Safeguarding and welfare frequently asked questions
Staff, leaders, governors and supervisory bodies (where appropriate) and volunteers receive appropriate training on safeguarding at induction, that is updated regularly. In addition, they receive information (for example, via emails, e-bulletins and newsletters) on safeguarding and child protection at least annually. They demonstrate knowledge of their responsibilities relating to the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
There is a designated senior member of staff in charge of safeguarding arrangements who has been trained to the appropriate level and understands their responsibilities relating to the protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults and the safeguarding of all learners. Designated members of staff in schools and colleges should undertake safeguarding training every two years and their knowledge and skills should be refreshed at regular intervals, but at least annually.
Practitioners who are expected to engage in partnership working in child protection should have access to high quality multi-agency training, in addition to their agency specific training.
As a general guide, all those who regularly make child protection referrals, are regularly expected to attend child protection conferences and core groups, and/or manage or supervise those who do, should receive a minimum of 3 hours and ideally 6 hours of multi-agency training per year. These staff will be able to select modules appropriate to their needs. This is not a fixed rule but should be intelligently used as guide to help practitioners engage in multi-agency training. Each practitioner should work with their manager to assess their training needs and agree the appropriateness of them attending multi-agency training.
Key references:
Please see the training page where the service now offers ‘Safeguarding for designated leads’.
The SSCP offer a modular approach to further training, each module providing an explicit block of learning. Practitioners can choose modules to meet their individual professional development requirements, but this must be in conjunction with their organisations needs and working with their line manager.
To ensure that those involved in selecting staff are able to successfully test the candidates’ ability and experience against a clearly defined person specification, each agency must offer them:
- Specific training in respect of safe recruitment and selection;
- Supervised/supported experience of recruitment;
- Periodic evaluation of performance by their supervisors.
Each member agency of the Solihull Safeguarding Children Partnership has appointed a Named Senior Officer to have overall responsibility for ensuring that their agency operates procedures for dealing with allegations against those who work with children and young people. The Named Senior Officer should ensure that internal quality assurance arrangements are in place in respect of the management of allegations against those who work with children and young people.
4.1 All organisations which provide services to children, or provide staff or volunteers to work with or care for children, should operate a procedure for handling allegations that fall within this procedure in a way to ensure it is consistent with the guidance set out in Working Together.
SSCP procedures
There is no requirement for anyone to have formal training in these areas.
Providers must be confident that those responsible for preparing and handling food are competent to do so. In group provision, all staff involved in preparing and handling food must receive training in food hygiene. In addition, section 4 of ‘Example menus for early years settings in
England’ (see footnote 56) includes guidance on menu planning, food safety, managing food allergies and reading food labels, which staff preparing food will find helpful in ensuring that children are kept safe.Statutory Framework for EYFS, 2021
In the UK, food handlers don't have to hold a food hygiene certificate to prepare or sell food, although many food businesses will prefer that they do. The necessary skills may be obtained through on-the-job training, self-study or relevant prior experience.
UK food hygiene certificates don't have an expiry date. It is left to the discretion of the food business operator or environmental health officer to decide whether a refresher course is needed. This may be a result of changes to legislation or technological developments in food hygiene.
Food business operators are required by law, to ensure that food handlers receive appropriate supervision and instruction/ training in food hygiene in line with their work activity and should enable them to handle food safely.
Food Standards Agency
Everyone who works for you needs to know how to work safely and without risks to health. You must provide clear instructions and information, and adequate training, for your employees. Consider how much training is necessary. A proportionate approach is needed, for example a low-risk business would not need lengthy technical training. Providing simple information or instructions is likely to be sufficient.
Don’t forget contractors and self-employed people who may be working for you and make sure everyone has the right level of information on:
- hazards and risks they may face, if any;
- measures in place to deal with those hazards and risks, if necessary;
- how to follow any emergency procedures.
Health and Safety Executive
At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present, and must accompany children on outings. The certificate must be for a full course consistent with the criteria set out in Annex A. Childminders, and any assistant who might be in sole charge of the children for any period of time, must hold a full current PFA certificate. PFA training must be renewed every three years and be relevant for workers caring for young children and where relevant, babies. Providers should take into account the number of children, staff and layout of premises to ensure that a paediatric first aider is able to respond to emergencies quickly.
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. Providers should display (or make available to parents) staff PFA certificates or a list of staff who have a current PFA certificate.
Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2021
NDNA has been awarded a Department for Education contract to develop and deliver Millie’s Mark, the quality mark for nurseries where all employees are trained in paediatric first aid and thorough processes are in place to keep children safe.
Registered providers must notify Ofsted or the childminder agency with which they are registered of any serious accident, illness or injury to, or death of, any child while in their care, and of the action taken. Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring. A registered provider, who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with this requirement, commits an offence. Providers must notify local child protection agencies of any serious accident or injury to, or the death of, any child while in their care, and must act on any advice from those agencies.
Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2021
Please see Ofsted Early Years Compliance Handbook for details of serious accidents, illnesses and injuries, pg 15-21.
Ofsted early years compliance handbook
Covid-19 has now been added to the government's list of 'notifiable diseases' here.
It is important to remember that it is not early years providers' responsibility to report instances of these diseases to Public Health England – but providers need to report it to Ofsted if a diagnosis in their setting is confirmed by a health professional.
Ofsted can be notified of any significant event here
Report serious incident to Ofsted
Settings must also inform MASH: Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub of any accident or injury to a child that occurs in the setting
Phone number: 0121 788 4333
Out of hours: 0121 605 6060
Qualification checker:
Please see Statutory Framework for EYFS 2021, which outlines requirements including the amount of space needed.
From 1 September 2014 the qualification and staffing ratio requirements for most out of school clubs were relaxed. However, you should be aware that many childcare insurance companies are still requiring clubs to have qualified staff and to meet previous staffing ratios as a condition of providing cover.
Childminders/the registered person must provide or secure the provision of any training that is necessary to ensure that all staff have suitable skills and experience to care for children.
CR1.8 The registered person must ensure that there is no fewer than one person caring for every 30 children.
Compulsory Register
The registered person must ensure that at least one person has successfully completed a qualification at a minimum of level 2 in an area of work relevant to the childcare, or training in the common core skills.
Voluntary register
CR1.7 The registered person must ensure that a sufficient number of persons is present at all times on the relevant premises to ensure the safety and welfare of the children for whom the childcare is provided. At least one person must be the provider, manager, or a person who works for the provider caring for the children.
Voluntary and Compulsory register
The registered person must ensure that the relevant premises, including overall floor space, outdoor spaces and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare.
Early years and childcare registration handbook 2016
Ofsted cover the following (settings are responsible for anybody else):
- Childminder
- Living at childminding premises
- Working at childminding premises
- Nominated Person / Responsible Individual
- Director / Committee / Trustee
- Lives and works with childminder
- Sole Proprietor
- Registered Manager
- Home-childcarer (Nanny)
- Ofsted Inspector
The DBS update service lets applicants keep their DBS certificates up to date online and allows employers to check a certificate online.
We require all new applicants who wish to register with Ofsted as a childcare provider or childminder, together with all individuals aged 16 or over who are associated with the application, to join the DBS update service as part of their application to register with us. This helps us monitor their ongoing suitability to work with and/or be in regular contact with children and to ensure that children are properly safeguarded.
We do not require people who are already registered with us, or who we have already agreed are suitable to work with or be in regular contact with children, to join the update service unless they meet the criteria for repeating DBS checks.
For those we do not check – such as the manager and staff in nurseries that operate on non-domestic premises – it is the provider’s decision whether they require those that they employ to join the DBS update service. Providers should refer to the DBS guidance for employers for further information. This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-update-service-employer-guide
DBS Update Service
Volunteer Guidance
What are the DBS charges for volunteers?
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) usually charge a fee for a DBS check. Currently the fee for an enhanced DBS check including a check of the children's barred list is £44. If an applicant meets the definition of a volunteer as outlined below, their DBS application will not incur a £44 fee from the DBS. They will, however, incur the administration fee charged by Capita. An eligible volunteer entitled to a discounted DBS check includes anyone who spends time helping people and:
- isn’t being paid (apart from travel and other approved out of pocket expenses)
- isn’t only looking after a close relative
There is nothing to say that the use of photos is prohibited, as long as settings have parental permission and parents understand their responsibilities in terms of sharing photos. Taking safeguarding seriously doesn't have to mean avoiding publishing photographs of children. As long as the person responsible for your social media channels fully understands how and why they need to take safeguarding seriously, using pictures of children is quite possible.
First and foremost, according to the Statutory Framework for the EYFS, providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, to safeguard children. This policy must cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in your setting, as well as the use of social networks both in and out of work.
If you are processing personal information electronically for the provision of childcare, including taking photos using a digital camera you must register with Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as a data controller which costs £35 per year. Data Protection Act principles should be followed. Use of photographs should be explained to parents, when they agree for them to be taken, and do not need to be destroyed when a child leaves the setting.
Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, for administering medicines. It must include systems for obtaining information about a child’s needs for medicines, and for keeping this information up-to-date. Training must be provided for staff where the administration of medicine requires medical or technical knowledge. Prescription medicines must not be administered unless they have been prescribed for a child by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist (medicines containing aspirin should only be given if prescribed by a doctor).
Medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) must only be administered to a child where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained from the child’s parent and/or carer. Providers must keep a written record each time a medicine is administered to a child, and inform the child’s parents and/or carers on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2021
To count in the ratios at level 3, staff holding an Early Years Educator qualification must also have achieved a suitable level 2 qualification in English and maths as defined by the Department for Education
on the Early Years Qualifications List published on GOV.UK
Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2021
DfE FAQ: Who does the change to level 3 EYE qualification requirements apply to?
The current requirement for level 3 EYEs to also hold GCSEs in English and mathematics Grade A*- C to count in staff: child ratios as set out in the EYFS has been broadened to include other suitable level 2 qualifications, including functional skills, with effect from 3 April 2017.
This change means that practitioners who started their EYE qualification from 1 September 2014 will now need to hold suitable level 2 English and mathematics qualifications to count in the staff: child ratios at level 3.
The requirement sets the minimum qualification requirements. Employers are free to set their own specific requirements for recruitment of staff.
We have not removed GCSEs from the list of suitable qualifications and therefore some employers and training providers may wish to continue to apply them to recruitment.
What literacy and numeracy qualifications are accepted as a ‘suitable level 2 qualification’ to enable the holder to count in the level 3 staff: child ratios as outlined in the EYFS?
The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for defining the level 2 qualifications that are suitable. These will be listed on the Early Years Qualifications List from 3 April 2017 and are as follows:
o English
Functional Skills in English at Level 2
GCSE/International GCSE in English Language and/or Literature to at least grade C (grade 4)
Key Skills in Literacy at Level 2
A Level/AS Level in English Language and/or English Literature to at least grade E
O Level in English to at least grade C
CSE grade 1 English (Language)
Also Recognised Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh equivalents.
o Maths
Functional Skills in Mathematics at Level 2
GCSE/International GCSE in Mathematics to at least grade C (grade 4)
Key Skills in Application of Number at Level 2
A Level or AS Level in Mathematics or Pure Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics to at least grade E
O Level in Mathematics to at least grade C
CSE grade 1 Mathematics
Also Recognised Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh equivalents.
During registration visits and inspections inspectors need to establish that the premises being visited are safe and suitable for children. During registration visits, inspectors must be satisfied that the applicant has identified any risks associated with the premises and equipment, and knows what they need to do to reduce or eliminate these risks. This also applies to areas that are out of bounds, but where children could access them, such as bedrooms. They therefore inspect these rooms as part of the visit. This is the same during inspections to ensure continued suitability of the premises. There is no preference in respect of door locks being installed for rooms not used by children. This is a decision the childminder would need to make for themselves as part of their own risk assessment.