Welcome to our Safeguarding Question of the Week webpage
Here, you’ll find all the previous questions we’ve shared in the Early Years Sector Updates — perfect for sparking discussion, deepening understanding, and keeping safeguarding front of mind.
Why not use these questions in your next team meeting or training session? They’re a great way to encourage reflection, share best practices, and build confidence in safeguarding across your setting.

 

Start the year strong! Let’s refresh our safeguarding knowledge and set the tone for a safe and supportive year ahead.

Week 1 - What are five key areas of emotional abuse, as set out in KCSIE?

Week 2 - What is "fabricated illness"?

a. When a child pretends to be ill, so they don’t have to attend nursery 
b. When an adult forces a child to eat 
c. When an adult burns a child with a cigarette 
d. When an adult makes a child ill or pretends, they are ill in order to receive medical attention, money or attention.

Week 3 - Is obesity a form of neglect?

Week 4 - How do you ensure the safety of children, parents and staff during a local threat or emergency that may require a security-related lockdown?

Love is in the air — and so is our commitment to keeping children safe.

Week 1 - Should practitioners be recording near-miss choking incidents?

Week 2 - Whose responsibility is it to keep children safe from harm?

1. 1. 1. Parents
      2. Owner
      3. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
      4. Everyone
      5. Children's Social Services

Week 3 -  If a child discloses information about abuse to you, how should you react?

1. 1. 1. Ask lots of questions to try and understand what has happened
      2. Show the child how shocked you are about what they have said
      3. Stay calm, listen without asking leading questions
      4. Promise the child that you will keep it a secret and not tell anyone

1. 1. 1. Talk to the manager and tell them you don’t think their behaviour is appropriate
      2. Nothing, the child wasn’t following the settings expected rules
      3. Report this to senior management
      4. It is my manager therefore I cannot challenge them

As spring approaches, it’s the perfect time to grow our understanding of safeguarding. Let’s dig into this month’s question!

Week 1 - You passed information to your DSL regarding a potential concern, and you feel they have not taken it seriously and followed it up. What should you do?

1. Nothing, my DSL is the expert and knows more than me, maybe I was wrong.
2. Talk to the parents of the child and inform them of your concern
3. Ignore it, it isn’t my problem now as I have reported it to the DSL.
4. Inform a senior manager or if not applicable, contact your local children’s social services (First Response) directly.

Week 2 - A member of staff approaches the DSL and says:

“I’m not sure if this counts as a concern, but I wanted to mention something that’s made me uncomfortable. A colleague has recently been spending a lot of one-to-one time with a particular child and tends to seek them out. I’ve noticed them joking and being quite physically familiar, for example putting an arm around the child’s shoulders, sitting them on their lap. It hasn’t crossed into anything overtly inappropriate, but it has made me feel uncomfortable and I wasn’t sure whether this was something I should report.”

Week 3 - A child tells you there was a “big argument” at home last night and that the police came. You report this to the DSL straight away. The next day, the child seems quieter than usual but says they are “fine.”

When a child discloses something worrying, how do we avoid mentally “closing the case” once we’ve told the DSL?

A new month, a new question! Take a moment to explore this week’s safeguarding focus and keep the conversation going in your setting.

Week 1 - A parent you know well seems “not herself” when you ask a routine question about their child’s attendance.

You want to record your concern, but it feels more like instinct than evidence. You cannot simply write, “Mum wasn’t herself."
How do you turn that instinct into clear, specific detail that would stand up in a safeguarding record?

Week 2 - You notice that Samira, usually confident and chatty, has been quieter over the past couple of weeks. During the session, she asks to go to the toilet and takes longer than usual to return, later saying she had a stomach ache.

At the end of the day, while lining up for home time, she quietly asks you:

“Miss, if someone doesn’t want to go somewhere but their mum says they have to, do they still have to go?”

When you gently ask what she means, Samira shrugs and says, “It’s just… we’re going away soon,” before quickly changing the subject.

As the class leave, you notice Samira hesitating when her older cousin arrives to collect her, saying, “Come on, you’ve got to hurry up or we’ll miss the bus.”

What would a child-centred safeguarding response look like at this point?

Week 3 -  Under the EYFS Statutory Framework, how should early years providers respond to persistent non‑attendance?

A.   It is not a safeguarding issue because attendance at early years settings is not compulsory.

B.   Providers must consider patterns and trends in a child’s absences, their personal circumstances, and use professional judgement to determine if the absences indicate safeguarding concerns, following up in line with the setting’s attendance and safeguarding procedures.

C.   Providers only need to record the absence and wait for the child to return.

Week 4 - How would you respond to a hostile or aggressive parent at drop-off?

• • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3

Week 5 - When is it appropriate to share safeguarding information without parental consent?

This month, we’re focusing on everyday safeguarding — the small actions that make a big difference.

Week 1 - How should staff respond if a child repeatedly plays out worrying themes (violence, fear, inappropriate roles) during role play?

Week 2 - Coming soon!

Week 3 - Coming soon!

Week 4 - Coming soon!

Halfway through the year! Let’s take a moment to check in with our safeguarding practices and keep the momentum going.

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As summer begins, let’s stay sharp and proactive.

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Whether you're on-site or off for the holidays, safeguarding never takes a break.

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Back to school, back to basics!

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As the nights draw in, let’s shine a light on safeguarding.

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With the year winding down, it’s a great time to reflect.

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Welcome to December! As the year draws to a close, let’s keep safeguarding front and centre. Check out this month’s questions and share your thoughts.

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Week 4 - Coming soon!

•  Who is responsible for safeguarding children in settings and schools?
•  What are Local Safeguarding Partners (LSPs)?
• What is the first step you should take if you witness another staff member behaving inappropriately towards a child?
• Which legislation underpins safeguarding in early years settings?
• What is the most appropriate way to respond if you suspect a child is being neglected?
• A staff member is taking new medication; this medication has been making them drowsy. You have noticed this during conversations with them and other team members have also told you, what do you do?
• In light of the recent EYFS guidance, how do you ensure children are safely monitored when eating?
• Why might a child not disclose that they are being harmed?
• Can I refuse a parent from collecting their child if the other parent requests this?
• What does KCSIE stand for and what is it?
• What is a DBS?
• How long does a DBS check last for?
•  What suitability processes do you follow if someone has applied for a job role that has worked/lived overseas for some time? 
•  What would you do if the status of a staff member’s DBS check changes? 
•  What would you do if an unexpected person arrived to collect a child?
•  If a colleague was consistently dismissing low-level safeguarding concerns, how would you handle it?
•  What would you do if you noticed a bruise on a baby?
•  What would you do if you suspected DA/DV was happening in a child's home?
•  What is one safeguarding concern that staff sometimes overlook because it feels ‘too small’ to report?
•  What do you know about FGM?
•  What should you do if a parent discloses, they smack their child at home?
•  How do we make sure that everyone, including part-time, supply, agency staff, students and volunteers, knows what to do if they have a safeguarding concern How do we ensure that all permanent staff take shared responsibility for helping make that happen?
•  Does your setting have a clear policy on what you would do in the event a child has a prolonged period of absence?
•  What would you do if a stranger tried to access your provision?
•  What action would you take if a child arrives with a pre-existing injury?
•  A child has been absent for over a week. The parent hasn’t responded to calls, and the child has a known history of neglect. What would you do?
•  What is County Lines?
•  What is your procedure if a child requires medication whilst attending your setting? 
•  Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. What’s one action you can take this week to strengthen the culture of safeguarding in your setting?
•  A child has started to appear reluctant to go home at the end of the day when parents collect. They've become quieter and you've noticed they're wearing the same clothes more frequently. What might this indicate, and what would be your next steps?
•  Phishing emails are one of the biggest cyber threats to schools and nurseries. They often look convincing but can lead to serious data breaches if clicked. Do you and your team know what to look for when receiving emails?
•  If a child discloses something worrying to you, what are the two most important things you must (and must not) do in that moment?
•  You’re recruiting a new practitioner. They provide a reference from a family friend who describes them positively but vaguely. You’re short-staffed and tempted to proceed. 
•  What is cuckooing, what signs might you notice, who might be more at risk, and what tactics do criminals’ use?
•  A parent sends a member of staff a message on their personal social media asking for advice about their child. What’s the safeguarding concern here, and what’s the right next step?
•  How do we make sure that everyone, including part-time, supply, agency staff and volunteers, knows what to do if they have a safeguarding concern? How do we ensure that all permanent staff take shared responsibility for helping make that happen?
•  If an allegation is made against an agency member of staff in your early years setting, who is responsible for completing investigations in relation to the member of staff and the allegation, is it the nursery or the agency?
•  What are the subtle signs of coercive control that staff are most likely to notice in a child or parent and how do these differ from more overt forms of domestic abuse?
•  “In the run-up to Christmas, a child says, ‘I hate Christmas,’ and the adult replies, ‘Come on, Scrooge — it’ll be fun.’ It might sound jokey, but how might this response shut down our professional curiosity? What are some of the possible reasons the child could feel unhappy about Christmas?”
•  Scenario: Two practitioners are overheard discussing a child’s safeguarding concern in the staffroom. What should happen next?