Whistleblowing in Early Years

Whistleblowing means raising a concern about wrongdoing or unsafe practice in your workplace. In early years, it is one of the most important safeguards children have. Babies and toddlers cannot describe what is happening to them or ask for help, so the adults around them have to notice and speak up. This course gives your team the knowledge and the confidence to do that, from recognising poor practice to escalating a concern to the LADO or Ofsted.

Why whistleblowing training matters in early years

When serious failures in children’s services are reviewed, the same pattern appears again and again: people noticed. Staff saw worrying behaviour, felt uneasy about a colleague or knew procedures were being ignored, and did not escalate it, or raised it once and let it drop. Speaking up early stops small problems, such as shortcuts with sleep checks or a colleague who is repeatedly rough during nappy changes, from becoming a culture where children are harmed.

From September 2025 the EYFS requires providers to put in place appropriate whistleblowing procedures so that all staff, students and volunteers can raise concerns about poor or unsafe practice in the setting’s safeguarding provision. A policy in a folder is not enough. Ofsted inspectors are interested in whether staff actually know the procedures and would use them.

What’s in the course

1. What whistleblowing isRaising a concern in the public interest, how it differs from a grievance, and the cost of staying silent.
2. The EYFS whistleblowing requirementWhat the 2025 requirement says, who it covers, and the five features of procedures that work.
3. Recognising poor or unsafe practiceCommon concerns, one-off incidents versus patterns, and the barriers that stop people noticing.
4. Raising a concern internallyWho to go to, how to report clearly and factually, and why you never investigate yourself.
5. Confidentiality and legal protectionThe Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, confidentiality versus anonymity, and raising a concern in good faith.
6. Escalating to the LADO or OfstedWhen to go outside the setting, who to contact, and the numbers to keep to hand.
7. Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.

What you’ll learn

• How to tell a whistleblowing concern from a personal grievance by asking one question: who is affected?
• What the EYFS whistleblowing requirement asks of your setting, and why it covers students and volunteers as well as staff
• What a good policy contains, including an alternative contact if the concern involves the manager
• How to spot concerns, from inappropriate behaviour towards a child to ignored ratios and falsified records
• How to report factually: what you saw or heard, when, where and who was present, with a dated note for yourself
• How the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects workers from dismissal and any other detriment for raising a genuine concern
• Why raising a concern confidentially is almost always better than raising it anonymously
• When and how to contact the LADO, Ofsted’s whistleblower hotline, the NSPCC whistleblowing advice line, children’s services or the police

Who this course is for

• Every practitioner, whatever their role or length of service
• Students, apprentices and volunteers, who the EYFS requirement covers too
• Managers and Designated Safeguarding Leads who write the policy and respond to concerns
• Owners and directors named as the alternative contact
• Childminders and their assistants

How it works

• OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
• 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
• 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
• CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.

Frequently asked questions