Statutory Guidance

Model Safeguarding Policy

The London Borough of Waltham Forest Model Safeguarding Policy is a comprehensive document that outlines an organization’s commitment to protecting children and vulnerable individuals from harm. It serves as a template that can be tailored to fit the specific needs and context of different Early Years Providers (Childminders, nurseries, preschools). 

The Model Policy will enable providers to meet the Safeguarding and Welfare requirements of the EYFS.

To access the latest safeguarding policy, Free safeguarding training and more, you will need to be signed up to the Independent Safeguarding Portal.  Please email safeguardingineducation@walthamforest.gov.uk. 

Providers Responsibilities 

A practitioner must be designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children in every setting (Designated Safeguarding Lead - DSL). Childminders must take the lead responsibility themselves.

Training should ensure that practitioners:

DSL Training 

It is essential that the DSL training practitioners receive, is refreshed within 2 years as per the WFSCB requirement.

If the settings DSL changes to an individual who has undertaken DSL training elsewhere, as long as the training is within the 2-year window and is ‘appropriate and comparable’ this would be acceptable.

It would be expected that in all instances staff joining the setting would receive an induction to the settings policies procedures and arrangements for safeguarding children.

Notifying Ofsted

Registered providers must inform Ofsted of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person living, working, or looking after children at the premises (whether the allegations relate to harm or abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere). Registered providers must also notify Ofsted of the action taken in respect of the allegations. These notifications must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but at the latest within 14 days of the allegations being made. A registered provider who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with this requirement, commits an offence.

Ofsted has recently produced a short guidance document regarding Early Years Inspections to dispel any myths around the process and confirm the facts. The guidance should be read alongside the early years inspection handbook.

DBS Risk Assessment

To ensure children are safeguarded new staff undertaking “regulated” activity i.e. work with children, must not commence employment in that role until all of the statutory pre-employment checks have been carried out, including the DBS Enhanced Disclosure check.

In the unlikely event that it has not been possible to obtain a satisfactory Disclosure before the individual is scheduled to commence employment and the setting believes that it is necessary for the individual to start work, i.e. to ensure ratios are met, the manager and/ or chair of the management committee has discretion to allow the individual to begin work pending receipt of the DBS. However, in such case the manager can only allow the staff member to commence work on the basis that they are appropriately supervised AND that all the other statutory pre-employment checks have been completed.

To assist in this process the undertaking of an assessment of risk is essential in ensuring that the children in your care are safeguarded. Overall you should ensure you have:

• applied for a DBS for the staff member in question
• completed all of the other recruitment checks in line with safer recruitment 
• undertaken a risk assessment for this member of staff. If having done this the member of staff does not pose a risk then according to your settings policy for supervising staff awaiting a DBS implement the procedure.
• ensured that all staff are aware of the arrangements in place for supervising this staff member.

Access the Model Risk Assessment template 

Single Central Record

Though the requirement for a single central record only applies to schools and colleges. Early years providers must be able to demonstrate to Ofsted, during inspection, that they too have carried out the necessary DBS checks on all relevant staff.  Ofsted expects all early year’s settings to keep a single central record containing various checks related to anyone who will have contact with children in the setting.

What should this register contain?

• Identity- including full names, full address, date of birth, date of the check and a record of who carried out the check; person checking must record the actual evidence that was seen
• Qualifications – evidence of the relevant certificate, the date of the check and a record of who carried out the check.
• DBS checks – The DBS number issued on the DBS check is required, date of the enhanced DBS check and a record of who carried out the check should be recorded.
• Childcare disqualification checks- Managers must undertake checks on new and existing relevant staff to ensure they are not disqualified from working in childcare settings. Employees must also be asked about people living in the household as this could also affect the employee working with children. This declaration must be kept in the employee’s personal file and regularly updated. An ideal time to update this would be to do this during the employee’s supervision.
• Right to work in the UK – all employers must confirm that they can work in the UK. The evidence and date of these and a record of who carried out the check should be recorded.
• Overseas Checks- If employees have lived abroad, DBS will not show any information relating to offences. The manager will need to obtain further checks from the relevant people. The evidence and date of these and a record of who carried out the check should be recorded.

Download a sample Single Central record

Useful Guidance and Advice

There is a range of guidance and support available to support your safeguarding needs.