At Seven Steps Childcare, we are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for every child. Our safeguarding procedure outlines the practical steps we take to protect children and ensure their well-being at all times.

Scope and responsibility

As the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Joanna Lemon takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and liaison with local statutory children's services and Local Safeguarding Partners. We are committed to regular safeguarding training, refreshed at least every two years, and ensuring any future assistants or students are provided with up-to-date safeguarding information.

While we currently operate as a lone worker setting, we have emergency plans in place to ensure child safety if the lead practitioner becomes unavailable. We maintain an open door policy and a "no-blame" culture to encourage individuals to raise concerns regarding conduct or practice.

Professional curiosity

We maintain "professional curiosity" at all times to recognise signs and indicators of possible abuse. We do not take information at face value but proactively explore the lived experience of the child. Using respectful uncertainty, we triangulate information from observations, child comments, and parental explanations to ensure a holistic understanding of each child's safety.

Dealing with concerns and early help

We follow a systematic approach to managing concerns:

• Low-level concerns: Minor concerns are recorded in a Chronology of concern to monitor for patterns over time.
• Early help intervention: If a family needs additional support, we engage with the Northumberland Early Help process.
• Consultation: If we are unsure if a concern meets the threshold for referral, we contact One Call for a "no-name consultation" with a social worker.
• Disguised compliance: We remain alert to situations where parents appear to cooperate while the child's safety is not actually improving.

Recognising and recording concerns

We remain alert to patterns, changes in behaviour, physical marks, or concerning comments. We keep chronological, confidential, and factual records of all concerns using a ‘Chronology of concern’ and ‘Body maps.’ for clarity. We record every decision to refer or not to refer, including the specific reasoning and advice received from professional agencies.

Attendance

We recognise that consistent attendance is a protective factor. We maintain accurate Attendance records and hold at least two emergency contact numbers for every child. If a child is absent without notification, we will contact parents within 30 minutes of their expected arrival time. If parents/carers cannot be reached, we follow a staged procedure, which may escalate to contacting children's services or the police.

Referral process

We align our practice with the Northumberland Strategic Safeguarding Partnership to ensure consistent decision-making. We use a four-level framework to determine the right level of support:

• Immediate risk: If a child is in danger, we contact the police on 999 without delay.
• Welfare concerns: We contact the Northumberland Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) via One Call.
• Cross-border: For children residing in the Scottish Borders, we contact the Scottish Borders Child Protection Unit.
• Follow-up: All verbal referrals are confirmed in writing within 48 hours.

Allegations against adults (LADO)

We follow strict procedures if an allegation is made against any adult associated with the setting. We will contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within 24 hours and notify Ofsted as soon as possible (always within 14 days). Any assistants or students are required to "whistleblow" directly to the LADO or Ofsted if they have concerns about our conduct.

Safe recruitment and vetting

We maintain robust processes for any future staff or students. All individuals, including household members aged 16 and over, must have an Enhanced DBS check with a Children's Barred List check. We verify identity, right to work, and employment history, and obtain at least two written references. New starters undergo a formal induction and are never left unaccompanied with children until all checks are complete.

Monitoring and risk assessment

We are committed to continuous improvement through:

• Accident and incident logs: Regular reviews to identify patterns or trends.
• Risk assessment: Daily checks of the home and garden, and advanced planning for all outings and travel routes.
• Policy review: This procedure is reviewed at least annually or following any significant incident or legislative change.

Termination of care

While we strive for partnership with families, we reserve the right to terminate care with immediate effect if the behaviour of a child or parent poses a significant risk to the safety of the setting. Conversely, parents have the right to terminate the contract immediately if there is a proven failure to meet statutory EYFS welfare requirements or if our registration is suspended. In all cases, we prioritise the safety of the children and cooperate fully with regulatory bodies.