- •Sleeping arrangements and room temperatures
- •How sleeping children are monitored
- •Staff knowledge of safer-sleep practices
- •Individual sleep needs and parental information
- •How concerns or incidents are recorded and escalated
- •What may constitute harm
- •Who must be informed internally
- •When the local authority designated officer should be contacted
- •When Ofsted or a childminder agency must be notified
- •Why concerns must be recorded accurately and without delay
- •Safeguarding procedures are understood
- •Training is applied in practice
- •Concerns are recognised and reported promptly
- •Supervision helps staff reflect and improve
- •Safer-recruitment and DBS decisions are properly documented
- •Children’s welfare can be seen in everyday practice
From 1 September 2026, nurseries, childminders and other early years providers in England must follow updated Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements.
These are not changes that should simply be added to a policy and forgotten. Providers must ensure that managers, practitioners and volunteers understand what has changed—and can apply it confidently in everyday practice.
What is changing?
1. Stronger safer-sleep requirements
Safer-sleep expectations are now stated explicitly within the main EYFS framework.
Providers should review:
A policy alone is not evidence of safe practice. Staff should be able to explain what they would do if a child’s breathing, position, temperature or behaviour caused concern.
2. A wider requirement to report allegations
Providers will be required to notify Ofsted or their childminder agency about allegations of harm, rather than only allegations of “serious harm”, involving someone living, working or caring for children at the premises.
Managers must ensure staff understand:
Waiting for an allegation to become “serious” before acting could place children and the organisation at greater risk.
3. Banned dog breeds on childcare premises
Registered childcare must not be provided from premises where a banned dog breed is kept or present.
Childminders and providers operating from domestic premises should check their arrangements immediately and must not assume that keeping an animal in another room resolves the issue.
4. Greater attention to children’s screen use
Providers must have regard to the use of screens within their setting.
This does not mean that all screen use is prohibited. It means providers should be able to explain why screens are being used, how their use supports children’s learning or wellbeing, and how excessive or inappropriate exposure is prevented.
Screen use should never routinely replace meaningful conversation, play, movement or interaction with practitioners.
5. Changes to regulated activity and DBS eligibility
From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption within the definition of regulated activity with children is removed.
Some supervised workers and volunteers who were not previously treated as being in regulated activity may now fall within the definition. This may make an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check available for their role.
Providers should conduct a role-by-role review rather than automatically applying the same decision to everyone. Existing DBS records, volunteer arrangements and safer-recruitment procedures should also be checked.
What will Ofsted expect?
Updated inspection materials place additional emphasis on practitioners’ responsibilities to protect children from harm. Inspectors may explore whether safer-sleep, eating and weaning arrangements are understood and implemented effectively.
The real test will not be whether a provider can produce a folder full of certificates and policies. It will be whether leaders and staff can demonstrate that:
Your immediate readiness checklist
Before 1 September, childcare leaders should:
1. Download the correct updated EYFS framework for their provider type.
2. Review safeguarding, allegations and notification procedures.
3. Audit safer-sleep, eating and weaning arrangements.
4. Review screen-use practices and guidance for staff.
5. Assess workers and volunteers against the new regulated-activity definition.
6. Update DBS and safer-recruitment records where necessary.
7. Brief staff and record their attendance and understanding.
8. Use scenarios or competency questions to confirm that learning can be applied.
9. Document every change and assign responsibility for ongoing monitoring.
A certificate is only the beginning
Training completion is important, but attendance does not automatically demonstrate competence.
Effective providers connect training with staff supervision, observation, competency assessment, reflective discussions and lessons learned from incidents or concerns.
That is how safeguarding knowledge becomes safer practice—and how a provider builds genuine evidence for Ofsted.
How XcENTRIK Solutions Ltd can support your setting
XcENTRIK Solutions Ltd supports childcare providers with professional training, safeguarding development, staff competency assessment and compliance preparation.
Whether you operate a nursery, early years setting or childcare service, we can help you identify gaps, strengthen staff confidence and prepare your team for changing regulatory expectations.
Do not wait for an inspection or safeguarding incident to reveal weaknesses in your systems. Review, train and test your arrangements now.
Contact XcENTRIK Solutions Ltd to discuss training and compliance support for your childcare team.
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