Loxley Nursery - Safeguarding Children
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 2013’).
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. Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the other nursery policies and procedures.
At Loxley Nursery we will 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.
To this end we will:
Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
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
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.
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 nursery manager at the earliest opportunity.
The legal framework for this policy is based on:
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (2014)
Working together to safeguard children (2013)
Practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff will often be the first people to sense that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide about abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse. Loxley nursery has a duty to be aware that abuse does occur in our society.
This statement lays out the procedures that will be followed if we have any reason to believe that a child in our care is subject to welfare issues including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of all children 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, health professionals or the police. All staff will work as part of a multi-agency team, where needed, in the best interests of the child.
The nursery aims to:
Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff
Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know in order to protect the child and act in their best interest
Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to share information and seek the help that the child may need
Ensure staff are trained to understand the safeguarding policy and procedure, are alert to identify possible 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, i.e. bullying, discriminatory behaviour
Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection issues and procedures
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
Keep the child at the centre of all we do
Make any referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Safeguarding Children Board
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 the Safeguarding Children Board.