Your Essential Guide to Policies and Procedures Contents
01 Staff team
02 Staff responsible for implementation of policies and procedures
03 Access & storage of information
04 Complaints & compliments
05 Admissions
06 Inclusion and equality
07 Personnel
08 Parents & carers as partners
09 Safeguarding children
10 Curriculum development statement
11 Settling in
12 Behaviour management
13 Nutrition & mealtimes
14 Special educational needs
15 Students
16 Arrivals and departures
17 Staff development and training
18 Confidentiality
19 Dealing with racial harassment
20 Health and Safety
21 General fire safety
22 Fire drill procedure
23 Accidents
24 First Aid
25 Medication policy
26 Immunisation policy
27 Sickness/illness policy
28 Allergies & allergic reaction policy
29 Visitors & supervision
30 Advice & consultancy
31 Safety checks
32 Babies and toddlers
33 Sun care policy
34 Manual handling policy
35 Office policy
36 Health work place policy
37 Animal policy
38 Waste management policy
39 Special consideration for employees
40 Late collection & non collection
41 Visits & outings
42 Lost child procedure (from nursery)
43 Lost child procedure (outings)
44 No smoking policy
45 Supervision of staff
46 Mobile phones and social networking
47 Staff working with their own children/close relative
48 Equipment & resources
49 Nursery operational plan
50 Intruder policy
51 Allegations made against a member of staff,
student or volunteer
52 Out of hours baby sitting
53 Head lice policy
54 Dealing with spillages
55 Disciplinary hearings and appeals
56 Grievance procedure
57 Disaster recovery policy
58 Severe weather conditions
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1 The Staff Team
Proprietor Ioana Gherghi
Manager Louise Bryan Level 4
Deputy Luka Honeyball Level 3
Cook Lisa Ives H & H certificate
Baby Unit –
(this unit can cater for 12 under 2’s)
3rd In Charge Nicola Chisholm Level 3
Nursery Assistant Melissa Williams
Nursery Practitioner Sarah Wood Level 2
2-3’s Room –
(this unit can cater for 16 2-3yr olds)
Nursery Practitioner Lisa Deacon Level 3
Nursery Practitioner Kayleigh Robertson Level 2
Pre-School –
(This unit can cater for 24 3-5yr olds)
Deputy Practitioner Luka Honeyball Level 3
Nursery Practitioner Danielle Keys Level 3
Nursery Assistant Diane Ward
Afterschool/Holiday Club –
( can cater for 25 children aged primary school age)
Nursery Practitioner Sonia Mahorn
Part time staff
Nursery Assistant Ioana Gherghi
Nursery Assistant June Rudd
Nursery Practitioner Danielle Hession
Nursery Assistants – cover lunches and annual leave
Staff work opposite shifts so parents see a familiar face. Students and trainees will be deployed under the charge of senior staff.
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2 Implementation of Policies and Procedures
The following members of staff have the responsibility for implementing the policies and procedures listed below.
Louise Bryan Child Protection Co-ordinator
Health and Safety Co-ordinator Support
Lisa Deacon SENCo & Designated Person for ‘Looked After Children’
Nicola Chisholm Equality of Opportunities Co-ordinator
Danielle Keys Appointed First Aider
Luka Honeyball Student Co-ordinator
Health and Safety Co-ordinator
Lisa Ives Kitchen and Catering
Ioana Gherghi Fire Officer
Sarah Wood Outside Co-ordinator
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03 Access & Storage of Information
We believe that an open access policy is the best way of encouraging participation.
Parents/carers are welcome to view the policies and procedures file, which governs the way in which the nursery works. These can be viewed at any time when the nursery is open, simply by asking the nursery manager or by accessing the file on the desk in the office. They are also available on the nursery webpage.
Parents are also welcome to see and contribute to all the records that are kept on their child, however the nursery will adhere to the Data Protection laws.
All parent, child and staff information is stored securely according to data protection registration including details, permissions, certificates and photographic images.
The nursery’s records and documentation are kept and stored in accordance to the minimum legislative archiving time. We currently archive records for at least 21 years and three months.
This will be reviewed annually and amended according to any change in law/legislation.
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04 Complaints & Compliments
Our nursery believes that parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their individual needs and wishes. We hope that at all times you will be happy with the service provided and that you might like to voice your appreciation to the staff concerned.
Complaints should be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from these complaints are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children.
We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that you may have by following our complaints procedure as outlined below:
stage 1
If any parent should have cause for complaint or any queries regarding the care or education of their child they should in the first instance take it up with the child's key person or a senior member of staff/room leader.
stage 2
If the issue remains unresolved and there is not have a satisfactory outcome, then the manager should be contacted. These concerns must be presented in writing to the nursery manager. The manager will then investigate the complaint and report back to the parent within three days. This will be fully documented in the complaints log book and will detail the nature of the complaint and any actions arising from it.
stage 3
If the matter is still not resolved a formal meeting should be held between the manager, parent and the senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with sufficiently. A record of the meeting should be made along with documented minutes and actions. All parties present at the meeting will sign the record and receive a copy, which will signify the conclusion of the procedure.
stage 4
If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with
Office For Standards In Education
3rd Floor
Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann’s Square
Manchester
M2 0QX
Telephone Number: 08456 404040
Quote registration number EY369791
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05 Admissions
ABC Nursery and Pre-school is registered for children.
12 children between the ages of 0 and 2 years.
16 children between the ages of 2 and 3 years.
24 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
24 children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.
The above statement is taken from the registration document and is the overriding policy in respect of admissions.
Other matters taken into account in deciding which child can be offered a place in the nursery are:
• availability of spaces, taking into account the staff/child ratios, the age of the child and the registration requirements
• when the application is received (extra weight is given to those who have been on the waiting list the longest)
• the nursery’s ability to provide the facilities for the welfare of the child
• a child requiring a full-time place may have preference over one requiring a part time place. This is dependent upon work commitments, occupancy and room availability
• extenuating circumstances affecting the child's welfare or the welfare of his/her family
• children who have siblings who are already with us.
We operate an inclusion and equality policy and ensure that children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of gender, race, religion, colour or creed.
Prior to a child attending nursery, parents/carers must complete and sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents/carers, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent, vaccinations etc.
Providers eligible to provide free nursery education places
All settings registered to accept nursery education funding (detailed in the code of conduct) must offer free places for three to five year olds for the 2 ½ hour sessions. At ABC Nursery and Pre-school we currently provide 24 free funded places available for children subject to availability. These places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis and can be booked a term in advance. Please note for admissions for nursery education funded sessions we have a termly intake, beginning the term following your child’s third birthday.
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06 Inclusion & Equality
Statement of intent
The nursery takes great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they be an adult or child. The nursery is committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion/belief, colour, creed, marital status, ethnic or national origin, or political belief, has no place within this nursery.
A commitment to implementing our equal opportunities policy will form part of each employee’s job description. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager at the earliest opportunity.
The legal framework for this policy is based on:
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• Sex Discrimination Act 1986
• Children Act 2004
• Care standards Act 2002
• Childcare Act 2006
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
• Disability Discrimination Act 2005
• Equality Act 2006
The nursery and staff are committed to:
• recruiting, selecting, training and promoting individuals on the basis of occupational skills requirements. In this respect, the nursery will ensure that no job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, marital status, race, religion/belief, colour, cultural or national origin, or sexuality, which cannot be justified as being necessary for the safe and effective performance of their work or training
• providing a childcare place, wherever possible, for children who are designated disabled or disadvantaged according to their individual circumstances, and the nursery’s ability to provide the necessary standard of care
• striving to promote equal access to services and projects by taking practical steps, (where possible) such as ensuring access to people with additional needs and by producing materials in relevant languages and media
• providing a secure environment in which all our children can flourish and all contributions are valued
• including and valuing the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity
• providing positive non-stereotype information about different ethnic groups and people with disabilities
• improving our knowledge and understanding of issues of equality and diversity
• regularly reviewing childcare practice to ensure the policy is effective and practices which are discriminatory
• making inclusion a thread, which runs through all of the activities of the nursery including encouraging positive role models through the use of toys, imaginary play and activities that promote non-stereotyped images.
admissions/ service provision
The nursery is accessible to all children and families in the local community and further afield through a comprehensive and inclusive admissions policy.
The nursery will strive to ensure that all services and projects are accessible and relevant to all groups and individuals in the community within targeted age groups.
recruitment
The nursery will strive in its recruitment to ensure that the staffing levels reflect the community it serves. All vacancies will be advertised as widely as budgets allow.
Every effort will be made to ensure there is a representative balance on the selection group and all members of the group will be committed to equal opportunities practice as set out in this policy and will have received appropriate training in this regard.
Application forms will be sent out along with a copy of the equal opportunities policy. Application forms will not include questions that potentially discriminate against the grounds specified in the statement of intent.
At interview no questions will be posed which potentially discriminate against the grounds specified in the statement of intent. At interview, all candidates will be asked the same questions, and members of the selection group will not introduce nor use any personal knowledge of candidates acquired outside the selection process. Candidates will be given the opportunity to receive feedback on the reasons why they were not successful.
staff
It is the policy of ABC Nursery and Pre-schoolnot to discriminate, whether directly or indirectly in the treatment of others. All staff are expected to co-operate with the implementation, monitoring and improvement of this and other policies. All staff are expected to challenge language, actions, behaviours and attitudes which are oppressive or discriminatory on the grounds as specified in this policy. All staff are expected to participate in equal opportunities training. The equal opportunities co-ordinator is trained and she oversees the equal opportunities within the nursery.
training
The nursery recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective inclusion and equality policy. The nursery will strive towards the provision of inclusion, equality and diversity training for all staff on a (insert details i.e. annual) basis.
curriculum
The curriculum offered in the nursery encourages children to develop positive attitudes to people who are different from them. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.
We do this by:
• making children feel valued and good about themselves
• ensuring that children have equality of access to learning and opportunities
• reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources
• avoiding stereotypes or derogatory images in the selection of materials
• celebrating a wide range of appropriate festivals
• creating an environment of mutual respect and tolerance
• helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are unacceptable
• ensuring that the curriculum offered is inclusive of children with special
educational needs and children with disabilities
• ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to the curriculum and are supported in their learning.
food
• we will work in partnership with parents to ensure that the medical, cultural and dietary needs of children are met
• we will help children to learn about a range of food, cultural approaches to meal times and eating, and to respect the differences among them.
meetings
• meetings will be arranged to ensure that all families who wish to, may be involved in the running of the nursery
• information about meetings and activities will be communicated in a variety of ways according to individual needs (written, verbal and translated), to ensure that all parents have information about access to the meetings.
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07 Personnel
The nursery’s policies in respect of personnel are governed by the following:
• the best interests of the children, their welfare, safety, care and development
• the requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Ofsted’s Early Years Directorate
• meeting the needs of the children including maintaining continuity of care
• compatibility between all members of staff and the building of a good team spirit
• consideration of the advancement of each member of staff both by internal and external training to help them achieve their maximum potential
• equal pay for work of equal value
• compliance with the current legislation including the principles of the Employment Act 2002
• the provision of a personnel specification and job description for each member of staff
• the provision of a statement of terms and conditions for each member of staff
• when recruiting members of staff, the applicant should be made aware of the policies and procedures, especially those relating to discrimination and equal opportunities
• prior to commencement of employment the successful applicant shall be
provided with an offer letter (conditional on Criminal Record Bureau clearance) with the job description and induction procedure
• harassment of any member of staff that can be classed as sexual, racial, age, religious, or political belief related will not be acceptable. This includes unwanted verbal or physical advances - the key factor in assessing harassment is whether it is unwanted.
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08 Parents & Carers as Partners
We believe that children benefit the most when parents and staff work together in partnership to ensure quality care and learning for the children. The nursery team welcomes parents as partners and this relationship needs to be built on trust and understanding. It is important that we, as carers, are able to support parents in an open and sensitive manner. A two way sharing of information is key to this.
The nursery wishes to ensure parents are part of the care and education team within the nursery.
Our policy is to:
• recognise and support parents as their child’s first and most important educators, and to welcome them into the life of the nursery
• generate confidence and encourage parents to trust their own instincts and judgement regarding their own child
• welcome all parents into the nursery at any time
• welcome nursing mothers. The nursery will make available a private area whenever needed to offer space and privacy to these mothers
• ensure that all new parents are aware of the nursery’s policies and procedures. A detailed parent prospectus will be provided and our full policy documents will be available to parents at all times as they will be kept in an easily accessible place within the nursery
• maintain regular contact with parents to help us to build a secure and beneficial working relationship for their children
• support parents in their own continuing education and personal development and inform them of relevant conferences, workshops and training
• create opportunities for parents to talk to other adults in a secure and supportive environment through such activities as ‘Open Days’, ‘Parents Evenings’ and ‘Parents Forum’
• inform parents about nursery activities and events through regularly distributed newsletters
• operate a key person system involving parents for open discussions and information sharing regarding nursery and home circumstances, and individual needs
• inform parents on a regular basis about their children’s progress and involve them in the shared record keeping about their children. Parents’ evenings will be held at least twice a year. Parents will be consulted with about the times of meetings to avoid excluding anyone
• consider and discuss fully all suggestions from parents concerning the care of their child and the running of the nursery
• provide opportunities for parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the nursery in ways which are accessible to parents with basic skills needs, or those for whom English is an additional language
• inform all parents of the systems for registering queries, complaints or suggestions, and to check that these systems are understood by parents. All parents have access to our written complaints procedure
• provide opportunities for parents to learn about the Early Years Foundation Stage and about young children's learning in the nursery and at home
• provide a written contract between the parent(s) and the nursery regarding conditions of acceptance and arrangements for payment
• respect the family’s religious and cultural backgrounds and to accommodate any special requirements wherever possible and practical to do so
• to find out the needs and expectations of parents. These will be obtained through regular feedback via questionnaires, providing a suggestion system and encouraging parents to review working practices. These are then evaluated by the nursery to promote nursery practice, policy and staff development.
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09 Safeguarding Children
Louise Bryan – Child Protection Officer
Our nursery will work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.
To this end we will:
• create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
• encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
• provide a safe and secure environment for all children
• always listen to children.
ABC Nursery and Pre-school has a clear commitment to safeguarding children and promoting welfare.
Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager at the earliest opportunity.
The legal framework for this policy is based on:
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
Practitioners have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff will often be the first people to sense that there is a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide about abuse. The nursery has a duty to be aware that abuse does occur in our society. This statement lays out the procedures that will be followed if we have any reason to believe that a child in our care is subject to welfare issues including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well being of all children in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents/carers and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. All staff will work as part of a multi-agency team where needed in the best interests of the child.
All staff will be familiar with their own responsibilities to act swiftly upon any suspicions or concerns they may have about any child or member of staff at the nursery. The nursery will follow the procedures set out in the *Early Years Foundation Stage and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB’s) Guidance and as such will seek advice on all steps taken subsequently. The nursery has a duty to report any suspicions around abuse to the local authority who have an obligation to investigate such matters.
Staff must not make comment either publicly or in private about a parent’s supposed or actual behaviour. Staff must raise any concerns initially with the manager. The manager will then discuss the matter with the registered person and appropriate action will be considered. Staff responsibilities do not include investigating the suspected abuse. However, the staff will keep accurate records of their observations, signed and dated, and of anything said to them by the child or others in connection with the suspected abuse. This information will be kept in a locked cabinet.
It is always important to listen to children. Strict confidentiality will be observed at all times. All our staff will receive training on the protection of children from abuse. It is the policy of the nursery to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. The nursery will therefore not allow an adult to be left alone with a child who has not received their enhanced CRB check clearance. This procedure will be updated with the introduction of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). From summer 2010 all new staff recruited to work with children will be required to be registered with the ISA. As a nursery we will not be able to legally employ new staff unless they are ISA registered, (England and Wales). Further information is available at www.isa-gov.org.uk
The nursery aims to:
• ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff
• ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times
• ensure that all staff are alert to the signs and understand what is meant by safeguarding and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed including by other children i.e. bullying.
• ensure that all staff are familiar with safeguarding issues and procedures
• ensure parents are fully aware of safeguarding policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and kept informed of all updates when they occur
• Regularly review and update this policy.
Children will be supported by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. Activities will be devised according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence within their peer group.
Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst investigations are carried out in the best interests of the child.
Contact telephone numbers
• *Ofsted 0845 640 4040
• Local authority social services 0845 6037 634
types of abuse
Physical abuse
Action will be taken under this heading if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning; where there is definite knowledge, or reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented.
Procedure:
• All signs of marks/injuries to a child, when they come into nursery, will be recorded as soon as noticed by a staff member
• The incident will be discussed with the parent/carer at the earliest opportunity
• Such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records
• If there appear to be any queries regarding the injury, the Safeguarding Children’s Board in the local authority will be notified.
Sexual abuse
Action will be taken under this heading if the staff team have witnessed occasions where a child indicated sexual activity through words, play, drawing, had an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters, or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour.
Procedure:
• The observed instances will be detailed in a confidential report
• The observed instances will be reported to the nursery manager
• the matter will be referred to the Safeguarding Children’s Board in the local authority.
Emotional abuse
Action will be taken under this heading if the staff team have reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.
Procedure:
• The concern will be discussed with the parent/carer
• Such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records
• If there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances, the matter will be referred to the Safeguarding Children’s Board in the local authority.
Neglect
Action will be taken under this heading if the staff team have reason to believe that there has been persistent or severe neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including cold and starvation) which results in serious impairment of the child's health or development, including failure to thrive.
Procedure:
• The concern will be discussed with the parent/carer
• Such discussions will be recorded and the parent/carer will have access to such records
• if there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances the Safeguarding Children’s Board in the local authority will be notified.
Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures
Staff will make an objective record of any observation or disclosure and include:
• Child’s name
• Child’s address
• Age of the child and date of birth
• Date and time of the observation or the disclosure
• Exact words spoken by the child/injuries or marks seen
• Name of the person to whom the concern was reported, with date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time.
• Any discussion held with parent/carer.
These records are signed and dated and kept in a separate confidential file. All members of staff know the procedures for recording and reporting. It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and Ofsted on 0845 6404040.
Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information they have concerns with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the LSCB and Ofstedin any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
All staff will attend safeguarding training within their first six months of employment, and receive initial basic training during their induction period.
Staffing and volunteering
We have a named person within the nursery that co-ordinates safeguarding and welfare issues. The designated person undertakes specific training and accesses regular updates to developments within this field.
The named person regarding safeguarding at the nursery is:
Louise Bryan
• We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of children
• Applicants for posts within the nursery are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information
• From summer 2010 all new applicants must be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and will have an additional enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure conducted on them
• we abide by Ofsted requirements in respect of references and police checks for staff and volunteers, to ensure that no disqualified person or unfit person works at the nursery or has access to the children
• Volunteers, including students, do not work unsupervised
• we abide by the Protection of Children Act requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have lead to dismissal for reasons of safeguarding children concern
• we have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the nursery and take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the nursery, so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children
• The deployment of staff within the nursery allows for constant supervision. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar.
Informing parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the LSCB does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent is the likely abuser. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.
Confidentiality
All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared under the guidance of the LSCB.
Support to families
• The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff and volunteers within the nursery
• The nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation
• Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child's parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate under the guidance of the LSCB
• With the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount, we will do all in our power to support and work with the child's family.
Employees of the nursery
If an allegation is made against a member of staff, Ofsted, Care and Social Servicesand the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board will be informed and this will be investigated. This may result in the nursery disciplinary procedure being followed.
The incident will be dealt with by the manager/registered person:
• A full investigation will be carried out to determine how this will be handled
• If the allegation could possibly interfere with the normal working of the nursery, the member of staff will be allocated to another area, after due consultation with all parties
• The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff on full pay during an investigation
• All investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file
• Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being re-instated
• Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisation (police) and will result in the termination of employment. Ofstedwill be notified immediately of this decision. From October 2009 the nursery will be required to notify the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to ensure their records are updated.
• counselling will be available for any member of the nursery who is affected by an allegation, their colleagues in the nursery and the parents.
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10 Curriculum Development Statement
We set out to assist all children attending the nursery to attain their maximum potential within their perceived capabilities. An individual record of each child's development is maintained, showing their abilities, progress and areas needing further staff assistance. We acknowledge that children learn in different ways and at different rates and plan for this accordingly.
The staff are very aware of the importance of the positive play environment for the child, so they may develop good social skills and an appreciation of all aspects of this country's multi-cultural society. Planning of the learning experience by the staff is further designed to ensure, as far as practical, equality of opportunity between all children and celebrates diversity.
We promote the relevant frameworks and curriculum set by the DCSF to support and enhance children’s learning and development holistically through a play based curriculum. We view all aspects of learning and development equally important and ensure a flexible approach is maintained which responds quickly to children’s learning and developmental needs. We develop a tailor made curriculum according to individual needs, which is based on observation to inform planning and draws on children’s needs and interests. This is promoted through rounded approach delivered with a balance of adult led and child initiated opportunities both indoors and outdoors.
We acknowledge parents as primary educators and encourage parental involvement as outlined in our parents as partners policy. We build home links though planning to enhance and extend children’s learning internally and externally.
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11 Settling In
We aim for children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the nursery and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We also want parents/carers to have confidence in both their children's well being and their role as active partners, with the child being able to benefit from what the nursery has to offer.
We aim to help parents and other carers to help their children settle quickly and easily by giving consideration to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
The nursery staff will work in partnership with parents/carers to settle their child into the nursery environment by:
• providing parents/carers with relevant information regarding the policies and procedures of the nursery
• encouraging the parents/carers and children to visit the nursery during the weeks before an admission is planned
• planning settling in visits and introductory sessions (lasting approximately 1-2 hours). These will be provided free of charge over a one or two week period dependent on individual needs, age and stage of development
• welcoming parents/carers to stay with their child during the first few weeks until the child feels settled and the parents/carers feel comfortable about leaving him/her. Settling in visits and introductory sessions are key to a smooth transition and ensure good communication and information exchange
• reassuring parents/carers whose children seem to be taking a long time settling into the nursery
• encouraging parents/carers, where appropriate, to separate themselves from their children for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer absences
• allocating a key person to each child and his/her family, before he/she starts to attend. The key person welcomes and looks after the child and his/her parents during the settling in period, and throughout his/her time at the nursery to ensure the family has a familiar contact person to assist with the settling in process
• respecting the circumstances of all families, including those who are unable to stay for long periods of time in the nursery and reassure them of their child’s progress towards settling in
• children will not be taken on an outing from the nursery until he/she is completely settled.
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12 Behaviour Management
Our nursery believes that children flourish best when they know how they are expected to behave. Children gain respect through interaction with caring adults who show them respect and value their individual personalities. Positive, caring and polite behaviour will be encouraged and praised at all times in an environment where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their surroundings.
Children need to have set boundaries of behaviour for their own safety and the safety of their peers. Within the nursery we aim to set these boundaries in a way, which helps the child to develop a sense of the significance of their own behaviour, both on their own environment and those around them. Restrictions on the child's natural desire to explore and develop their own ideas and concepts are kept to a minimum.
We aim to:
• recognise the individuality of all our children
• encourage self-discipline, consideration for each other, our surroundings and property
• encourage children to participate in a wide range of group activities to enable them to develop their social skills
• work in partnership with parents and carers by communicating openly
• by praising children and acknowledging their positive actions and attitudes, we hope to ensure that children see that we value and respect them
• encourage all staff working with the children to accept their responsibility for implementing the goals in the policy
• promote non-violence and encourage the children to deal with conflict peaceably
• provide a key worker system enabling staff to build a strong and positive relationship with children and their families
• have a named person who has overall responsibility for issues concerning behaviour.
The named person: Louise Bryan will keep up to date with legislation and research and thinking on handling children's; access relevant sources of expertise on handling children's behaviour; attend regular external training events, and check that all staff relevant in-service training on handling children’s. A record will be kept of staff attendance at this training
We recognise that codes for interacting with other people vary between cultures and staff are required to be aware of this and respect those used by members of the nursery.
Nursery rules are concerned with safety and care and respect for each other. Children who behave inappropriately by physically abusing another child or adult or by verbal bullying may be removed from the group. The child who has been upset will be comforted and the adult will confirm that the other child's behaviour is not acceptable. It is important to acknowledge that a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour we are rejecting, not the child.
when children behave in unacceptable ways:
• physical punishment such as smacking or shaking will be neither used nor threatened
• children will not be singled out or humiliated in any way. Staff within the nursery will redirect the children towards alternative activities. Discussions with children will take place respecting their level of understanding and maturity
• staff will not raise their voices in a threatening way
• in any case of misbehaviour, it will always be made clear to the child or children in question, that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome
• how a particular type of behaviour is handled will depend on the child and the circumstances. It may involve the child being asked to talk and think about what he or she has done. It may be that the child will not be allowed to make his or her own choice of activities for a limited period of time
• parents will be informed if their child is persistently unkind to others or if their child has been upset. In all cases inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with in nursery at the time. Parents may be asked to meet with staff to discuss their child's behaviour, so that if there are any difficulties we can work together to ensure consistency between home and nursery. In some cases we may request additional advice and support from other professionals, such as an educational psychologist or child guidance counsellor
• children need to develop non-aggressive strategies to enable them to stand up for themselves so that adults and children listen to them. They need to be given opportunities to release their feelings more creatively
• confidential records will be kept on any negative behaviour that has taken place. Parents/carers will be informed and asked to read and sign any entries concerning their child
• if a child requires help to develop positive behaviour, every effort will be made to provide for their needs
• through partnership with parents/carers and formal observation, staff will make every effort to identify the unwanted behaviour and the causes of that behaviour.
From these observations and discussions an individual behaviour modification plan will be implemented
• children will be distracted from the negative situation and supported in a different activity or environment, if necessary for their own well-being and that of others in the group.
anti-bullying
Children need their own time and space. It is not always appropriate to expect a child to share and it is important to acknowledge children's feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.
Children must be encouraged to recognise that bullying, fighting, hurting and racist comments are not acceptable behaviour. We want children to recognise that certain actions are right and that others are wrong.
Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical, verbal or emotional, but it is always a repeated behaviour that makes other people feel uncomfortable or threatened.
Any form of bullying is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately. At our nursery, staff follow the guidelines below to enable them to deal with challenging behaviour:
• staff are encouraged to ensure that all children feel safe, happy and secure
• staff are encouraged to recognise that active physical aggression in the early years is part of the child’s development and that it should be channelled in a positive way
• children need to be helped to understand that using aggression to get things is wrong and will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
• our staff are encouraged to adopt a policy of intervention when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or “harmless” it may seem
• the staff are ready to initiate games and activities with children, when they feel play has become aggressive, both indoors or out
• any instance of bullying will be discussed fully with the parents of all involved, to look for a consistent resolution to the behaviour
• if any parent has a concern about their child, a member of staff will be available to discuss those concerns. It is only by co-operation that we can ensure our children feel confident and secure in their environment, both at home and in the nursery.
By positively promoting good behaviour, valuing co-operation and a caring attitude we hope to ensure that children will develop as responsible members of society.
13 Nutrition & Mealtimes
Meal times should be a happy, social occasion for staff and children alike. Positive interactions should be shared at these times and enjoyed. ABC Nursery and Pre-school is committed to offering children with healthy, nutritious and balanced meals and snacks which meet individuals needs and requirements.
We will ensure that:
• a balanced and healthy breakfast, midday meal, tea and two daily snacks are provided for children attending a full day at the nursery
• menus will be planned in advance, rotated regularly and reflect cultural diversity and variation. These will be displayed for parents.
• we provide nutritious food at all snack and meal times, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar and salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings
• menus will include at least 3 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day
• parents and children will be involved in menu planning
• fresh drinking water will be constantly available and frequently offered to children and babies
• individual dietary requirements will be respected. We will gather information from parents regarding their children’s dietary needs including any allergies. Where appropriate we will carry out a risk assessment in the case of allergies and work alongside parents to put into place an individual diet plan for their child
• staff will show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. They would not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child, or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy
• staff will set a good example and eat with the children and show good table manners. Meal and snack times will be organised so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate in small groups. During meals and snack times children will be encouraged to use their manners and say 'Please' and 'Thank you' and conversation will be encouraged.
• staff will use meal and snack times to help promote children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink, and feeding themselves
• we provide foods from the diet of each of the children’s cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones. Cultural differences in eating habits will be respected
• any child who shows signs of distress at being faced with a meal he/she does not like will have his food removed without any fuss. If a child does not finish his first course, he/she will still be given a small helping of dessert. Children not on special diets will be encouraged to eat a small piece of everything
• children who refuse to eat at the mealtime will be offered food later in the day at snack times
• children who are slow eaters will be given time and not rushed
• quantities will take account of the ages of the children
• we will promote positive attitude to healthy eating through play opportunities and discussions
• the nursery will provide parents with daily written records of feeding routines for all children under the age of three
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14 Special Educational Needs
Statement
The nursery is committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop their full potential alongside each other, through positive experiences to enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs.
The nursery believes that all children have a right to experience and develop alongside their peers no matter what their individual needs. Each child’s needs are unique, therefore any attempt to categorise children is inappropriate. The nursery is committed to working alongside parents in the provision for their child’s individual needs, to enable us to help the child to develop to their full potential.
The nursery is committed to work with any child who has a specific need or disability to enable the child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities. All children with special needs have a right to a broad and well-balanced education.
We feel it is paramount to find out as much as possible about a particular child’s condition and the way that affects his/her educational needs by:
• liaising with the child’s parents
• liaising with any professional agencies
• reading any reports that have been prepared
• attending any review meetings with the local authority
• regularly monitoring observations carried out on the child’s development.
All children will be given a full settling in period when joining the nursery according to their needs.
Aims
• recognise any special needs a child may have and ensure all staff are aware of and have regard for the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
on identification and assessment of special needs
• include all children in our provision
• provide practitioners to help support parents and children with special educational needs (SEN)/disabilities
• develop and maintain a core team of staff who are experienced in the care of
children with special needs and employ a special needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who is experienced in the care and assessment of children with special needs. Staff will be provided with specific training relating to SEN and the SEN Code of Practice
• identify the specific needs of children with SEN/disabilities and meet those needs through a range of strategies
• work in partnership with parents and other agencies in meeting individual
children's needs including the health and education authorities and seek advice, support and training
• monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make
adjustments, and seek specialist equipment and services if needed
• ensure that all children are treated as equals and are encouraged to take part in every aspect of the nursery day according to their individual needs and abilities
• promote positive images and role models during play experiences of those with additional or special needs wherever possible
• celebrate diversity in all aspects of play and the curriculum
Our nursery Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is
Lisa Deacon
She works closely with all staff to make sure there are systems in place to plan, implement, monitor, review and evaluate the special needs policy of the nursery, always making sure plans and records are shared with parents.
Methods
• designate a member of staff to be Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
(SENCO) and give his/her name to parents
• provide a statement showing how we provide for children with SEN/disabilities
• ensure that the provision for children with SEN/disabilities is the responsibility of all members of the nursery
• ensure that our inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and
opportunity
• ensure that our physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children with disabilities
• work closely with parents of children with SEN/disabilities to create and maintain a positive partnership
• ensure that parents are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning,
provision and review of their children's education
• provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support
• liaise with other professionals involved with children with SEN/disabilities and their families, including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools. We work closely with the next care setting and meet with them to discuss the child’s needs to ensure continuity of care and information exchange
• use the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children's special educational needs
• provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children with SEN/disabilities
• provide a differentiated curriculum to meet individual needs and abilities
• use a system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing individual educational plans (IEPs) for children with SEN/disabilities
• review IEPs regularly each term and hold review meetings with parents at this time
• ensure that children with SEN/disabilities are appropriately involved at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability
• use a system for keeping records of the assessment, planning, provision and
review for children with SEN/disabilities
• provide resources (human and financial) to implement our SEN/disability policy
• ensure the privacy of children with SEN/disabilities when intimate care is being provided
• use a CAF (common assessment framework) where needed
• provide in-service training for practitioners and volunteers
• raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff
• ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. IEP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually
• provide a complaints procedure
• monitor and review our policy annually.
Special educational needs code of practice
It is the duty of the nursery to carry out our statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs. The Code of Practice recommends that our nursery should adopt a graduated approach to assessment through Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus. Good practice of working together with parents, and the observation and monitoring of children’s individual progress, will identify any child
with special educational needs. Our nursery has identified a member of staff as a SENCO who will work alongside parents to assess the child’s strengths and plan for future support. The SENCO will ensure that appropriate records are kept according to the Code of Practice.
Early Years Action
The child is identified with special educational needs. The SENCO, working alongside colleagues and parents, will assess and record the child’s needs and provide an individual education plan providing future support. This plan will be continually under review in consultation with the child and his/her parent/guardian.
Early Years Action Plus
Is characterised by the involvement of external support services, usually requested by the SENCO and colleagues in consultation with the child’s parents. If the help given through Early Years Action Plus is not sufficient to enable the child to progress satisfactorily, it may be necessary for the setting, in consultation with the parents and any external agencies already involved, to request a statutory assessment towards a statement of special educational needs.
Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
At ABC Nursery and Pre-school we use the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as a key part of delivering integrated services around the needs of children. The CAF enables us to use a standardised approach to conduct an assessment of a child's additional needs and decide how those needs should be met. We complete a holistic assessment of a child's needs and strengths and involve parents and agencies as appropriate. We will then work together to agree what support is needed. The lead professional responsible for each case will be assigned and the families will be fully informed at all stages. Parental involvement is essential to ensuring the welfare of the child.
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15 Students
The nursery is committed to sharing best practice with those wishing to pursue a career in childcare. Therefore, students will be welcome to join our staff and gain work experience within our nursery. We welcome the chance to encourage training. We accept student placements and recognise this as an opportunity to examine and revise our own practice. We will only have one student in each room at a time as we feel this benefits the student and reduces unnecessary pressure on staff members. We do, however, accept small groups or occasional placements when research or studies are being carried out that will be of benefit to childcare.
Students are expected to be associated with a recognised child related course, or on occasions, pupils from local secondary schools on work experience. Placements will be offered after discussions with the appropriate tutors, and close links have been established with the college or school.
Students will attend a pre-visit to the nursery for an interview, followed by their student induction and nursery tour. At this time students will have the opportunity to read and discuss relevant health and safety policies, receive a copy of the Student Handbook which includes their hours, dress code, nursery telephone number and important policies and procedures such as confidentiality, Health and Safety, Manual handling and what to do in a fire drill. They will also have to sign their contract in readiness for their first day:
• students will be supervised at all times by a member of staff assigned to them and will not be left alone with the children
• we require students to keep to our confidentiality policy
• it is expected that during the student’s placement, their tutor will visit the nursery or have verbal communication with the student co-ordinator to receive feedback about the student’s progression from the manager and the students mentor
• students will be offered support and guidance throughout their placement and offered constructive honest feedback in respect of their performance. Staff will respect individual students’ needs and abilities and will aid their development
• an accurate evaluation of ability and performance for both students and training providers will be provided and the nursery will support students who are experiencing difficulties with action plans if needed
• to maintain parent partnerships, parents will be informed of when students are present in the nursery by way of the parent notice board. Wherever possible this will be accompanied by a recent photograph of the student.
All students on placement must adhere to the same codes of conduct as permanent staff and this also applies to time-keeping and dress codes. Confidentiality must be upheld at all times. Students are attached to a senior member of staff (their mentor), who supervises their work and will explain the safety and fire requirements. All students are encouraged to contribute fully to the nursery routine and to spend some time in each area. Students must not be left alone with children and they should only be allowed to change nappies when supervised.
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16 Arrivals & Departures
It is the policy of the nursery to give a warm welcome to each child on their arrival.
Parents/carers are requested to pass the care of their child to a specific member of staff who will ensure his/her safety, and that their attendance is recorded in the register (this is usually done by a child’s key person, but depends in staffing).
The staff member receiving the child immediately records his/her arrival in the daily attendance register. Any specific information provided by the parents should be recorded.
If the parent requests the child to be given medicine during the day the staff member must ensure that the medicine consent procedure is followed.
If the child is not to be collected by the parent/carer at the end of the session, an agreed procedure must be followed to identify the nominated adult.
The planned departure of the child should be anticipated by the key person in the group.
All medicines should be recovered from the medicine box/fridge only when the
parent/carer has arrived and should be handed to him/her personally.
No child should be handed over to anyone other than the known parent/carer unless an agreement has been made at the time of arrival. On departure, the child register must be immediately marked to show that the child has left the premises.
For arrivals and departures of visitors the appropriate records must be completed on entry and exit e.g. in the visitors book.
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17 Staff Development & Training
The nursery highly values its staff. It is in the interests of the nursery, the children, families, and the individual, that each staff member be given the opportunity to develop their skills to their maximum and to broaden their knowledge and skills in caring for children.
Personal and professional development is essential to maintaining the quality and delivery of high quality care and education for young children in early years. It underpins all aspects of curriculum delivery and positive interactions. At ABC Nursery and Pre-school we ensure that 75% of staff are qualified to Level 3 or equivalent in childcare and education. Other staff working at the nursery will either be qualified to Level 2 or undertaking training or have a wealth of child care experience. We strongly promote constant professional development and all staff have individual training records and training plans to enhance their skills and expertise.
To facilitate the development of staff we:
• coach, lead and role model with staff, and offer encouragement and support to achieve a high level of morale and motivation
• promote teamwork through ongoing communication, involvement and a no blame culture to enhance nursery practice
• provide opportunities for delegation based on skills and expertise to offer
recognition and stimulate staff
• encourage staff to contribute ideas for change within the nursery and hold regular staff meetings and team meetings to develop these ideas. Regular meetings are also held to discuss strategy, policy and curriculum planning
• encourage staff to further their experience and knowledge by attending relevant external training courses
• encourage staff to pass on their knowledge to those who are less experienced and disseminate knowledge from external training to small groups of staff within the nursery
• provide regular in-house training relevant to the needs of the nursery
• carry out regular tri monthly supervisions with all staff. Staff appraisals are carried out every year ad reviewed 6monthly where objectives and action plans for staff are set out, whilst also sourcing training according to their individual needs
• develop a training plan addressing both qualifications and continuous
professional development needs of the setting and of individual staff
• promote a positive learning culture within the setting
• delegate responsibilities according to an individual’s expertise
• offer annual team building training
• cascade information and hold regular internal training events
• carry out training needs analysis for all individual staff, the team as a whole, and for the nursery every six months
• carry out full evaluations of all training events and use these to evaluate the
training against the aims set to enable the development of future training
programmes to improve effectiveness and staff learning
• provide inductions to welcome all new staff and assign a ‘work-buddy’ to coach and support new staff
• offer ongoing support and guidance
• offer to staff varied information sources including membership to local and
national organisations, resources, publications and literature.
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18 Confidentiality
The nursery’s work with children and their families will bring us into contact with confidential information. It is a legal requirement on the nursery to hold information about the children and families using the nursery and the staff working at the nursery. This information is used for registers, invoices and for emergency contacts. However all records will be stored in a locked cabinet in line with data protection registration.
It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their families and we will do so by:
• storing confidential records in a locked filing cabinet
• ensuring that all staff are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery
• ensuring that parents have access to files and records of their own children but not to those of any other child
• gaining parental permission for any information to be used other than for the
above reasons
• the staff, through their close relationship with both the children and their parents, may learn more about the families using the nursery. All staff are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery setting. If any of this information is requested for whatever reason, the parent’s permission will always be sought. Staff do not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child's needs. Staff induction includes an awareness of the importance of confidentiality in the role of the key person. Students on placement in the nursery are advised of our confidentiality policy and required to respect it
• issues concerning the employment of staff remains confidential to the people
directly involved with making personnel decisions
• any concerns/evidence relating to a child's personal safety are kept in a secure, confidential file and are shared with as few people as possible on a "need-to know" basis. If, however, a child is considered at risk, our child protection policy will override confidentiality.
All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the nursery, which is to the safety and well being of the child.
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19 Dealing with Racial Harassment
We have the duty to create and implement strategies in the nursery to prevent and address racism. Such strategies include:
• that the nursery records all racist incidents
• that all recorded incidents are reported to the children’s parents/carers, and when appropriate to the registering authority.
Parents have a right to know when racism occurs and what actions the nursery will take to tackle it.
In the Race Relations Act 1976 Section 71 there is a statement of the duty to ‘promote harmony and good relations’ between different groups in society. We have a statutory responsibility to monitor, review and eliminate racial discrimination.
definition of racial harassment
‘Violence which may be verbal or physical and which includes attacks on property and people because of their race, nationality, ethnic origins – when the victim believes that the perpetrator was acting on racial grounds and/or there is evidence of racism’ – (Commission for Racial Equality).
Incidents may involve a small or large number of persons, they may vary in their degree of offence and may not even recognise the incident has racial implications; or at the other extreme their behaviour may be quite deliberate and blatant.
Examples of racial harassment:
• physical assault against a person or group of people
• derogatory name calling, insults and racial jokes
• racist graffiti and other written insults
• provocative behaviour such as wearing racist badges and insignia and the
distribution of racist literature
• threats against a person or group of people because of their colour or race
• discriminatory comment including ridicule made in the course of discussions in class or elsewhere
• patronising words or actions.
procedure
1. all staff in the nursery should be constantly aware and alert of any racial
harassment taking place
2. they must intervene firmly and quickly to prevent all forms of racial harassment. Any allegation should be taken seriously and reported to the nursery manager
3. each incident should be investigated and recorded in detail as accurately as possible. This record should be available for inspection by staff, inspectors and parents where appropriate, on request
4. the nursery manager is responsible for ensuring that incidents are handled
appropriately and sensitively and entered in the record book. Any pattern of
behaviour should be indicated. Perpetrator/victim’s initials may be used in the
record book as information on individuals is confidential to the nursery
5. where an allegation is substantiated following an investigation, the parents of the child/ren who are perpetrators and victims should be informed of the incident and of the outcome
6. continued racial harassment may lead to exclusion but such steps should only be taken when other strategies have failed to modify behaviour
7. adults found to be perpetrators must be reported immediately to the manager.
Racial harassment needs to be recorded to ensure that:
• strategies are developed to prevent future incidents
• patterns of behaviour are identified
• persistent offenders are identified
• effectiveness of nursery policies are monitored
• a secure information base is provided to enable the nursery to respond to
comments about racial incidents.
nursery staff
All staff should be alert and seek to overcome any ignorant or offensive behaviour based on fear or dislike of racial distinctions that pupils or adults may express in nursery.
An atmosphere must be created where the victims of any form of racial harassment have confidence to report such behaviour, and that subsequently they feel positively supported by the staff of the nursery.
It is incumbent upon all members of staff to ensure that they do not express any views or comments that are racist. Nor must staff appear to endorse such views by failing to counter behaviour, which is prejudicial in a direct manner. A sensitive and informed approach must be used to counter any racial harassment perpetrated out of ignorance.
When a member of staff violates this nursery code of practice he/she will be counselled by the nursery manager. It will be explained to them why the behaviour is unacceptable and what steps will be taken to remedy the situation.
At this stage it will be made clear that the content of the discussion will not be used as evidence in further disciplinary action. A repetition of such behaviour will lead to a formal verbal warning at which point the member of staff will be advised of their right to have a witness present. From this point, the normal disciplinary codes of practice for employees of the nursery will come into effect.
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20 Health & Safety
general statement of policy
Our policy is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees, and to provide such information, training and supervision as they need for this purpose. We wish to develop and promote a strong health and safety culture within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children and parents. We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities.
The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements which we will make to implement the policy are set out within this policy and sufficient resources will be made available to honour our commitment.
The policy will be kept up to date, particularly as the business changes in nature and size, and will be revised annually, or as and when necessary. We therefore welcome any useful comments from members of staff, parents and visitors regarding this policy.
aims and objectives
The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises. To achieve this we will actively work towards the following objectives:
• establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery
• establish and maintain safe working procedures amongst staff and children
• make arrangements for ensuring safety and the absence of risks to health in
connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and
substances
• ensure the provision of sufficient information, instruction and supervision to
enable all people working in or using the nursery, to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety at work, and to ensure that they have access to health and safety training as and when provided
• maintain a healthy and safe place of work and safe entry and exit from it
• formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises
• follow the regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other
relevant legislation.
We believe the risks in the nursery environment to be low but to maintain the maximum protection for children, staff and parents/carers we consider it necessary to:
• ensure the highest entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits
remain clear at all times
• regularly check the premises room by room for structural defects, worn fixtures and fittings or electrical equipment, and take the necessary remedial action
• ensure that all staff are aware of the fire procedures and regular fire drills are
carried out
• ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedures in case of accidents
• ensure that all members of staff take all reasonable action to control the spread of infectious diseases and that they wear protective gloves and clothes where appropriate
• prohibit smoking on the premises
• prohibit any contractor working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in charge to negate any risks to the staff or children
• no inappropriate jewellery to be worn. One pair of stud earrings and
wedding/engagement rings are acceptable
• dress code is smart and practical with sensible shoes. No nail varnish and all long hair must be tied back at all times
• no running inside the premises
• all electrical sockets should be protected by safety plugs, and there should be no trailing wires
• all cleaning materials/toilet cleaner to be placed out of the reach of children
• protective clothing should be worn when serving food
• prohibit certain foods e.g. peanuts are not allowed in the nursery
• telephone calls must be received before 8am if a member of staff is not well
enough to attend work
• all staff should familiarise themselves with the First Aid boxes and know who the appointed First Aider is Louise Dudley
• children must be supervised at all times
• no student should be left unsupervised at any time.
responsibilities
Responsibility for Health and Safety in the nursery is that of Luka Honeyball.
The manager has overall and final responsibility for this policy being carried out at: ABC Nursery and Pre-school, Stondon Road, Hallsford Bridge, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9RG.
The deputy nursery manager will be responsible in her absence.
All employees have the responsibility to co-operate with senior staff and the manager to achieve a healthy and safe workplace and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Neglect of health and safety regulations will be regarded as a disciplinary matter.
Whenever a member of staff notices a health or safety problem, which they are not able to put right, they must immediately report to the appropriate person named above.
Daily contact, monthly staff/planning meetings and health and safety meetings provide consultation between management and employees.
Other health and safety areas are managed by:
• safety training
• safety inspections
• investigating accidents
• monitoring the maintenance of equipment
• risk assessments
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21 General fire safety
The deputy has overall responsibility for the fire drill and evacuation procedures.
These should be carried out and recorded for each group of children every three months.
|
Who checks |
How often |
Location |
Escape route/fire exit |
Luka Honeyball |
Every day – make sure all fire exits are kept clear |
All doors which provide exit to the outdoors |
Fire extinguishers & blankets |
Chelmer Fire Protection Services Ltd |
Once a year |
Throughout the whole nursery |
Smoke/heat alarms |
TPG Services Once a year Throughout the
whole nursery |
Fire alarms |
Fire doors closed and in good repair |
|
|
|
registration
An accurate record of all staff and children present in the building must be kept at all times and children/staff must be marked in and out on arrival and departure. An accurate record of visitors must be kept in the Visitor’s Book. These records must be taken out along with the Register in the event of a fire.
no smoking policy
Children’s health and wellbeing is of utmost importance for the children in our care. Smoking has proved to be a health risk and in accordance with childcare legislation, the nursery operates a strict no smoking policy within its buildings and grounds. Parents are respectfully requested to abstain from smoking whilst on the premises. This rule also applies to staff, students, carers and visitors etc. Staff accompanying children outside the nursery are not permitted to smoke e.g. whilst on an outing.
We respect it is personal choice to smoke, although the nursery supports healthy lifestyles and therefore will help staff and parents to stop smoking by:
• providing fact sheets and leaflets
• providing information of local help groups
• NHS quit smoking helpline/ website: www.gosmokefree.co.uk
• offering information regarding products available to help stop smoking
• offering in house support.
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22 Fire drill procedure
On discovering a fire
1. CALMLY raise the alarm by blowing the whistle/ringing the bell
2. immediately evacuate the building under guidance from the manager
3. check all rooms, toilets, corners, etc
4. using the nearest exit lead the children out, assemble in the field by the fence or out the front of the nursery by the fence
5. close all doors behind you.
The manager is to:
1. pick up the children’s register and visitor book
2. telephone emergency services: dial 999 and ask for the fire service
3. in a safe place clear of the building - check the children against the register
4. Account for all adults.
• Do not try to collect personal belongings on evacuating the building
• Do not attempt to go back in and fight the fire
• Do not attempt to go back in if any children or adults are not accounted for
• Advise the fire services of anyone missing.
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23 Accidents
Location of accident files are in the children’s personal files in the filing cabinet.
• the person responsible for reporting accidents, incidents or near misses is the member of staff who witnesses the incident. They must record it in the Accident File and report it to the manager. This should be done as soon as the accident is dealt with, while the details are still clearly remembered. The parents must be shown the Accident Report and asked to sign it as soon as they collect their child
• the nursery manager must report serious accidents to the registered person for investigation for further action to be taken (i.e. a full risk assessment or report under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR))
• when the Accident File is full it will be kept for at least 21 years and 3 months
• where medical attention is required a senior member of staff should notify the parent as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately
• where medical treatment is required you should also inform the insurance
company in writing
• report to Ofsted where necessary, normally when medical attention is requied.
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24 First aid
The first aid boxes are located in nappy changing area in baby room and in the bathroom of the 2-5’s unit.
Emergency first aid procedures are kept in the first aid boxes. There is also a poster in the bathroom of the 2-5’s unit.
The appointed person responsible for first aid is Louise Dudley
Trained qualified first aiders are all paediatric first aid trained (12 hr course)
Louise Bryan
Luka Honeyball
Nicola Chisholm
Lisa Deacon
Sarah Wood
Melissa Williams
Kayleigh Robertson
Danielle Keys
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25 Medication Policy
When dealing with medication of any kind in the nursery, strict guidelines should be followed.
prescribed medication
• prescribed medicine can only be given to the person named on the bottle for the dosage stated
• the parent or guardian of any child requiring prescribed medication should allow a senior member of staff to have sight of the bottle. The staff member should note the details of the administration on the appropriate form. Another member of staff should check these details
• the parent or guardian should give written permission for the administration of medication
• the parent or guardian should sign and date daily to confirm the agreed dosage for that day
• the parent or guardian should be asked when the child had last been given the medication before coming to nursery; this information should be recorded on the medication form. Similarly when the child is picked up, the parent or guardian must be given precise details of the times and dosage given throughout the day. The parent’s or guardian’s signature must be obtained
• at the time of administering the medicine a senior member of staff will ask the child to take the medicine, or offer it in a manner acceptable to the child at the prescribed time and in the prescribed form. (It is important to note that staff working with children are not legally obliged to administer medication)
• if the child refuses to take the appropriate medication then a note should be made on the form
• where medication is “essential” or may have side effects, discussion with the
parent should take place to establish the appropriate response
• wherever possible ask parents to request that GPs prescribe the least number of doses per day, i.e. 3 x daily, rather than 4 x daily.
non-prescribed medication
• the nursery will not administer non-prescribed medication.
• if a child needs liquid paracetamol or similar during their time at nursery, such medication should be treated as prescribed medication with the onus being on the parent to provide the medicine. Follow the prescribed medication procedure. One dose will only be given as a temperature reducing drug
• for any non-prescribed cream for skin conditions e.g. Sudocreme, written
permission must be obtained from the parent/guardian on a creams & lotions form
• if any child is brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require medication, sometime during the day, you should decide if the child is fit to be left at the nursery. If the child is staying, the parent or guardian must be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time and in what dosage
• the nursery DOES NOT administer medication unless written consent is given.
injections, pessaries, suppositories
As the administration of injections, pessaries and suppositories represents intrusive nursing, they should not be administered by any member of staff. (If this causes a problem in providing appropriate care of a child, please consult Ofsted.
staff medication
The first aid box for staff should be kept in a readily accessible position, but out of reach of the children.
First aid boxes should only contain items permitted by the Health & Safety (First Aid)
Regulations Act 1981, such as sterile dressings, bandages, and eye pads. No other medical items such, as Paracetamol should be kept in the first aid box.
Storage
All medication for children must have the child’s name clearly written on the container and be kept in a medicine cabinet which is kept locked at all times, other than when medicines are being issued or received. The key to the medicine cabinet must be kept safe and out of reach of the children at all times.
Any antibiotics requiring refrigeration must be kept in an area inaccessible to children.
All medicines should be in their original containers or they will not be given. All prescribed medicines should have the pharmacist’s details and notes attached to show the dosage needed and the date the prescription was issued. This will be checked, along with any expiry dates, before staff agree to administer the medication.
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26 Immunisation policy
We recognise, where possible, that children are vaccinated in accordance with their age. If children are not vaccinated, it is the responsibility of the parents to inform the nursery to ensure that children/staff/parents are not exposed to any unnecessary risks of any sort. The nursery manager must be aware of any children who are not vaccinated within the nursery in accordance with their age.
Information regarding immunisations should be recorded on children’s registration documents and updated as and when necessary.
Staff vaccinations policy
It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure they keep up to date with their vaccinations for:
Tetanus Tuberculosis Rubella Hepatitis Polio
If a member of staff is unsure as to whether they are up to date, then we recommend that they visit their GP or practice nurse for their own good health.
Emergency information
Emergency information should be kept for every child and should be updated every six months with regular reminders to parents in newsletters, at parents’ evenings and a reminder notice on the Parent Information Board.
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27 Sickness/illness Policy
Children should not be left at nursery if they are unwell. Should a child have an infectious disease, such as an eye/ear infection or sickness and diarrhoea, they should not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 48 hours. It is vital that we follow the advice given to us by our registering authority and exclude such children until they are well, to protect the other children in the nursery. Illnesses of this nature are very contagious and it is exceedingly unfair to expose other children to the risk of an infection. If a child is unwell then they prefer it be at home with their parents rather than at nursery with their peers.
We are unable to administer any medication, including liquid paracetamol or similar, without written consent from the parent/carer. For ongoing medication we will accept a covering letter, but a medication form will also be completed monthly to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. If a child is left at nursery when they have a temperature and needs liquid paracetamol administered we can only give one dose of this, if more is required we request that the child is collected from nursery. We can only accept a written statement from the child’s doctor to administer liquid paracetamol or similar when needed, if there is a history of a medical condition such as Febrile convulsions/fits within the family.
This has been an area of some confusion for parents, who are unaware of the seriousness with which our insurance company treats this matter. We will invalidate our public liability insurance if we administer liquid paracetamol or any other medication without written consent. We would ask all parents to adhere to the policy of the nursery in this matter and to seek clarification if they are unsure.
If a child requires antibiotics, we will administer them after the first 48 hours of the course. A medication form however must be completed. It is important that children are not subjected to the rigours of the nursery day, which requires socialising with other children and being part of a group setting, when they have first become ill and require an antibiotic. Our policy, therefore, is to exclude children on antibiotics for the first 48 hours of the course. A medication form must also be completed for nappy rash cream and
liquid paracetamol, which must be clearly labelled with your child’s name and date. It must be given to a member of staff and not left in the child’s bag. This is a vital safety issue and we trust parents/carers will co-operate with this policy.
The nursery has the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. If your child becomes ill whilst at nursery, you will be contacted immediately and asked to collect your child as soon as possible.
If your child has a minor accident at nursery, a member of staff or one of our qualified first aiders, if necessary, will deal it with. Details will be recorded on an Accident Report form. You will be asked to sign this form to say you have seen a record of the accident when you collect your child. If the accident/illness is of a serious nature, you or the emergency contact you have given us will be called. If necessary, medical assistance will also be called.
meningitis procedure
If a parent informs the nursery that their child has meningitis, the nursery manager should contact the Infection Control Nurse for their area. The IC Nurse will give guidance and support in each individual case. If parents do not inform the nursery, we will be contacted directly by the IC Nurse and the appropriate support will be given.
transporting children to hospital procedure
1. if the sickness/injury is severe, call for an ambulance immediately. DO NOT
attempt to transport the sick/injured child in your own vehicle
2. whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent/guardian and arrange to meet them at the hospital
3. a senior member of staff must accompany the child and collect together
registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and the child’s
comforter. A member of the management team must also be informed
immediately
4. remain calm at all times. Children who witness an accident may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance.
Illness |
Exclusion Period |
Diarrhoea & Vomiting |
48 hours after last episode |
Chicken Pox |
5 days from onset of spots or until all spots have scabbed over |
Mumps |
5 days from onset of swollen glands |
Scarlet Fever |
5 days after commencing antibiotics |
Impetigo |
Until lesions are crusted or healed |
Whooping Cough |
5 days from commencing antibiotics |
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28 Allergies & allergic reaction policy
• information passed on through parents from the registration form regarding
allergic reactions and allergies must be shared with all staff in the nursery
• the nursery manager must carry out a full Allergy Risk Assessment Procedure with the parent prior to the child starting the nursery. The information must then be shared with all staff
• if a child has an allergic reaction to food, a bee sting, plant etc, a First Aid trained member of staff will administer the appropriate treatment and parents must be informed
• a sick child needs above all its parent/guardian; therefore every effort should be made to contact him/her as soon as possible
• if the allergic reaction is severe a member of staff will summon an ambulance immediately. DO NOT attempt to transport the sick/injured child in your own vehicle
• whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent/guardian and arrange to
meet them at the hospital
• a senior member of staff must accompany the child and collect together
registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and child’s comforter
• staff must remain calm at all times; children who witness an allergic
reaction/accident may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and
reassurance.
personal protective equipment (PPE)
The nursery provides staff with PPE according to the need of the task or activity. Staff must wear PPE to protect themselves and the children during care tasks that involve contact with bodily fluids. PPE is also provided for the handling of chemicals and other tasks. This is chosen according to need and will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is suitable and effective.
dealing with blood
Always take precautions when cleaning wounds as some conditions such as Hepatitis or the HIV Virus can be transmitted via blood.
Wear disposable gloves and wipe up any blood spillage with disposable cloths, neat Milton or freshly diluted bleach (one part diluted with ten parts water). Such solutions must be carefully disposed of immediately after use.
The nursery will not necessarily be aware if there is a child carrying Hepatitis or is HIV Positive on their register.
needle puncture and sharps injury
Blood-borne infections may be transmitted to employees who injure themselves with needles, broken glass etc. For this reason, great care must be taken in the collection and disposal of this type of material. For the safety and well being of the employees,
ALL NEEDLES, BROKEN GLASS, ETC, SHOULD BE TREATED AS CONTAMINATED. If a needle is found the local authority must be contacted to deal with its disposal.
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29 Visitors & supervision of visitors
All visitors must sign the Visitor’s Book on arrival and departure. If a visitor is spending a considerable part of the day within the nursery, the manager must point out fire procedures. A member of staff must accompany visitors in the nursery at all times whilst in the building.
The manager is responsible for all students and relief staff receiving information on Health and Safety in the nursery.
supervision
• whether children are in or out of the building, they must be supervised at all times
• be aware that children can drown in only a few centimetres of water
• special care should be taken when children are using apparatus e.g. climbing frame and when walking down outside steps
• a member of staff must supervise large outdoor play equipment at all times
• when outdoors, staff must be aware of bushes, shrubs and plants
• children must be carefully supervised when using scissors
• if the nursery has hired a bouncy castle for the day then STRICT safety
guidelines should be followed as laid down by the hiring company. A member of staff MUST supervise the children at all times.
security
• no child should be given into the care of any person we DO NOT know. If in
doubt check the person’s identity by ringing the child’s parent/guardian or the
emergency number. Information must be passed on to all staff and recorded if it specifies whom can/cannot collect a child
• a consent form for a child to be picked up by a person other than his or her
parent/guardian or named emergency contact must be signed in this event.
Photo identification and/or a password are also required where possible
• staff must check the identity of any visitors they do not recognise before allowing them into the main nursery. Visitors to the nursery must be recorded in the visitor book and accompanied by a member of staff at all times whilst in the building
• all external doors must be kept locked at all times and external gates closed. All internal doors and gates must be kept closed to ensure children are not able to wander.
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30 Advice & consultancy
Name |
Contact number |
Local Health and Safety Inspector |
Lindsay Hewitt 01277 321 518 |
Fire Officer |
Geoff Marler 01279 420 841 |
Fire extinguisher Maintance |
Chelmer Fire Protection Services 01206 250 981 |
Environmental Health Officer |
Lindsay Hewitt 01277 321 506 |
Pest control |
Ian hull 07818 508 800 |
Medical Health Officer |
|
Health and Safety Officer |
Lindsay Hewitt 01277 321 518 |
Health Visitor |
Marie Lewis 01277 366 495 |
Ofsted |
0300 123 1231 |
Health and safety training
Person responsible for training: Louise Bryan/Luka Honeyball
Special training required for all staff:
Area |
Training required |
Dealing with blood |
In house training on induction |
Use of fire extinguisher |
In house training on induction |
Risk assessment |
In house training on induction |
Changing of nappies |
In house training on induction |
Child protection |
In house training on induction |
Manual handling |
In house training on induction |
Stress awareness |
In house training on induction |
First aid |
Course |
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31 Safety checks
Written checks must be carried out on a daily basis on the premises, indoor and outdoor, and all equipment and resources.
The person responsible for this is the person on earlies, opening up the nursery.
All staff should be constantly aware of the nursery environment and monitor safety at all times.
risk assessments
The nursery carries out written risk assessments annually. These are regularly reviewed and cover potential risks to children, staff and visitors at the nursery. Risk assessments document the hazard, who could be harmed, existing controls, the seriousness of the risk/injury, any further action needed to control the risk, who is responsible for what action, when/how often will the action be undertaken, and how will this be monitored and checked and by Luka Honeyball.
Electrical equipment
Who checks |
How often |
Location/Telephone number |
Dice electrical |
Once every year |
01621 810005
07770 600779 |
mains information
Locations of:
Water stop tap:
Gas point: No gas in the nursery
Fuse box: In hallway of 2-5’s unit, cot area of baby unit, kitchen, hall and staff room
Main electricity box:
dangerous substances
All dangerous substances including chemicals MUST be kept in a locked areas or out of children’s reach. Safety Data Sheets (COSHH) must be kept for all substances and the appropriate personal protection taken e.g. gloves, apron and goggles.
hot drinks and food
Hot drinks should only be consumed in the staff room. No canned drinks or sweet/crisps to be kept or consumed in the nursery rooms.
transport and outings
The arrangements for transporting and the supervision of children when away from the nursery need to be carefully planned. The nursery has a comprehensive documented policy relating to outings, which incorporates all aspects of health and safety procedures.
Room temperatures
Staff should be aware of rooms temperatures in the nursery and should ensure that they are suitable at all times and recorded on the appropriate sheet. Staff must always be aware of the dangers of babies and young children being too warm or too cold.
Where fans are being used to cool rooms, GREAT CARE must be taken with regard to their positioning.
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32 Babies and toddlers policy
• care should be taken to ensure that babies/toddlers do not have access to
activities containing small pieces, which could be swallowed or otherwise injure the child
• potties should be washed and disinfected after every use
• each baby must have his/her own bedding. Cot mattresses must meet safety
standards
• babies under two years should not be given pillows, cot bumpers or any soft
furnishings to prevent risk of suffocation
• all highchairs should be fitted with restraints and used at all times
• babies should never be left propped up with bottles as it is both dangerous and inappropriate
• babies sleeping outside must be supervised at all times (cat/fly nets to be used on prams)
• sleep checks to be completed every 15 minutes. These are to be documented with the time and staff initials on the sleep check form
• staff should not change nappies whilst pregnant.
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33 Sun care policy
The nursery is committed to ensuring that all children are fully protected from the dangers of too much sun. Severe sunburn in childhood can lead to the development of malignant melanoma (the most dangerous type of skin cancer) in later life.
The following guidelines are for the prevention and care of children in the sun:
• children must have a clearly named sun hat
• children must have their own sun block cream named and dated with written
consent for staff to apply
• children need light weight cotton clothing suitable for the sun
• children will not be out in the sun between 11.15am – 2.15pm on hot days
• children will wear a sun hat when outside on sunny days
• children will have sun cream applied before going outside and at frequent
intervals during the day
• children are offered cooled water more frequently throughout the day.
asian and black skin colouring
• carers of children with this type of skin should be aware that these skin types can be very tolerant to sunshine. However it is important to remember that burning can still occur if living in Britain.
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34 Manual handling policy
As it is not possible to eliminate manual handling altogether, correct handling techniques must be followed to minimise the risks of injury. A variety of injuries may result from poor manual handling and staff must all be aware and adhere to the nursery’s manual handling policy.
preventing injuries
As with other health and safety issues, the most effective method of prevention is to eliminate the hazard – in this case, to remove the need to carry out hazardous manual handling. For example, it may be possible to re-design the workplace so that items do not need to be moved from one area to another.
Where manual-handling tasks cannot be avoided, they must be assessed as part of the risk assessment. This involves examining the tasks and deciding what the risks associated with them are, and how these can be removed or reduced by adding control measures.
As part of a manual handling assessment the following should be considered:
• the tasks to be carried out
• the load to be moved
• the environment in which handling takes place
• the capability of the individual involved in the manual handling.
A number of factors increase the risk of manual handling injuries, and these should be considered and controlled. The following paragraphs offer a number of suggestions.
correct lifting procedure
planning and procedure
• think about the task to be performed and plan the lift
• consider what you will be lifting, where you will put it, how far you are going to move it and how you are going to get there
• never attempt manual handling unless you have read the correct techniques and understood how to use them
• ensure that you are capable of undertaking the task – people with health
problems and pregnant women may be particularly at risk of injury
• assess the size, weight and centre of gravity of the load to make sure that you can maintain a firm grip and see where you are going
• remove any unnecessary packaging, if this will make the task safer
• reduce the size and weight of loads to make handling easier. This could involve suppliers packing items into smaller consignments before delivery or unpacking packages before moving them
• assess whether you can lift the load safely without help. If not, get help or use specialist moving equipment e.g. a trolley. Bear in mind that it may be too
dangerous to attempt to lift some loads
Guidelines for Safe Lifting and Lowering of Loads
• if more than one person is involved, plan the lift first and agree who will lead and give instructions
• plan your route and remove any obstructions. Check for any hazards such as uneven/slippery flooring
• lighting should be adequate
• control harmful loads – for instance, by covering sharp edges or by insulating hot containers or anything electrical or dangerous
• avoid lifting unsafe loads, such as damaged glass or badly packed chemicals
• check whether you need any personal protective equipment (PPE) and obtain the necessary items, if appropriate. Check the equipment before use and check that it fits you
• ensure that you are wearing the correct clothing, avoiding tight clothing and
unsuitable footwear
• consider a resting point before moving a heavy load or carrying something any distance.
position
• stand in front of the load with your feet apart and your leading leg forward. Your weight should be even over both feet. Position yourself (or turn the load around) so that the heaviest part is next to you. If the load is too far away, move toward it or bring it nearer before starting the lift. Do not twist your body over the load to pick it up.
lifting
always lift using the correct posture ensuring you are in a stable, balanced position:
• bend the knees slowly but not kneeling, keeping the back straight
• tuck the chin in on the way down
• lean slightly forward if necessary and get a good grip
• keep the shoulders level and in line with your hips, without twisting or turning from the hips
• try to grip with the hands around the base of the load
• bring the load to waist height (centre of gravity) keep head up when bringing up the load, keeping the lift as smooth as possible.
moving the load
• move the feet to change direction do not twist or turn your body, keeping the load close to the body
• proceed carefully, making sure that you can see where you are going
• lower the load, reversing the procedure for lifting
• avoid crushing fingers or toes as you put the load down
• position and secure the load after putting it down. Make sure that it is rested on a stable base
• report any problems immediately, for example, strains and sprains. Where there are changes, for example to the activity or the load, the task must be reassessed.
the task
• carry loads close to the body, lifting and carrying the load at arm’s length
increases the risk of injury
• avoid awkward movements such as stooping, reaching or twisting
• ensure that the task is well designed and that procedures are followed
• try never to lift from the floor or to above should height. Limit the distances for carrying
• minimise repetitive actions by re-designing and rotating tasks
• ensure that there are adequate rest periods and breaks between tasks
• plan ahead – use teamwork where the load is too heavy for one person and plan your journey.
the environment
• ensure that the surroundings are safe. Flooring should be even and not slippery, lighting should be adequate, and the temperature and humidity should be suitable. If you are going through a door make sure that it is open before you lift the load and that children are not present if possible or do it at a quieter time in the day
• remove obstructions and ensure that the correct equipment is available.
the individual
• never attempt manual handling unless you have been trained and given
permission to do so
• ensure that you are capable of undertaking the task – people with health
problems and pregnant women may be particularly at risk of injury.
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35 Office policy
Staff can help to prevent health problems by:
• sitting comfortably at the correct height with forearms parallel to the surface of the desktop and eyes level with the top of the screen
• maintaining a good posture
• avoiding repetitive and awkward movements by using a copyholder and keeping frequently used items within easy reach
• changing position regularly
• using a good keyboard and mouse technique with wrists straight and not using excessive force
• making sure there are no reflections or glare on screens by carefully positioning them in relation to sources of light
• adjusting the screen controls to prevent eyestrain
• keeping the screen clean
• reporting to their manager any problems associated with use of the equipment
• planning work so that there are breaks away from the workstation.
Seating and posture for typical office tasks:
• good lumbar support
• seat height adjustability
• no excess pressure on underside of thighs and backs of knees
• foot support if needed
• space for postural change, no obstacles under desk
• forearms approximately horizontal
• minimal extensions, flexion or straining of wrists
• screen height and angle should allow for comfortable head position
• space in front of keyboard to support hand/wrists during pauses in typing
• seat back adjustability.
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36 Healthy work place policy
The nursery is committed to providing a workplace, which supports and encourages a healthy staff team through sharing information, training and family friendly issues.
dress code
Staff must follow dress code at all times. The dress code is black or navy blue trousers with enclosed footwear not flip flops that protect your feet. You are required to wear the polo shirts and sweatshirts that are provided for you be the nursery
staff breaks
It is the responsibility of the nursery manager to ensure that all staff working five hours or more take a break of 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 60 minutes dependant on hours worked and ensuring that ratio’s are maintained. Staff under 18 require a break after 4.5 hours.
personal hygiene
Staff must follow the personal hygiene code at all times.
cleaning
The nursery is committed to providing a safe, happy and healthy environment for children to play, grow and learn. Cleanliness is a vital step to ensure this. The nursery will be cleaned every evening and regular checks will be made in the bathrooms – these will be cleaned twice per day. The nappy changing facility will be cleaned after every use. Any mess caused throughout the day will be cleaned up as necessary to ensure that a hygienic environment is provided for the children in our care.
kitchen
• staff need to be aware of the basic food hygiene standards
• fridge and freezer temperatures must be recorded first thing by the responsible person opening up
• all food to be covered at all times in and out of the fridge
• fridges to be cleaned out weekly
• microwave to be cleaned after each use
• oven to be cleaned out regularly and recorded
• freezers to be cleaned out every three months and recorded
• care must be taken to ensure that food is correctly stored in fridges
• when re-heating food it should be done until over 75°C, checked with the probe thermometer and recorded, then cooled down before serving. Food prepared on the premises must be checked with the probe thermometer before serving
• all opened packets to be dated when opened and placed in an airtight container e.g. baby food, raisins, cereal etc
• blended food should be placed in suitable airtight containers, named and dated
• surfaces to be cleaned with anti-bacterial spray
• only kitchen cloths to be used. These must be washed daily on a hot wash
• windows to be opened as often as possible along with the vents
• all plugs to be pulled out of their sockets at the end of each day and switches
switched off where practicable
• where food/milk is prepared for babies there must be a separate area within the kitchen which is specifically designated for this preparation
• bottles should be labelled with the child’s name and once cool this should be stored in the refrigerator
• bottles and teats should be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water and
sterilized after use (they should not be washed in the dishwasher)
• when bottles should only be heated they need to be thoroughly shaked to ensure the temperature is consistent throughout the bottle. If a bottle is heated by standing it in hot water, this should be done in an area which children do not have access to
• if dummies are used they should be cleaned and sterilized. This also applies to dummies which have been dropped
• sterilizer to be washed out daily
• children must NOT enter the kitchen except for supervised baking activities
• all cupboards to be cleaned out monthly
• doors/gates to the kitchen to be kept closed at all times
• food served but not used immediately should be appropriately covered and
placed in the fridge/freezer within 60 minutes. If this is not followed, food should be discarded immediately.
nursery
• staff must be aware of general hygiene in the nursery and ensure that high
standards are kept at all times
• regular toy washing rotas must be established in all rooms and recorded. Toys should be washed with sanitising fluid
• floors should be cleaned during the day when necessary. Hoover bags should be changed frequently and mop heads should be washed in a separate wash
• face clothes after every use should be washed on a hot wash
• high chairs must be cleaned thoroughly after each use. Straps and reins must be washed weekly
• all surfaces should be kept clean and clutter free
• each child should have their own cot sheet which should be washed at the end of each week or whenever necessary
• children must always be reminded to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before meals. Staff should always encourage good hygiene standards, for example, not eating food that has fallen on the floor.
staff rooms
• it is the responsibility of each member of staff to ensure that their staff room is kept clean and tidy
• fridges must be cleaned out weekly
• microwave to be cleaned after each use
• surfaces to be wiped down daily
• all implements used for lunch or break to be washed and tidied away.
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37 Animal policy
pets
• if a child brings a pet from home to visit the nursery as a planned activity,
parents/guardians of all children who will be in contact or in the same area as the pet must be informed. Written permission must be obtained from
parents/guardians to ensure no child has an allergy. A full documented risk
assessment needs to be completed prior to the visit and risks analysed before
this type of activity is authorised this should include ensuring the pet has had all relevant vaccinations and is child friendly.
• pets should not be allowed near food, dishes, worktops or food preparation areas. Children should wash their hands with soap and water after handling animals
• when arranging an outing to a farm, staff must all be aware of the farm outing checklist.
checklist for visits to farms
• a site visit must be made by a senior member of staff before an outing to a farm can be arranged. Check that the farm is well managed, that the grounds and public areas are as clean as possible, and that suitable First Aid arrangements are made. Animals should be prohibited from any outdoor picnic areas
• check that the farm has suitable washing facilities, appropriately signposted, with running water, soap and disposable towels or hot air hand dryers. Any portable water taps should be appropriately designed in a suitable area
• ensure that there is an adequate number of adults to supervise the children,
taking into account the age and stage of development of the children
• explain to the children that they cannot be allowed to eat or drink anything,
including crisps and sweets while touring the farm because of the risk of infection
• ensure suitable precautions are in place where appropriate e.g. in restricted
areas such as near slurry pits or where animals are isolated.
during the visits
• if children are in contact with, or feeding animals, warn them not to place their faces against the animals or put their hands in their own mouths afterwards, and explain why
• after contact with animals and particularly before eating and drinking, ensure all children wash and dry their hands thoroughly. If young children are in the group, hand washing will need to be supervised. Always explain why the children need to do this.
• meals, breaks or snacks should be taken well away from the areas where
animals are kept and children should be warned not to eat anything which has
fallen on the ground. Any crops produced on the farm should be thoroughly
washed in portable water before consumption
• ensure children do not consume unpasteurised produce, e.g. milk or cheese, or taste animal foodstuffs, such as silage and concentrates
• manure or slurry presents a particular risk of infection and children should be
warned against touching it. If they do touch it, ensure that they thoroughly wash and dry their hands immediately
• ensure all children wash their hands thoroughly before departure
• ensure footwear is as free as possible from faecal materials.
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38 Waste management policy
The nursery monitors closely the management of waste and disposes of it in accordance with local authority requirements. Staff are made aware of the need to minimise energy waste and the nursery uses appropriate measures to save energy, such as energy saving lighting etc. The nursery recycles paper waste at paper banks and ensures that where possible other sources of waste are recycled to reduce the effect on the environment. This policy is reviewed annually and is carefully considered in the best interests of the children, nursery and the environment.
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39 Special consideration for employees
We recognise that certain employees such as young persons, new and expectant mothers and persons with a disability require special consideration under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992. The Health and Safety Policy should have regard to such persons both at the commencement of employment and during the course of it. The following procedure is therefore set down to achieve this aim.
procedure
Any employee requiring special consideration will be assessed by the nursery manager on induction to the nursery or when their condition or disablement comes to light. The risk assessments relating to the occupation of such workers will be considered at these times and special measures such as training and supervision, arrangements, modifications, and medical surveillance if necessary will be agreed upon with the
worker.
Further assessments and reviews will be carried out at appropriate intervals.
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40 Late collection & non-collection
• all parents agree an approximate arrival time at the nursery and are informed of procedures on what to do if they expect to be late
• in the instance of a child not being collected from the nursery after a
reasonable amount of time 10minutes has been allowed for lateness, the following procedure will be initiated by staff:
- inform the nursery manager if a child has not been collected
- the manager will check for any information regarding changes to
normal routines, parents work patterns or general information. If there
is no information recorded, the parents/carers will be contacted on the
numbers provided for their home or work. If this fails the emergency
contacts will then be contacted as per the child’s records
- the manager/staff member on duty in charge and one other member of
staff must stay behind with the child (if it falls outside normal operating
hours). During normal operating times, staff ratios must be met and
planned for accordingly
- if the parents/carers still have not collected the child, the manager will
telephone all contact numbers available every 10 minutes until contact
is made. These calls need to be logged on the full incident record
- in the event of no contact being made after one hour has lapsed, the
person in charge will ring the Social Services Emergency Duty Team
0845 6037 634 and Ofsted 0300 123 1231 to advise them of the situation
- the two members of staff will remain in the building until suitable
arrangements have been made for the collection of the child. The
child’s welfare and needs will be met at all times.
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41 Visits & outings
As part of our curriculum the children at the nursery undertake a range of local outings including walks, visits, etc, off the premises and permission will be sought for your child to be included in such outings. Outings and visits are planned to complement and enhance learning opportunity and extend play opportunities for the children. These will be carefully planned and the following guidelines will be followed on all outings from the nursery, however local or frequent they may occur.
• written permission will always be obtained from parents before taking children on trips
• appropriate staffing levels for outings depend on how the safety and the individual needs of the children can be assured
• a travel first aid box will always be taken on all outings along with any special medication or equipment required
• a completed Trip Register and parent/staff contact numbers will be taken on all outings
• regular headcounts will be carried out throughout the outing. Timing of
headcounts will be discussed in full with the nursery manager or out of school coordinator prior to the outing
• a senior member of staff will always carry out a risk assessment identifying any potential hazards on the journey or at the location prior to the outing.
• all staff will be easily recognisable by other members of the group; they will wear the nursery uniform. Children will be easily identified by staff when on a trip by use of a sticker system. The nursery name, number and mobile number will be displayed
• at least one qualified first aider will always be a member of the group
• a mobile phone will be taken as a means of emergency contact
• in the event of an accident, staff will assess the situation, if required, the group will return to nursery immediately and parents will be contacted to collect their child. In the event of a serious accident an ambulance will be called at the scene, as well as parents being contacted. One member of staff will accompany the child to the hospital, and the rest of the group will return to the nursery
• a pre-visit checklist and risk assessment will always be carried out before the outing. It is recommended that the venue be visited prior to your trip. This will ensure that the chosen venue is appropriate for the age, stage and development of the children.
A full risk assessment and outing plan will be carried out for each outing and
this will be displayed for parents to access. This plan will include details of:
• the name of the designated person in charge - the outing leader
• the name of the place where the visit will take place
• the estimated time of departure and arrival
• the number of children, age range of children, the ratio of staff to children,
children’s individual needs and the group size
• the equipment needed for the trip i.e. coats, safety reins, pushchairs, rucksack, packed lunch, etc.
• staff contact numbers
• method of transportation and travel arrangements (including the route)
• financial arrangements
• emergency procedures
• the name of the designated first aider and the first aid provision
• links to the curriculcum
use of vehicles for outings
All staff members shall inform parents in advance of any visits or outings involving the transportation of children away from the nursery.
The arrangements for transporting children will always be carefully planned and where necessary additional people will be recruited to ensure the safety of the children. This is particularly important where children with disabilities are concerned.
All vehicles used in transporting children are properly licensed, inspected and
maintained. Regular checks are made to the vehicle e.g. to tyres, lights, etc, and a log book of maintenance, repairs and services is maintained.
The vehicle is kept in proper order and is fully insured for business use and is also protected by breakdown cover.
All vehicles are fitted to the supplier’s instructions with sufficient numbers of safety restraints, appropriate to the age/weight of the children carried in the vehicle. Any mini buses/coaches are fitted with 3-point seat belts.
When we use a mini bus, the driver is checked that they are over 21 years of age and hold a P.V.C. driving license. This entitles the driver to transport up to 16 passengers.
When children are being transported, there is always be at least one adult in the vehicle, excluding the driver, where more than three children under the age of five years are being transported.
When planning a trip or outing using vehicles, records of vehicles and drivers including licenses, MOT certificates and business use insurance are checked. If a vehicle is used for outings the following procedures will be followed:
• ensure seat belts are used
• ensure the maximum seating is not exceeded
• all children will be accompanied by a registered member of staff
• no child will be left in a vehicle unattended
• extra care will be taken when getting into or out of a vehicle
• the vehicle will be equipped with a fire extinguisher and emergency kit containing warning triangle, torch, blankets, wheel changing equipment etc.
In the event of a child being lost, the Lost Child Procedure will be followed:
• any incidents or accidents will be recorded in writing Ofsted
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42 Lost child procedure (from nursery)
In the unlikely event of a child going missing within/from the nursery, the following procedure will be implemented immediately.
• the nursery manager will be informed immediately and all staff present will be informed and deployed to start an immediate thorough search of the nursery, followed by a search of the surrounding area, ensuring that all other children remain supervised throughout
• the manager will carry out a second search of the area
• if the child has still not been accounted for, the manager will contact the police
• the manager will also contact the parents/carers of the missing child
• during this period, staff will be continually searching for the missing child, whilst other staff maintain as near to normal routine as possible for the rest of the children in the nursery
• the manager will meet the police and parents/carers
• the manager will then await instructions from the police
• any incidents must be recorded in writing
• Ofsted must be contacted and informed of any incidents
• with incidents of this nature parents, carers and children may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience.
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43 Lost child procedure (outings)
Regular head counts are carried out on children throughout the outing. In the unlikely event of a child going missing whilst on an outing the following procedure will be implemented immediately.
• the organiser will be informed immediately and all staff present will be informed and deployed to start an immediate thorough search of the area, ensuring that all other children remain supervised throughout
• if appropriate, on-site security will also be informed and a description of the
child/children given
• in the event of a child not being found, the designated person in charge will
immediately inform the police
• the designated person in charge will then inform the nursery who will contact the child’s parents/carers giving details of what has happened. In the case of the whole nursery being on an outing, all parents/carers details would be taken on the trip by the person in charge
• staff from the nursery will be sent to assist the safe return of the other children
• during this period, staff will be continually searching for the missing child, whilst other staff maintain the safety of the remaining children
• at least one member of staff will remain at the scene whilst others return to the nursery with the children. This member of staff will continue searching for the child/children
• the remaining member of staff will meet the police and parents/carers when they arrive at a designated point
• any incidents must be recorded in writing
• Ofsted must be contacted and informed of any incidents
• with incidents of this nature parents, carers and children may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience.
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44 No smoking policy
Children’s health and wellbeing is of the utmost importance for the children in our care. Smoking has proved to be a health risk and therefore in accordance with childcare legislation, the nursery operates a strict no smoking policy within its buildings and grounds. It is illegal to smoke in enclosed places (effective in Scotland and Wales, and from July 2007 in England.)
Parents are respectfully required to abstain from smoking whilst on the premises. This rule also applies to staff, students, carers and visitors etc.
Staff accompanying children outside the nursery are not permitted to smoke e.g. whilst on an outing. Staff must not smoke whilst wearing nursery uniform as it is essential that staff are positive role models to children and promote a healthy lifestyle.
We respect that it is a personal choice to smoke, although as an organisation we support healthy lifestyles and therefore help staff and parents to stop smoking by:
• providing fact sheets and leaflets
• providing information of local help groups
• providing details of the NHS quit smoking helpline (www.gosmokefree.co.uk)
• offering information regarding products that are available to help stop smoking
• offering in-house support
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45 Supervision of staff
The setting manager is responsible for ensuring all staff are registered to work on the premises. Checks are carried out via an enhanced CRB clearance and verified by the inspection body, however staff can work in the nursery before these checks are completed as long as they are supervised by registered staff at all times. This will change from October with the introduction of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). From summer 2010 all new staff will be required to be registered on the ISA register BEFORE they commence work with children. Enhanced CRB disclosures will still be required to ensure their overall suitability.
All nursery staff will be informed of staff awaiting registration clearance.
Staff awaiting an enhanced disclosure will never:
• be left unsupervised whilst caring for children
• take children for toilet visits unless supervised by registered staff
• change nappies whilst unsupervised
• be left unsupervised during outdoor play
• be left alone in a room with children
• administer medication
• administer first aid.
Whilst ensuring all the above are adhered to, we still recognise that it is vital that the unregistered staff is made to feel part of the team and participate fully in every other aspect of the nursery day.
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46 Mobile phone and social networking
We believe our staff should be completely attentive during their hours of working, to ensure all children in the nursery receive good quality care and education. This is why mobile phones are not to be used during working hours. We also feel that restrictions need to be in place on staff when they access social networking sites. The nursery has a high reputation to upkeep and comments made on sites such as ‘Facebook’ could have an impact on how parents using the nursery view the staff.
- Mobile phones are not to be turned on during your working hours.
- Mobile phones must not be used unless on a designated break and then this must be away from the children.
- Mobile phones should be stored safely in staff lockers at all times during the hours of your working day or not brought into the nursery at all.
- Staff must not post anything onto social networking sites such as ‘Facebook’ that could be construed to have any impact on the nursery reputation.
- Staff must not post anything onto social networking sites that would offend any other member of staff or parent using the nursery.
- If staff choose to allow parents to view their page on social networking sites then this relationship must remain professional at all time.
- If any of the above points are found to be happening then the member of staff involved will face disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal
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47 Staff working with their own children/close relation
We believe our staff should remain neutral and treat all children with the same concern. This is why we feel it is inappropriate for staff to care for their own children whilst working in the nursery.
- Staff will not be positioned in the same room as their child, or close relation.
- It will be the staff member that moves rooms not the child. This will enable the child to be in the appropriate age/stage group and forge consistent relationships with other children in this group.
- If group nursery trips occur, the staff member will be assigned a group that does not contain their own child or close relation.
- If there are staff shortages resulting in the movement of staff, the staff members will be places in a different room to that child or close relation.
- Staff caring for another staff member’s child will treat them as they would any other parent/child. No special treatment will be offered to any child or parent who has connections with the nursery.
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48 Equipment & resources
We believe that high quality care and education is promoted by providing children with safe, clean, attractive, age and stage appropriate resources, toys and equipment.
• provide play equipment and resources which are safe, and where applicable,
conform to the BSEN safety standards or Toys (Safety) Regulation (1995)
• provide a sufficient quantity of equipment and resources for the number of
Children
• provide resources which promote all areas of children's learning and development
• select books, equipment and resources which promote positive images of people of all races, cultures, ages and abilities, are non-discriminatory and avoid racial and gender stereotyping
• provide play equipment and resources which promote continuity and progression, provide sufficient challenges and meet the needs and interests of all children
• store and display resources and equipment where children can independently choose and select them
• check all resources and equipment regularly as they are set out at the beginning of each session and put away at the end of each session. We repair and clean, or replace any unsafe, worn out, dirty or damaged equipment
• keep an inventory of resources and equipment. This records the date on which each item was purchased and the price paid for it.
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49 Nursery operational plan
ABC Nursery ad Pre-school provides quality affordable childcare for the local community. Quality childcare brings benefits for the whole community - enabling parents /carers to return to work and combine employment with family life, and enabling employers to retain and recruit employees from the local community.
We want Parents/carers to feel confident about the quality of care that is provided for their child/children, in order for parents to work without concern for their child’s/ children’s health and welfare.
In order for ABC Nursery and Pre-school to run effectively and efficiently serving the local community needs, it is important that an operational plan is produced and implemented. It is envisaged that this plan will become a blue print for managing the nursery. It describes how the nursery will be run and what type of service will be provided, it will translate what is actually going to happen in the nursery, the structure of the nursery, who is responsible and guidance on practices and procedures.
It is envisaged that this plan may then be used by the nursery manager, parents and outside agencies to assess the quality of the service provided and how it will be operated. Further more staff may also use the plan as a quality tool of reference for general day-to-day practice.
We understand that it is important that this plan is reviewed on a regular basis, using reflective practice, and any necessary changes made and implemented.
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50 Intruder Policy
An intruder is a person who has not been invited into the premise, and/or who has no legal right or permission to enter. An intruder may be a person new to the building, which has been either misdirected or is lost and poses no threat to the children or staff. Alternatively an intruder may arouse suspicion as to his/her presence in the building, and may pose a safety hazard.
Procedure
Any member of staff who observes an intruder in the premises or ground must determine if the person poses a safety hazard or just needs advice, guidance or redirection. If safe to do so the intruder should be asked their name and reason for being there and the manager/Deputy will be informed.
Non-suspicious Cases
If it is established that an intruder is quite innocent and their authority to be on the premises has been established, then they may be shown or redirected. Advice must be given as to our visitor’s policies, and if necessary they should be accompanied whilst on the premises. Ensure that security arrangements have not been breached.
Suspicious Cases (Possible Safety Hazard)
Identify yourself to the intruder, politely greet them and question their purpose for being on the premises. Ask a colleague to alert the Manager/Deputy then witness your actions.
Explain that visitors must report to the office, and if safe to do so, escort the person to the main office, avoiding passing through any other occupied room.
Depending on circumstances and demeanour of the intruder, the Manager/Deputy will make every effort to call the police. If the intruder becomes agitated, displays violence or refuses to co-operate with directions, an attempt will be made to calm and comfort him/her whilst also attracting another member of staff to call the police. Do not attempt to restrain him/her.
Have regard to the safety of any children present, and if possible evacuate them from the area. Do not panic, act in a calm manner as so not to cause alarm or distress.
If the intruder attempts to leave, do not prevent him/her from doing so, but carefully note their direction and clothing, and any vehicle they may have. Note the direction they take and alert the police of the circumstances. If the intruder remains until the arrival of the police, inform officers of the circumstances. In the presence of the police, may a firm request for the intruder not to return.
Review security procedure and make a written report in the communication book.
Intruder Who is Armed or Poses a Serious Safety Hazard
Alert staff to call the police (999) as soon as possible. Give the operator the location of the intruder, a physical and clothing description and the weapons involved. Advice the operator of your action to safeguard the children and other members of staff, and remain on the line until told to hang-up. Monitor the location of the intruder.
Evacuate all children from the immediate area, if allowed to do so, and do not approach or engage with him/her. In a hostage situation where children or staffs are prevented from leaving the room or area, the first consideration must be to calm the children without creating panic or fear. Try to engage the children in carpet songs or activities, if allowed to do so.
Attempt to pacify the intruder, and ascertain if possible his/her reasons for being there. Be aware that you will be asked to recall any comments or statements made by him/her.
Remain calm and do not attempt to disarm the intruder.
The Manager/Deputy should be aware of the location, description and type of weapon in possession of the intruder, in order that she can appraise police on their arrival.
All other members of staff and children should remain in their designated room unless otherwise directed by the police.
There will inevitably be an investigation into the accident, and all staff or other witnesses may be called to recollect what happened.
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51 Allegations Made Against a Member of Staff, Student or Volunteer Policy
Our policy at ABC Nursery and Pre-school regarding allegations towards a member of staff, student, or volunteer are as follows. If any member of staff is made aware of an allegation they must inform the Manager/Deputy to undertake the investigation.
Procedure
The following procedure must be adhered to in the above case:
- Manager/Deputy to ascertain from the person in question what happened. Were there any witnesses or supporting evidence. Evaluate the circumstances and the truth of the matter. In serious cases the question of suspension or exclusion of the person in question must be considered.
- The person handling the investigation Manager or Deputy will make a written report.
- Inform the Safeguarding Children Board and Ofsted, if the matter concerns abuse towards any child.
- The matter must be treated in the strictest confidence.
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52 Out of Hours Babysitting Policy
At ABC Nursery and Pre-school it is up to the individual staff if they wish to baby-sit for the children from the setting in their own time. This arrangement is to be made with that member of staff and the parent/carer out side of working hours and must not interfere with the professionalism of the nursery.
In some cases staff members are allowed to take children straight from the nursery to the child’s home for them to baby-sit. In this case you will need to sign a ‘Permission to Take a Child Home Form’ in which you accept that the nursery can not be liable or responsible for any occurrence or eventuality, once your child has left our premises. If a form is not signed prior to this then we cannot let that member of staff take your child off the premises.
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53 Headlice Policy
At time to time children may contract headlice. In the case that a parent as voiced there concern that there child has headlice a notice will be place on the door to inform parents/carers to check their child’s hair.
Parents are encouraged to tie children’s hair which is long up with a hair band in minimizing headlice from being spread. Children are allowed to attend the setting with headlice but if the children show signs of having headlice such as scratching, telling a member of staff that their head itches then we will ring the parent to inform them of this and they may need to further investigate the situation.
Children are allowed to attend the setting when they have headlice treatment on their hair.
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54 Dealing with Spillages
When dealing with water spillages, you have to ensure when clearing them up that the surface is left completely dry. No water is to be left on the surface.
When dealing with body fluids before clearing them away you should ensure that you are wearing gloves and the correct coloured apron (White for nappy area and red for blood). You should clean the surface until it is completely dry.
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55 Disciplinary Hearings and Appeals
This policy applies to all staff employed and is designed to offer comprehensive, fair and prompt method of dealing with all disciplinary matters. The objective is to ensure the maintenance of safe and effective operation of the establishment and a fair and consistent treatment of individual employees. It is the responsibility of all staff to be acquainted with this policy and their responsibility within the procedure.
Disciplinary procedures should not be viewed primarily as a means of imposing sanctions. Rather, they should be seen as a way of helping and encouraging improvement amongst employees whose conduct or performance is unsatisfactory.
Warnings procedure
The ACAS, Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, recommendation for a fair warnings procedure for disciplinary matters other than gross misconduct is one of four stages:
Where an employee has one or more years’ continuous service, failure to apply a fair warnings procedure could result in a finding of unfair dismissal by an Employment Tribunal.
Fair disciplinary procedures
A fair disciplinary procedure will:
- Ensure any allegations have been thoroughly and properly investigated.
Where a disciplinary matter arises, the relevant investigating officer should first establish the facts promptly before recollections fade, and where appropriate obtain statements from any available witnesses. Having investigated all the facts, the investigating officer should decide whether to drop the matter, arrange informal coaching or counselling or arrange for the matter to be dealt under the disciplinary procedure.
Informal oral warnings are not part of the formal disciplinary procedure and the employee should be informed of this. Likewise, where an investigatory meeting is held solely to establish the facts of a case, it should be made clear to the employee that it is not a disciplinary hearing.
In a serious case, such as where there is a reasonable belief that an act of gross misconduct has taken place, consideration should be given to a brief period of suspension while the case is thoroughly investigated. Unless there is a provision in the contract of employment to the contrary, this period of suspension should be on full pay. The period of suspension should be for no longer than is reasonably necessary in the circumstances. It should be made clear to the employee that suspension is not considered as disciplinary action.
- Consider whether informal action is appropriate.
Cases of minor misconduct or unsatisfactory performance are usually best dealt with informally through informal counselling or coaching. There will, however, be situations where matters are more serious or where an informal approach has not worked. If informal action does not bring about an improvement, or the situation is considered to be too serious to be classed as minor, employers should only then consider taking formal disciplinary action.
- Provide the employee with full details of the allegations made.
The first step in any formal disciplinary process is to let the employee know in writing what it is they are alleged to have done wrong and the reasons why it is not acceptable. You should therefore provide the employee with full details of all the allegations made against them.
Witness statements or any other documentary evidence that you intend to rely on to support the allegations should be attached to the letter. It is good practice to ensure that all witness statements are signed and dated by the person making the statement.
The letter should then invite the employee to attend a formal disciplinary hearing at which the issues can be discussed and the employee given the opportunity to state their case. The employee must be given a reasonable opportunity to prepare their explanations or mitigating factors. It is therefore recommended that an employee be given at least three days’ advance notice of the date of a disciplinary hearing. The timing and location of the disciplinary hearing must also be reasonable.
The disciplinary hearing must take place before any decision is made or any penalty is imposed on the employee.
Finally, the employee should be advised in the letter of their statutory right to be accompanied at the disciplinary hearing by either a work colleague or trade union representative (see below).
- Allow the employee to be accompanied at the disciplinary hearing.
Employees have a statutory right to be accompanied at disciplinary and grievance hearings. A disciplinary hearing is defined as a hearing which could result in the employer administering a formal warning to a worker or taking some other action in respect of them or confirming a warning issued or some other action taken. This would include appeal hearings.
Where an employee is required or invited to attend a disciplinary hearing and the employee reasonably requests to be accompanied, you must allow the employee to be accompanied by an individual who is either a trade union official or a fellow employee. That individual must be:
- Selected by the employee.
- Permitted to address the hearing in order to do any or all of the following:
- Put the employee’s case;
- Sum up that case;
- Respond on the employee’s behalf to any view expressed at the hearing.
- Permitted to confer with the employee during the hearing.
However, the companion has no right to answer questions on the employee’s behalf, nor to address the hearing if the employee indicates at it that he or she does not wish the companion to do so.
Whilst you are free to select an initial date for a disciplinary hearing, you are required to re-schedule it where the employee’s chosen companion is not available on the date proposed for the hearing. The employee must propose an alternative time which is reasonable and which falls within a period of five working days (excluding weekends and Bank Holidays), beginning with the first working day after the date proposed by you. If the employee’s chosen companion is a fellow employee, they must be given time off work during working hours to accompany the employee.
- Give the employee an opportunity to explain their side of the story.
At the disciplinary hearing itself, you should explain the complaints against the employee and go through the evidence that has been gathered.
The employee should then be allowed to set out and explain their case and answer any allegations that have been made. The employee should also be allowed to dispute your evidence, ask questions, present their own evidence, call witnesses and be given a chance to raise points about information provided by witnesses. The employee should be given the opportunity to question any witnesses if they disagree with the witness evidence. Finally, the employee should be permitted to explain any mitigating factors or circumstances.
A member of the management team nominated as decision-maker should chair the disciplinary hearing and this person should be a different individual to the investigating officer so as to minimise the possibility of bias or prejudgment. There should also be a meeting minute-taker.
- Comply with the statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedure.
Before dismissing an employee or imposing a disciplinary sanction such as transfer, demotion or disciplinary suspension without pay, employers must as a minimum have followed the statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedures. These procedures are additional to unfair dismissal rights. The statutory procedures do not, however, apply in relation to the issuing of disciplinary warnings or the suspension of an employee on pay, although, of course, a fair disciplinary procedure must still be followed in any event.
The standard statutory procedure, to be used in almost all cases, is as follows:
Step one
The employer must set out in writing the employee’s alleged conduct or characteristics or other circumstances which lead him to contemplate dismissing or taking relevant disciplinary action against the employee. The employer must then send the statement to the employee and invite the employee to attend a meeting to discuss the matter.
Step two
The meeting must take place before any action is taken but must not take place unless the employer has informed the employee what the basis was for including in the written statement the grounds given in it and the employee has had a reasonable opportunity to consider their response to that information. The employee must take all reasonable steps to attend the meeting. After the meeting, the employer must inform the employee of his decision and notify them of the right to appeal against it if they are not satisfied with it.
Step three
If the employee does wish to appeal, they must inform the employer. If the employee informs the employer of their wish to appeal, the employer must invite them to attend an appeal meeting. The employee must take all reasonable steps to attend the appeal meeting. After the appeal meeting, the employer must inform the employee of his final decision.
If the employer fails to follow any aspect of this statutory procedure in dismissing the employee and the employee has been employed for one year or more, the employee can claim automatic unfair dismissal. In addition, the Employment Tribunal will normally increase the compensation awarded by 10% or, where it feels it is just and equitable to do so, by up to 50%. Equally, if the dismissal is held to be unfair but it is the employee who has failed to follow an aspect of the statutory procedure, the compensation awarded will be reduced by similar amounts.
Where you arrange a meeting under the statutory procedure and the employee fails to turn up, or informs you in advance that they cannot make it, the question of what happens next depends on the reason for non-attendance. Where the employee has not taken all reasonable steps to attend the meeting, they will be in breach of the requirements and you will be released from future obligations under the statutory procedure.
However, where it was not reasonably practicable for the employee to attend (for example, they are ill), this will not count as a breach if it was for a reason that was not foreseeable at the time the meeting was arranged. You must then rearrange the meeting and invite the employee to the rearranged meeting. The obligation to rearrange the meeting only applies once. It if becomes not reasonably practicable for the employee to attend the rearranged meeting, then there is no obligation under the statutory procedure to rearrange it again.
However, this does not mean that you can ignore any further procedure and simply dismiss, because, in assessing whether the dismissal was fair, the Employment Tribunal will still consider whether you followed a fair procedure overall. Employers will be expected to have taken all reasonable steps to secure the employee’s attendance, or presented the employee with alternative options such as holding the hearing on neutral territory or at the employee’s home, holding the hearing by telephone, permitting the employee to submit a detailed written statement and/or allowing the employee to send along a representative to act on their behalf.
- Ensure hearings are conducted promptly.
Delays may result in the employee’s recollection of events becoming dim and prevent them from providing a satisfactory explanation. Unreasonable delay may result in a finding of unfair dismissal by an Employment Tribunal.
In addition, one of the requirements of the statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedures is that each step and action under the procedures must be taken without unreasonable delay.
- Ensure the hearing is conducted in good faith, having regard to the principles of natural justice.
You must keep an open mind as to the employee’s guilt or innocence and properly and fairly consider any explanations put forward by the employee. You must not prejudge the situation. Examples of prejudgment, which may render a decision unfair, are:
- Sending the warning or dismissal letter by post to the employee without prior consultation.
- Holding a disciplinary hearing only to hand a pre-written warning or dismissal letter to the employee at the end of the hearing.
- Handing down your decision at the end of the disciplinary hearing without going back to carefully consider and weigh up all the evidence.
To minimise the possibility of bias, different members of the management team should carry out the three separate processes of investigation, decision-making and appeal. In addition, a witness or any ‘victim’ (or indeed a close relative of a witness or victim) should not be part of the investigation or decision-making process because, again, they are likely to be biased. In very small businesses, it may not be possible to find an appropriate ‘independent’ manager to chair the disciplinary hearing and/or to hear any appeal. In these circumstances, the relevant manager must act as impartially as possible. Independent arbitration, using an external arbitration organisation, is often an appropriate means of resolving disciplinary or appeal issues in small businesses if both parties expressly agree to this.
It is also essential for the individual who decides any appeal against a disciplinary decision to be in a higher position in the management team than the original decision-maker. This ensures undue influence is not placed on that individual during the appeal process and enables compliance with the statutory procedures.
Finally, you should ensure that your disciplinary procedures are applied consistently between employees, because an Employment Tribunal may view inconsistency without good reason as unfair.
- Provide for an appropriate disciplinary sanction.
When deciding whether a disciplinary penalty is appropriate, it is important to bear in mind the need to act reasonably in all the circumstances. Factors which might be relevant include the extent to which standards have been breached, precedent, the employee's record, position, length of service and special or mitigating circumstances which may make it appropriate to adjust the severity of the penalty. It is your legal obligation to give due consideration to all factors when considering the disciplinary sanctions available.
Where the facts of the case appear to call for disciplinary action, other than summary dismissal, certain procedures should normally be observed as follows:
Written warning
Where, following a disciplinary hearing, an employee is found guilty of misconduct, they should be given a written warning setting out the nature of the misconduct and the change in behaviour required. The employee should be advised that the warning is part of the formal disciplinary procedure and what the consequences will be of a failure to change behaviour. This might be a final written warning and, ultimately, dismissal. The employee should also be informed that they may appeal against the warning. A record of the warning should be kept but should be disregarded after a specified period of, usually, six months. Note that the existence of time-expired warnings should not be a factor in deciding future disciplinary sanctions. Where the employee is performing unsatisfactorily, the warning should set out the performance problem, the improvement that is required, the timescale for achieving that improvement, a review date and any support the employer will provide to assist the employee.
Final written warning
Where there is a failure to improve or change behaviour in the timescale set, or where the infringement is sufficiently serious, the employer may issue a final written warning to the employee. This should give details of, and grounds for, the complaint and contain a statement that failure to improve or modify behaviour may lead to either dismissal or some other penalty. It should refer to the right of appeal. The final written warning should be disregarded after a specified period of, usually, twelve months. The existence of time-expired warnings should not be a factor in deciding future disciplinary sanctions. However, subject to the terms of any contractual disciplinary procedure, it may be possible for final written warnings to be valid for a period longer than twelve months in cases of very serious misconduct.
Dismissal
Should similar misconduct continue, the final stage of the procedure is dismissal, disciplinary transfer, demotion or disciplinary suspension according to the nature of the misconduct (but in the case of the latter three, only if these are allowed for by an express term of the contract of employment). Periods of disciplinary suspension without pay should not normally be for prolonged periods of time. The decision to dismiss should be taken only by the appropriate designated manager and the employee should be informed as soon as reasonably practicable of the reasons for dismissal, the appropriate period of notice, the date on which the contract of employment will terminate and the right of appeal. The decision to dismiss should be confirmed in writing.
With warnings, a reasonable period of time should elapse between each warning to allow the employee an opportunity to improve and for the employer to properly monitor the employee's conduct or performance. What is a reasonable lapse of time is not defined in law but will depend on the facts of the case and the type of misconduct or poor performance. For example, instances of insubordination may be met with a different stage of the disciplinary procedure on each occasion. A general complaint of poor performance or poor timekeeping would have to be monitored over a period of time to allow any meaningful analysis of improvement or otherwise.
Employers are not generally entitled to progress to the next stage of the procedure where a substantially different type of misconduct has occurred from the original warning. It would be unfair for you to issue a final written warning for poor workmanship, if the employee is in receipt of a written warning for poor timekeeping. The correct procedure would be to issue a written warning (or go through informal counselling or a performance review procedure) for poor workmanship.
Allow an appeal.
The employee should be given the opportunity to appeal against the decision internally. An appeal procedure should be established and made known to the employee. The member of the management team who decides the appeal should be in a more senior position in that management team than the original decision-maker and they should not previously have been involved in the disciplinary procedure in relation to the employee. This allows the appeal to be decided entirely impartially and ensures compliance with the statutory dismissal and disciplinary procedures.
- Adhere to the employee’s contract of employment.
Once a disciplinary or appeal procedure has been created in the contract, it should be adhered to. If not, you will be in breach of contract and the breach could be sufficiently serious so as to entitle the employee to resign and claim constructive dismissal if they have at least one year’s continuous employment.
Employers are required to include details of their disciplinary and grievance procedures, incorporating the statutory dismissal, disciplinary and grievances procedures, as part of the written particulars of employment, which must be provided to all employees within the first two months of their employment. For existing employees, the details can be set out in a written statement of change, to be issued within one month of the change. The old exemption for employers who employed fewer than 20 staff from the obligation to provide a written statement of disciplinary rules has been abolished.
Gross misconduct
Offences of gross misconduct usually warrant summary dismissal i.e. dismissal without notice. However, ‘summary’ is not synonymous with ‘instant’ and incidents of gross misconduct will still need to be investigated and dealt with as part of a formal procedure. It is still important to establish the facts before taking any action.
A short period of suspension on pay may be helpful or necessary, although it should only be imposed after careful consideration and should be kept under regular review. Again, there should be a disciplinary hearing before deciding whether to take action. The principles of fairness apply as much to cases of gross misconduct as they do to ordinary cases of misconduct or poor performance.
Acts which constitute gross misconduct are those resulting in an extremely serious breach of contractual terms and will be for businesses to decide in the light of their own particular circumstances. However, gross misconduct offences might include:
- Theft, fraud, unauthorized possession of company property, deliberate falsification of records or any other form of dishonesty.
- Serious bullying or harassment.
- Deliberate damage to the employer’s property.
- Extremely serious insubordination.
- Bringing the employer into serious disrepute.
- Serious incapacity through an excess of alcohol or drugs.
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56 Grievance Procedure
Object
The object of the procedure is to provide an employee who considers that he or she has a grievance with an opportunity to have it examined quickly and effectively, and where a grievance is deemed to exist, to have it resolved, if possible, at the earliest practicable opportunity. Most grievances can be settled informally with line managers and employees should aim to settle their grievances in this way if possible.
Procedure
If a grievance cannot be settled informally with the relevant line manager, the employee should raise it formally. This procedure has been drawn up to establish the appropriate steps to be followed when pursuing and dealing with a formal grievance.
Stage 1
In the event of the employee having a formal grievance relating to his or her employment he or she should, in the first instance, put their complaint in writing and address it to their line manager. Where the grievance is against the line manager, the complaint should be addressed to an alternative manager. A manager (who may not be the manager to whom the grievance was addressed) will then invite the employee to a grievance meeting to discuss the grievance and the employee has the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a trade union official or a fellow employee of their choice. The employee must take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting.
Following the meeting, the Company will endeavour to respond to the grievance as soon as possible and, in any case, within five working days of the grievance meeting. If it is not possible to respond within this time period, the employee will be given an explanation for the delay and be told when a response can be expected. The employee will be informed in writing of the Company’s decision on the grievance and notified of their right to appeal against that decision if they are not satisfied with it.
Stage 2
In the event that the employee feels his or her grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved, the employee may then appeal in writing to a more senior manager or to a Director of the Company within five working days of the grievance decision.
On receipt of such a request, a more senior manager or a Director (who again may not be the person to whom the appeal was addressed) shall make arrangements to hear the grievance at an appeal meeting and at this meeting the employee may again, if they wish, be accompanied by a trade union official or a fellow employee of their choice. The employee must take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting.
Following the meeting, the senior manager or Director will endeavour to respond to the grievance as soon as possible and, in any case, within five working days of the appeal hearing. If it is not possible to respond within this time period, the employee will be given an explanation for the delay and be told when a response can be expected. The employee will be informed in writing of the Company’s decision on their grievance appeal.
This is the final stage of the grievance procedure and the Company’s decision shall be final.
Former employees
Grievances may also be raised by ex-employees after employment has ended. In this case, the grievance procedure set out above will continue to apply, unless both parties agree in writing that a modified form of grievance procedure will apply instead.
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57 Disaster Recovery Policy
Breakdown of Essential Services
In the event of a breakdown of essential services (e.g. heating failure, loss of water supply), it is important that you are familiar with the following procedures:
- Parent/Guardians/next of kin will be contacted by telephone and asked to collect their child/ren.
- The nursery will contact Parents/Guardians/next of kin to inform them when the nursery will operate normally
- Please contact the nursery before bringing your child back to the nursery to ensure that the nursery has re-opened
- The nursery will refund fees that has been paid by parents for the duration of the closure
- Updates where possible will also be available on our website at abcnursery.org.uk
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58 Severe Weather Conditions
In cases of severe weather conditions, if the weather deteriorates during the day, you may be asked to collect your child/ren early. If heavy snow falls overnight, please establish that the nursery is open before bringing your child. Updates will be available via Heart Radio Station 102.6FM and on our website where possible abcnursery.org.uk.
Should the nursery close for any of the above please telephone to ensure that the nursery has re-opened before returning on the following day. In these circumstances the nursery will not refund any fees as weather conditions are beyond the control of the nursery.
Staffing
Please note – it is important that some members of staff have to travel considerable distances and may be advised not to make the journey to the nursery in severe weather conditions. However, we will endeavour to have as many staff as possible at the nursery when this situation occurs.
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