updated December 2020)
• Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges, September 2023
• Pan-Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures
• Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers, July 2018
• Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, September 2021
4. Roles and responsibilities
4.1 The setting’s lead person with overall responsibility for child protection and safeguarding is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The name of the DSL will be clearly advertised in the setting with an explanation of their role including referring and monitoring safeguarding concerns.
4.2 The DSL will be a member of our management team. Their role of DSL will be explicit in their job description. To carry out their role the DSL will have the appropriate authority and be given sufficient:
• time
• funding
• training
• resources
• support
4.3 The DSL will provide advice and support to:
• other staff on child welfare and child protection matters,
• take part in strategy discussions and inter-agency meetings (and or to support other staff to do so)
• contribute to the assessment of children
The DSL’s lead responsibility will not be delegated.
4.4 There is a named person for dealing with allegations of abuse made against staff members. If an allegation is made against the named individual, then staff should speak to either the designated trustee for safeguarding or SPOA or the NSPCC.
4.5 The setting will ensure that the policies and procedures are fully implemented. Resources and time will be allocated to enable staff to discharge their safeguarding responsibilities.
4.6 All new staff will be provided with a copy of this policy as part of their induction. Existing staff are expected to read the policy at least annually, familiarising themselves with any updated practice. In either circumstance staff are expected to read the document in its entirety to ensure that they are aware of not just their own role and responsibilities but also the role of other key members of staff such as the DSL.
4.7 All staff members, volunteers, and external providers know:
• how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse
• how to respond to children who disclose abuse
• what to do if they are concerned about a child
5. Supporting children
5.1 Our setting will support all children by:
• assigning a key person to each child to ensure that:
- every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs
- helps them become familiar with the setting
- offers a settled relationship for the child
- builds relationships with the parents
• ensuring the content of the provision includes social and emotional aspects of learning
• ensuring a comprehensive response to online safety, enabling children and parents to learn about the risks of new technologies and social media and to use these responsibly at home and within the setting
• filtering and monitoring internet use, to safeguard from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material
• ensuring that safeguarding is included in daily activities to help children stay safe, and recognise when they do not feel safe
• supporting the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence, and independence
• encouraging development of self-esteem and self-assertiveness
• liaising and working together with other support services and those agencies involved in safeguarding children
• monitoring children who have been identified as having welfare or safeguarding concerns and providing appropriate support
• ensuring that all staff are aware of the early help process, and understand their role in it, including acting as the lead professional where appropriate
• ensuring that all staff understand the additional safeguarding vulnerabilities for certain groups of children or children with SEND, and how to address them.
5.2 Additional vulnerabilities and characteristics can include:
• children who are looked after
• children who were previously looked after
• care leavers
• children with special educational needs or disabilities
• young carers
• children showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups or county lines
• children frequently go missing from care or from home
• children at risk of modern slavery, trafficking, or exploitation, sexual or criminal exploitation
• children in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues or domestic abuse
• children with a family member in prison, or who is affected by parental offending
• children at risk of ‘honour’-based abuse such as female genital mutilation
• children misusing drugs or alcohol themselves
• children who have returned home to their family from care
• children showing early signs of abuse and, or, neglect
• children at risk of being radicalised or exploited
• privately fostered children
• children who are persistently absent from the setting.
5.3 Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or certain health conditions can face additional safeguarding challenges and additional barriers can exist when recognising abuse and neglect in this group of children. These can include:
• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration
• being more prone to peer group isolation than other children
• the potential for children with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionally impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs
• communication barriers and difficulties in managing these barriers
To address these additional challenges, our setting will ensure these children receive additional monitoring and support.
5.4 Children who have a social worker due to safeguarding or welfare needs may be vulnerable to further harm due to experiences of adversity and trauma, as well as educationally disadvantaged in facing barriers to:
• attendance
• learning
• behaviour
• positive mental health
Our setting will identify the additional needs of these children and provide extra monitoring and support to mitigate these additional barriers. We recognise that even when social care intervention has ended, these additional barriers may persist, therefore so too will our additional monitoring and support.
5.5 Mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering:
• abuse
• neglect
• exploitation
Where it is known that children have suffered abuse and neglect, or other potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences, our setting will:
• identify the additional needs of these children
• provide extra monitoring and support to mitigate these additional barriers
Where necessary, referrals will be made to mental health professionals for further support.
Our setting takes a trauma informed approach to supporting children, considering their lived experience, and factoring this into how we can best support them with their welfare and engage them with their learning.
6. Categories of Abuse
6.1 Abuse: a form 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 in a family or in an institutional or community setting by those known to them or, more rarely, by others. Abuse can take place wholly online, or technology may be used to facilitate offline abuse. Children may be abused by an adult or adults or by another child or children.
6.2 Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve:
• hitting
• shaking
• throwing
• poisoning
• burning or scalding
• drowning
• suffocating
• 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.
6.3 Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are:
• worthless or unloved
• inadequate
• valued only as far as they meet the needs of another person
It may include:
• not giving the child opportunities to express their views
• deliberately silencing them
• ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate
• age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children
• interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability
• overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning
• seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another
• serious bullying (including cyberbullying)
• causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger
• the exploitation or corruption of children
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone.
6.4 Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving 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
• 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
• grooming a child in preparation for abuse
Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males.
Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children. Child on child abuse is a specific safeguarding issue in education and all staff should be aware of it and of the policy and procedures for dealing with it.
6.5 Child sexual exploitation is also sexual abuse; it involves children and young people receiving something as a result of them performing sexual activities, or having others perform sexual activities on them. For example:
• accommodation
• drugs
• gifts
• affection
It could take the form of grooming of children, e.g., to take part in sexual activities or to post sexual images of themselves on the internet. 
6.6 Neglect: 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, for example, due to maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
• provide adequate food
• provide clothing
• provide shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
• protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
• ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers)
• ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Depending on the age and capacity of the child, staff should be aware of possible self-neglect, e.g., where a child may not be following medical guidance or taking medication as prescribed. Where this is this the case this should be raised as a safeguarding concern.
7. Recognition – what to look for
7.1 Staff members should refer to the detailed information about the categories of abuse and risk indicators in the Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures Manual for further guidance.
7.2 In an abusive relationship, the child may:
• appear frightened of their parent(s)
• act in a way that is inappropriate to their age and development, although full account needs to be taken of different patterns of development and different ethnic groups
• they may also not exhibit any signs of stress or fear
7.3 In an abusive relationship, the parent or carer may:
• persistently avoid child health services and treatment of the child's illnesses
• have unrealistic expectations of the child
• frequently complain about or to the child and fail to provide attention or praise
• be absent
• be misusing substances
• persistently refuse to allow access on home visits by professionals
• be involved in domestic violence and abuse
• be socially isolated
7.4 Safeguarding practice reviews have found that parental substance misuse, domestic abuse, and mental health problems, if they coexist in a family could mean significant risks to children. Problems can be compounded by poverty; frequent house moves or eviction.
8. Child protection and safeguarding procedure
8.1 We have developed a structured procedure in line with:
• Pan-Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures
• EYFS Statutory requirements
• Working Together to Safeguarding Children 2018
The procedure will be followed by all members of the setting community in cases where there are welfare or safeguarding concerns.
8.2 In line with these procedures and the Continuum of Need the setting will identify the level of need and take appropriate action.
The Children’s Social Care Single Point of Advice (SPoA) will be contacted as soon as there is
• a significant concern
• or where level 3 support is required
• or where level 2 is identified
The setting will discuss concerns with the family and health visitor. The Continuum of Need
8.3 We have procedures for recording the attendance details of:
• all staff
• all children
• all visitors
We take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the setting so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children. All visitors or contractors will be supervised whilst on the premises, especially in the areas the children use.
8.4 We will ensure that all parents and carers are aware of the responsibilities of staff members to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and act in the best interests of children by publishing the policy and procedures on our website (if applicable) and by referring to them in our introductory nursery materials.
9. The management of safeguarding
9.1 We will ensure that the DSL is kept informed of any incident of physical intervention with a child and will be aware of behaviour plans for specific children.
9.2 We will ensure that the DSL is kept informed of attendance patterns, and where there are concerns for individual children the response to this will be considered within the context of safeguarding.
9.3 We will ensure that the DSL is kept informed of arrangements for first aid and children with medical conditions and is alerted where a concern arises. For example:
• an error with the administering of medicines or intervention
• repeated medical appointments being missed
• guidance or treatments not being followed by the parents
9.4 Systems are in place to ensure that hate incidents are reported and recorded. They will be considered under safeguarding arrangements by the DSL. For example:
• racist
• homophobic
• transphobic gender
• disability-based bullying
9.5 Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to 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).
This may be a cause for concern relating to a change in behaviour of a child or family member, comments causing concern made to a member of the team (or other persons in the setting) or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care. We have a Prevent Duty and Radicalisation policy in place. Please refer to this for specific details.
10. Reporting concerns and record keeping
10.1 All safeguarding and welfare concerns, discussions and decisions made will be recorded in writing and kept in line with the ESSCP Keeping Records of Child Protection and Welfare Concerns Guidance. Record Keeping Guidance
10.2 The DSL will ensure that child protection files are kept up to date and that information will be kept confidential and stored securely.
10.3 Records will include:
• a clear and comprehensive summary of the concern
• details of how the concern was followed up and resolved
• a note of any action taken, decisions reached and the outcome
10.4 The DSL will ensure that files are only accessed by those who need to see them. Where files or content are shared, this will happen in line with information sharing advice and guidance. 
10.5 We will continue to support any children leaving the setting about whom there have been concerns by ensuring that all appropriate information, including welfare and safeguarding concerns, is forwarded under confidential cover to the child’s new setting or school as a matter of priority, and within 5 working days. (ESCC best practice is that this should be actioned within five working days.)
10.6 When a child is due to transfer to another setting the DSL will consider if it would be appropriate to share any information with the new school or setting in advance of the child leaving. For example, information that would allow the new school or setting to have support in place for when the child arrives e.g., a child who has or has had a social worker involved.
10.7 When a new child joins our setting and there is a record of safeguarding or welfare concerns, we will ensure that this information is shared appropriately with the DSL and other relevant staff.
11. Safer workforce and managing allegations against staff, volunteers, or household members
11.1 Our setting has robust safer recruitment procedures to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children. Please see Recruitment Policy for further details.
11.2 All individuals living or working in any capacity at our setting will be subjected to safeguarding checks in line with the EYFS Statutory requirements and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.
11.3 We will ensure that agencies and third parties supplying staff provide us with written reassurance that they have made the appropriate level of safeguarding checks on individuals working in our setting. We will also ensure that any agency worker presenting for work is the same person on whom the checks have been made. In addition, suitable checks are obtained for regular visitors or volunteers.
11.4 Every job description and person specification will have a clear statement about the safeguarding responsibilities of the post holder.
11.5 We will ensure that at least one member of every interview panel has completed safer recruitment training.
11.6 We have a procedure in place to handle allegations against members of staff and volunteers in line with EYFS Statutory requirements and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018. We follow the ‘Managing allegations or concerns about individuals who work or volunteer with children flowchart guidance.’
Managing allegations flow chart and flow chart guidance can be found on the LADO information
12. Staff induction, training, and development
12.1 All new members of staff will be given an induction which includes the following:
• issue and explain the safeguarding and child protection policy
• issue and explain the behaviour policy
• issue and explain the staff behaviour policy or code of conduct
• issue and explain the policy or guidance which includes the safeguarding response to children who go missing
• the role of the DSL and share the identities of the DSL and all DDSLs
• child protection and safeguarding training (including online safety)
• all new members of staff are expected to read the above-mentioned documents and to sign an acknowledgement of this
Part 1 and Annex B of Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2023 is kept with the safeguarding policy for reference alongside the policy.
12.2 The safeguarding induction and ongoing safeguarding training of staff will include the following key aspects:
• staff understand the difference between a safeguarding concern and a child in immediate danger or at risk of significant harm
• staff are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned
• when concerned about the welfare of a child, staff should always act in the best interests of the child
• staff understand that children’s poor behaviour may be a sign that they are suffering harm or that they have been traumatised by abuse
• staff understand that children who have a social worker may be educationally disadvantaged and face barriers to attendance, learning, behaviour, and positive mental health and that these barriers may persist even when the social care intervention ceases
• staff understand that mental health issues for children may be an indicator of harm or abuse, or where it is known that a child has suffered harm or abuse this may impact on their mental health, behaviour, and education
• staff understand that safeguarding incidents and, or behaviours can be associated with factors outside the setting and or can occur between children outside of these environments. All staff, but especially the DSL (and deputies), should consider whether children are at risk of abuse or exploitation in situations outside their families. Children can be vulnerable to multiple harms including (but not limited to) sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation, sexual abuse, and county lines
• staff understand that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues. Children are at risk of abuse online as well as face to face. In many cases abuse will take place concurrently via online channels and in daily life
• staff to be aware that children can abuse other children (often referred to as child on child abuse) and that it can happen both inside and outside of school and online
• staff know how best to respond to a child who makes a disclosure of abuse or harm
• if staff are unsure or have any concerns about a child’s welfare, they should always speak to the DSL or deputy DSL immediately
• staff are informed of what to record, how to record and where to find welfare concern forms
• staff should not assume a colleague, or another professional will act
• the DSL or a deputy should always be available to discuss safeguarding concerns. If in exceptional circumstances, the DSL (or deputy) is not available, this should not delay appropriate action being taken. Staff should consider speaking to a member of the senior management team and, or, take advice from SPoA. In these circumstances, any action taken should be shared with the DSL (or deputy) as soon as is practically possible.
• staff should be aware that there will be opportunities to reference, reinforce or develop aspects of the safeguarding agenda across the early years curriculum e.g., online safety, positive relationships, challenging prejudice, and critical thinking.
12.3 The DSL will undergo updated safeguarding and child protection training every two years. In addition to this their knowledge and skills will be updated regularly, and at least annually, to keep up with developments relevant to the role.
12.4 All staff members of the setting will receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training which is regularly updated at least annually by completing the East Sussex safeguarding children and young people eLearning course.
12.5 The DSL will provide briefings to the setting on any changes to safeguarding and child protection legislation and procedures and relevant learning from local and national serious case reviews as required. Safeguarding should be on the agenda for every staff meeting.
12.6 We will ensure that staff members provided by other agencies and third parties, e.g., dance tutor, have received appropriate safeguarding and child protection training commensurate with their roles before starting work.
12.7 On the first occasion which staff members provided by other agencies and third parties come to our setting to work, they will be provided with details of the safeguarding arrangements at our setting, which will include identifying the DSL and the process for reporting welfare concerns.
12.8 The setting will maintain accurate records of staff induction and training.
13. Confidentiality, consent, and information sharing
13.1 We recognise that all matters relating to safeguarding and child protection are confidential.
13.2 The setting leader or the DSL will disclose any information about a child to other members of staff on a need-to-know basis, and in the best interests of the child.
13.3 All staff members, volunteers or students are aware that they cannot promise a child to keep secrets which might compromise the child’s safety or wellbeing.
13.4 All staff members have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children.
13.5 All our staff members, who have contact with children, will be given appropriate training to understand the purpose of information sharing to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
13.6 The DSL will ensure that staff members are aware of what they can and should do under the law, including how to obtain consent to share information and when information can be shared without consent.
14. Inter-agency working
14.1 We will develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies, including agencies providing early help services to children, the police, and Children’s Social Care.
14.2 We will ensure that relevant staff members participate in multi-agency meetings and forums, including child protection conferences and core groups meetings.
14.3 We will participate in safeguarding practice reviews (previously known as serious case reviews), other reviews and file audits as and when required to do so by the ESSCP. We will ensure that we have a clear process for gathering the evidence required for reviews and audits, embedding recommendations into practice, and completing required actions within agreed timescales.
15. Contractors, service and activity providers and student placement providers
15.1 We will ensure that contractors and providers are aware of our safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures. We will require that employees and volunteers provided by these organisations use our procedure to report concerns.
15.2 We will seek written notification that employees and volunteers provided by these organisations and working with our children have been subjected to the appropriate level of safeguarding check in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children. If assurance is not obtained, permission to work with our children or use our premises may be refused.
15.3 When we commission services from other organisations, we will ensure that compliance with our policy and procedures is a contractual requirement.
16. Whistle blowing and complaints
16.1 We recognise that children cannot be expected to raise concerns in an environment where staff members fail to do so.
16.2 We will ensure that everyone is aware of their duty to raise concerns about the management of safeguarding and child protection, which may include the attitude or actions of colleagues (including low level concerns). This includes:
• staff members
• volunteers
• students
If there is a concern staff will speak as appropriate with the:
• DSL
• setting leader
• the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Should staff not feel able to raise concerns they can call the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice helpline on 0800 028 0285.
16.3 We have a clear reporting procedure for children, parents, and other people to report concerns or complaints, including abusive or poor practice. This is outlined in our Complaints Policy.
17. Site security
17.1 The setting’s site is secure to reduce the risk of unauthorised access or egress. Where the site is shared with other service users, we always ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to keep children safe.
17.2 All staff members have a responsibility to ensure our buildings and grounds are secure and for reporting concerns that may come to light.
17.3 We check the identity of all visitors and volunteers coming into the setting. Visitors are expected to sign in and out in the visitors’ log and if applicable display a visitor’s badge while on the site. Any individual who is not known or identifiable will be challenged for clarification and reassurance.
17.4 The setting will not accept the behaviour of any individual, parent, or anyone else, that threatens our security or leads others, child, or adult, to feel unsafe. Such behaviour will be treated as a serious concern and may result in a decision to refuse the person access to the site.
18. Quality Assurance
18.1 We will ensure that systems are in place to monitor the implementation of and compliance with this policy and accompanying procedures. This will include periodic audits of welfare concern and safeguarding files and records by the DSL.
18.2 We will complete the management and safeguarding audit relating to the setting’s safeguarding arrangements annually or when management change. Information for Early Years Practitioners
18.3 The setting’s management team will ensure that action is taken to remedy without delay any deficiencies and weaknesses identified in safeguarding and child protection arrangements.
19. Policy review
19.1 This policy and the procedures will be reviewed annually. All other linked policies will be reviewed in line with the policy review cycle.
19.2 The DSL will ensure that staff and parents are made aware of any amendments to policies and procedures.
20. Linked policies and procedures
20.1 Record keeping guidance can be found on Czone
20.2 The following policies should be updated to reflect the documents which you hold for your setting.
You must have the following policies and procedures in writing.
• Safeguarding, including allegations against staff, whistle blowing, mobile phones, digital imagery, and e-safety
• Concerns and complaints, including how to contact Ofsted
• Missing child
• Failure to collect a child
• Administering medicines
• Ill or infectious children including infection control
• Emergency evacuation
• Privacy notice
The EYFS requires strong systems and processes for the following areas, so it is advisable to develop written policies and procedures for these to strengthen practice.
• Photographs and digital images
• Equality of opportunities
• Supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities (ensure the SENCO is named)
• Recruitment, vetting, induction, supervision, and appraisal
• Behaviour Management
• Confidentiality and secure data in transit (this could also include social networking and e-safety)
• Drugs and alcohol, and medication that may impair ability to look after children
• Healthy eating
• Health and safety, including risk assessment
• Smoking
• Communicating with parents, including information about delivery of the EYFS
• Key person system
21. Useful links
• Keeping children safe in education
• Working together to safeguard children
• East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership