Health and Safety in Early Years and Childcare. Bernadina Laverty
A lead practitioner must be nominated to take responsibility for safeguarding. This lead role involves liaison with statutory bodies and offering support and advice to staff within your establishment. A recognised safeguarding training course that includes recognising the signs of abuse and neglect must be completed by the lead practitioner.
The appointed lead person needs to be experienced and confident in providing support, advice and guidance to all staff on an ongoing basis. Ensure you can justify your decision making when appointing lead people.
Training
All staff must receive training and guidance on safeguarding policies and procedures. This must include advice on recognising signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and how to take concerns forward.
The serious case review into Keanu Williams’ death highlights that ‘Keanu was seen by staff in the nursery early in the New Year 2011 with a number of marks and bruises on his body and was described as “distressed”. No referral was made and clear guidelines and procedures were not followed as staff believed the explanations put forward by Rebecca Shuttleworth and did not take action to protect Keanu. Keanu died four days later of multiple injuries sustained over a period of time’ (Lundberg, B. 2013, p8. Serious case review Birmingham; Keanu Williams. http://www.lscbbirmingham.org.uk/images/stories/downloads/executive-summaries/Case_25__Final_Overview_Report_02.10.13.pdf.)
Signs of abuse and neglect could be:
•changes in children’s behaviour
•unexplained marks and bruising
•deterioration in children’s well-being
•concerns about a child’s home life
•children’s comments/conversations that worry you.
Staff code of conduct alerts could be:
•staff behaviour that is inappropriate, including sexually lewd comments, unhealthy interest in particular children
•inappropriate attention/interaction with children, sharing indecent/inappropriate texts, images.
Put ‘safeguarding’ on the agenda for team, supervision and appraisal meetings. Ensure you keep evidence/notes about such meetings and support staff in being open and honest about their concerns.
A ‘whistle blowing’ policy is important to enable staff to escalate concerns about staff attitudes or practice further. This takes courage, but all staff need to be clear that ‘a child’s welfare is paramount’ (Children Act 1989). See http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/contact-us/whistleblower-hotline.
Statutory guidance
The government has produced statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ (DCSF 2010) to encourage collaborative working between all professionals, children’s families and to escalate concerns quickly. It is crucial that all settings, including childminders, adopt their own policies and procedures that clearly outline expectations of what will happen in the event of a safeguarding concern. Your staff must be familiar with these policies – an inspector may ask any member of staff. Think about devising protocols for working with other professionals and access to support services.
Notify your local authority designated officer (LADO) with any relevant information about people who pose a risk to vulnerable groups in order to identify and bar unsuitable adults from working with children. Contact the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for further advice. For more information see ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children. A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (March 2013). http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213160/working-together-to-safeguard-children.
Informing Ofsted of allegations
Ofsted must be informed of all allegations of serious harm or abuse. This could be by any person who is looking after children or has contact with children in a registered setting. The allegations must be reported regardless of whether they relate to onsite or elsewhere. Remember it is the person who is the threat to a child.
If you fail to notify Ofsted within 14 days of allegations of serious harm or abuse you have committed an offence and could be prosecuted.
Childminders
The above guidance applies to childminders who also need to consider:
This section in the EYFS states there is no requirement for childminders to have a written policies and procedures. However, they must be able to explain and demonstrate their policies and procedures to parents, carers and others, such as Ofsted inspectors. They must also ensure any assistants understand and follow procedures.
However, if a childminder is registered on the Childcare register, under CR 2.1, it outlines that ‘childminders must keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect’. Therefore, if you are registered on the childcare register, robust, written child protection procedures are needed.
Childminders are deemed to be the lead person for safeguarding children.
Staff ratios
Children must be appropriately supervised at all times and staff must ensure all children’s individual needs are met. Parents and carers need to be aware about arrangements for children’s supervision and be told about staff changes.
Staff must be able to see and/or hear children in order to supervise them. For example, children playing inside a den or play house may not be visible, but staff must be able to hear them and help immediately if they need to.