Safeguarding & Child Protection

Designated Safeguarding Lead

DSL: Please ask the nursery manager for the current DSL
Nursery telephone: 01772 673600

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. For Lancashire Children’s Services, call 0300 123 6720, or 0300 123 6722 out of hours.

1. Purpose and commitment

Tree Tots Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child in our care. We will act in the child’s best interests, listen to children, work in partnership with families where it is safe and appropriate to do so, and share information with statutory agencies when necessary to protect a child.

2. Scope

This policy applies to employees, managers, students, apprentices, agency workers, volunteers, contractors and any other adult working in or visiting the nursery in a professional capacity. It should be read alongside procedures covering safer recruitment, staff conduct, whistleblowing, allegations against adults, online safety, mobile phones and cameras, attendance, safer eating, medication, accidents, intimate care and data protection.

3. Recognising concerns

Staff are expected to remain alert to indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation, domestic abuse, emotional harm, physical harm, sexual abuse, online harm, inappropriate adult behaviour and changes in a child’s presentation, behaviour, attendance or development. A concern does not need to be proven before it is reported internally.

4. Reporting a concern about a child

Any member of staff who has a safeguarding concern must record what they have seen, heard or been told as soon as possible, using factual language and the child’s own words where relevant. The concern must be passed immediately to the DSL or a deputy DSL. Staff must not investigate, ask leading questions or promise secrecy.

The DSL will assess the information, consider previous concerns, decide whether early help or a referral to Children’s Services is required, record the rationale and ensure any agreed follow up happens. If the child appears to be at immediate risk of significant harm, emergency services and Children’s Services must be contacted without delay.

5. If the DSL is unavailable

Safeguarding action must never be delayed simply because the DSL is not present. Staff should contact a deputy DSL or the nursery manager. If no appropriate senior person is available and the concern is urgent, the member of staff should contact Lancashire Children’s Services directly and record the action taken.

6. Allegations or concerns about adults working with children

Concerns that an adult may have harmed a child, may pose a risk of harm, may have behaved in a way that indicates they are unsuitable to work with children, or may have committed an offence against a child must be reported immediately to the nursery manager or proprietor. The nursery will follow Lancashire Local Authority Designated Officer procedures and make required notifications to Ofsted or other bodies. Where the allegation concerns the nursery manager or proprietor, staff must use the alternative reporting route set out in the staff safeguarding procedure and whistleblowing policy.

7. Whistleblowing

All staff, volunteers and apprentices are expected to raise concerns about unsafe practice, failures to follow safeguarding procedures or attempts to suppress legitimate concerns. No member of staff should suffer detriment for raising a genuine concern in good faith. Where internal reporting is inappropriate or ineffective, staff should use the relevant external safeguarding or whistleblowing route.

8. Safer recruitment and suitability

Tree Tots will use safer recruitment processes, obtain and scrutinise appropriate employment history and references, carry out required identity, qualification and suitability checks, obtain enhanced DBS checks where required, and maintain records of suitability. Adults whose suitability has not been established will not be given unsupervised access to children.

9. Safeguarding training

The DSL and deputies will undertake training consistent with the applicable EYFS safeguarding criteria. Practitioners will receive safeguarding training on induction and at the intervals required by the current framework and nursery policy. Training will cover recognising and responding to abuse and neglect, recording concerns, escalation, allegations against adults, whistleblowing and relevant local procedures.

10. Attendance and unexplained absence

The nursery monitors attendance patterns and will follow up prolonged or unexplained absence. Staff will consider whether absence may indicate a safeguarding or welfare concern and will escalate concerns through the DSL where necessary. Parents and carers must keep emergency contact information up to date.

11. Safer eating, allergies and medical needs

Children will be appropriately supervised while eating. Information about allergies, dietary requirements, medical conditions, medication and action plans will be recorded, shared with relevant staff and reviewed. Food preparation and serving arrangements will be organised to reduce avoidable risk.

12. Mobile phones, cameras and online safety

Personal devices must not be used in a way that compromises children’s privacy or safety. Photography and video will only take place using authorised arrangements and appropriate consent. The nursery will control access to digital systems and ensure images and information about children are handled securely.

13. Confidentiality and information sharing

Safeguarding information is confidential but not secret. It will be shared on a need to know basis when necessary to protect a child or meet legal duties. Records will be accurate, dated, attributable and stored securely with access restricted to authorised roles.

14. Safeguarding records

Concerns, referrals, decisions, actions, outcomes and follow up dates will be recorded securely. The CRM included with this website restricts safeguarding records to authorised DSL, admin and owner roles. Safeguarding information must not be placed in general enquiry notes or ordinary website content.

15. Working with parents and carers

Where safe and appropriate, the nursery will discuss concerns with parents or carers and work collaboratively to support the child. Information may be shared without parental consent where seeking consent could place a child at greater risk, prejudice an investigation or otherwise be inappropriate under safeguarding duties.

16. Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner after statutory changes, serious incidents, local safeguarding updates or identified weaknesses in practice. The nursery must check the current EYFS framework and Lancashire safeguarding procedures at each review.

How to report a concern