Safeguarding Policy | Praze Pre-School

1. Our commitment

Praze Pre-School (operating as Little Beebles Pre-school) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in its care. We believe that every child has the right to grow up safe from harm, and that safeguarding is the responsibility of every adult connected with our charity — whether paid, voluntary or on placement.

This policy applies to all trustees, staff, volunteers, students, contractors and visitors. It has been developed in line with the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework (2024), and the requirements of Ofsted.

2. Legal framework

This policy is informed by the following legislation and guidance:

Children Act 1989 and 2004
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)
Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024) — applied by analogy
EYFS Statutory Framework (2024)
The Prevent Duty (Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015)
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) guidance

3. Types of abuse and neglect

All staff and volunteers are trained to recognise the following categories of abuse:

Physical abuse: actions that cause physical harm to a child, including hitting, shaking, burning or scalding.
Emotional abuse: persistent emotional maltreatment that impacts a child's emotional development, including threats, exploitation, or age-inappropriate expectations.
Sexual abuse: involving a child in sexual activity they do not fully understand and cannot consent to.
Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of health or development.

Staff should also be aware of additional safeguarding concerns including domestic abuse, child exploitation, online safety risks, radicalisation, and female genital mutilation.

4. Signs of concern

Signs that may indicate a child is being harmed or at risk include (but are not limited to):

Unexplained marks, bruises or injuries
Significant changes in behaviour or emotional state
Withdrawal from peers or adults
Inappropriate sexual knowledge or behaviour for the child's age
Unkempt appearance, persistent hunger or fatigue
Disclosures made directly or indirectly by the child
Parental behaviour that causes concern

5. Reporting procedure

Any person who has a safeguarding concern about a child must:

Act without delay. Do not investigate independently — report your concern immediately.
Inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). See Section 7 for the named DSL.
Record your concern in writing using factual, non-judgmental language, noting the date, time, what was observed or disclosed, and who was present.
If the DSL is unavailable and there is an immediate risk of harm, contact Cornwall Council Children's Services on 0300 123 1116 directly, or call 999 in an emergency.

If a child makes a disclosure, listen calmly and without leading questions. Use open language such as "can you tell me more?" Do not promise confidentiality. Reassure the child that they have done the right thing in telling you.

6. Confidentiality and information sharing

All safeguarding information is treated as confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis. The DSL will decide, in consultation with Cornwall Council Children's Services if appropriate, whether a referral to statutory agencies is necessary. The principle of confidentiality does not override the duty to protect a child from harm.

7. Designated Safeguarding Lead

Praze Pre-School's named Designated Safeguarding Lead is the Safeguarding Lead Trustee (details held securely by the Chair of Trustees and available to all staff and volunteers on request). In the DSL's absence, concerns should be directed to the Chair of Trustees.

The DSL has completed Level 3 safeguarding training and attends refresher training every two years. All staff and volunteers complete induction safeguarding training before working with children.

8. DBS checks and volunteer screening

All trustees, staff, volunteers and regular visitors who have unsupervised access to children must hold an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before commencing their role. DBS checks are renewed every three years or when there has been a break in service.

We also follow the Barred List check requirements and do not allow any person who is on the Children's Barred List to work or volunteer with children at Little Beebles under any circumstances.

References are sought for all new trustees and staff. All volunteers complete a formal application and induction process before commencing any role.

9. Safer recruitment

Praze Pre-School follows safer recruitment practices in line with statutory guidance. This includes verifying identity, qualifications and right to work; obtaining two references; and conducting an interview that explores values and safeguarding knowledge before any offer of position is made.

10. Online safety

We are committed to protecting children from online harm. Mobile phones and personal devices are not used in areas where children are present. Any photography of children requires written parental consent and images are never shared publicly without explicit authorisation.

11. Whistleblowing

Any person who has concerns about the conduct of a colleague, volunteer or trustee in relation to safeguarding should report them to the DSL or, if the concern relates to the DSL, to the Chair of Trustees. Concerns may also be raised directly with Ofsted or Cornwall Council. Whistleblowing in good faith is supported and protected.

12. Policy review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees, or sooner if there is a change in legislation, statutory guidance or following any safeguarding incident. The review date is recorded on the front of this document.

13. Related policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

EYFS Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements
E-Safety Policy
Safer Recruitment Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Privacy Policy (available at /privacy)

14. Contact for safeguarding concerns

To raise a safeguarding concern, contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead via the Chair of Trustees at info@littlebeebles.co.uk.

Cornwall Council Children's Services: 0300 123 1116
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Emergency: 999