This audit is to be completed by all early years and childcare providers as part of Section
11 of the Children’s Act (2004). This places duties on a range of organisations including Local Authorities to ensure their functions, and any services that they contract out to others, are discharged regarding the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
School managed or governor run provision do not need to complete this audit as schools complete Devon Education Services Safeguarding Audits.
The audit should be used to monitor, review and evaluate safeguarding policies and procedures, to ensure the maximum effectiveness of safeguarding of the children in your care. The more honest you are when completing it the more useful this audit will be in ensuring you are meeting the safeguarding requirements. Your Early Years and Childcare Adviser will be able to offer advice and support on completing this audit.
Providers must be fully compliant with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, September 2021 and follow ‘safer recruitment’ procedures as detailed in Keeping Children Safe in Education when recruiting staff.
This audit:
- will support you to meet the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage
- will help you to assess the quality of your safeguarding practice
- will help to ensure that gaps in safeguarding are identified and prompt action is taken to address these areas
- will assist the Devon Early Years and Childcare Service with developing appropriate training and support for safeguarding and child protection
It is the responsibility of the owner / manager / management committee to ensure that
all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and that arrangements for safeguarding children comply with the current government guidance and the Devon Children and Families Partnership.
For childminders completing this audit the term staff will be referring to Childminder assistants and co-childminders working from your premises.
Devon’s Early Years and Childcare Service has endeavoured to have one safeguarding audit that can be used by all early years and childcare providers (including childminders, pre-schools, day nurseries and out of school provision).
Where questions are not relevant to your provision please tick or enter not applicable.
This audit has been based around the
Ofsted Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills setting document September 2022.