On 17th of October, the DfE published its response to the Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding consultation, which ran from 22nd April to 17th June this year.
Many of the changes will align arrangements to procedures which already exist in schools, such as references to be obtained for new recruits and safer recruitment to be included in safeguarding policies, plus changes to terminology, such as lead practitioners becoming designated safeguarding leads. The guidance includes updates to absences, staff training, ratios and paediatric first aid-trained adults, safer eating, toileting & privacy and much more.
Full details of the response can be found here. The changes will be effective on 1st September 2025.
