Keeping children safe

How to use this short course

Allow about 25 minutes for reading, the scenario, reflection and knowledge check. This is internal new-starter awareness training for an after-school setting. It does not replace specialist qualifications, the longer DASC courses, required employment checks or local practical induction. Local policy and the arrangements confirmed by your manager determine how you carry out your role. Examples are illustrative; no example name is an operational contact.

Read the sections in order, discuss anything unclear and complete the six-question assessment. You need at least 80% and your own declaration for a dated module completion. The whole pathway is not complete until all six modules and a separate manager practical sign-off are recorded.

Recognise concerns without deciding guilt

Safeguarding is part of every staff member's work. Children may tell you directly, hint through play, or show changes in behaviour, attendance, appearance or relationships. A child who is hungry, withdrawn, unusually frightened or repeatedly injured may need support. One observation does not establish a diagnosis or prove abuse; the important task is to notice, record and share relevant information promptly. Do not wait until you have proof.

Concerns can involve harm at home, within the setting, online or in the wider community. They can include neglect, physical or emotional abuse, sexual harm, exploitation, harmful behaviour between children and risks linked to radicalisation. Do not stereotype a child or family because of religion, ethnicity, disability or circumstances. Seek advice about what you actually observed. A child with communication difficulties may need a different way to tell you; absence of a clear verbal disclosure does not mean absence of risk.

When a child tells you

Make the immediate situation safe and listen calmly. Give the child time; do not express shock, blame or disbelief. Reassure them that they were right to tell you. Never promise secrecy. Explain in age-appropriate language that you will share with the people who can help keep them safe. Do not promise a particular outcome.

Avoid leading questions and repeated questioning. Use only minimal clarification needed to understand the immediate concern, without supplying answers, investigating or asking the child to demonstrate what happened. Do not contact the person alleged to have caused harm. Do not ask other children to corroborate the account. Do not ask a child to repeat their disclosure to a succession of adults.

Record, report and follow through

As soon as it is safe, make a factual record using the approved safeguarding procedure. Record the date and time, who was present, observations, the child's own words as accurately as possible, what you said and the action you took. Separate direct observation from interpretation. Date and identify your record; do not backdate it, alter the child's wording or store it on a personal device. Preserve relevant material through the approved route without copying it unnecessarily.

Report promptly to the current designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or deputy, using the local procedure. Make sure the handover has been received; an unsent draft or unread message is not a completed handover. Confidentiality does not mean keeping a safeguarding concern to yourself. Share relevant information securely with authorised people who need it. Do not discuss identifiable details with friends, other parents or informal staff groups.

Urgent danger, absent leads and staff concerns

If a child is in immediate danger, act to protect them and contact emergency services when needed. Do not delay urgent help while trying to locate a particular colleague. Know the local children's services referral and emergency arrangements and how to escalate when you cannot reach the DSL or believe the response is inadequate.

A concern about a staff member, volunteer or manager has its own allegations and low-level concerns procedure. If the normal recipient is implicated, use the alternative route; do not report only to the person the concern is about. The manager must explain the local authority designated officer (LADO) arrangements and whistleblowing routes where relevant. Do not investigate, confront the person or agree an informal solution that avoids reporting.

Practise a realistic situation

During a quiet activity a child says, “I don't want to go home because someone hurts me.” Another adult suggests waiting until tomorrow because collection is busy.

Pause and explain your response aloud: keep the child safe, listen without leading them, avoid promising secrecy, and use the safeguarding route without waiting for a quieter day. Describe what factual notes you would make and how you would confirm receipt. If there is immediate danger or the usual lead is unavailable, explain the alternative emergency and reporting route. Your manager should correct any uncertainty before you work independently.

Local practical follow-up

Find the current DSL and deputy names and contact methods with your manager. Explain the alternative route for a concern about the DSL, the immediate-danger action and how you securely submit a factual note.

Use the actual current arrangements for your setting, not a remembered contact or a fictional scenario. Tell the manager if you need more practice, an accessible format or support with language or reading. Any unresolved issue should be supported and recorded rather than hidden by ticking a box.

Continue your learning

• Full course: safeguarding child protection
• Full course: managing allegations against staff low level concerns
• Full course: prevent duty radicalisation

Completing this short module records only this module. It does not mark any linked full course as completed. Full training and refresher requirements remain separate.

Guidance and local policy

This awareness module is informed by the Department for Education's Out-of-school settings: safeguarding guidance for providers, updated 9 February 2026. It is guidance, not a claim that every statutory provision applies identically to every setting. The manager must confirm the framework relevant to the provision, children's ages and your duties, including any applicable EYFS requirements. Use the setting's current safeguarding, conduct, supervision, health and information-handling procedures alongside this module.