The Blossom Nursery Glossary - Early Years Safeguarding

From EYFS to XYZ, we’ve pulled together every term you might need to know to work, run, open or book your child into any childcare setting.

One of the most important facets of childcare, Safeguarding in the early years has a few terms you might need to familiarise yourself with if you aren’t already aware.

Safeguarding in the early years

The safety and wellbeing of the children in your care will be your number one priority. Safeguarding is a broad topic. Covering first aid to noticing signs of potential abuse and escalating concerns further than your nursery.

We share some of the main terms you’ll hear when learning about EYFS safeguarding practices.

Childcare arrangement order

Parents who are separated or living in separate households may have a childcare arrangement order. This order is a legal document obtained during a court hearing to decide where a child will live, the types of contact, and for how long with the non-resident parent.

LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer)

The LADO’s role in the local authority is to investigate and support any safeguarding concerns that require more than the DSL. They will be notified through the local authority website and work alongside schools, police, and social care.

Child protection

Child protection is a mandatory requirement for all nursery staff. Every effort must be made to protect the children from abuse and mistreatment of any kind. Nurseries will have a child protection policy that all staff must follow.

Prevent Duty

All public-facing organisations must be Prevent Duty trained. The aim is to prevent people from being radicalised to join and support terrorist organisations.

Safer recruitment

Managers and leaders in nurseries and schools must undertake safer recruitment training before hiring new staff members. Safe recruitment is training to identify and prevent unsuitable persons from working and having access to children.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The designated person in charge of enforcing the safeguarding policies and practices across the setting. They will be the person you refer any concerns to and will escalate safeguarding concerns to the LADO or beyond.

(Remember, anyone can raise safeguarding concerns, you do not need to wait for a DSL to progress a problem if you feel it is not being met with enough action).

Early Help Team

Early help teams are linked with local authorities. They consist of a multidisciplinary team offering immediate support to families in need of child protection help.

Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing is the process of an employee raising concerns to outside-employment services about areas of concern they have about methods of running or incidents that have happened.

DBS checks (Disclosure and Barring Service)

DBS checks are mandatory for nursery staff and anyone who works with children and young people. The Home Office’s public body runs background checks on known criminal and concerning behaviour.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

This is a legal document used by anyone who interacts with children and young people under 18 in a school or college setting.

Paediatric First Aid Course

The PFA course is a statutory requirement for nursery team members solely responsible for children. A nursery setting has PFA requirements they must follow to remain statutory compliant.

Risk assessment in EYFS

Nursery staff complete risk assessments when an activity, trip, or experience is organised to recognise and reduce the possible risk of injury or harm.