Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults policy

Alongside associated procedures in 06.1–06.10 Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, this policy was adopted by Gan Kinneret Nursery Limited on 29th September 2025.

Designated safeguarding lead (DSL): Lucy Samson
Deputy safeguarding leads: Alexandra Boacara and Cara Miskin

Aim

We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and do this by putting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to at the heart of all our activities.

The Early Years Alliance ‘four commitments’ are broad statements which guide our safeguarding policies and procedures and provide a consistent and coherent strategy.

Key commitments

1. The Alliance is committed to empowering children, young people and vulnerable adults, promoting their right to be strong, resilient, actively listened to and heard.
2. The Alliance upholds a culture of safety in which children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of its curriculum and service delivery.
3. The Alliance is committed to preventing harm and responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse, working with statutory agencies to achieve the best outcomes for every child.
4. The Alliance is dedicated to increasing safeguarding confidence, knowledge and good practice throughout its training and learning programmes for adults, and advocating support and representation for those in greatest need.

A ‘young person’ is defined as a 16–19-year-old. In an early years setting, they may be a student, apprentice educator or parent/carer.

A ‘vulnerable adult’ is defined (Care Act 2014) as a person aged 18 or over who is in receipt of, or may need, community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness, and who is or may be unable to take care of themselves, or protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. In early years, this may be a service user, parent/carer or volunteer.

Key commitment 1

• All staff receive adequate training in child protection matters and have access to the setting’s policy and procedures for reporting concerns of possible abuse and the safeguarding procedures of the Local Safeguarding Partners.
• All staff have information on issues affecting vulnerability in families, such as social exclusion, domestic violence, mental illness, substance misuse and parental learning disability.
• Staff receive training which takes account of inequalities related to race, gender, disability, language, religion, sexual orientation or culture.
• We use appropriate curriculum materials, in line with the EYFS, that enable children to be strong, resilient and listened to and heard.
• All services aim to build the emotional and social skills of children and young people, including helping them understand how to stay safe.
• We adhere to the EYFS Safeguarding and Welfare requirements.

Key commitment 2

• All staff are trained in line with the criteria set out in Annex C of the EYFS (November 2025). Our training provider is Vital Skills.
• Safeguarding training is refreshed annually and renewed every two years.
• The DSL ensures support, advice and guidance for all staff to help them meet their safeguarding responsibilities, including regular supervision, 1:1s, team briefings, bulletins and group supervision.
• Procedures are in place to prevent known abusers from working in the organisation as employees or volunteers at any level.
• Safeguarding is the responsibility of every person undertaking work for the organisation in any capacity.
• There are clear procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against a member of staff or any other person undertaking work (paid or unpaid) for the organisation.
• Procedures differentiate clearly between an allegation, a concern about quality of care or practice, and complaints.
• There are procedures for reporting abuse of a child or young person in the setting.
• There are procedures for reporting safeguarding concerns where a child may be in need (s17 Children Act 1989) and/or at risk of significant harm, using local threshold documents.
• There are procedures for reporting abuse of a vulnerable adult.
• There are procedures for escalating concerns and professional challenge.
• There are procedures for working in partnership with agencies for any child, young person or vulnerable adult for whom there is a protection plan, a child in need plan or an early help plan.
• These procedures take account of diversity and inclusion issues to promote equal treatment and to consider inequalities of race, gender, disability, language, religion, sexual orientation or culture.
• There are procedures for record keeping, confidentiality and information sharing, in line with data protection requirements.
• We follow government and Local Safeguarding Partner guidance in relation to extremism and the Prevent duty.

Key commitment 3

• We have a designated safeguarding lead, responsible for child, young person and vulnerable adult protection procedures.
• The DSL oversees all child, young person or adult protection matters and maintains links with statutory and voluntary organisations.
• The DSL ensures they have received appropriate training and that all staff are trained to recognise abuse in the categories of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect.
• The DSL ensures staff are aware of additional vulnerabilities arising from inequalities of race, gender, disability, language, religion, sexual orientation or culture.
• The DSL ensures staff receive training on social factors that can increase vulnerability, including social exclusion, domestic violence and coercive control, mental illness, substance misuse, parental learning disability and radicalisation.
• The DSL ensures staff receive training on other forms of significant harm, such as abuse of disabled children, fabricated or induced illness, abuse linked to spirit possession, child sexual exploitation, trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM), extra-familial abuse and children involved in gangs or county lines.
• The DSL ensures they are adequately informed in vulnerable adult protection matters.

Key commitment 4

• There are procedures to ensure staff can recognise children and families who may benefit from early help and respond using local early help processes.
• The DSL ensures all staff understand how to identify and respond to families who may need early help.
• Staff are supported to make the right decisions so that timely and appropriate action can be taken.
• Designated safeguarding leads contribute to local safeguarding arrangements so the early years sector’s voice is represented at a strategic level.
• They find out how education and childcare are represented in Local Safeguarding Partnership structures and share knowledge of children’s experiences with local leaders.

Legal references

Primary legislation

• Children Act 1989 – s47
• Protection of Children Act 1999
• Care Act 2014
• Children Act 2004 s11
• Children and Social Work Act 2017
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• General Data Protection Regulation 2018
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Modern Slavery Act 2015
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Serious Crime Act 2015
• Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Equality Act 2006
• Equality Act 2010
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Freedom of Information Act 2000

Statutory guidance and frameworks

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (HMG 2023)
• Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE 2024)
• What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (HMG 2015)
• Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales (HMG 2015)
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2024)
• Education Inspection Framework (Ofsted 2024)
• The framework for the assessment of children in need and their families (DoH 2000)
• The Common Assessment Framework (2006)
• Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (DfE 2015)

Further guidance

• Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners (DfE 2024)
• The Team Around the Child (TAC) and the Lead Professional (CWDC 2009)
• The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) – guide for practitioners (CWDC 2010)
• Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance on Female Genital Mutilation (HMG 2016)
• Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) (Ministry of Justice 2014)
• Safeguarding Children from Abuse Linked to a Belief in Spirit Possession (HMG 2010)
• Safeguarding Children in whom Illness is Fabricated or Induced (HMG 2007)
• Safeguarding Disabled Children: Practice Guidance (DfE 2009)
• Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked (DfE and Home Office 2011)
• Child sexual exploitation: definition and guide for practitioners (DfE 2017)
• Handling Cases of Forced Marriage: Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines (HMG 2014)
• Spotlight: Creating a culture of safeguarding (Early Years Alliance)
• Developing an effective safeguarding culture in early years education (Early Years Alliance publication)
• Policies & Procedures for the EYFS 2025/26 (Early Years Alliance 2025)