What Is Safeguarding in Childcare?

Safeguarding is the term used to describe the actions taken by organisations, agencies and individuals to protect children from harm and promote their welfare. It is not the exclusive concern of social workers or the police: safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility, and every adult who works with children (from nursery practitioners and schoolteachers to sports coaches and youth workers) has a role to play. Understanding what safeguarding means, what the law requires and how concerns should be handled is essential knowledge for any parent, carer or professional involved in the lives of children.

Safeguarding in England is underpinned by a substantial body of legislation and statutory guidance. The Children Act 1989 introduced the principle that the welfare of the child is paramount and established the legal framework for child protection. The Children Act 2004, enacted following the death of Victoria Clémbé and the Laming Inquiry that followed it, strengthened the duty to cooperate between agencies and created Local Safeguarding Children Boards (now replaced by Local Safeguarding Partners under the Children and Social Work Act 2017). Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on schools and further education institutions to make arrangements to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Working Together to Safeguard Children is the primary statutory guidance governing inter-agency safeguarding arrangements in England. The most recent edition, published in 2023, sets out the responsibilities of organisations and practitioners, the structure of local safeguarding arrangements and the processes for assessment, intervention and review when children are at risk of harm. It applies to local authorities, health bodies, the police, schools, colleges and all other organisations working with children.

The 2023 edition introduced significant reforms following the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (the MacAlister Review) and made changes to the role of schools and education settings in safeguarding. Under the revised guidance, schools and education settings are now formally part of the core safeguarding partnership alongside local authorities, integrated care boards and police. The revised framework emphasises a more proactive, earlier-intervention approach and a stronger focus on the child’s lived experience.

The Four Categories of Abuse

Safeguarding professionals in England recognise four categories of abuse. Physical abuse involves inflicting physical harm on a child, including hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning or suffocating. It may also occur when a parent or carer fabricates or induces illness in a child (formerly known as Münchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy). Emotional abuse involves persistent emotional maltreatment that causes severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development; this can include conveying to a child that they are worthless, unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person.

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. This includes contact abuse (rape, assault by penetration, sexual touching) and non-contact abuse, including looking at or producing sexual images, grooming and sexual exploitation. Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, including failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care or supervision, or failure to respond to a child’s emotional needs. Neglect is the most common category of abuse in England and, because it is often less visible than physical abuse, it can persist undetected for longer.

Child Protection vs Safeguarding

It is important to understand the distinction between safeguarding:

• the broad duty to promote children’s welfare and protect them from harm –
• child protection: the formal statutory process that applies when a specific child is at risk of, or has suffered, significant harm. Safeguarding is preventative and universal. Child protection is responsive and formal. All organisations working with children have safeguarding duties. Child protection is led by children’s services (social care), working with the police and health services

When a safeguarding concern about a child meets the threshold for child protection, the local authority must undertake a child protection enquiry under section 47 of the Children Act 1989. This may result in a Child Protection Conference, the development of a Child Protection Plan and ongoing monitoring and support from a social worker. Settings should understand that making a referral to children’s services does not mean they have lost confidence in a family – it is a professional obligation and a protective act on behalf of the child.

Emerging Forms of Harm

Safeguarding practice must keep pace with evolving forms of harm. Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) involves children being manipulated into sexual activity in exchange for rewards, status or affection – or under threat. Children in CSE situations may not recognise themselves as victims. Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE), including county lines drug trafficking, involves children being coerced into criminal activity. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a form of child abuse that is a criminal offence in England. Honour-based abuse, forced marriage and radicalisation (addressed under the government’s Prevent strategy) are all recognised safeguarding concerns.

Contextual safeguarding (a framework developed by Professor Carlene Firmin) recognises that harm to children can occur outside the family home, in peer groups, schools, neighbourhoods and online. It requires agencies to understand the contexts in which young people’s lives are embedded, rather than focusing exclusively on parenting.

The Role of the Childcare Setting

Every registered childcare setting must appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who is responsible for:

• overseeing the setting’s safeguarding arrangements and child protection policy
• managing referrals to children’s services and liaising with the local authority
• maintaining accurate and confidential safeguarding records
• ensuring all staff receive appropriate safeguarding training

In small settings, the DSL is often the setting manager; in larger organisations, it may be a separate post. The DSL must receive appropriate training and update their knowledge at least every two years.

All staff must receive basic safeguarding training at induction and refresh their training regularly. They must know how to recognise concerns, who to report them to and what will happen next. They must also understand their individual responsibility: while the DSL coordinates the setting’s response, every member of staff has a personal duty to act if they have a concern about a child and must not be prevented from doing so by pressure from managers or colleagues.

For related guidance, see also our articles on safeguarding requirements under the EYFS, the Childcare Act 2006, SEND and safeguarding vulnerabilities and how Ofsted inspects childcare.