Safeguarding has never been more important for childcarers

Safeguarding has never been more important for childcarers

With COVID-19 restrictions all but lifted but the threat of restrictions to daily life increasing as winter approaches, childcare professionals are uniquely placed to help safeguard their charges.

Social isolation was necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, prolonged periods of little to no contact with the outside world has proved dangerous, potentially even deadly, in some households across the United Kingdom.

Incidents of domestic abuse have seen an upsurge during the pandemic, as a result of families being forced to spend more time together. Adults experiencing domestic abuse, mental health difficulties or substance misuse, remain the most common reasons why children come to the attention of early help and/or children’s social care services. And as things return to normal, local authorities anticipate significant increases in children's emotional and mental health needs.

As a childcare professional, you are uniquely skilled to raise the alarm and seek help for such individuals.

The role of childcare professionals and the importance of safeguarding training

In pre-pandemic times children would normally have outside contact with a range of individuals, organisations, and agencies, all of whom could raise a concern. However, these are far from normal times and consequently you, as a trained professional with formal safeguarding training, may be the only person who has the knowledge to notice when something isn’t quite right.

It's no exaggeration to say that right now, your actions could, quite literally, save a child’s life.

Make sure your own house is in order

You should already have safeguarding policies and procedures in place that you follow. These should include access to contact details of your local authority support teams, safeguarding partners, social services, and the police, plus advice on the correct steps to take if you have a safeguarding concern.

However right now, today, it’s worth checking everything is correct as rotas, staff and even local authority support staff working locations may have changed, as might their contact details.

Remember: It’s important to emphasise to your everyone that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

One of the most effective tools to do this and help you notice the signs of abuse and neglect, is safeguarding training. This is a requirement for every childcarer, so check your training is up-to-date.

 

How can I access childcare specific safeguarding training?

Morton Michel policyholders receive a 30% discount on Child Protection Company’s Child Protection for Childminders online course via the ChildCare Club! The course is available instantly and can be accessed 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

You can learn at your own pace, with the ability to pause and restart exactly where you left off as many times as necessary and you receive dental safeguarding certificate immediately on successful completion.

Click here to access the 30% ChildCare Club discount

The information in this article is provided by Child Protection Company and does not represent Morton Michel.