Safeguarding in Early Years and Childcare

Safeguarding in Early Years and Childcare

These pages and the resources are to support Ofsted Registered Childcare Providers in Coventry to help support practice and complement the procedures and guidance issued by the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP).

How do I contact someone if I am concerned about a child or young person?

If there is no immediate danger or you need advice or information, you should call the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 024 7678 8555.

Social worker (out of office hours): 024 7683 2222.

If you wish to report an emergency matter always dial 999.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Early Years procedure for managing allegations

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

The LADO works on behalf of Coventry City Council and the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership to address, advise and manage allegations and concerns against staff, carers and volunteers by addressing matters of safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

If an allegation is made against any adult who comes into contact with children in either a paid or unpaid capacity in the setting, the childminder or any person in the childminder setting must follow these procedures:

You have a responsibility to report the allegation or concern to the Local Authority Designated Officer by completing this online reporting form.

Advice and Safeguarding documents – Early Years

These documents are to support Ofsted Registered Childcare Providers in Coventry to help support practice and complement the procedures and guidance issued by the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP)

Safeguarding documents

Safer recruitment documents

For further safer recruitment documents please see Workforce Development for Early Years Providers.

Retention, destruction, and transferring records

Supervision documents

Safeguarding resources and links

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Family Hubs

A family hub is a place where children, young people and their families can go when in need of help and support. The people working in the family hub will work in partnership with you and your community. There will be a range of services available. Some will be available only to those who have the greatest needs but there will also be services available to any family, child or young person who needs them.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Forced marriage

Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) 

Fully funded by the Home Office Early Intervention Fund - free online course

One Minute Guides - Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership

One Minute Guides are designed to be quick, first reference guides across a range of safeguarding subjects and are aimed at front-line professionals.
They target complex and emerging themes or situations that a practitioner is not likely to encounter on a day to day basis and they provide
a practitioner-focused introduction to the subject and signpost to further information and resources.

Prevent Duty

The Government's Prevent strategy aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. While it remains rare for children and young people to become involved in terrorist activity, young people from an early age can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views including those of the Far Right and religious-based extremism. It is therefore important that we take a proportionate approach and remain vigilant, although the risk may be low.

Early Years Providers have a vital role to play in protecting children from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, a role which is underpinned by the legal duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 “to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”

Early Years Providers have a duty to protect children in their care and must be alert to any concerns in the child’s life. This includes awareness of the expression of extremist views.

The EYFS supports Early Years Providers to do this in an age-appropriate way through equality and diversity and British Values.

Counter Terrorism Policing has a national safeguarding website for members of the public - Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism by Acting Early: ACT Early website

Right Help Right Time

Professionals from all agencies working with children and young people have shared responsibility to keep them safe and provide an effective, efficient and co-ordinated service to support their health and well-being.

Promoting children’s welfare is most effective when they receive help early and at a level according to their needs. The aim is to provide early interventions for children, young people and their families that require support in order to prevent them from moving towards higher levels of need once these have been identified.

The Right Help Right Time guidance is for practitioners in all agencies working with children, young people and their families in Coventry. This guidance will assist professionals to identify the support that a child, young person or family might need and how best this support can be provided.

Signs of Safety

Signs of Safety provides a clear framework on how we should work with families within the Children’s Service Partnership – this includes building better relationships with families to work with them more effectively for children and young people.

The Signs of Safety model aims to create a more collaborative approach within Children’s Services, partnership organisations and families to address situations where children have experienced harm, are at current risk of harm or have identified unmet needs.

The Signs of Safety Assessment and Planning Framework can be used by any practitioners working with children and young people in Social Care or Early Help. For example, we may refer to Danger Statements and Safety Goals for a child who has a Child Protection Plan or Worry Statements and Wellbeing / Success goals for a child who is being supported by Early Help Services.

Useful links

Keeping children safe online

It is important to have regular conversations about staying safe online and to encourage children to speak to you if they come across something worrying online.

These resources provide guidance for parents and carers to keep children safe online. They will, amongst other things, support you to talk to children about a range of online safety issues, set up home filtering in a child-friendly way and set up age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices:

View a print version

Coventry Early Years Team

Address: Coventry City Council
PO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL

Telephone: 024 7697 5451