Legislation, regulation and safeguarding

Registered childcare providers must have a commitment to the safeguarding and protection of all children. Ofsted requires every setting to have a child protection policy which should include the following:

• a named (designated) person who holds responsibility in the setting for all safeguarding and child protection matters
• clear internal procedures about how the setting will respond to any concerns raised about the well-being of a child or young person
• clear internal procedures about how the setting will respond to any allegation made against a member of staff.

Every childcare practitioner within the setting should know their individual responsibilities and what actions they must take. Every practitioner should be aware of their shared responsibility for the safeguarding and well-being of children and young people within their setting, and the point at which to act upon and report any concerns.

The West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership and Pan-Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures provide additional guidance on the processes involved. These should be considered alongside your setting’s child protection policy and any locally agreed procedures. 

Guidance and documentation

• Childrens Integrated Front Door - How to raise a concern about the welfare of a child if you think they are being harmed, abused or neglected.
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused - Advice from GOV.UK on best practice for those who work with children.
• Pan Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures Manual - Safeguarding policies, procedures and best practice from West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and East Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Boards.
• Childcare Act 2006 - The first piece of government legislation to focus solely on very young children and childcare for those under eight years old.
• West Sussex Continuum of Need/Threshold Guidance - Tool to help practitioners identify a child’s level of need and consider whether additional support may be necessary to help them achieve their potential and keep them safe.
• Working together to safeguard children - Department for Education booklet on how to work with other agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework - EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements.
• Safeguarding children - Advice from GOV.UK on how to safeguard children and young people in different situations and environments.

Training

• Statutory Child Protection and Safeguarding Courses - Refer to our training programme for early years and childcare providers.
• West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership - The WSSCP offer a range of safeguarding children training courses that Early Years providers can attend.

Tools and formats

• Safeguarding poster for childcare providers (PDF, 102KB) - provides information on how to raise concerns about a child
• Tools and resources to identify and tackle neglect (West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership)
• Template letter for settings to give to parents (Word, 23KB) - The letter explains your responsibilities as a childcare setting, and contact details and logos can be added as appropriate.

• Childcare Act 2006

• Children Act 2004

• Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Data protection - toolkit for schools
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Information Commissioner's Office - Guide to data protection
• Privacy notice for parents (PDF, 59KB)

• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Early Years and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

• Equality Act (2010)
• Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010
• Disabled children and the Equality Act 2010

• COSHH (HSE) - Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health.
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - Health and safety guidance.
• Health and safety law poster, free leaflet and pocket card (HSE) - Poster must be displayed on all business premises.
• Risk management - Guidance on risk management from the HSE.
• Food Standards Agency (FSA)
• Registering as a food provider - Childcare settings on non-domestic premises should register with the local district or borough council if they provide or handle food. Childminders will be contacted after registration.
• Fire safety in the workplace (GOV.UK)
• Clinical waste, environmental health and planning permission - Contact your local district and borough council.
• Infection control - Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings.
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 
• Paediatric first aid training - Refer to section 3.25 within the EYFS Statutory framework for guidance. Courses are available through the West Sussex Early years and childcare training and support programme.

• Ofsted
• Ofsted update alerts - Sign up to alerts from Ofsted when they change or update documentation or guidance that affect you.
• Ofsted Early Years videos - View Ofsted’s Early Years, EYFS and inspection video playlists on YouTube.

Childcare providers must ensure that the people looking after or having regular contact with children are suitable.

• Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) - Information, advice, training, conciliation and other services for employers and employees to help prevent or resolve workplace problems.
• Staff recruitment, including DBS checks

To help families who attend your setting understand yours and West Sussex’s safeguarding commitments, please share this letter with them when they start with you.

• Safeguarding letter for parents (PDF, 141KB)

Guidance and documentation

• SEND code of practice: 0-25 years
• SEND: guide for early years settings
• SEND: guide for parents and carers