What is safeguarding in early years?

A child’s earliest years are a time of rapid physical, social and emotional development.¹

From midwives and health visitors to childminders and nursery workers, everyone working and volunteering with young children and their families has a role to play in ensuring children have the best possible start in life. Safeguarding is an important part of this.

In the early years, safeguarding means protecting from harm and promoting the welfare of babies, infants and young children – as well as supporting new and expectant parents to meet the needs of their child. This includes ensuring you have appropriate training, policies and procedures in place and that everyone in your group or organisation knows what they should do to keep children safe.

Why is safeguarding in the early years important?

Babies are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect than older children.² And, at such a young age, they are entirely dependent on adults to recognise the signs that something is wrong and take appropriate action.

> Read about recognising and responding to abuse in the early years

Pregnancy and the first years of a child’s life are a critical time of development. During this period the foundations are laid for all future learning, behaviour and health. Babies and young children rely on their parents and carers to meet their needs, and the quality of their relationship is vitally important to child development.³

> Find out more about attachment and child development

Supporting new and expectant parents and carers

Becoming a parent or carer is a major life change. It can evoke lots of different emotions, some of which might be unexpected. It also brings with it lots of new stresses and responsibilities. It’s important that parents and carers receive the advice and support they need to care for their child.

> Read about our service supporting parents’ mental health during pregnancy

Roles and responsibilities for safeguarding in the early years

Babies, young children and their families will come into contact with professionals throughout the early years sector and beyond. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

• universal service providers like midwives, health visitors, nursery workers, childminders and GPs
• targeted services supporting specific groups of children, such as children who have disabilities
• adult support services addressing specific parental concerns like domestic abuse or problem substance use
• other organisations which come in to contact with, or are aware of, babies and young children in the families they work with or visit, like housing associations or the police.

Whatever the sector or role, everyone is responsible for helping to keep babies and children safe.

Safeguarding legislation and guidance across the UK

Each UK nation has national safeguarding and child protection guidance which everyone should follow.

Local and sector-specific guidance about safeguarding children in the early years may also be available. This includes guidance setting out standards for early years settings.

In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets out the statutory framework of standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5, including safeguarding and welfare requirements.⁴

> See our CASPAR briefing summarising safeguarding requirements in the EYFS framework for England

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health provides National minimum standards for childminding and day care for children under age 12 (PDF), including safeguarding, child protection, health and wellbeing.⁵

In Scotland, the Scottish Government has provided operating guidance setting out how early years settings can meet the National standard for early learning and childcare, including around health and wellbeing.⁶

In Wales, the National minimum standards for regulated childcare sets out the standard of care childcare and play work providers must meet to look after children under 12, including safeguarding, nurture and wellbeing.⁷

All organisations which come into contact with children should also have their own safeguarding policies and procedures.

> Find out about writing a safeguarding policy

Safeguarding resources and training for the early years

If you’re new to safeguarding or need a refresher, our Introduction to safeguarding and child protection training course will help develop your confidence in identifying the signs and indicators of child abuse and neglect, responding to them and reporting your concerns.

We also have courses on safer recruitment, preventing non-accidental head injuries and trauma and brain development.

> See all our early years safeguarding courses