Safeguarding information

Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (SSP) website

The most up to date information about safeguarding and childcare protection, including Suffolk’s local arrangements can be found on this website: Home » Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (suffolksp.org.uk)

If you are concerned about a child you must follow the process set out by the SSP Concerned? » Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (suffolksp.org.uk)

If you are concerned that someone working with children may be putting them at risk then you must follow the Safeguarding referral process for the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
This can be found on the SSP website:

Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) » Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (suffolksp.org.uk)

Safer Recruitment

Safer recruitment best practice guidance

Signs of Safety and Wellbeing

Signs of Safety has been adopted by Suffolk County Council Children and Young People’s Services as the overarching practice framework for all of its work with children and families. It describes a purposeful and collaborative way of working with families to secure the best outcomes for children and young people. As we have chosen to apply the approach across all of our services, our programme is called Suffolk Signs of Safety and Wellbeing.

Early Years practitioners can find out more about this approach on the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership website Signs of Safety » Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (suffolksp.org.uk).

Important legislative guidance

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Apply for Safeguarding Courses – Suffolk Learning

As stated in the EYFS Statutory Framework (2021), providers must have regard to the following legislative guidance (3.7 page 22): 

• DfE 2018 Working together to safeguard children
• Revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (2021)

Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales (2021)  Revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• 60. Early years providers serve arguably the most vulnerable and impressionable members of society. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 accordingly places clear duties on providers to keep children safe and promote their welfare. It makes clear that to protect children in their care, providers must be alert to any safeguarding and child protection issues in the child’s life at home or elsewhere (paragraph 3.4 EYFS). Early years providers must take action to protect children from harm and should be alert to harmful behaviour by other adults in the child’s life.
• 61.Early years providers already focus on children’s personal, social and emotional development The Early Years Foundation Stage framework supports early years providers to do this in an age appropriate way, through ensuring children learn right from wrong, mix and share with other children and value other’s views, know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and challenge negative attitudes and stereotypes.
• The Prevent duty guidance should be read in conjunction with
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (publishing.service.gov.uk) and
  • Keeping children safe in education 2022 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
• All schools are required to have regard to the Government’s Keeping children safe in education 2022 (publishing.service.gov.uk) and other childcare providers may also find it helpful to refer to this guidance.
• Free Government training on the Prevent duty can be found below:
  • Prevent duty training: Learn how to support people vulnerable to radicalisation | Prevent duty training (support-people-vulnerable-to-radicalisation.service.gov.uk)
  • Further information relating to Suffolk safeguarding procedures in relation to radicalisation: Radicalisation — Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (suffolksp.org.uk)
• Early years inspection handbook for Ofsted-registered provision – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

A high percentage of Requires Improvement and inadequate settings in Suffolk are due to safeguarding concerns raised at the Ofsted inspection. Providers must have an implemented policy and procedures to safeguard children. These should be in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant LSCB. (3.4) N.B. The LSCB in Suffolk is now known as the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership