sarah707

#EYTalking - Tuesday 4th June 2013 - 8 - 9 pm

Subject - Safeguarding and Child Protection

Essential documentation
Every EYFS provision must have access to a copy of the document ‘Working together to safeguard children’ -
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe...guard-children.

There is a précis of ‘Working together to Safeguard Children’ document from NSPCC here -
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/resea..._wda95001.html.

A list of main child protection legislation in this factsheet from NSPCC -
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resea...f_wdf48953.pdf.

Every provision must have a written safeguarding policy including clear procedures to follow when there are concerns about a child - nobody should ignore the issue or think that ‘someone’ else will make the call.

A flow chart of local child protection procedures should be displayed for parents and staff to see.

It is important to display the latest contact details for LSCB - they often change - if parents / staff need them they should be easily found.

‘Children First - the child protection system in England’ - http://www.publications.parliament.u...uc/137/137.pdf.

Audit current practice
Childcare.co.uk gold members have access to a number of safeguarding and child protection audits in their member area.

Articles in early years magazines such as Nursery World are useful for continued CPD.

Read the Plymouth review into the failures at Little Ted’s nursery -
http://www.scribd.com/doc/142008880/...view-Nursery-z.
There is a list of child protection links here -
https://www.diigo.com/user/davidrenfree/childprotection.

Do you know the types of abuse? Test yourself and colleagues - challenge each other with questions about how you would react to various safeguarding scenarios to test knowledge and reveal gaps in understanding.

There are a number of safeguarding audits from various LAs available on Google.

NSPCC Scotland campaign ‘All babies count’ - http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resou...d_wdf85704.pdf.

Devon safeguarding documents are always well written and useful for CPD eg http://www.devon.gov.uk/safeguarding...ders-jan13.pdf.

Essential knowledge
Every childminder, manager and staff member in nurseries etc must have a good understanding of what abuse is and how it can be recognised.

Information should be available about domestic violence which is often a hidden type of abuse not talked about or acknowledged.

It can be useful to use the Leuven scales for wellbeing - using them helps us to note when a child is struggling so we can support them -
http://www.earlylearninghq.org.uk/ea...vement-scales/.

PACEY have a useful guide for childminders in their resources.

In group settings practitioners must be confident about who to approach if there is a safeguarding concern with a child or another member of staff - consider how this information is shared with staff.

Effective mentoring and support for new staff in safeguarding issues is crucial - reflect on training that is in place and whether it is robust, up-to-date and covering appropriate information. Other staff can input ideas and information about what safeguarding should be covered if they are asked.

Safeguarding and disability
Signs of abuse can be harder to spot in children with disabilities / SEN - good practice guidance from DfE -
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...2009DOM-EN.pdf.

Protecting disabled children from abuse and neglect -
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/artic...nd-neglect.htm.

Safeguarding deaf and disabled children -
http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/traini..._children.aspx.

Training course from Virtual College -
http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/pro...abilities.aspx.

Working with families
Safeguarding discussion including information about what will happen if there are concerns etc should always be a part of the parent induction procedure.

‘Soft Skills’ assertiveness training is useful for developing respectful partnerships.

Childminders must provide parents with a written safeguarding and complaints procedure to comply with Childcare Register requirements.

Be aware of new partners in parents’ lives and monitor children’s wellbeing through the transition.

Working with others
Good multi agency relationships are a requirement of the EYFS and essential for lead practitioners in safeguarding - all childminders are lead practitioners.

Keep careful records of anything that is worrying about a child - little indicators add up to bigger stories. Good records will also help if a referral is needed.

Positive relationships - interesting blog from Laura at the Childcare Consultancy -
http://laurachildcare.wordpress.com/...relationships/

All childminders, managers and staff need to be aware of the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and their contact details...

Other notes
Training is very important - all providers should prioritise it and keep updated with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) requirements between training sessions.

Practitioners need support - there are lots of reports of children being removed from provisions after referrals have been made. The practitioner then loses contact with the child and is unable to offer stability. This can lead to upset and confusion - and a lack of confidence about reporting in the future. Think about where you can access support - and if it is not readily available ask LA for guidance.

Book for children - ‘Some secrets must never be kept’ by Jayneen Sanders.

Strong PSED education is vital so children learn that their bodies are special and they feel valued and supported in the provision / with their key person.

Teaching children to say ‘no’ is an important lesson.

Children need to be taught about appropriate / inappropriate touch, especially in light of the recent Saville abuse revelations - how well do you teach this in your provision?

Good resources and information here - http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/Pages/default.aspx.

Higher ratios (if introduced) will mean time constraints and less opportunities to bond with individual children - consider how this might impact safeguarding and risk assess to ensure children are protected.

Song by Pete Alsop 'my body' is good & simple for young children on YouTube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvZZGpmv89Q.