Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for families bereaved following incidents in nursery or early years settings, and whether additional resources are being considered.

The department recognises the profound impact of the death of a child and the importance of ensuring that families are appropriately supported following serious incidents in nursery and early years settings.

As set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance, early years providers and local authorities must follow established safeguarding and serious incident processes where a child has died. This includes notifying relevant authorities of serious incidents and working with local safeguarding partners, including health services and the police. Local safeguarding partners may undertake rapid reviews and where appropriate, local child safeguarding practice reviews to identify learning and improve future practice.

Support for bereaved families is coordinated locally and may include access to emotional and psychological support through health services, liaison with agencies involved in investigations or reviews and signposting to specialist bereavement support services and voluntary sector organisations.

The department continues to work with local authorities and safeguarding partners and to consider how guidance and processes can support effective responses following serious incidents.