EYFS Safeguarding Reforms

Mienna Jones
Dec 5, 2025
4 min read

Mienna joined The Nursery Management Today Show 2025 panel discussing the EYFS Safeguarding Reforms 2025.

From 1 September 2025, the updated EYFS safeguarding requirements become statutory for all early years settings across England. The update follows a nationwide consultation in 2024 - it received over 1,400 responses - showing broad support for strengthening safeguarding in early years settings.

The goal? To formalise best practice, close gaps, and ensure every nursery, childminder and preschool has robust, consistent systems to keep children safe.

Part 1 - EYFS Safeguarding Reforms 2025

Toileting, privacy & intimate care safeguards

When changing nappies or helping with toileting, children’s privacy must be balanced with safeguarding. For example: using screens/curtains or ensuring supervision when multiple children are present.
The guidance clarifies how to carry out intimate care safely while maintaining dignity and oversight.

Safeguarding training, first aid & staff standards

All practitioners working with 0–5s must undergo safeguarding training meeting the criteria laid out in a new Annex C.
In group/school-based providers, the role of “Lead Practitioner” is replaced by a named Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) responsible for liaising with child-protection agencies.
Students, trainees and apprentices only count towards staff-child ratios if they hold valid paediatric first aid (PFA) certificates.

Part 2 - EYFS Whistleblowing & Speaking Up

Whistleblowing & speaking up made part of the rules

Settings must have a clear whistleblowing policy that allows staff - including students and volunteers - to report safeguarding concerns safely and confidentially.

New rules around absences, contacts & record-keeping

If a child is absent for a “prolonged period,” there must be follow-up, including contacting emergency contacts.
Settings must hold additional emergency contact details for every child.

Part 3 - EYFS Mealtime Safeguarding

Safer eating & mealtimes

New guidance on “safer eating”: children should be seated securely (e.g. highchair or appropriate low chair), ideally in a designated eating space with minimal distractions.
Food prep, serving and supervision must follow clear protocols - especially where allergies or choking hazards are involved.

Why these reforms matter — and why now

The early years (0–5) are especially sensitive: children are young, often lack awareness of danger, and can’t always communicate distress or issues effectively. Even small lapses can lead to serious harm.
As demand for early years provision grows - including funded places - it’s vital that increased capacity doesn’t come at the expense of safety. The reforms strengthen the basic building blocks: safer people, safer routines, safer environments.
Many settings already have good safeguarding practices - but formalising them in the statutory framework ensures consistency across the board, whether childminder, preschool or nursery.

What this means in practice - for nurseries, childminders and early years settings

Review/update recruitment policies immediately: make sure you request and receive formal references before staff start.
Ensure every practitioner (including volunteers, apprentices, trainees) with children under 5 has up-to-date safeguarding training (Annex C) - and PFA if they count in ratios.
Audit record-keeping: make sure you hold multiple emergency contacts per child, track attendance, and follow up promptly on unexplained absences.
Review mealtime and hygiene procedures: set up safer eating routines, check allergy/ dietary info carefully, and ensure privacy & supervision during nappy-changing or toileting.
Embed a whistleblowing policy and make sure every staff member knows how to raise concerns - and that their concerns will be taken seriously.
Appoint a clear DSL - especially in group or school-based settings - to lead safeguarding, liaise with outside agencies, and ensure consistent application of policy.

Final thoughts

The 2025 EYFS safeguarding reforms are more than a paperwork exercise - they reflect a renewed commitment to getting the basics of early years right. Safety, consistency, clarity.

If your setting is already doing many of these things - excellent. The reforms just make those best-practice measures universal. If you’re not there yet - now’s the time to engage with the new framework, review your policies, and use the changes as a springboard for better, safer early years provision.

Q&A Recording

Revisit our Facebook Live where Mienna discussed the panel and answered all questions relating safeguarding,

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Mienna Jones, Championing Childhood

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Disclaimer: These Example Hertfordshire Childcare Fees & Funding – November 2025 figures are based on an approved model accurate as of 25 November 2025. They are provided for guidance only and may not reflect future changes in funding, policy, or individual childcare provider fees. Always seek compliance approval directly with your Local Authority.

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