7. Safeguarding Policies

All early years and childcare settings that work with children must have clear policies for safeguarding children.

These should be developed through discussion with all staff and committee members as appropriate. This is important because it helps ensure that everyone involved can feel they own the policies, and that they are tailored to suit individual circumstances.

Settings are responsible for ensuring that they have appropriate guidance, policies and procedures in place, and that people who work with and for the setting are compliant with them.

It is a requirement for all settings signed up to the Norfolk County Council Early Years Local Agreement to receive Early Education funding will complete the Norfolk County Council Early Years Safeguarding Self-Evaluation Tool.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of this guidance 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 to Safeguard Children 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.

Early years and childcare settings must have a safeguarding policy. They must also have policies in place that are associated with safeguarding, which include:

• Equality of opportunity, and supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities
• Administration of medicines and support for children with medical needs
• Behaviour management
• Complaints and concerns
• Failure to collect a child on time
• Children who go missing
• Emergency evacuation of premises
• Nappy changing/personal care
• Admissions
• Safer recruitment
• Key person
• Observation, assessment and planning
• Partnership with parents
• Confidentially
• Health and safety including risk assessment
• Induction Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Information Sharing Policy
• Staff disciplinary procedures
• Whistleblowing and managing allegations against adults
• Accidents and incidents
• Transitions
• Staff behaviour
• Babysitting

Online Safety including:

• Use of photography and videos
• Use of social media sites
• Use of mobile phones
• Smart watches

This is not an exhaustive list and settings will have additional policies in place that meet their own requirements.