Safeguarding in Early Years

Unfortunately child abuse, radicalisation, cyberbullying and child sexual exploitation are common today. This module will get you up to speed with key safeguarding phrases and explain important safeguarding terms and ideas that are central to the course.

By the end of the module, you’ll better understand who is most at risk of abuse, the extent of its occurrence and the meanings of terms such as ‘child protection’ and ‘safeguarding’.

Safeguarding and protecting children and young people operates within a specific framework of guidance and legal procedures. This section introduces that framework and its application. Additionally, this section will highlight the roles and responsibilities of various organisations in safeguarding, as well as the guidelines for protection.

By the end of the module, you’ll have a clearer understanding of safeguarding guidance and legislation, learn what associated agencies you may have involvement with and the legalities of safeguarding and child protection. You’ll also learn how these agencies collaborate to tackle the problems of abuse.

This module will enhance your capability to identify children and young people who may be at risk. You’ll learn about safeguarding principles, which will aid in understanding the main types of child abuse. We’ll then explore the different categories of abuse.

Upon completing the module, you’ll understand the difference between the terms ‘child protection’ and ‘safeguarding’ and learn about the specific safeguarding categories and their potential impact.

Children are digitally savvy from a young age, making being aware of online safety essential. While technology offers benefits, it poses risks like grooming, sexting, and cyberbullying. This module addresses the importance of online safety in early years, detailing potential online threats and their legal implications. It also provides strategies to help children use the internet safely and report issues.

By the end of the module, you’ll understand the technological risks, various online safeguarding facets in early years, specific threats to children and best practices for online safety.

Early years staff should counteract extremist ideologies and recognise signs of susceptibility in pupils. 

This module explores how radicalisation can impact young individuals, helps identify groups that might attempt to indoctrinate them and contextualises the Prevent strategy.

Children and young people might find it hard to express the abuse they face and abusers can be adept at hiding their actions. It’s vital that any challenging behaviours signaling potential abuse are recognised.

By the end of this module, you will have a better understanding of the signs of physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect and you’ll be informed of your professional responsibilities in an early years setting.

A child-centered approach is crucial, especially since children might report abuse multiple times before action is taken. This section uses a realistic scenario to illustrate the importance of maintaining this focus.

By the end of this module, you will have a better understanding of what it means to be child-focused and the responsibilities of practitioners in the early years sector in relation to documenting outcomes.

Expanding on the previous content about identifying signs and types of abuse and collaborating with outside agencies, this module explores the different methods of disclosure.

While it’s vital to maintain confidentiality when required, it’s equally important to know when and to whom disclosures should be reported to. Quick and appropriate responses to abuse disclosures are critical. This module outlines the necessary steps and highlights the dos and don’ts to achieve the best outcome.

By the end of this module, you’ll have a better understanding of how to address potential abuse concerns and understand how to proceed if you’re worried about an adult’s behaviour. We’ve also provided a guide to assist with concerns that may result in a referral.