Safeguarding and Child Protection at Wise Owls Childcare 

Our Commitment to Keeping Children Safe 

Wise Owls believe the safety, welfare, and protection of every child is essential.  We believe children have the right to be completely safe, protected from both fear and harm; we are committed to protecting all the children in our care.  

We are committed to ensuring our staff are confident in their responsibilities and all of our employees are able to speak up about any concerns they have. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. 

Wise Owls safeguarding procedures comply with all relevant legislation and other guidance. In addition, we also are mindful of the guide: ‘Working together to safeguard children 2026’ and use it as a reference when considering inter-agency collaboration to safeguard and promote the welfare of every child.  Wise Owls recognises its duty of care to safeguard children as detailed under the Children Acts’ 1989 and 2004. It is the responsibility of every staff member, student and volunteer to report any breaches of this policy to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). 

The policy and its procedures are shared openly with staff and parents/carers. The setting has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who oversees ensuring that the most recent safeguarding legislation is in place and policies and procedures are followed. For continuity each setting’s Designated Safeguarding Leads are the Manager and Deputy Manager. Wise Owls is committed to reviewing its Safeguarding policy and procedures at regular intervals.  

Wise Owls is dedicated to the support, development and promotion of high-quality care and education for the benefit of our children, families and community. We are committed to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare through building a safe organisational culture. 

 

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) 

The DSL has overall responsibility to embed a strong safeguarding culture within their setting and to ensure that the policy and procedures are implemented to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They are responsible for coordinating safeguarding and child protection training for staff across the organisation and ensuring records of training are maintained within the training matrix. The DSL role is to develop a safe organisational culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct 

There is always at least one designated person on duty during the opening hours of the setting. The designated persons receive comprehensive training, consistent with the training criteria provided in Annex C of the EYFS, at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis, but at least once a year. They in turn support the ongoing development and knowledge of the staff team with regular safeguarding updates within staff meetings. 

The DSL is responsible for ensuring that written records are dated, signed and kept confidential. All safeguarding records are securely stored according to Wise Owls Retention Policy. 

 

Staff Practice Requirements 

1. Safe Supervision and Environment

Wise Owls is committed to maintaining a safe and open environment for all children. To support this: 

• Staff must endeavour to ensure they are never alone with a child or group of children. Where this is unavoidable, another member of staff must be within sight or hearing, the door must remain open and another member of staff must be informed 

• Rooms must be organised and laid out to ensure children are always visible and observable.  

 

2. Behaviour and Interaction with Children

All staff are expected to model safe, respectful behaviour: 

• Staff must never shout at, threaten or raise a hand to a child.  

• Staff must never force a child to do something they do not want to do 

• Staff must never force affection or physical contact 

• All interactions must be calm, respectful and child-centred 

• Staff must respect children’s dignity during care routines and ensure children’s privacy is maintained during intimate care tasks such as: Nappy changing, Toileting, First aid 

• Maintain a balance between privacy and safeguarding, ensuring practice remains open and observable 

 

3. Physical Contact with Children

Any physical contact must: 

• Be necessary and appropriate 

• Be in response to the child’s needs 

• Unnecessary or potentially inappropriate contact must always be avoided 

• If a child seeks comfort (e.g. a hug, holding hands, sitting on a lap), this must take place appropriately and in the presence of other staff 

• If a child requires restraint, staff must use the minimum necessary intervention, and actions must ensure the safety of the child, others, and staff. 

 

Recognising Signs of Child Abuse 

The signs of child abuse are not always obvious, a child may feel unable to tell anyone what is happening to them. On occasion, children do not recognise what is happening to them as abuse. There are different types of child abuse; the signs observed may depend on the type. Within the Early Years age range, safeguarding concerns may be identified through changes, patterns, or behaviours that cause professional unease rather than clear disclosures. Staff should trust their observations, reflect on developmental expectations, and always share concerns.  

All staff must know and understand the signs of child abuse as outlined in the Department for Education ‘Keeping Children Safe’ Guidelines on pages 11-17. Staff must remain vigilant and report any concerns to the DSL. A record of concern must be logged within 24 hours and must remain confidential and only told to employees on a need-to-know basis.  

A – Abuse (types) 

In the UK, the 4 main categories are: 

• Physical abuse 

• Emotional abuse 

• Sexual abuse 

• Neglect 

B – Behaviour (signs & indicators) 

Children may show: 

• sudden changes in behaviour 

• withdrawal or anxiety 

• aggression or self-harm 

• inappropriate knowledge for age 

• poor hygiene or unmet needs 

C – Care / Concern / Communication 

What practitioners must do: 

• Recognise concerns 

• Record clearly  

• Report following safeguarding procedures  

 

Common signs  

Some common signs that there may be something concerning happening in a child’s life include: 

• unexplained changes in behaviour or personality 

• becoming withdrawn 

• seeming anxious 

• becoming uncharacteristically aggressive 

• lacks social skills and has few friends, if any 

• poor bond or relationship with a parent 

• knowledge of adult issues inappropriate for their age 

• running away or going missing 

• always choosing to wear clothes which cover their body 

• Poor Attendance 

• Bruising on a non-mobile baby or bruising to intimate areas of the body  

These signs do not guarantee that a child is being abused; there could be other things happening in their life which are affecting their behaviour, however this needs to be established. Staff should always record what they see, hear, and note factually, not what they assume, and raise any concerns with the DSL immediately.   

It is equally important to observe and be aware of adult behaviour, who you know have children in their care, which makes you concerned for the child/children’s safety and wellbeing. 

 

Online safety and Cyber Abuse 

The use of technology has become a significant component of many safeguarding issues such as child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and sexual predation with technology often providing the platform that facilitates harm.  

The breadth of issues included within online safety is considerable and staff are expected to understand these as outlined on page 38 of the Department for Education ‘Keeping Children Safe’ Guidelines. 

Staff must remain vigilant to any signs that young children may be subject to cyber abuse, being exposed to inappropriate or harmful online content, or showing indicators of problematic or excessive use of digital devices. This includes, but is not limited to:  

• Children talking about or showing distress related to online interactions  

• Children referencing inappropriate videos, images, games, or websites  

• Sudden changes in behaviour   

• Signs of secrecy or worry around online activity  

• Observations or disclosures indicating that a child may be at risk of grooming, online bullying, or exposure to harmful content  

Any such concerns must be treated as a safeguarding issue and reported immediately to the DSL.  

 

Ongoing professional development 

 

1. Safer Recruitment and Suitability

• All staff, students, and volunteers are carefully recruited, with verified references and full, current DBS certificates. 

• Each setting maintains a Single Central Register (SCR) containing:  

• DBS certificate numbers 

• Dates of issue 

• Safeguarding training dates 

• During each professional development review, staff complete an ongoing suitability check. 

• Any member of staff, student, or volunteer under investigation for alleged abuse of a child will be managed in line with the Staff Disciplinary Procedure. 

• The Company will take appropriate action following any investigation, ensuring the safety of children while upholding fair processes for staff, students, and volunteers.

2. Induction and Mandatory Training

• All staff working with children must complete an online safeguarding course prior to their official start date. 

• All employees complete mandatory Level 2 Safeguarding training, as well as:  

• Prevent Duty training 

• FGM Awareness training 

Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) complete:  

• Level 2 and Level 3 Safeguarding training 

• Safer Recruitment training 

• Prevent Duty 

• FGM Awareness 

• Online Safety training 

• Safeguarding training is refreshed every two years for all staff. 

 

3. Ongoing Training, Supervision, and Knowledge Checks

• All staff and volunteers receive regular refresher training and supervision on safeguarding and child protection. 

• Each setting maintains a Training Matrix to record all mandatory training and refreshers. 

The Manager regularly assesses staff understanding of safeguarding procedures through: 

• Q&A sessions in staff meetings 

• Professional discussions 

• In person observations  

• Policy-related knowledge checks

 

4. Awareness of Safeguarding Responsibilities

All staff are expected to:  

• Be aware of the main indicators of child abuse 

• Understand their statutory responsibilities regarding the disclosure or discovery of abuse 

• Follow correct legal and reporting procedures 

All staff and volunteers are made aware of:  

• Who the DSLs are on site 

• How to raise a safeguarding concern 

• Visual safeguarding reminders are displayed for staff, visitors, and parents.

 

5. Support for Staff with English as an Additional Language (EAL)

• Staff with English as an additional language must ensure they fully understand safeguarding policies and the guidance within the Safeguarding Toolkit. 

• Staff may translate policies into their home language for understanding; however, all assessments and verbal reviews must be completed in English. 

 

6. Information Sharing and Visitor Awareness

Safeguarding reporting procedures and key information are clearly displayed within each setting. 

All visitors and temporary staff are informed of essential safeguarding expectations, including:  

• DSL names 

• Fire evacuation procedure 

• Informed of our policy around digital devices – No mobile phone, smart watches and meta glasses  

• Expectations around not being alone on site 

 

7. Unvetted Adults

• Staff will be supervised until a full enhanced clear DBS check is issued.  

• Tradesmen on site will complete a suitability check before accessing the building.  If on site in the vicinity of children, they will be escorted at all times. 

• No unvetted adult is given unsupervised access to the children or allowed to be within the toileting or nappy change spaces 

• Any visitors to the setting are always accompanied by a member of staff and required to sign in, their ID is checked and they are informed of who the DSL’s are, fire point and where to keep their mobile phones. 

 

Reporting Safeguarding Incidents 

 

Report of Concern: 

If any safeguarding concerns arise regarding either a child or a staff member, the ‘Report of Concern’ form is completed. This form must be completed within 24 hours of the incident. The completed form is given to the designated safeguarding person who will implement any necessary action. Should the details be reported to social services, the designated safeguarding person will follow up the report within 3 days and then complete the outcome. All Report of Concern forms are discussed with the Operations Director immediately and records of these are kept securely by Head Office. 

Allegations   

Wise Owls treats every allegation seriously and with sensitivity. The Company itself will not carry out any investigation into a suspected child abuse incident.  Any such allegation is forwarded to the local statutory child protection agencies by the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The Director will also be notified immediately, by the DSL, of any abuse allegations.   

Protocol For Reporting Allegations:  

The setting will demonstrate great care in distinguishing between fact and opinion when recording suspected incidents of child abuse. Where suspected abuse comes to the attention of staff, this is reported to the DSL at the earliest possible opportunity;  

• If the DSL is unavailable this must be escalated to the Operations Director or Managing Director. 

• If an allegation of abuse is made against the Manager, the Deputy DSL will inform the Director immediately. The Director will assume responsibility of the setting or delegate this role to a senior member of staff. 

• If an allegation of abuse is made against the DSL, the Deputy DSL will inform the Operations Director immediately.  If the Operations Director isn’t available, the Managing Director will be contacted.  The Director will assume responsibility of the setting or delegate this role to a senior member of staff. 

• All allegations made by a child against a member of staff are recorded on a report of concern form, including any actions taken.  In the event of there being a witness to an incident, the account should be corroborated and signed by the witness. Wise Owls escalation procedures will be followed 

Staff protocol for allegations/disclosures made by a child 

1. Acknowledge the child’s situation and feelings.  
2. Reassure the child that they are doing the right thing by telling you. 
3. Never promise confidentiality – You have a duty to report your concerns.  
4. Listen carefully to the child. 
5. Make no observable judgement. 
6. Ask no leading questions  
7. Ask open questions that encourage the child to speak in their own words  
8. Ensure the child is safe, comfortable, and not left alone. 
9. Make full and detailed notes on a report of concern as soon as possible following the allegation or disclosure. 

 

Referring Allegations to Child Protection Agencies 

If the DSL, Manager or Director have reasonable grounds for believing that a child has been or is in grave danger of being subject to abuse, contact will be made with the local Multi-Agency safeguarding hub – Single point access (SPA) and Early help hub (EHH). If you consider a child is in immediate danger, phone police emergency number on 999. 

 Protocol when the LADO threshold has been met:  

Create a written record of the incident including dates; times; location of incident (s); any witnesses; and any other appropriate or supportive details  

The DSL /Manager/Director will discuss the next steps. 

1. The DSL will contact LADO within 1 working day. Referral should not be delayed in order to obtain more information. 
2. Where necessary the LADO will make a referral to Children’s Social Care if this has not already taken place or police will be contacted  
3. The accused person is informed of the allegation unless there is a risk that sharing the information will undermine or impede a subsequent investigation.  This should be done as soon as possible. A risk assessment will be done to determine if the person stays on site and where they will work during investigations. 
4. An investigation into the allegation will be conducted by the DSL for safeguarding or the HR Manager for conduct. Following guidance to ensure process is followed to capture all information correctly.  
5. Each area of the process is date signed in a form to ensure it is followed correctly. 
6. LADO will guide Wise Owls through the procedure 
7. Wise Owls’ disciplinary procedure will be followed (Outlined in Employee Handbook).  
8. The DSL will review as to whether the parents/carers of the child will be informed and review whether the information provided does not impede the enquiry/investigation.  If the child requires medical attention, the parents/carers may be told immediately. Before action is taken sign off with Operations Director. 
9. If the LADO threshold has been met this may require an ASV meeting whereby LADO and Wise Owls leadership determine the substantiation of the allegation and review the evidence. It is important to pick a time that is appropriate to ensure the site is managed and the time works prior to booking.  The meeting needs to fit around the childcare. 
10. The outcome of the internal investigation and Disciplinary will be reported to LADO, Ofsted and review as to whether parents need to be informed. Sign off by Operations Director. 
11. Should the ASV meeting determine that the employee is unsuitable to work with children this will be referred to the DBS. The Ofsted nominated individual will complete this, in their absence the Managing Director will complete this on the DBS barring service.  
12. Meetings will be recorded via a notetaker and / or recorded throughout the whole process. All parties will work together to ensure all the allegations are dealt with appropriately. The LADO will support Wise Owls through investigations, actions, and outcomes.   

 The Operations Director will inform Ofsted within 14 days.  

Protocol when the LADO threshold has not been met  

1. This will involve internal procedures.   
2.  Create a written record of the incident including dates, times, location, any witnesses, and any other details necessary to the allegation.  
3. The DSL/HR Manager/Operations Director will discuss the next steps. 
4. The accused member of staff/volunteer is informed of the allegation made against them.  
5. Risk assessment completed. 
6. An investigation into the allegation will be conducted by the DSL/HR Manager/Operations Director or Managing Director. 
7. A decision will be made and clear records kept on file with the outcome and justifications for the decision. Escalation process will be followed at all time.  
8. If appropriate, further work and support will be implemented with the adult who was under investigation. 

If the member of staff resigns during the investigation, we encourage them to work with us until the investigation concludes. As part of our reporting procedures we will also inform any agencies we are working with on their resignation. Should the member of staff not willingly partake in the investigation and leaves the setting with immediate effect Wise Owls will review all of the evidence to date and make a decision.  

 Findings of an investigation 

Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated in accordance with the Staff Disciplinary procedure. If the member of staff resigns during the investigation, we encourage them to work with us until the investigation concludes.    

Last reviewed May 2026

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