Safeguarding and Wellbeing
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Safeguarding is Our Duty
At Hopscotch, safeguarding forms the foundation of everything we do. Every child has the right to be protected from neglect and abuse, and we take that responsibility extremely seriously. If concerns ever arise, we act swiftly and appropriately, following clear procedures to ensure every child’s safety.
A Safe Child is a Happy Child
With more than 37 years of experience, we’ve cared for and nurtured thousands of children. Safeguarding and Health & Safety are central to our practice, giving parents confidence and children the security to flourish.
Our Safeguarding Responsibilities
As an Ofsted-registered childcare provider, we have a legal duty to safeguard every child in our care, both during nursery hours and beyond.
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Training: All staff — from our apprentices to senior managers — complete frequent, in-depth safeguarding training, both in-house and with external specialists.
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Procedures: We have rigorous reporting and investigating processes in place.
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Partnerships: We maintain strong links with statutory safeguarding organisations, ensuring best practice at all times.
Protecting children from maltreatment
Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
Ensuring the children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Who is Responsible for Safeguarding at Hopscotch?
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility across the whole Hopscotch team. Every member of staff plays a vital role, supported by regular training and guidance.
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Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs): Each nursery has a DSL (usually the Nursery Manager), with the Deputy Manager also trained to step in if needed.
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Senior Leadership Team: Our senior leaders are also DSL-trained and always available to support with any safeguarding concerns.
Child Mental Health
At Hopscotch, wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. It’s not an add-on - it’s embedded into our practice and woven throughout our curriculum. We nurture every aspect of a child’s development - emotional, social, physical, cognitive, and creative - to create a safe and supportive environment where children can flourish.
We know the first five years are critical for lifelong wellbeing. That’s why we’ve invested in specialist expertise and regular staff training to ensure we’re giving children the best possible start.
Most recently, we’ve worked with BrightPIP, a local charity specialising in infant mental health, to develop our Infant Mental Health Policy. This policy strengthens our approach across all Hopscotch nurseries, helping our teams to:
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Build secure, loving relationships between children and their key people
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Create calm and emotionally attuned environments
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Support co-regulation and emotional literacy from the very start
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Identify concerns early and work with trusted partners for the right support
By embedding these principles into daily practice, we ensure that children’s mental health is supported from birth — giving every child the emotionally secure foundation they need to grow, learn, and thrive.
