This is a two part course which will take place on Tuesday 14 and 21 October 2025 attendees are required to attend both sessions
This training is for Coventry Early Years Practitioners working as Childminders or in PVI settings and are new to the DSL role or Deputy DSL role in their setting. Initial DSL training is a two-part course attendees must be able to attend both parts.
It is a statutory requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that there is a practitioner designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children in every setting. Childminders must take the lead responsibility for safeguarding in their setting.
The lead practitioner must attend training to enable them to provide ongoing support and advice to other staff within their setting, for example: Early Years’ practitioners, childminders assistants, volunteers, cooks and cleaners, and to understand how to liaise with other professional agencies when concerns are raised. This course will satisfy all statutory requirements and is consistent with the criteria set out in Annex C (EYFS Statutory Framework September 2025) and will equip you with the skills to effectively safeguard children in your care.
The course will cover:
- What are the roles and responsibilities of a DSL?
- What is the difference between safeguarding and child protection?
- How to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse
- What to do if you think a child is being abused
- Understanding specific types of abuse more clearly
- How to support children if they make a disclosure of abuse
- How to support families when you have identified early concerns
- How to keep children safe in your setting
- Signposting to useful local documentation and local safeguarding partners
- Ensuring procedures are in place for safer recruitment of staff, including childminding assistants
Supporting documents will be sent out to all course candidates after fully attending both training sessions
