At Little Sunlights, we take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Everyone working in our settings has successfully completed the necessary application, interview process, and appropriate checks required to work with our children. 

We recognise that children can be vulnerable to various forms of abuse and may be exposed to social factors that negatively impact their lives, such as domestic violence, substance misuse, bullying, mental health issues, and radicalisation. We are aware that safeguarding incidents can occur anywhere, and we remain vigilant in identifying potential concerns. 

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) communicate and hold regular meetings with the teams to discuss any concerns raised and how best to support children and families in need. They work directly with families, as well as engaging external partners and agencies who can provide additional resources or expertise to address the unique needs of each situation. All DSLs have completed up to date safer recruitment training. 

Who Can I Contact with a Safeguarding Concern? 

As our settings span Southampton, Portsmouth, and Hampshire, please use the contact details for the local authority area in which your setting is based. 

Immediate danger 

Situation	Who to Contact
Immediate danger	Call 999

Southampton

Situation	Who to Contact
A concern about a child	Southampton Children's Services: 023 8083 3004

Portsmouth 

Situation	Who to Contact
A concern about a child	Portsmouth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH): 023 9268 8793
Concern about a member of staff (LADO)	023 9288 2500

Hampshire 

Situation	Who to Contact
A concern about a child	Hampshire Children's Services: 0300 555 1384 (office hours) or 0300 555 1373 (out of hours)
Concern about a member of staff (LADO)	01962 876364

National support 

Situation	Who to Contact
Advice or to report a concern anonymously	NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
Support for children and young people	Childline: 0800 1111

Teaching Children to Stay Safe 

Our curriculum is designed to teach children how to stay safe and happy. Through our relational practice approach, we help children understand that any concern or worry they have is valid, and we encourage them to share their concerns with one of their trusted adults in setting or at home. 

We capture children's voice as a strategy to give children the opportunity to celebrate the things going well, and to problem solve the things they wish they could change. For our younger children, this is often done through play. 

Whistleblowing and Staff Conduct 

We expect all staff to share any concerns they have about staff conduct with the Manager or Nominated Individual. 

All staff attend annual safeguarding training, including a review of our Safeguarding, Child Protection, and Whistleblowing policies, and the Prevent Duty. Volunteers and students are interviewed as part of our safeguarding processes to assess their suitability for working with children. 

We have robust and timely systems in place to share concerns regarding children's welfare with our Designated Safeguarding Lead, with parents, and with relevant external agencies. Part of our legal safeguarding duty may also include consulting with, and taking advice from, the Police and/or Children's Social Care services. We ensure that concerns about children are discussed with their parents or carers first, unless we have reason to believe this would be contrary to the welfare of the child. 

Our filtering and monitoring systems and processes are in line with statutory requirements. 

E-Safety 

E-safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Little Sunlights. We have extensive security measures in place to help safeguard pupils from potential dangers or unsuitable material, and e-safety is taught to all children, explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online. 

We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work in partnership with parents to ensure our e-safety messages are consistent. It's important that parents speak to their children about how to stay safe and behave appropriately online, and to be realistic: banning the internet or technology outright doesn't work, and can make a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential. 

We have a dedicated page on our website with useful e-safety information, and we support parents further by regularly sending home literature and tips through Famly. 

CCTV 

Some of our settings have CCTV on site in our outdoor, reception, and main room areas. This is for the safety of our children, staff, and visitors. 

Social Media 

You can advise us if you do not wish for your child's photo to be included on our website or other social media platforms on your application forms. If you wish to opt out, please advise the team by emailing the setting directly or send us a message via the Famly app.