The Department for Education has, today, 19 March, published the updated Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 guidance, bringing important changes that all safeguarding and education professionals need to be aware of. 

Key Changes – What Early Years Professionals Need to Know

1. Safeguarding applies to all children – including unborn babies

The guidance is now explicit that safeguarding begins before birth and includes:

• unborn children
• babies and very young children
• children in kinship care, adoption, and care systems
  
  
  👉 Early Years impact:
  
  • unborn children
  • babies and very young children
• Stronger expectation for pre-birth involvement (e.g. working with midwives, health visitors)
• Greater focus on babies’ non-verbal communication and vulnerability

2. Stronger child-centred approach (especially for babies)

Practitioners must:

• see, hear, and observe the child directly
• interpret non-verbal cues in babies
• remain professionally curious
  

👉 Early Years impact:

• Observations are critical safeguarding evidence
• Staff must not rely solely on parent accounts
• Greater emphasis on quality interactions and attachment awareness

3. Anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice is now explicit

• Safeguarding must actively address:
  • inequality
  • bias
  • discrimination
    

👉 Early Years impact:

• Settings must:
  • Challenge stereotypes in decision-making
  • ensure equitable access to support
  • adapt practice for diverse families

4. Expanded focus on “hidden harms”

Stronger guidance on:

• child sexual abuse
• domestic abuse & coercive control
• teenage relationship abuse
• online harm & exploitation
  

👉 Early Years impact:

• Staff must be alert to indirect indicators, e.g.:
  • changes in behaviour
  • parental risk factors
• Increased importance of contextual safeguarding (harm outside the home)

5. The “Family Help” model (Early Help + Section 17 combined)

• A single, joined-up pathway replaces fragmented support
• Focus on:
  • earlier intervention
  • stable relationships with practitioners
  • multi-agency planning
    

👉 Early Years impact:

• Nurseries become key in early identification and referral
• Greater involvement in multi-agency plans
• Expectation to contribute to ongoing support, not just refer

6. Much stronger multi-agency working expectations

• Early Years settings are now clearly identified as relevant agencies
• Must:
  • actively engage in safeguarding arrangements
  • share information proactively
  • contribute to assessments and planning
    

👉 Early Years impact:

• DSLs and managers expected to:
  • attend meetings
  • challenge other professionals if needed
  • understand local thresholds

7. Information sharing is emphasised – no more hesitation

• Clear message:
  ❗ Data protection must NOT be a barrier to safeguarding
  

👉 Early Years impact:

• Practitioners should:
  • share concerns early and proactively
  • not wait for consent if a child is at risk
  • record and escalate concerns confidently

8. Greater accountability and evidence of impact

• New expectations include:
  • data sharing and analysis
  • annual safeguarding reports
  • demonstrating impact of practice
    

👉 Early Years impact:

• Settings must:
  • evidence safeguarding decisions
  • show impact of interventions
  • engage in audits and reviews

9. Stronger child protection processes (Section 47)

• More robust expectations for:
  • multi-agency assessments
  • strategy discussions
  • child sexual abuse responses
    

👉 Early Years impact:

• Staff may be more involved in:
  • providing detailed observations
  • contributing to child protection enquiries
  • supporting children during investigations

🧩 What This Means in Practice for Early Years Settings

You are now:

✔ A key safeguarding partner, not just a referrer
✔ Expected to actively contribute to plans and decisions
✔ Responsible for high-quality observations and early identification

Practice will need to strengthen in:

• 👶 Understanding baby development & non-verbal safeguarding signs
• 🤝 Multi-agency working and professional challenge
• 📊 Recording, evidencing, and information sharing
• 🌍 Anti-discriminatory and inclusive practice
• 🧠 Awareness of hidden harms and family context

⭐ Bottom Line

The 2026 guidance shifts Early Years from a supporting role to a central safeguarding role:

• Earlier involvement (even pre-birth)
• Deeper multi-agency collaboration
• Greater accountability for outcomes

Read the full statutory guidance here: Working together to safeguard children – GOV.UK