Read your policy and procedures through a few times before Ofsted visit… make sure your safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures reflects how YOU work - do not use a generic policy.
Some childminders find it useful to have all their safeguarding evidence together in a safeguarding folder - this is not a requirement of the Eyfs. Guidance for putting together a safeguarding folder can be found in files on the Independent Childminders Facebook group here (updated 05.2015).
You must have the statutory guidance 'Working together to safeguard children' (latest version – March 2015) in your computer files.
What are the 4 main types of abuse?
- Physical – sexual – emotional – neglect
What are the signs of physical abuse?
- Bruising – burns etc
What would you do if you saw signs of physical abuse eg fingertip bruising on a child?
- Record it – ask parents if they know what has happened and record their reply (ask them to sign) as long as the child has not made an allegation of abuse and / or you do not believe it would ‘make things worse’ for the child at home – monitor the child’s wellbeing.
- If you felt it would ‘make things worse’ for the child at home or the child makes an allegation of abuse you must report it to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (your local contacts – check the website).
What are the signs of sexual abuse?
- Bruising to intimate areas – bleeding to vagina or anal area etc
What would you do if you suspected sexual abuse?
- Record concerns - ring your Local Safeguarding Children Board as noted in your safeguarding policy - report it to them for further investigation.
What are the signs of emotional abuse? See this advice from NSPCC.
Teach children about personal safety – Pants rule from NSPCC.
What are the signs of neglect?
- Child is dirty – constantly hungry – dressed in the wrong clothes eg too small
Recognising signs of abuse – advice from NSPCC.
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What would you do if you suspected…
Child sexual exploitation?
- Record concerns – report to the Local Safeguarding Children Board – inform Ofsted
Advice about child sexual exploitation from NSPCC here.
Domestic violence?
- Record concerns - signpost parent to local support services – report if you had evidence that the child was being abused – inform Ofsted
Advice from the National Domestic Violence helpline here.
Forced marriage?
- Record concerns - report concerns to the Local Safeguarding Children Board – inform Ofsted
Advice from the Govt about forced marriage here.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
- Record concerns - report to the police (mandatory reporting) – inform Ofsted
Advice from NHS about FGM here. FGM free online training course here.
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Who would you contact locally if you suspected a child was being abused?
- The answer to this varies depending on where you live – in Cheshire east it’s CHeCS – visit your Local Safeguarding Children Board website and note your reporting requirements.
What would you do if a child made an allegation of abuse against your partner?
- Record the allegation – contact the Local Safeguarding Children Board – inform Ofsted.
What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (latest version – March 2015) here.
Information sharing guidance (latest version - March 2015) here.
What are the requirements of the Prevent Duty?
- To risk assess the dangers of children being radicalised – to report concerns about radicalisation – to actively promote British values.
What are the signs of a child being radicalised?
- The child talks about war – guns – killing soldiers – their big brother going away to fight – their family going to fight with IS etc.
Prevent Duty England and Wales (latest version – August 2015) here.
Free Prevent duty training course here.
Advice for childminders about complying with the Prevent duty on the Childminding Forum here.
What are British values?
- Democracy - the rule of law - individual liberty - mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. British values are included in everything we do.
British values advice from Foundation Years here.
What would you do if a child arrived with prescribed / non-prescribed medication?
- Check it comes in the original box / packaging, named for the child (if prescribed) and with instructions - complete a medication administration record form – ask parents to sign to confirm what it is for, when the medication should be administered and where it should be stored – sign when the child has been given the medication – ask parents to sign to confirm the medication has been given.
How do you record accidents?
- Write what happened - write whether first aid was administered - reflect on how it could be avoided next time for the risk assessment - ask parents to sign and date the record.
How do you record physical intervention?
- Write what happened - write whether first aid was administered - reflect on how it could be avoided next time for the risk assessment - ask parents to sign and date the record.
Free childminding record forms from Childcare.co.uk here.
What would you do if a child didn’t arrive and parents had not booked them in for a holiday?
- Make every attempt to contact parents – record the absence in the attendance register – contact the Local Safeguarding Children Board for advice if parents were not contactable or did not give an appropriate reason for the child not attending.
Show me your safeguarding training certificate… how often do you update it?
- This varies depending on your Local Authority requirements – please check locally.
Show me your first aid certificate…
- Must be up-to-date (within the last 3 years) Ofsted approved paediatric first aid course - even if you are taking a break / ‘no children on roll’
Show me your public liability insurance certificate…
- Must be up-to-date (renewed annually) even if you are taking a break / ‘no children on roll’
What would you do if your partner was arrested by the police on suspicion of abusing a child?
- Contact Ofsted to inform them immediately and follow advice
Disqualification by association rules here from Laura Henry / Debbie Alcock.
Do you allow mobile phones on the premises?
- Yes – following my policy mobile phones are allowed on the premises and their use is monitored – older children leave mobile phones in bags – visitors leave mobile phones in bags – parents are asked to finish their conversation and put their phone away before knocking on the door – the setting mobile phone is kept in my pocket as it contains parent and emergency numbers – the setting mobile phone is used as a camera… etc
Are you registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)?
- Yes – I am registered with ICO as a data handler – here is my certificate
Show me your fire practice records…
- We do fire practices every month (or following your own schedule) – we record them here – we note any problems and how we dealt with them
Free emergency and fire practice record form from Childcare.co.uk here.
How do you keep children safe online?
- We monitor online use (K9 is useful software) – we provide parents with information about keeping children safe online at home – we talk to the children about websites and chat rooms / online safety.
Keeping children safe online – advice from NSPCC here.
When would you inform Ofsted if you had concerns about a colleague?
- Whistle blowing is included in our safeguarding policy – we would inform Ofsted immediately if we had concerns about a child’s wellbeing or safety eg a colleague is over-minding or we suspect children are being abused.
How long do you have to report concerns to Ofsted?
- The EYFS says 14 days but we must report immediately / as soon as possible or Ofsted will ask why we sat on it
If you have any questions / want any further information please ask!
Thank you. Sarah Neville
Knutsford Childminding