Hi, a warm welcome to the site. Being an assignment this is a larger task.
You will need to have:
- copies of your setting's safeguarding policy and all the procedures the policy involves (these are local lguidelines)
- The EYFS framework if you work in England (this based on national legislation)
- and any other local guidance that your setting uses for example, safeguarding materials that your county's local authority/council might have issued. You will need to ask your setting about this.
Once you have that information, you may find it easier to read through it all first and then approach the assignment.
This level 3 handbook will be useful. Page 128 looks at the different aspects of why we support welfare and resilience in the setting.
To help organise your writing, maybe take the day-to-day practices line by line and compare them to the areas listed?
eg. look at how your setting manages:
the arrival and departure of children- health and wellbeing - do you greet children in the morning (where?), help them settle into their day (what does that involve?), monitor how comfortably they leave their parent/carer to join friends?
- duty of care - for your part, you are responsible for caring for children once they enter the setting does that involve you doing any of the above, listening, talking with parents and then sharing the information if that's appropriate?
- protection from harm - your setting is required to protect children from harm. This is done through the policies and procedures of the setting. What does it say must happen when children arrive at the setting and then what must happen when children are collected from the setting?
- protecting the practitioner (including volunteers and staff under the age of 19) from page 122
QUOTE: Explain how practitioners can take steps to protect themselves
The best way to protect yourself from accusations or suspicion or inapporpriate behaviour is simple
- Always make sure that you fully understand the policies and procedures about working on site, off site or performing intimate tasks for children.
- Follow policies and procedures at all times
- Avoid being alone in a closed room with a child
- If in doubt check with your manager
How does apply to what happens in your setting at drop-off & home times?
You can find more information on each of the areas throughout the handbook
- arrival and departure of children - page 252
- child protection - page 112
- risk assessment - also page 112
- CRB/DBS - page 111, however the Criminial Records Bureau has changed to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
From page 88 of the newer EYE handbook: The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children (it replaces the Criminal records Bureau [CRB] and Independent Safeguarding Authority [ISA]) The DBS acts as a central access point for criminal records checks for all those applying to work with children and young people.
This system was introduced after the tragic case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman
- lone working -
- whistleblowing - page 121
- working in an open and transparent way page 120
QUOTE The layout and arrangements of buildings and rooms can be important. TRhink about your nursery and if it has open-plan rooms: this ensures that no memebr of staff is totally alone and out of view with a child. Sharing plans and talking about different ways of working also helps to make sure that staff work in the most appropriate ways.
- listening to children page 120
QUOTE: You ca learn a lot about children by listening to them and sometimes you may hear things that concern you. Whenever possible avoid agreeing to keep something secret. Always tell a child if you feel you need to share information - especially if you feel a safeguarding issue is involved. It is important that you record and report any concern you have about a child's welfare; make sure you know who to go to in your setting.
- powers and positions of trust - page 120
QUOTE: If you are involved in the care of children or young people, you are working in aposition of trust. You have authority over the children, and parents have placed trust in you to look after them; this bring resp[onsibilities. People who wish to occupy positions of trust with childen, young people and vulnerable adults have to have enhanced CRB/DBS checks.
- propriety and behaviour - page 120
- physical contact - page 120
- intimate physical care
QUOTE page 121, You should check the procedures for performing intimate personal care for children. Taking a child to the toilet, changing a nappy or helping a child change out of soiled clothes are all anormal everyday tasks; but never do any of these in a room with the door closed or out of sight of other members of staff. Remembering this protects not only the child but yourself as well.
Your setting will have guidance on how staff are expected to manage intimate care.
- off site visits - page 254 and page 122
- photography and video - page 121
- recording, reporting and sharing concerns
and you're not thick xx It takes practice to organise yourself for studying, that's why there are so many books available to try and help. Always feel free to post, I'm sure someone will always try to help wherever they can
