The team at Class Recruit have been particularly busy, following calls and emails asking for safeguarding advice for Bristol nurseries.
In light of a particularly worrying case around safeguarding issues in a Bristol nursery and the highly publicised court case yesterday, we thought it would be helpful to outline current mandated requirements.
Safeguarding requirements for Bristol nurseries are largely governed by the EYFS framework, which we adhere to with all candidates across the region.
Safeguarding for Bristol nurseries focuses on providing a safe environment, with effective child protection policies, a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and enhanced DBS checks for all staff.
Some of the most important elements for safeguarding in Bristol nurseries include a strict staff-child ratio, mobile phone policies, ongoing risk assessments and enhanced whistleblower procedures to be in place.
We recently wrote about the importance of Early Years settings in Bristol being compliant with safeguarding and other legislation - read it here.
There have also been industry news items about the government appointing an expert advisory panel to inform new guidance on safeguarding in Early Years settings for 2026. Find out more here.
Some of the essential safeguarding measures for nurseries in Bristol include:
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - every Early Years setting in Bristol must have a practitioner for safeguarding who is trained to a high level.
Safer recruitment - all nursery staff must undergo enhanced criminal record checks (DBS) and be vetted stringently for suitability to Early Years work.
Procedures & Policies - nurseries in Bristol must have clear written policies for safeguarding, child protection and whistleblowing.
Bespoke training - all nursery workers in Bristol should be trained to recognise signs of abuse and how to raise concerns and report them.
Risk Assessments - regular risk assessments must be conducted in Bristol nurseries to identify and minimise potential dangers.
Class Recruit works with nursery settings in the following parts of Bristol:
Yate, Kingswood, Downend, Speedwell, Keynsham, Lyde Green, Emersons Green, Bradley Stoke, Filton, Horfield, Southmead, Clifton, Redland, Westbury, Stoke Bishop, City Centre, Southville, Bedminster, Knowle, Ashton Gate and Flax Bourton.
If you have any queries or want to discuss safeguarding advice for Bristol nurseries, we advise you to get in touch.
Our expert team can be reached on 0117 930 4000 or by visiting here.