Safeguarding and welfare within the EYFS

Report a safeguarding concern

If you are concerned about a child's welfare please report it using the Thresholds and Pathways process.

What are my safeguarding responsibilities?

As a childcare provider, you must take all necessary steps to keep children healthy, safe and secure.

Your key safeguarding responsibilities as a childcare provider are:

• safeguarding children
• ensuring the suitability of adults who have contact with children
• promoting good health
• managing behaviour
• maintaining records, policies and procedures

 Statutory framework for the EYFS

• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (PDF 789KB) - advice for practitioners
• Information sharing - Advice, from GOV.UK, for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children

You can find more about your statutory safeguarding requirements on the GOV.UK website.

Safeguarding and welfare audit tool

Use our handy audit tool to ensure you are fully meeting the EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements (section 3 of the EYFS):

•  Safeguarding and Welfare Requirement Audit (Word 132KB)

Use our flowchart to assist you with making decisions about referrals.

• Safeguarding flowchart (PDF 197KB)

Safer Recruitment

Use the checklist to assist you with selecting and recruiting staff.

• Safer Recruitment checklist (PDF 113KB)

Online safety advice

Useful documents for settings and parents produced by Northamptonshire County Council’s online safety advisor.

• Professional's online safety and advice sheet (PDF 195KB)
• Parent handout early years (PDF 198KB)

Useful safeguarding documents 

• GOV.UK: Working together to safeguard children - A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
• Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) has a list of safeguarding toolkits and documents for early years and childcare professionals.
• The NSPCC has child protection research, tools and resources for professionals
• The Munro Report (PDF 588KB) sets out proposals for reform which, taken together, are intended to create the conditions that enable professionals to make the best judgments about the help to give to children, young people and families.

• The Prevent Duty (PDF 331KB) contains non-statutory advice for specified authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.