Introduction

This guidance is aimed at all early years and childcare providers across Norfolk. It has been produced in partnership with colleagues from the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) and across Children's Services who have expertise in the field of safeguarding, and early years and childcare provision.

We intend that this guidance:

• Improves the knowledge, quality of practice and confidence of all practitioners who work in early years and childcare settings, so they are able to tackle safeguarding issues responsibly.
• Provides all settings with clear guidance from Norfolk County Council of what is expected. This information incorporates the recommendations set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage, recommendations from relevant Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews and other legislation/guidance.

This guidance has been developed in response to the Early Years Foundation Stage recommendations as well as growing need from settings to have clear guidance and support concerning safeguarding made available. One of the queries is around the difference between safeguarding and child protection.

Safeguarding is:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing 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 life chances

Guidance for safer working practice for those working with children and young people in education settings: Professional and Personnel Relationships

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 as:

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• 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
• Promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children's Social Care National Framework.

Child protection is:

Part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is defined for the purpose of this guidance as activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suspected to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. This includes harm that occurs inside or outside the home, including online. (Working Together, 2023)

Feedback from a number of people from early years and childcare settings and parents has been used to develop this guidance so the content is tailored to what is needed and to ensure that practitioners are aware of their responsibilities around safeguarding and child protection.

The guidance is set out in three sections:

• 'Safeguarding Toolkit' looks at safeguarding practice and includes information on roles and responsibilities of staff, information sharing and the process to follow should a safeguarding issue arise
• 'Safer Recruitment Toolkit' gives comprehensive advice on safer recruitment and contains a number of sample forms that can be used to further develop practice within your setting to enhance the recruitment process
• 'Safeguarding Workforce Training' covers workforce training and provides details of the training available for the early years and childcare workforce. We offer a course for Safeguarding Lead Practitioners and have developed training for committees and safer recruitment as well as offering NSCP multi-agency training to settings

This guidance is designed to be a 'working document' and will be updated regularly to continually support all settings. Any updated information will be communicated to settings as and when necessary.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been part of the development of this guidance. It has been a very intensive and thorough piece of work and people have given their time and expertise to ensure the toolkit is comprehensive and useful. We hope that it provides you with the information and guidance you need to support the continued improvement of safeguarding practice in your setting.