Safeguarding for early years and school age providers

Find guidance, tools and training to help you safeguard children in your care.

Key safeguarding information and guidance

This section brings together national and local safeguarding guidance for early years and school-age childcare providers.

Thank you for the vital role you play in keeping children safe.

Working together to safeguard children

Government guidance on how agencies must work in partnership to keep children safe.

Working together to safeguard children (GOV.UK)

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets out the legal requirements for early years settings.

Section 3 contains the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework (GOV.UK)

Child abuse and neglect

Guidance to help practitioners identify signs of abuse and neglect. It also explains what action to take if concerns arise.

Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners (GOV.UK)

Information sharing

Guidance on information sharing for people who provide safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers.

Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners (GOV.UK)

Online safety

Guidance to help people working in early years settings safeguard children and adults online.

Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations (GOV.UK) 

Nottinghamshire Pathway to Provision

The Nottinghamshire Pathway to Provision helps practitioners identify the needs of children and families. It also supports referrals to appropriate services.

Nottinghamshire Pathway to Provision [PDF]

Early years inspection

The early years inspection guidance covers the toolkit, operating guide and supporting information.

It also includes separate documents for use from November 2025.

Early years inspection: toolkit, operating guide and information (GOV.UK)

Keeping children safe in education

Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.

Keeping children safe in education (GOV.UK)

Request support or report a concern about a child

This section supports practitioners who are concerned that a child or young person is being harmed, neglected or at risk of harm.

It also explains how to:

  • refer a family to Early Help services when they may benefit from additional support
  • contact the Safeguarding Childrens Information Management Team (SCMIT) to check whether a child has current involvement with children's social care

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) consultation line

The MASH consultation line is for professionals who work with children, young people and families.

You can:

  • obtain advice from a social worker if you are unsure whether a safeguarding referral is required
  • discuss signposting and support that may be available through other agencies.

MASH consultation line: 0300 500 8090

MASH consultation line guidance for professionals

All early years providers with a child protection concern should make referrals to the MASH team by phone. Do not use the online form.

If the situation is urgent, or you believe a child has already been harmed, contact the Emergency Duty Team outside MASH working hours.

Emergency Duty Team: 0300 456 4546

In an emergency, call 999.

For more information about the service, visit Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

MASH referrals involving neglect

If a referral to MASH relates to concerns about the impact of neglect on a child, you must complete the neglect toolkit and submit it with the referral.

If a referral is submitted without a completed neglect toolkit, the receiving agency will contact the referrer to discuss the reason. This may be the police, health or social care.

Referring to Early Help services

Early Help services support children, young people and families. The aim is to provide the right support at the right time. This helps address needs before they escalate.

Referring to Early Help services

Safeguarding Children Information Management Team (SCIMT)

The Safeguarding Children Information Management Team supports information sharing between partner agencies to help safeguard children.

The team responds to enquiries about whether a person is, or has been, known to children's social care.

Safeguarding Children Information Management Team (SCIMT)

Useful resources 

These resources provide further information about the MASH consultation line.

They also explain how to check whether a newly enrolled child has involvement with children's social care.

Report a concern about a member of the workforce  

Find information on making a referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Use this process if you are concerned about someone who works with children.

Reporting serious childcare incidents

You must report any serious childcare incidents to Ofsted within 14 days. The day of the incident counts as day one.

Find further information and useful links to help you complete this process if the need arises:

Report a serious childcare incident (GOV.UK)

Reporting to Ofsted

You must tell Ofsted about allegations of serious harm or abuse committed at the premises or elsewhere by people who:

  • live on the premises
  • work on the premises
  • look after children on the premises

You must also tell Ofsted about:

  • the disqualification of the registered provider, an employee or someone living on the childcare premises
  • any significant event that may affect someone's suitability to look after children, or have regular contact with children (for example, health changes or involvement with the police or social services)
  • events that may affect the condition and safety of the premises, the quality of childcare offered, or lead to ongoing closures, such as a fire or flooding
  • the death of a child while in your care
  • a child's serious accident, injury or illness while being looked after, including food poisoning affecting at least two children
  • the death of, or a serious accident or injury to, anyone else on the premises (unless you only look after children from birth to age 5)

Managing allegations and concerns about adults who work or volunteer with children

If you are an employer and are concerned about someone who works with children, contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Anyone contacting LADO by phone will be directed to the online form. Referrals are not accepted over the phone.

The online form helps you consider the criteria for making a referral to LADO. It also gathers the information needed to submit a full referral. This helps LADO allegations officers process referrals more efficiently.

Nottinghamshire safeguarding guidance and resources

Resources to support your safeguarding practice.

Safeguarding evaluation tools

The safeguarding evaluation tools help ensure your provision and practice comply with current legislation.

This includes:

  • the Children Act 1989
  • the Children Act 2004
  • the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023

Available tools:

Nottinghamshire safeguarding training

Everyone working in childcare settings should maintain up-to-date safeguarding knowledge.
This helps ensure children's safety and welfare remain at the centre of practice.

Early years and childcare training

Find training courses for practitioners working in early years and school-age childcare in Nottinghamshire.

Early years education and childcare training

Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Partnership (NSCP)  

NSCP courses complement the training available through the early years education and childcare training programme.

A range of face-to-face, virtual and e-learning opportunities is available.

Training events (Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership)

Training pathways

These documents can help you decide which training is most appropriate for you and your team.

Safeguarding topics

Further information on individual safeguarding topics: 

Prevent duty guidance and support

Prevent is part of the UK's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. Its purpose is to safeguard and support vulnerable people. 

The aim is to prevent involvement in terrorism or support for terrorism. Prevent also supports rehabilitation and disengagement for people already involved in terrorism.

The resources below explain key processes, referral procedures and how to recognise concerns. 

Find additional resources to support your understanding, key processes and referral procedures: 

Additional safeguarding resources

Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership resources

Access safeguarding guidance, procedures, learning resources and topic-specific information for professionals and volunteers working with children and young people.

Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership resources for professionals and volunteers

Education, Safeguarding, Health and Wellbeing (ESHAW) Hub

Access a directory of safeguarding, health and wellbeing resources to support practitioners working with children and families.

Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) ESHAW Hub directory (Padlet)