2.1 Child Protection and Wellbeing in Early Years Settings

This lesson introduces child protection and wellbeing in early years settings, explaining why keeping children safe is central to everyday practice. It explores wellbeing as a child’s physical, emotional and social development, and highlights the practitioner’s role in creating a secure environment where children can play, explore and learn. You will examine the three broad stages of safeguarding: identifying possible risks, responding promptly to concerns and putting measures in place to promote safety. The lesson then covers the four main forms of abuse: physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect. It describes possible indicators, including unexplained injuries, changes in behaviour, withdrawal, fear, inappropriate sexualised behaviour and unmet basic needs. Importantly, individual signs are not proof of abuse, so practitioners should consider context and patterns over time. The lesson concludes with the essential safeguarding response: observe carefully, listen to children, document information calmly and accurately, and report concerns through the correct channels. You do not need certainty before raising a concern, as early action can help protect a child. Read the related CMS Vocational Training guide: https://cmsvoc.co.uk/blog/safeguardin... Chapters 00:00 Safeguarding and wellbeing in early years settings 00:55 What child protection means in practice 01:52 Physical abuse and recognising patterns 02:40 Emotional abuse and changes in behaviour 03:33 Sexual abuse and responding to disclosures 04:19 Neglect and unmet basic needs 05:01 Observe, document and report concerns