Safeguarding and Promoting Childrens Welfare

Providers must have an effective safeguarding policy and procedure. This should include the procedure to follow if you have concerns about a child or if an allegation is made against staff or volunteers. Providers need to make sure that staff can follow the policy and that staff have been given copies of these at induction. Providers also need to explain these policies and procedures, and make them accessible, to all parents and carers.

Providers must nominate a member of staff to be the Safeguarding Lead Practitioner (SLP) and have appropriate up to date training accessed through Norfolk County Council Early Years or a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with training accessed through the school. The training must enable them to identify, understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect.

Schools and managers of private, voluntary or independent providers must ensure that all members of staff working with children can recognise and respond to signs of abuse.

The SLP or DSL must always be contactable and are responsible for liaising with other professionals and organisations. They must provide support, advice, and guidance to any other practitioners on an ongoing basis, and on any specific safeguarding issue as required.

The wraparound Handbook states - When wraparound childcare is provided by the governing body or proprietor of a school, under the direct supervision or management of their school staff, their arrangements for child protection will apply. Where governing bodies or proprietors hire or rent out school facilities/premises to organisations or individuals they should seek assurance that the provider has appropriate safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures in place (including inspecting these as needed); and ensure that there are arrangements in place for the provider to liaise with the school on these matters where appropriate. This applies regardless of whether the children who attend any of these services or activities are children on the school roll.

Schools should have regard to Keeping Children Safe in Education.

You can access a range of training bookable through the training pages on our website including Introduction to Safeguarding, Senior Lead Practitioner training, Prevent, Safer Recruitment, Norfolk Graded Care Profile etc.

Consider joining the Safer Programme.

Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS)

Staff have a duty of care to make a referral to CADS if they suspect abuse or if an allegation of abuse is made. Contact details for CADS.         

Allegations of abuse made against a person who works/volunteers with children

The named SLP or DSL must contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to make a referral to the LADO and a referral submitted to Ofsted at the same time. Referral forms and more information can be found on the NSCP website.

For more information please read:

Working together to safeguard children - GOV.UK

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)​

Norfolk Continuum of Need

The Norfolk Continuum of Need sets out our approach to keeping children in Norfolk safe and protected from harm. The guide is intended to help professionals consider that the right help is given to the right children at the right time for the right duration. Find more information about Norfolk's Continuum of Need.

Norfolk Safeguarding Children's Partnership (NSCP)

Please visit the NSCP website for further information and training opportunities.

Confidentiality in safeguarding

Providers should be aware of their responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Act 2018, the implementation of GDPR and the Freedom of Information Act 2005. The ICO have a guide for sharing information to safeguard children.