Policy

At Spring Nursery we aim to protect children at all times. We recognise that accidents or incidents may sometimes occur. We follow this policy and procedure to ensure all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen; and that the circumstances of the accident or incident are reviewed with a view to minimising any future risks.

Accidents
Location of accident record book: Office Filing Cabinet

• The person responsible for reporting accidents, incidents or near misses is the member of staff who saw the incident or was first to find the child where there are no witnesses. They must record it on an Accident Form and report it to the nursery manager. Other staff who have witnessed the accident may also countersign the form and, in more serious cases, provide a statement. This should be done as soon as the accident is dealt with, whilst the details are still clearly remembered. Parents must be shown the Accident Report, informed of any first aid treatment given and asked to sign it on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable after
• The nursery manager reviews the accident forms at least termly/ for patterns, e.g. one child having a repeated number of accidents, a particular area in the nursery or a particular time of the day when most accidents happen. Any patterns will be investigated by the nursery manager and all necessary steps to reduce risks are put in place
• The nursery manager will 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))
• The Accident File will be kept for at least 21 years and three months
• Where medical attention is required, a senior member of staff will notify the parent(s) as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately
• Where medical treatment is required the nursery manager will follow the insurance company procedures, which may involve informing them in writing of the accident
• The nursery manager/registered provider will report any accidents of a serious nature to Ofsted and the local authority children’s social care team (as the local child protection agency), where necessary. Where relevant such accidents will also be reported to the local authority environmental health department or the Health and Safety Executive and their advice followed. Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practical, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring.

Head injuries
If a child has a head injury in the setting then we will follow the following procedure:
• Calm the child
• Assess the child’s condition to ascertain if a hospital or ambulance is required. We will follow our procedure for this if this is required (see below)
• If the skin is not broken we will administer a cold compress for short periods of time, repeated until the parent arrives to collect their child
• If the skin is broken then we will follow our first aid training and stem the bleeding
• Call the parent and make them aware of the injury
• Complete the accident form
• Keep the child in a calm and quiet area whilst awaiting collection
• We will follow the advice on the NHS website as per all head injuries https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/minor-head-injury/
• For major head injuries we will follow our first aid training.

Transporting children to hospital procedure
The nursery manager/staff member must:
• Call for an ambulance immediately if the injury is severe. DO NOT attempt to transport the sick child in your own vehicle
• Whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent(s) and arrange to meet them at the hospital
• Arrange for the most appropriate member of staff to accompany the child taking with them any relevant information such as registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and the child’s comforter
• Redeploy staff if necessary to ensure there is adequate staff deployment to care for the remaining children. This may mean temporarily grouping the children together
• Inform a member of the management team immediately
• Remain calm at all times. Children who witness an incident may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the accident.

First aid
The first aid boxes are located in: each unit and kitchen

These are accessible at all times with appropriate content for use with children.

The appointed person responsible for first aid checks the contents of the boxes regularly and replaces items that have been used or are out of date.

The staff first aid box is kept in kitchen. This is kept out of reach of the children.

First aid boxes should only contain items permitted by the Health and 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 them.

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid boxes is Siti Nurul Said

*All of the staff are trained in paediatric first aid and this training is updated every three years.

All first aid trained staff are listed in every room. When children are taken on an outing away from our nursery, we will always ensure they are accompanied by at least one member of staff who is trained in first aid. A first aid box is taken on all outings.

Food Safety and play
Children are supervised during meal times and food is adequately cut up to reduce choking. The use of food as a play material is discouraged. However, as we understand that learning experiences are provided through exploring different malleable materials the following may be used. These are risk assessed and presented differently to the way it would be presented for eating e.g. in trays,
• Playdough
• Cornflour
• Dried pasta, rice and pulses.

Food items may also be incorporated into the role play area to enrich the learning experiences for children, e.g. Fruits and Vegetables. Children will be supervised during these activities.

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 tasks that involve contact with bodily fluids. PPE is also provided for domestic tasks. Staff are consulted when choosing PPE to ensure all allergies and individual needs are supported and this is evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Dealing with blood

We may not be aware that any child attending the nursery has a condition that may be transmitted via blood. Any staff member dealing with blood must:
• 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 sterilising fluid or freshly diluted bleach (one part diluted with 10 parts water). Such solutions must be carefully disposed of immediately after use.

Needle punctures and sharps injury
We recognise that injuries from needles, broken glass and so on may result in blood-borne infections and that staff must take great care in the collection and disposal of this type of material. For the safety and well-being of the employees, any staff member dealing with needles, broken glass etc. must treat them as contaminated waste. If a needle is found the local authority must be contacted to deal with its disposal.

At Spring Nursery we treat our responsibilities and obligations in respect of health and safety as a priority and we provide ongoing training to all members of staff which reflects best practice and is in line with current health and safety legislation.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

The above is in accordance with the legal space requirements from statutory guidance e.g. EYFS, 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 places, taking into account the staff/child ratios, the age of the child and the registration requirements
• Children who have siblings who are already with us
• 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, including appropriate staffing arrangements
• 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.

We operate an inclusion and equality policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents.

Prior to a child attending nursery, parents 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, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.

Providers eligible to provide government funded places
All settings registered to accept government funding (detailed in the code of practice) must offer free places for *two/*three to five year olds for the sessions specified by the local authority. At Spring Nursery we currently provide free funded places available for children subject to availability. These places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and can be booked a term in advance. Please note for admissions for the free nursery education we have a termly intake, beginning the term following your child’s *second/*third birthday.

All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for their funded place we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes.

At Spring Nursery we are committed to providing a safe environment that helps the ensure the welfare of the children in our care. This includes making sure that children are not exposed to adults who may be under the influence of alcohol or other substances that may affect their ability to care for children.

Alcohol
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, companies have a legal requirement to provide a safe working environment for all of their employees.

At Spring Nursery we also have a duty to provide this for the children in our care.

Anyone who arrives at the nursery clearly under the influence of alcohol will be asked to leave. If they are a member of staff, the nursery will investigate the matter and it is likely that disciplinary process will be initiated as a result of which action could be taken, including dismissal. If they are a parent a judgement call will be made to ascertain if they are suitable to care for the child. In some cases the second contact on the child’s registration form will be called to collect them. If a child is thought to be at risk the child protection procedure will be followed and the police may be called.

If anyone arrives to the nursery in a car under the influence of alcohol the police will be contacted.
Staff, students, parents, carers, visitors, contractors etc. are asked not to bring alcohol on to the nursery premises.

Substance misuse
Anyone who arrives at the nursery under the influence of illegal drugs will be asked to leave the premises immediately. If they are a member of staff, an investigation will follow which is likely to lead to consideration of disciplinary action, as a result of which dismissal could follow.

If they arrive in a car under the influence of illegal drugs the police will be contacted.

Staff, students, parents, carers, visitors, contractors etc. found in procession of illegal drugs will be asked to leave, the police will be called and if they are a member of staff serious disciplinary procedures will be followed.

If a member of staff is taking prescriptive medication that may affect their ability to work they must inform the nursery manager as soon as possible to arrange for a risk assessment to take place.

Safeguarding/Child protection
If a parent or carer is clearly over the alcohol limit, or under the influence of illegal drugs and it is believed the child is at risk we will follow our child protection procedures contact Local Authority children’s social care team and the police.

Staff will do their utmost to prevent a child from travelling in a vehicle driven by them and if necessary if the police will be called.

Where an illegal act is suspected to have taken place, the police will be called.

At Spring Nursery we are aware that children can have allergies which may cause allergic reactions. We will follow this policy to ensure allergic reactions are prevented and staff are fully aware of how to support a child who may be having an allergic reaction.

• Information will be passed on by parents from the registration form regarding allergic reactions and allergies and must be shared with all staff in the nursery
• An allergy register will be kept – one in each classroom and one in the kitchen.
• All food prepared for a child with a specific allergy will be prepared in an area where there is no chance of contamination and served on equipment that has not been in contact with this specific food type, e.g. nuts
• The manager, nursery staff and parents will work together to ensure a child with specific food allergies receives no food at nursery that may harm them. This may include designing an appropriate menu or substituting ingredients
• 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 and it must be recorded in the incident book
• If this treatment requires specialist treatment, e.g. an epipen, then at least two members of staff working directly with the child and the manager will receive specific medical training to be able to administer the treatment to each individual child
• A sick child above all needs their family; therefore every effort should be made to contact a family member as soon as possible
• If the allergic reaction is severe a member of staff will summon an ambulance immediately. We WILL NOT attempt to transport the sick/injured child in our own vehicles
• Whilst waiting for the ambulance, we will contact the emergency contact 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 may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance
• All incidents will be recorded, shared and signed by parents at the earliest opportunity.

It is the policy of the nursery to give a warm welcome to every child and family on their arrival.

Parents are requested to pass the care of their child to a specific member of staff who will ensure his/her safety (this is usually a staff assigned for the door on the day). The staff will have a quick check regarding the child’s wellbeing. 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, including the child’s interests, experiences and observations from home.

If the parent requests the child is given medicine during the day the staff member must ensure that the medication procedure is followed.

If the child is not to be collected by the parent 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 has arrived and should be handed to him/her personally. The medication policy is to be followed regarding parental signature. During this time there are opportunities to discuss the child’s day, e.g. meals, sleep time, activities, interests, progress and friendships. The parent should be told about any accidents or incidents and the appropriate records must be signed by the parent before departure.

No child should be handed over to anyone other than the known parent unless an agreement has been made at the time of arrival. In case of any emergency such as a parent being delayed and arranging for a third party to collect a child, the parent should inform the nominated adult of the agreed procedure and contact the nursery about the arrangements as soon as possible. If in any doubt the nursery will check the person’s identity by ringing the child’s parent or their emergency contact number from our own record (please refer to the late collection policy).

On departure, the child register must be immediately marked to show that the child has left the premises.

Arrivals and departures of visitors
For arrivals and departures of visitors the appropriate records must be completed on entry and exit e.g. in the visitors’ book. Please refer to Supervision of Visitors policy for further information.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Children should be at school, on time, every day that the school is open, unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

Parents are expected to inform school of an absence. The register closes 15 minutes after the required arrival time. Messages of absence from parents are passed to the key worker.

If a child is absent without an explanation for 2 days, office staff will contact parents to ascertain the reason for the absence. In some cases, absence on the first day will be followed up. If the child is known to Social Care, this service will be informed of the unauthorised absence. *Looked after children policy.

If this does not produce a satisfactory explanation, the manager will make contact, initially by telephone. If there is no contact after one week, a letter will be sent to the family. If necessary, an appointment will be made to discuss the matter. If after one month there has been no contact, the child’s name will be removed from the register and the place allocated to another child on the waiting list. The Local Authority will be informed that the child has left the nursery.

Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the school, the parents and the child. Children could sometimes be reluctant to attend school. If a child is reluctant to attend, it is never better to cover up their absence or to give in to pressure to excuse them from attending. This gives the impression that attendance does not matter and may make things worse. Cooperation between home and school is the best way to support children’s well-being needs. Parents are expected to contact school at an early stage and to work with the staff in resolving any problems together.

Parents of children whose attendance is inconsistent and generally poor will be contacted by the manager and their future attendance monitored. If there is cause for concern, the health visiting service and/or Multi-agency Team may be contacted in order to ascertain if family support may be needed. In more urgent cases, social care may be contacted.

Although attendance at nursery is not statutory, authorised absence is only normally granted for emergency situations and medical appointments. All planned absences in term-time must be requested using the Leave of Absence Holiday Request For. Holidays will be marked as such in the register holiday form. Holidays will be marked as such in the attendance register.

Repeated absence or unexplained absence should be monitored by staff as well as long absence after or before school break. (see safeguarding-FGM)

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

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.

All compliments will be recorded and shared with staff.

We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Any concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and to continually improve the quality of the nursery. If we are not able to resolve a concern there is a formal complaints procedure outlined below.

In case of a complaint relating to child protection, please refer to the *Safeguarding/*Child Protection Policy.

Internal complaints procedure

Stage 1
If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, 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 or parents feel they have received an unsatisfactory outcome, then these concerns must be presented in writing as a formal complaint to the nursery manager. The manager will then investigate the complaint and report back to the parent within five working days. The complaint and the actions taken in relation to it will be fully documented in the complaints log book.
(Most complaints are usually resolved informally at stage 1 or 2.)

Stage 3
If the matter is still not resolved, a formal meeting will be held between the manager, parent and the senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. A record of the meeting will be made along with documented actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, sign to agree 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 Ofsted. Parents are made aware that they can contact Ofsted at any time they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaint procedure, and are given information on how to contact Ofsted. Ofsted is the registering authority for nurseries in England and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nursery’s registration. It risk assesses all complaints made and may visit the nursery to carry out a full inspection where it believes requirements are not met.

A record of complaints will be kept in the nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, result of any investigations and any information given to the complainant including a dated response.

Parents will be able to access this record if they wish to, however, all personal details relating to any complaint will be stored confidentially and will be only accessible by the parties involved. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately.

Contact details for Ofsted:

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 1231

By post:
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD

Parents will also be informed if the nursery becomes aware that they are going to be inspected and after inspection will provide a copy of the report to parents and/or carers of children attending on a regular basis.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we recognise that we hold sensitive/confidential information about children and their families and the staff we employ. This information is used to meet children’s needs, for registers, invoices and emergency contacts. We store all records in a locked cabinet or on the office computer with files that are password protected in line with data protection principles. Any information shared with the staff team is done on a ‘need to know’ basis and treated in confidence. This policy will work alongside the Privacy Notice to ensure compliance under General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

Legal requirements
• We follow the legal requirements set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2017 and accompanying regulations about the information we must hold about registered children and their families and the staff working at the nursery
• We follow the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 with regard to the storage of data and access to it.

Procedures
It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their families and we do so by:
• Storing confidential records in a locked filing cabinet or on the office computer with files that are password protected
• Passwords are frequently changed
• Ensuring staff, student and volunteer inductions include an awareness of the importance of confidentiality and that information about the child and family is not shared outside of the nursery other than with relevant professionals who need to know that information. It is not shared with friends and family, discussions on the bus or at the local bar. If staff breach any confidentiality provisions, this may result in disciplinary action and, in serious cases, dismissal. Students on placement in the nursery are advised of our confidentiality policy and required to respect it
• Ensuring that all staff, volunteers and students are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery and to support the child’s best interests with parental permission
• Ensuring that parents have access to files and records of their own children but not to those of any other child, other than where relevant professionals such as the police or local authority children’s social care team decide this is not in the child’s best interest
• Ensuring 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 other than in the circumstances above
• Ensuring staff do not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs
• Ensuring staff, students and volunteers are aware of and follow our social networking policy in relation to confidentiality
• Ensuring issues concerning the employment of staff remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions
• Ensuring 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 safeguarding/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.

General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) compliance
In order to meet our requirements under GDPR we will also undertake the following:
1. We will ensure our terms & conditions, privacy and consent notices are easily accessed/made available in accurate and easy to understand language
2. We will use your data only for regulated purposes related to our nursery and its operation.
3. We will not share or use your data for other purposes.
4. Everyone in our nursery understands that people have the right to access their records or have their records amended or deleted (subject to other laws and regulations).

Staff and volunteer information
• All information and records relating to staff will be kept confidentially in a locked cabinet
• Individual staff may request to see their own personal file at any time.

Hints and tips
For more information on data protection and to register your nursery visit
https://ico.org.uk/

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we follow our legal obligations as an employer at all times including dealing with any disciplinary matter in a fair and consistent manner. We have a policy and procedure that set out our process.

Legal obligations
Our legal obligations as an employer are detailed in the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. This code of practice was introduced on 6 April 2009. A full copy of the ACAS Code of Practice and the accompanying guidance can be obtained from the ACAS website www.acas.org.uk.

We note that a failure to follow the code does not, in itself, make an organisation liable to formal proceedings at an employment tribunal, but failure to follow the code may result in any compensation award payable to be increased by up to 25% or reduced by 25% if the employee does not comply.

Objectives and guiding principles
The objective of this procedure is to set out the standards of conduct expected of all staff and to provide a framework within which our managers can work with employees to maintain satisfactory standards of conduct and to encourage improvement where necessary.

It is our policy to ensure that any disciplinary matter is dealt with fairly and consistently. We will take the necessary steps to establish the facts and to give employees the opportunity to respond before taking any formal action.
This procedure does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and it may be amended at any time. We may also vary this procedure, including any time limits, as appropriate in any case.

The procedure applies to all employees regardless of length of service.

Minor conduct issues can often be resolved informally between you and your line manager. These discussions should be held in private and without undue delay whenever there is a cause for concern. Where appropriate a note of any such discussions may be held on your personnel file, but will be ignored for the purpose of future disciplinary issues.

Formal steps will be taken under this procedure if the matter is not resolved, or if informal discussion is not appropriate (due to the serious nature of the allegation against you).

You will not normally be dismissed for a first act of misconduct, unless we decide it amounts to gross misconduct or you have not yet completed your probationary period.

The procedure
Our aim is to deal with disciplinary matters sensitively and fairly. All employees must treat all information in connection with the disciplinary procedure and its investigation as confidential.

Where there has been a serious allegation of misconduct or gross misconduct and/or there are serious concerns regarding the employee’s capability, we aim to establish the facts quickly and no disciplinary action will be taken until the matter has been fully investigated. You will be informed if a formal complaint is made against you, and if necessary you may be suspended on full pay pending the outcome of the investigation and disciplinary procedure.

Stage 1
• We will investigate any allegations/concerns quickly and thoroughly to establish whether a disciplinary hearing should be held
• The purpose of the investigation is to establish a balanced view of the facts relating to the allegations against you. The amount of investigation will depend on the nature of the allegations and will vary from case to case. It may involve interviewing and taking statements from you and any witnesses, and/or reviewing relevant documents
• Investigation interviews are solely for the purpose of fact finding and no decision on the disciplinary procedure will be taken until after the disciplinary hearing
• You are not normally allowed to bring a companion to an investigatory interview. However, we may allow you to bring a work colleague or trade union representative in exceptional circumstances and if you wish to be accompanied you should contact (insert name) to discuss the reasons for your request
• If the investigations lead us to reasonably believe there are grounds for disciplinary action, we will write to you outlining the allegations against you, the basis of the allegations and the potential consequences. You will be invited to a disciplinary hearing to discuss the matter. You will be sent any copies of evidence which may be referred to in the hearing (e.g. witness statements, or a summary of the statements if the witness’s identity is to remain confidential, and minutes of meetings).

Stage 2
• We will hold the disciplinary meeting to discuss the allegations. You will have the right to bring a companion to the meeting and a companion may be a work colleague or trade union representative. You must inform us prior to the meeting who your chosen companion is. If your companion is unreasonable, for example, there may be a conflict of interest, we may require you to choose someone else
• If you or your companion is unable to attend the meeting you should inform us immediately and we will arrange an alternative time and date. You must make every effort to attend the meeting and failure to do so without good cause may be treated as misconduct in itself
• If you persistently fail to reply to invitations, or persistently fail to attend the arranged hearing without good cause, it may be carried out in your absence and you will be notified of the decision in writing. You will retain the right to appeal
• During the meeting we will go through the allegations against you and the evidence that has been collated. You will be able to state your case and call relevant witnesses (provided you provide advance notice and we agree to their attendance) to support your case
• We may adjourn the disciplinary meeting if we need to carry out further investigations and you will be given reasonable opportunity to consider new information
• You will be notified of the decision in writing, usually within seven working days of the hearing
• You will be given the opportunity to appeal the decision. If you wish to appeal, you should state your full grounds in writing and the letter should be sent to Pam Reville within seven working days from the date the decision was communicated to you.

Stage 3
• The appeal meeting will be conducted impartially by a [more senior] manager, where possible, or a solicitor, who has not previously been involved in the case
• You will be able to bring a companion to the meeting and the companion may be a work colleague or trade union representative (as stated above)
• We may adjourn the appeal hearing if further investigations need to be carried out and you will be given reasonable opportunity to consider any new information before the hearing is reconvened
• We will inform you in writing of our final decision as soon as possible, usually within 7 working days of the appeal hearing.

There is no legal right to appeal beyond this stage.

Disciplinary penalties
In the first instance, where less serious offences are concerned, we are most likely to give the employee a verbal warning. This warning will be recorded and a copy maintained in the employee’s personnel file with a time scale for improvement or to not re-offend.

[Note: the right to a verbal warning is not part of the ACAS code. Many employers use verbal warnings as a first stage but you may prefer to use a written warning as the first stage depending on the circumstances.]

If further action becomes necessary and there is already an active warning on your record, or the misconduct is sufficiently serious, we will give a written warning. This warning will be recorded and a copy maintained in the employee’s personnel file for a specified period of time.

If the employee continues to fail to meet the required standards and there is already an active written warning on record, or the misconduct is sufficiently serious, we will issue a final written warning indicating that further behaviour of a similar nature within a specified time period could result in dismissal. This warning will be recorded and a copy maintained in the employee’s personnel file for a specified period of time.

If the employee continues to fail to meet the required standards and there is already an active final warning on record, or the matter amounts to gross misconduct, we may authorise dismissal.

[The procedure may be implemented at any stage dependant on the offence and severity of the offence committed by the employee in each particular case.]

Levels of authority
Nursery Managers (including officer in charge) have the authority to suspend an employee pending investigation. Only the officer in charge and higher management has the authority to dismiss an employee.

Gross misconduct
In the case of gross misconduct, the nursery reserves the right to dismiss an employee without notice (or payment in lieu of notice) if, after investigation and a hearing, the management are satisfied that there is sufficient justification for so doing.

Alternatives to dismissal
In some cases we may, at our discretion, consider alternatives to dismissal. These may be authorised by (insert management grade) and will usually be accompanied by a final written warning. Examples include:
• Demotion
• Transfer to another department
• A period of suspension without pay
• Loss of seniority
• Loss of overtime
• Reduction in pay

Examples of gross misconduct
Examples of what would constitute a gross misconduct offence include:
• Failure to inform the employer of a disqualification, either personally or a person living in the same household as the registered provider, or a person employed in that household
• Theft or the unauthorised possession of property belonging to the nursery, its employees or customers
• Assault on any employee or persons associated with the nursery
• Breach of confidence i.e. the divulging of confidential information relating to the nursery, its employees or clients
• Dishonesty, including the use of any funds, expenses or allowances for any other purpose than that for which they have been delegated by the nursery
• Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol whilst on duty
• Serious or persistent breaches of safety rules
• Fraud including falsification of work records and expense claims
• Signing/clocking in or out for another employee
• Physical assault or abuse towards a child e.g. hitting a child in chastisement or harsh disciplinary actions
• Discrimination/harassment in any way against a person
• Persistent failure to follow nursery documentary systems and procedures.

Further behaviour that could constitute gross misconduct is not limited by the above list.

Examples of misconduct
Examples of what would constitute a misconduct offence include:
• Minor breaches of our policies [including the Sickness Absence Policy, Mobile Phone and Social Networking Policy, and Health and Safety Policy]
• Minor breaches of your contract
• Damage to, or unauthorised use of, our property
• Poor timekeeping
• Time wasting
• Unauthorised absence from work/unacceptable attendance levels
• Refusal to follow instructions
• Excessive use of our telephones for personal calls
• Excessive personal email or internet usage
• Obscene language or other offensive behaviour
• Negligence in the performance of your duties
• Smoking in no smoking areas.
N.B. Some of the misconduct offences above may, dependent on the circumstances and having followed a detailed investigation, also be classed as gross misconduct offences.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

The manager/ fire marshall makes sure the nursery premises are compliant with fire safety regulations and seeks advice from the local fire safety officer as necessary, including following any major changes or alterations to the premises.

The manager/fire marshall has overall responsibility for the fire drill and evacuation procedures. These are carried out and recorded for each group of children every month or as and when a large change occurs, e.g. a large intake of children or a new member of staff joins the nursery. These drills will occur at different times of the day and on different days to ensure evacuations are possible under different circumstances and all children and staff participate in the rehearsals.

The manager/fire marshall checks fire detection and control equipment and fire exits in line with the timescales in the fire safety record book.

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 and emergency contacts list in the event of a fire.

No smoking policy
The nursery operates a strict no smoking policy – please see this separate policy for details.

Fire drill procedure
On discovering a fire:
• Calmly raise the alarm by blowing the whistle, ringing the bell or sounding the horn
• Immediately evacuate the building under guidance from the *manager on duty/fire marshalls
• Using the nearest accessible exit lead the children out, assemble in front of Tesco (to the right side from the front entrance) (to the left from the garden exit)
• Close all doors behind you wherever possible
• The fire marshall in each unit to pick up the register
• 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.
• Wait for emergency services and report any unaccounted persons to the fire service/police.

If you are unable to evacuate safely:
• Stay where you are safe
• Keep the children calm and together
• Wherever possible alert the manager of your location and identity of the children and other adults with you.

The manager/fire marshall of each unit is to:
• Pick up the children’s register, staff register, mobile phone, keys, visitor book and fire bag/evacuation pack (containing emergency contacts list, nappies, wipes and blankets)
• Telephone emergency services: dial 999 and ask for the fire service
• In the fire assembly point area – (in front of Tesco) check the children against the register
• Account for all adults, staff and visitors
• Advise the fire service of anyone missing and possible locations and respond to any other questions they may have.

Remember
• Do not stop 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.

Staff are to repot any faulty fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, fire door, blocked fire exit etc. to the Fire Marshall/manager.

Designated Fire Officer/Fire Marshall is Siti Nurul H B S Said

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees and a safe early learning environment in which children learn and are cared for. To develop and promote a strong health and safety culture within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children and parents, we provide information, training and supervision. 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 our health and safety procedures are set out within this policy and we make sufficient resources available to provide a safe environment.

Legal framework
We follow all relevant legislation and associated guidance relating to health and safety within the nursery including:
• The requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2017
• The regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation such as Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH)
• Any guidance provided by Public Health England, the local health protection unit, the local authority environmental health department, fire authority or the Health and Safety Executive.

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 including outdoor spaces
• Establish and maintain safe working practices amongst staff and children
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the minimising of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of hazardous 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 and to ensure that staff have access to regular health and safety training
• Maintain a healthy and safe nursery with safe entry and exit routes
• Formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. Practice this procedure on a regular basis to enable the safe and speedy evacuation of the nursery
• Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers or for workers who have recently given birth, including undertaking appropriate risk assessments
• Maintain a safe environment for those with special educational needs and disabilities and ensure all areas of the nursery are accessible (wherever practicable)
• Provide a safe environment for students or trainees to learn in
• Encourage all staff, visitors and parents to report any unsafe working practices or areas to ensure immediate response by the management.

We believe the risks in the nursery environment are low and we will maintain the maximum protection for children, staff and parents. The nursery will:
• Ensure all entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits are clearly identifiable and 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, visitors, parents and children are aware of the fire procedures and regular fire drills are carried out
• Have the appropriate fire detection and control equipment which is checked regularly to make sure it is in working order
• Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedure to follow in case of accidents for staff, visitors and children
• Ensure that all members of staff take all reasonable action to control the spread of infectious diseases and wear protective gloves and clothing where appropriate
• Ensure there are suitable hygienic changing facilities
• Prohibit smoking on the nursery premises
• Prohibit any contractor from working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in charge
• Encourage children to manage risks safely and prohibit running inside the premises unless in designated areas
• Risk assess all electrical sockets and take appropriate measures to reduce risks where necessary and ensure no trailing wires are left around the nursery
• Ensure all cleaning materials are placed out of the reach of children and kept in their original containers
• Prohibit certain foods that may relate to children’s allergies, e.g. peanuts are not allowed in the nursery
• We follow the EU Food Information for Food Consumers Regulations (EU FIC). These rules are enforced in the UK by the Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR). We identify the 14 allergens listed by EU Law that we use as ingredients in any of the dishes we provide to children and ensure that all parents are informed
• Follow the allergies and allergic reactions policy for children who have allergies
• Ensure risk assessments are undertaken on the storage and preparation of food produce within the nursery
• Familiarise all staff and visitors with the position of the first aid boxes and ensure all know who the appointed first aiders are
• Provide appropriately stocked first aid boxes and check their contents regularly
• Ensure children are supervised at all times
• Ensure no student or volunteer is left unsupervised at any time
• Ensure staff paediatric first aid certificates are made available to parents upon request.

Responsibilities
The designated Health and Safety Officer in the nursery is Imran Kamaly.

The employer has overall and final responsibility for this policy being carried out at:
Spring Nursery
Hidayyah Trust Building
260 Poplar High Street
London
E14 0BB
The nursery manager/ nursery co-ordinator will be responsible in his/her absence.

All employees have the responsibility to cooperate with senior staff and the manager to achieve a healthy and safe nursery and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Neglect of health and safety regulations/duties will be regarded as a disciplinary matter.

Whenever a member of staff notices a health or safety problem which they are not able to rectify, they must immediately report it to the appropriate person named above. Parents and visitors are requested to report any concerns they may have to the manager.

Daily contact and termly staff meetings provide consultation between management and employees. This will include health and safety matters.

Health and safety training
Person responsible for monitoring staff training is Imran Kamaly. Health and safety is covered in all induction for new staff.

Training table
Area Training required Who
Paediatric First aid Course All staff
Safeguarding/Child protection In house training All staff
Dealing with blood In house training All staff
Care of babies In house training All staff
Risk assessment In house training All staff
Fire safety procedures In house training All staff
Food hygiene In house training All staff
Allergy awareness In house training All staff
Manual handling In house training All staff
Changing of nappies In house training Half of the staff working with under 2’s
Fire marshal duties External course Fire Warden: Manager and deputies
Medication requiring technical or medical knowledge e.g. Epi Pen External course As required
SENCO External course SENCO
Supervision and appraisal College Support Manager and deputies

Health and safety arrangements
• All staff are responsible for general health and safety in the nursery
• Risk assessments will be conducted on all areas of the nursery, including rooms, activities, outdoor areas, resources and cleaning equipment
• These are reviewed at regular intervals and when arrangements change
• All outings away from the nursery (however short) will include a prior risk assessment – more details are included in our outings policy
• All equipment, rooms and outdoor areas will be checked thoroughly by staff before children access them or the area. These checks will be recorded and initialled by the staff responsible. Unsafe areas will be made safe/removed from the area by this member of staff to promote the safety of children. If this cannot be achieved the manager will be notified immediately.
• We provide appropriate facilities for all children, staff, parents and visitors to receive a warm welcome and provide for their basic care needs, e.g. easy to access toilet area and fresh drinking water
• The nursery will adhere to the Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH) to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are safe in relation to any chemicals we may use on the premises
• All staff and students will receive appropriate training in all areas of health and safety which will include risk assessments, manual handling and fire safety. We may also use benefit risk assessments for particular activities and resources for children
• We have a clear accident and first aid policy to follow in the case of any person in the nursery suffering injury from an accident or incident
• We have a clear fire safety policy and procedure which supports the prevention of fire and the safe evacuation of all persons in the nursery. This is to be shared with all staff, students, parents and visitors to the nursery
• We review accident and incident records to identify any patterns/hazardous areas
• All health and safety matters are reviewed informally on an ongoing basis and formally every six months or when something changes. Staff and parents will receive these updates, as with all policy changes, as and when they happen
• Staff and parents are able to contribute to any policy through the suggestion scheme and during informal discussion held at nursery.

The policy is kept up to date and reviewed especially when the nursery changes in nature and size. It is revised annually, or as and when required. We therefore welcome any useful comments from members of staff, parents and visitors regarding this policy.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

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 are an adult or a 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 or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within this nursery.

A commitment to implementing our inclusion and equality 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. Appropriate steps will then be taken to investigate the matter and if such concerns are well-founded, disciplinary action will be invoked under the nursery’s disciplinary policy.

The legal framework for this policy is based on:
• Equality Act 2010
• Children Act 2004
• Care Standards Act 2002
• Childcare Act 2006
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
• Children and Families Act 2014.

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 because of age, sex, gender reassignment, disability, marriage or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity 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 may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities or are deemed disadvantaged according to their individual circumstances, and the nursery’s ability to provide the necessary standard of care
• Making reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities
• Striving to promote equal access to services and projects by taking practical steps (wherever possible and reasonable), such as ensuring access to people with additional needs and by producing materials in relevant languages and media for all children and their families
• 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, inclusion and diversity
• Providing positive non-stereotypical information
• Continually improving our knowledge and understanding of issues of equality, inclusion and diversity
• Regularly reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of inclusive practices to ensure they promote and value diversity and difference and that the policy is effective and practices are non-discriminatory
• Making inclusion a thread, which runs through the entirety of the nursery, for example, by encouraging positive role models through the use of toys, imaginary play and activities, promoting non-stereotypical images and language and challenging all discriminatory behaviour.

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
All members of the selection group will be committed to the inclusive practice 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 monitoring form. Application forms will not include questions that potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent.

At interview, no questions will be posed which potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent. 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 Spring Nursery not to discriminate in the treatment of individuals. 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 specified in this policy and recognise and celebrate other cultures and traditions. All staff are expected to participate in equality and inclusion training.

Staff will follow the whistleblowing policy where applicable to report any discriminatory behaviours observed.

Training
The nursery recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective inclusion and equality policy. All new staff receive induction training including specific reference to the inclusion and equality policy. The nursery will strive towards the provision of inclusion, equality and diversity training for all staff on an annual basis.

Early learning framework
Early learning opportunities offered in the nursery encourage 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 all children have equal access to early learning and play opportunities
• Reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources
• Avoiding stereotypical or derogatory images in the selection of materials
• Acknowledging and celebrating a wide range of religions, beliefs and festivals
• Creating an environment of mutual respect and empathy
• Helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are unacceptable
• Ensuring that all early learning opportunities offered are inclusive of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to early learning opportunities and are supported in their learning
• Working in partnership with all families to ensure they understand the policy and challenge any discriminatory comments made
• Ensuring the medical, cultural and dietary needs of children are met
• Helping children to learn about a range of food and cultural approaches to meal times and to respect the differences among them.

Information and meetings

Information about the nursery, its activities and their children’s development will be given in a variety of ways according to individual needs (written, verbal and translated), to ensure that all parents can access the information they need.

Wherever possible, meetings will be arranged to give all families options to attend and contribute their ideas about the running of the nursery.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Minimum Periods of Exclusion from Nursery

Disease/Illness	Minimal Exclusion Period
Antibiotics prescribed	First day at home
Temperature	If sent home ill, child must be off for 24 hours
Vomiting	If sent home ill, child must be off for 24 hours
Conjunctivitis	Keep at home for a minimum of 1 day; longer if eyes still weeping
Diarrhoea	24 hours or until 2 clear nappies
Chickenpox	7 days from appearance of the rash or until all blisters have scabbed over completely
Gastro-enteritis, food poisoning, salmonellosis and dysentery	24 hours or until 2 clear nappies or for notifiable diseases, until advised by the relevant public health official
Infective hepatitis	7 days from onset of jaundice
Measles	7 days from appearance of the rash
Meningococcal infection	Until recovered from the illness
Mumps	Until the swelling has subsided and in no case less than 7 days from onset of illness
Pertussis (whooping cough)	21 days from the onset of paroxysmal cough
Poliomyelitis	Until declared free from infection by the appropriate public health official.
Scarlet fever and streptococcal infection of the throat	Until appropriate medical treatment has been given and in no case for less than 3 days from the start of treatment
Tuberculosis	Until declared free from infection by the appropriate public health official
Typhoid fever	Until declared free from infection by the appropriate public health official
Impetigo	Until the skin is healed
Pediculosis (lice)	Until appropriate treatment has been given
Plantar warts	No exclusion.  Should be treated and covered
Ringworm of scalp	Until cured
Ringworm of body	Seldom necessary to exclude provided treatment is being given
Scabies	Need not be excluded once appropriate treatment has been given

INFECTION CONTROL

At Spring Nursery we promote the good health of all children attending through maintaining high hygiene standards and reducing the chances of infection being spread. We follow the Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities guidance which sets out when and how long children need to be excluded from settings, when treatment/medication is required and where to get further advice from.

Viruses and infections can be easily passed from person to person by breathing in air containing the virus which is produced when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. It can also spread through hand/face contact after touching a person or surface contaminated with viruses.

We follow the guidance below to prevent a virus or infection from moving around the nursery. Our staff:
• Encourage all children to use tissues when coughing and sneezing to catch germs
• Ensure all tissues are disposed of in a hygienic way and all children and staff wash their hands once the tissue is disposed of
• Develop children’s understanding of the above and the need for good hygiene procedures in helping them to stay healthy
• Wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when changing nappies, toileting children and dealing with any other bodily fluids. Staff are requested to dispose of these in the appropriate manner and wash hands immediately
• Clean and sterilise all potties and changing mats before and after each use
• Clean toilets at least daily and check them throughout the day
• Remind children to wash their hands before eating, after visiting the toilet, playing outside or being in contact with any animal and explain the reasons for this
• Clean all toys, equipment and resources on a regular basis by following a comprehensive cleaning rota and using antibacterial cleanser or through washing in the washing machine
• Wash or clean all equipment used by children as and when needed including when the children have placed it in their mouth
• Store dummies in individual hygienic dummy boxes labelled with the child’s name to prevent cross-contamination with other children
• Store toothbrushes (where applicable) hygienically to prevent cross-contamination
• Immediately clean and sterilise (where necessary) any dummy or bottle that falls on the floor or is picked up by another child
• Where applicable wear specific indoor shoes or slippers whilst inside the rooms and make sure that children wear them as well
• Follow the sickness and illness policy when children are ill to prevent the spread of any infection in the nursery. Staff are also requested to stay at home if they are contagious.

In addition:
• The nursery manager retains the right of refusal of all children, parents, staff and visitors who are deemed contagious and may impact on the welfare of the rest of the nursery
• Parents will be made aware of the need for these procedures in order for them to follow these guidelines whilst in the nursery
• Periodically each room in the nursery will be deep cleaned including carpets and soft furnishings to ensure the spread of infection is limited. This will be implemented earlier if the need arises
• The nursery will ensure stocks of tissues, hand washing equipment, cleaning materials and sterilising fluid are maintained at all times and increased during the winter months or when flu and cold germs are circulating.

Head Lice

We do not inspect children for head lice, however if they are detected at nursery parents will be informed immediately. This is to enable them to purchase appropriate treatment before collection so that treatment can be carried out on their child before their next attendance (after 7 days).

Our aim is to prevent the spread of head lice throughout the nursery.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we believe that all children need contact with familiar, consistent carers to ensure they can grow confidently and feel self-assured. At times children need to be cuddled, encouraged, held and offered physical reassurance.

Intimate care routines are essential throughout the day to ensure children’s basic needs are met. This may include nappy changing, supporting children with toileting, changing clothes where required, first aid treatment and specialist medical support.

In order to maintain the child’s privacy, the majority of these actions will take place on a one-to-one basis and, wherever possible, will be supported by the child’s key person with the exception of first aid treatment which must be carried out by a qualified first aider.

We wish to ensure the safety and welfare of the children involved in intimate care routines and safeguard them against any potential harm as well as ensuring the staff member involved is fully supported and able to perform their duties safely and confidently. Through the following actions we will endeavour to support all parties:
• Promote consistent and caring relationships through the key person system in the nursery and ensure all parents understand how this works
• Ensure all staff undertaking intimate care routines have suitable enhanced DBS checks
• Train all staff in the appropriate methods for intimate care routines and access specialist training where required, i.e. first aid training, specialist medical support
• Ensuring children are afforded privacy during intimate care routines whilst balancing this with the need to safeguard children and staff. No nappies will be changed or intimate routines take place behind closed doors.
• Conduct thorough inductions for all new staff to ensure they are fully aware of all nursery procedures relating to intimate care routines
• Ensure all staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding/child protection and how to protect children from harm. This will include identifying signs and symptoms of abuse and how to raise these concerns as per the safeguarding policy
• The setting operates a whistleblowing policy as a means for staff to raise concerns relating to their peers. The management will support this by ensuring staff feel confident in raising worries as they arise in order to safeguard the children in the nursery
• The management team regularly conducts working practice observations on all aspects of nursery operations to ensure that procedures are working in practice and all children are supported fully by the staff. This includes intimate care routines
• The nursery conducts regular risk assessments on all aspects of the nursery operation and this area is no exception. The nursery has assessed all the risks relating to intimate care routines and has placed appropriate safeguards in place to ensure the safety of all involved.

Nappy changing

• Soiled nappies will be changed as soon as possible by a member of staff on duty.
• Parents are advised to drop off children in clean nappies. Although we understand that children might wet their nappies on the way to school.
• Staff will check for wet nappies twice in a half day session. Halfway during the session and towards the end of session.
• There are no needs of changing dry nappies.
• Any nappy changing (wet/soiled) will be recorded in Nappy Changing Log along with the name of staff on duty.
• Disposal of nappies by staff or visitors must be using the nappy bin provided in the nappy changing room.

If any parent or member of staff has concerns or questions about intimate care procedures or individual routines please see the manager at the earliest opportunity.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS A KEY PERSON? …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
MANAGEMENT OF KEY PERSONS ……………………………………………………………………………………….
PRINCIPLES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
THE ROLE OF THE KEY PERSON ………………………………………………………………………………………….

WHAT IS A KEY PERSON?
In order to ensure every child in the nursery is given the appropriate level of attention and care, a key person is appointed for each child. A key person is a named member of staff assigned to an individual child to support their development and act as the key point of contact with that child’s parents or carers. The key person has special responsibilities for working with a small number of children and helps build and develop positive relationships with children and between parents, carers and staff.

The key person is the family of the child’s initial, but not exclusive, point of contact with the nursery. Other staff will also maintain contact as it is unlikely that the key person will not always be on duty every time a child is brought to or collected from the nursery, if a key person is away ill or on annual leave their key children will be observed by other staff in the room the maintain development.

MANAGEMENT OF KEY PERSONS
All staff working in the nursery playrooms, namely the Deputy Manager, Room Leaders and Nursery Practitioners are required to assume key carer responsibilities. The Room Leaders supported by the Managers, will oversee the key person responsibilities of the staff in the playrooms. The Nursery Managers will monitor children’s records of development and learning under the EYFS and ensure they are updated regularly and to an appropriate standard. The room leaders are responsible for ensuring fair and even distribution of key person responsibilities and will monitor at regular intervals each key person’s assigned children.

PRINCIPLES
This policy will provide staff with a framework in which to operate the nursery key person system. It will define for staff the roles and responsibilities of a key person and how those roles and responsibilities translate into practice. By sharing with and gathering information from parents / carers, and other member of staff relating to individual children, staff will be able to develop a full and accurate picture of each child’s level of skill, knowledge and understanding, and their interests. This will enable staff to closely match provision to each child’s individual needs.

The guiding principles by which the key person policy will be managed are:

• To build a trusting relationship with the child and their parent/carer.
• To ensure the happiness and welfare of the child within a stimulating and safe environment.
• To ensure a smooth settling in procedure for all key children both into the nursery, to their next room and ultimately onto school.
• To collect all relevant information about key children’s specific needs from the parent/carer. Information should be recorded in the child’s individual care plan. Management should be informed of any issues/requirements related to the child.
• To plan and provide a range of stimulating and age appropriate activities for key children to assist with their learning and progression.
• To continually assess key children and relate the assessment to EYFS planning.
• To value linguistic diversity and provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in their play and learning.

THE ROLE OF THE KEY PERSON
• The key person will help to ensure their key children feel safe, secure and confident, if they are to develop to their full potential. Their parents/carers need a trusted person who they can talk to about their child’s individual needs.
• When a child settles into a new room, the assigned key person will perform a baseline assessment of that child, which will be shared with parents and carers.
• The key person is responsible for a group of children, but as a member of a room the key person is also responsible for all the children in their care.
• Where a child is attending other childcare settings at the same time as coming to Spring Nursery, the key person will share information with those settings via the “All About Me” records.
• To complete a ‘2 Year Old Check’ in the term the child turns 2. Arrange a meeting with the parent to discuss the child’s progress and/or any developmental concerns the check brings to the key person notice. Discuss development concerns with parents and contact appropriate professionals with parents’ consent.
• To ensure that parents/carers are kept informed of the child’s day to day experiences.
• To change and check key children’s nappies as required and to assist with potty training and other toileting or intimate care needs.
• It is the Room Leader’s ultimate responsibility to ensure that this happens during sickness or other key person absence. Parents/carers are to be informed.
• The key person will assist the parent/carer and child with the settling process, taking time to listen to questions, and provide answers.
• Where a child is transitioning from one room to another, key persons from each room will liaise together to ensure information is passed on correctly. A room moving form will be completed and the parent/carer introduced to their child’s new key person.
• The key person will complete the care plan with the parent/carer at the child’s first settle and ensure that the other team members are aware of any allergies or special requirements.
• The key person will be the main contact responsible for greeting the parent/carers and child at all their settles, so that a bond can be established.
• The key person will be planning for their key children during activity times. This is a good opportunity to feedback assessments into the child’s EYFS planning needs. The key person is responsible for providing accurate observations of their key children and linking to the appropriate stage within the EYFS Development Matters guidelines. The observations will be used to inform planning about how to enable children to progress.
• The key person needs to record basic information about their key children such as sleep times, meal times and anything exciting or notable that happened during the day. This information is then passed on to the parent/carer at the end of the child’s session.
• When the child is due to leave nursery, the key person must ensure that their learning journey profile is fully up to date and that it is handed to the child’s parent.

The nursery is fully committed to continually evaluating its key person practice, managing changes and transitions as sensitively as possible and ensuring each child feels special and has the opportunity to develop an attachment.

The Nursery Managers are ultimately responsible for managing and maintaining the key person policy and procedures.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

• All parents agree an approximate arrival time at the nursery and are informed of procedures to follow if they expect to be late. These include:

-Calling the nursery as soon as possible to advise of their situation
-Asking a designated person to collect their child wherever possible
-Informing the nursery of this person’s identity so the nursery can talk to the child if appropriate. This will help to reduce or eliminate the distress that may be caused by this situation

• If the designated person is not known to the nursery staff the parent must provide a detailed description of this person, including their date of birth where known. This designated person must know the individual child’s safety password in order for the nursery to release the child into their care. This is the responsibility of the parent.
• If a child has not been collected from the nursery after a reasonable amount of time [15 minutes] has been allowed for lateness, the following procedure will be initiated by staff:

-The nursery manager will be informed that 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 will be contacted on the numbers provided for their mobile, home or work. If this fails the emergency contacts will then be contacted as per the child’s records
-The manager/staff member in charge and one other member of staff must stay behind with the child (if outside normal operating hours). During normal operating times, staff ratios must be met and planned for accordingly
-If the parents have still 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 a 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

• Ofsted will also be advised of the situation as soon as convenient
• 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 and to minimise distress staff will distract, comfort and reassure the child during the process
• In order to provide this additional care a late fee of £10 per 15minutes will be charged to parents. This will pay for any additional operational costs that caring for a child outside their normal nursery hours may incur.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we aim to ensure that no member of the team is left alone working in either a room alone or within the building at any time. However there may be occasions when this isn’t always possible due to:
• Toilet breaks
• Lunch cover
• Nappy changes
• Comforting a child that may be unwell in a quiet area
• Following a child’s interest, as this may lead staff away with a child to explore an area
• Supporting children in the toilet area that may have had an accident
• The duties some team members have, e.g. management, opening and closing the setting, carrying out cleaning or maintenance at the settings and staff operating outside operating hours.

We always ensure that our staff : child ratios are maintained.

Staff to children ratios are :

Indoor – 2 years old 1:4
3 years old 1:8

Outdoor – 2 years old 1:2
3 years old 1:4

The ratios can only be followed in normal situation where there are no new students or new member of staff. Extra precaution should be taken in situations such as first timers or possibility of tantrums.

It is the responsibility of both the employee and their manager to identify the hazards and minimise the risks or working alone.

Considerations when deciding on lone working include how lone workers manage with a variety of tasks such as talking to parents and supervising activities whilst maintaining the safety and welfare of children and ensuring that each member of staff required to work alone has the training and/or skills for the role; e.g. paediatric first aid certificate, child protection/safeguarding training and competency, food hygiene training and if children younger than school reception age are present; hold a level 3 qualification.

Public liability insurance for lone working will be sought where applicable.

Employees/managers’ responsibilities when left in a room alone include ensuring:
• To complete a risk assessment for staff working alone
• Ratios are maintained
• There is someone to call on in an emergency if required
• The member of staff and children are safeguarded at all times (relating to additional policies as above).

Employee’s responsibilities when left in the building alone:
• To make a member of the management aware of when they are working and make plans to check in at their expected time of completion of the work
• To ensure they have access to a telephone at all times in order to call for help if they need it, or for management to check their safety if they are concerned
• Ensure that the building remains locked so no one can walk in unidentified
• Report any concerns for working alone to the management as soon as is practicably possible.

Management’s responsibilities when left in the building alone:

• To ensure staff working alone are competent and confident to carry out any safety procedures e.g. fire evacuation
• To make sure that the work doesn’t take a long period of time.
• To ensure that the employee has the ability to contact them or a member of the team event if their lone working is outside normal office hours (i.e. access to a phone, contact numbers of someone they can call)
• To check that the employee has someone they can contact in the event of an emergency, and the numbers to call
• To ensure that employees have the ability to access a telephone whilst lone working
• If reporting in arrangements have been made and the employee does not call in, to follow it up.

Risk assessments are also completed for these occasions including hazards and risks and how these are controlled.

Although working alone is allowed in certain circumstances( short period of time), we do not recommend this practice and will try our best to avoid such situation.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive quality environment for all children and families.

Definition and Legal Framework

The description ‘looked after’ is generally used to describe a child who is looked after by the local authority. This includes children who are subject to a care order or temporarily classed as looked after on a planned basis for short breaks or respite care. Most looked after children will be cared for by foster carers with a small minority in children’s homes, looked after by family members or even placed back within the family home.

The legal framework for this policy is underpinned by or supported through:
• Childcare Act 2006
• Children Act (1989)
• Adoption & Children Act (2002)
• Children & Young Person Act (2002).
• Children’s and Families Act 2014
• Children and Social Work Act (2017)

Our policy
Our nursery treats each child as an individual. We recognise that for young children to get the most out of educational opportunities they need to be settled appropriately with their carer. We will discuss with the child’s carer, and social worker where applicable, the length of time the child has been with the carer before they start nursery to establish how secure the child feels and whether they are ready to be able to cope with further separation, a new environment and new expectations made upon them.

We are aware that there are a number of reasons why a child may go into care and these reasons may or may not include traumatic experiences or abuse. All our practitioners are committed to doing all they can to support all children to achieve their full potential. The nursery staff team are all trained to understand our safeguarding policy and procedures. Additional training to support children’s individual needs will be planned for where appropriate. Practitioners are supported by management at all times and we have an open door policy if they need to discuss any sensitive issues regarding the child.

Where applicable, we contribute to any assessment about the child, such as those carried out under local authorities’ assessment frameworks and to any multi-agency meetings, case conferences or strategy meetings in relation to the child’s learning and development.

Each child is allocated a key person. The key person will support the child initially with transition and settling in and then continue to support and build up a relationship with the child, carers and any other agencies involved. Regular contact will be maintained with the carers throughout the child’s time at the nursery and with the social worker or other professionals (where applicable).

The key person will carry out regular ongoing practice such as observations to build up a picture of the child’s interests, and plan activities accordingly to support the child’s stage of learning and development and interests. This information will be shared with carers and other professionals as appropriate as well as any concerns surrounding their developmental stages.

Where necessary we will develop a care plan with carers and professionals. This will include:
• The child’s emotional needs and how they are to be met
• How any emotional issues and problems that affect behaviour are to be managed
• The child’s sense of self, culture, language/s and identity – how this is to be supported
• The child’s need for sociability and friendship
• The child’s interests and abilities and possible learning journey pathway
• How any special needs will be supported.

In addition, the care plan may also consider:
• How information will be shared with the foster carer and local authority (as the ‘corporate parent’) as well as what information is shared with any other organisation or professionals and how it will be recorded and stored
• What contact the child has with his/her birth parent(s) and what arrangements will be in place for supervised contact. If this is to be in the setting, when, where and what form the contact will take will be discussed and agreed
• Who may collect the child from nursery and who may receive information about the child
• What written reporting is required
• Wherever possible, and where the plan is for the child to return to their home, the birth parent(s) should be involved in planning
• With the social worker’s agreement, and as part of the plan, whether the birth parent(s) should be involved in the setting’s activities that include parents, such as outings, fun days etc. alongside the foster carer.

We will attend all appropriate meetings and contribute to reviews
The key person will work together to ensure any onward transition to school or another nursery is handled sensitively to ensure that this is as smooth as possible and all necessary information is shared. The child’s individual file, including observations, photographs and pieces of art work and mark making will be passed on to the carer at this stage.

Private Fostering
Private fostering is an arrangement made between the parent and the private foster carer, who then becomes responsible for caring for the child in such a way as to safeguard and promote their welfare.

A privately fostered child is a child under the age of 16 (18 if a disabled child) who is cared for and provided with accommodation etc. for more than 28 days and where the care is intended to continue by someone other than:
• The parents
• A person who is not a parent but has parental responsibility
• A close relative
• The Local Authority.

It is a statutory duty for us to inform the local authority where we are made aware of a child who may be subject to private fostering arrangements. We will do this by contacting the local authority children’s social care team.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

In the unlikely event of a child going missing within/from the nursery, the following procedure will be implemented immediately:
• All staff will be aware of the procedure when a child goes missing and supply information to support the search, e.g. a recent photograph and a detailed description of clothing
• The nursery manager will be informed immediately and all staff present will be informed. Some staff will be deployed to start an immediate thorough search of the nursery, followed by a search of the surrounding area, whilst ensuring that some staff remain with the other children so they remain supervised, calm and supported throughout
• The manager will call the police as soon as they believe the child is missing and follow police guidance. The parents of the missing child will also be contacted
• A second search of the area will be carried out
• During this period, available 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
• The manager will then await instructions from the police
• In the unlikely event that the child is not found the nursery will follow the local authority and police procedure
• Any incidents must be recorded in writing as soon as practicably possible including the outcome, who was lost, time identified, notification to police and findings
• Ofsted must be contacted and informed of any incidents
• With incidents of this nature parents, carers, children and staff may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience. Management will provide this or seek further support where necessary
• In any cases with media attention staff will not speak to any media representatives
• Post-incident risk assessments will be conducted following any incident of this nature to enable the chance of this reoccurring being reduced
• Internal use only.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

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:
• All staff will be aware of the procedure when a child goes missing and supply information to support the search, e.g. a recent photograph and a detailed description of clothing
• The organiser will be informed immediately and all staff present will be informed. Some staff will be deployed to start an immediate thorough search of the area, ensuring that all other children remain supervised, calm and supported throughout
• If appropriate, on-site security will also be informed and a description given
• 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 giving details of what has happened. If the whole nursery is on an outing, all contact details will be taken on the trip by the person in charge
• During this period, staff will be continually searching for the missing child, whilst other staff maintain the safety and welfare of the remaining children
• It will be the designated person in charge or the manager’s responsibility to ensure that there are adequate staff to care for the children and get them back safe, a member of staff to meet the police and someone to continue the search (this may mean contacting relief staff)
• Any incidents must be recorded in writing as soon as practicably possible including the outcome, who was lost, time identified, notification to police and findings
• In the unlikely event that the child is not found the nursery will follow the local authority and police procedure
• Ofsted must be contacted and informed of any incidents
• With incidents of this nature parents, carers, children and staff may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience. Management will provide this or seek further support where necessary
• In any cases with media attention staff will not speak to any media representatives
• Post-incident risk assessments will be conducted following any incident of this nature to enable the chance of this reoccurring being reduced.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

As it is not possible to eliminate manual handling altogether, correct handling techniques must be followed to minimize 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.

Remember – lifting and carrying children is different to carrying static loads and therefore manual handling training should reflect this. All staff will receive training in manual handling within their first year of employment and will receive ongoing training as appropriate.

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.

However this is not possible for lifting children and changing nappies. 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 (remember to think about the children moving at this point)
• 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.

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
• 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
• 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
• 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.

Carrying children
• If the child is old enough, ask them to move to a position that is easy to pick up, and ask them to hold onto you as this will support you and the child when lifting
• Do not place the child on your hip, carry them directly in front of you in order to balance their weight equally
• Wherever possible, avoid carrying the child a long distance
• Where a child is young and is unable to hold onto you, ensure you support them fully within your arms
• Avoid carrying anything else when carrying a child. Make two journeys or ask a colleague to assist you
• If a child is struggling or fidgeting whilst you are carrying them, stop, place them back down and use reassuring words to calm the child before continuing
• Students and pregnant staff members will not carry children.

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 to pick it up.

Lifting
Always lift using the correct posture:
• Bend the knees slowly, 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, 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, keeping the lift as smooth as possible.

Moving the child or load
• Move the feet, keeping the child or load close to the body
• Proceed carefully, making sure that you can see where you are going
• Lower the child or load, reversing the procedure for lifting
• Avoid crushing fingers or toes as you put the child or load down
• If you are carrying a load, position and secure it after putting it down
• Make sure that the child or load is rested on a stable base and in the case of the child ensure their safety in this new position
• 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 children or loads close to the body, lifting and carrying the load at arms 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 loads from the floor or to above shoulder height. Limit the distances for carrying
• Minimize 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.

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
• 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.
• Where applicable and age/stage appropriate encourage children to use ladders/step stool up to the changing table for nappy changes rather than lifting. Where this is not appropriate always follow the lifting process
• Use cots with a drop down side and avoid bending to lift babies from their cot.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

We promote the good health of children attending nursery and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection (see sickness and illness policy). If a child requires medicine we will obtain information about the child’s needs for this, and will ensure this information is kept up to date.

When dealing with medication of any kind in the nursery, strict guidelines will be followed.

Medication prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist
(Medicines containing aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor)
• Prescription medicine will only be given to the person named on the bottle for the dosage stated
• Medicines must be in their original containers
• Those with parental responsibility for any child requiring prescription medication should hand over the medication to the most appropriate member of staff who will then note the details of the administration on the appropriate form and another member of staff will check these details
• Those with parental responsibility must give prior written permission for the administration of each and every medication. However, we will accept written permission once for a whole course of medication or for the ongoing use of a particular medication under the following circumstances:
1. The written permission is only acceptable for that brand name of medication and cannot be used for similar types of medication, e.g. if the course of antibiotics changes, a new form will need to be completed
2. The dosage on the written permission is the only dosage that will be administered. We will not give a different dose unless a new form is completed
3. Parents must notify us IMMEDIATELY if the child’s circumstances change, e.g. a dose has been given at home, or a change in strength/dose needs to be given.
• The nursery will not administer a dosage that exceeds the recommended dose on the instructions unless accompanied by written instructions from a relevant health professional such as a letter from a doctor or dentist
• The parent must be asked when the child has last been given the medication before coming to nursery; this information will 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 signature must be obtained at both times
• 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 will be made on the form
• Where medication is “essential” or may have side effects, discussion with the parent will take place to establish the appropriate response.

Non-prescription medication (these will not usually be administrated)
• The nursery will not administer any non-prescription medication containing aspirin
• The nursery will only administer non-prescription medication for a short initial period, dependant on the medication or the condition of the child. After this time medical attention should be sought
• If the nursery feels the child would benefit from medical attention rather than non-prescription medication, we reserve the right to refuse nursery care until the child is seen by a medical practitioner
• If a child needs liquid paracetamol or similar medication during their time at nursery, such medication will be treated as prescription medication should parents wish to use this.
• On registration, parents will be asked if they would like to fill out a medication form to consent to their child being given a specific type of liquid paracetamol or anti-histamine in particular circumstances such as an increase in the child’s temperature or a wasp or bee sting. This form will state the dose to be given, the circumstances in which this can be given e.g. the temperature increase of their child, the specific brand name or type of non-prescription medication and a signed statement to say that this may be administered in an emergency if the nursery CANNOT contact the parent
• An emergency nursery supply of fever relief (e.g Calpol) and anti-histamines (e.g. Piriton) will be stored on site. This will be checked at regular intervals by the designated trained first aider to make sure that it complies with any instructions for storage and is still in date
• If a child does exhibit the symptoms for which consent has been given to give non-prescription medication during the day the nursery will make every attempt to contact the child’s parents. Where parents cannot be contacted then the nursery manager will take the decision as to whether the child is safe to have this medication based on the time the child has been in the nursery, the circumstances surrounding the need for this medication and the medical history of the child on their registration form. Giving non-prescription medication will be a last resort and the nursery staff will use other methods first to try and alleviate the symptoms, e.g. for an increase in temperature the nursery will remove clothing, use fanning, tepid cooling with a wet flannel. The child will be closely monitored until the parents collect the child
• For any non-prescription cream for skin conditions e.g. Sudocrem, prior written permission must be obtained from the parent and the onus is on the parent to provide the cream which should be clearly labelled with the child’s name
• If any child is brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require medication sometime during the day, the manager will decide if the child is fit to be left at the nursery. If the child is staying, the parent must be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time and in what dosage and this must be stated on the medication form
• As with any kind of medication, staff will ensure that the parent is informed of any non-prescription medicines given to the child whilst at the nursery, together with the times and dosage given
• The nursery DOES NOT administer any medication unless prior written consent is given for each and every medicine.

Injections, pessaries, suppositories
As the administration of injections, pessaries and suppositories represents intrusive nursing, they should not be administered by any member of staff unless appropriate medical training is given to every member of staff caring for this child. This training would be specific for every child and not generic. The nursery will do all it can to make any reasonable adjustments including working with parents and other professionals to arrange for appropriate health officials to train staff in administering the medication.

Staff medication
All nursery staff have a responsibility to work with children only where they are fit to do so. Staff must not work with children where they are infectious or too unwell to meet children’s needs. This includes circumstances where any medication taken affects their ability to care for children, for example, where it makes a person drowsy. If any staff member believes that their condition, including any condition caused by taking medication, is affecting their ability they must inform their line manager and seek medical advice. *The nursery manager/person’s line manager/registered provider will decide if a staff member is fit to work, including circumstances where other staff members notice changes in behaviour suggesting a person may be under the influence of medication. This decision will include any medical advice obtained by the individual or from an occupational health assessment.

Where staff may occasionally or regularly need medication, any such medication must be kept in the person’s locker/separate locked container in the staff room or nursery room where staff may need easy access to the medication such as an asthma inhaler. In all cases it must be stored out of reach of the children. It must not be kept in the first aid box and should be labelled with the name of the member of staff.

Storage
All medication for children must have the child’s name clearly written on the original container and kept in a closed box, which is out of reach of all children.

Emergency medication, such as inhalers and EpiPens, will be within easy reach of staff in case of an immediate need, but will remain out of children’s reach.

Any antibiotics requiring refrigeration must be kept in a fridge inaccessible to children.

All medications must be in their original containers, labels must be legible and not tampered with or they will not be given. All prescription medications should have the pharmacist’s details and notes attached to show the dosage needed and the date the prescription was issued. This will all be checked, along with expiry dates, before staff agree to administer medication.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

This policy refers to all electronic devices able to take pictures, record videos, send or receive calls and messages. This includes cameras, mobile telephones, tablets and any recording devices including smartwatches. More and more devices are technically, capable of connecting us to the outside world. We will adapt the policy to include all devices we deem required to safeguard children.
Re – Fit bits: It is recommended that you amend this policy at your discretion depending on what the device is capable of doing, e.g. ones that receive calls and messages are not allowed but ones that only count steps are.

Mobile phones and other devices that accept calls, messages and video calling
At Spring Nursery we promote the safety and welfare of all children in our care. 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.

To ensure the safety and well-being of children we do not allow staff to use personal mobile phones, smartwatches and/or fitbits during working hours.
We use mobile phones supplied by the nursery to provide a means of contact in certain circumstances, such as outings.

This policy should be used in conjunction with our online safety policy to ensure children are kept safe when using the nursery devices online

Staff must adhere to the following:
• Mobile phones/smartwatches are either turned off or on silent and not accessed during your working hours
• Mobile phones/smartwatches/fitbits can only be used on a designated break and then this must be away from the children
• Mobile phones/smartwatches/fitbits should be stored safely in the staff room at all times during the hours of your working day
• The use of nursery devices, such as tablets, must only be used for nursery purposes
• The nursery devices will not have any social media or messaging apps on them
• Any apps downloaded onto nursery devices must be done only by management. This will ensure only age appropriate and safe apps will be accessible to staff or children using them
• Passwords / passcodes for nursery devices must not be shared or written down
• During outings, staff will use mobile phones belonging to the nursery wherever possible. Personal mobiles may otherwise be turned on when on school collections. Photographs must not be taken of the children on any personal phones or any other personal information storage device. Only nursery owned devices will be used to take photographs or film videos
• Nursery devices will not be taken home with staff and will remain secure at the setting when not in use. If a device is needed to be taken home due to unforeseen circumstances then the person taking this device home must ensure it is securely stored and not accessed by another other individual and returned to nursery as soon as practically possible

Parents’ and visitors’ use of mobile phones and smartwatches
Whilst we recognise that there may be emergency situations which necessitate the use of a mobile telephone, in order to ensure the safety and welfare of children in our care and share information about the child’s day. However parents and visitors are kindly asked to refrain from using their mobile telephones whilst in the nursery or when collecting or dropping off their children.

If you are found to be using your phone inside the nursery premises you will be asked to finish the call or take the call outside.

We do this to ensure all children are safeguarded and the time for dropping off and picking up is a quality handover opportunity where we can share details about your child.
Visitors are requested to leave their mobile phones or smart watches in the safety of the office where they will be locked away safely.

Photographs and videos
At Spring Nursery we recognise that photographs and video recordings play a part in the life of the nursery. We ensure that any photographs or recordings taken of children in our nursery are only done with prior written permission from each child’s parent and only share photos with parents in a secure manner. We obtain this when each child is registered and we update it on a regular basis to ensure that this permission still stands.

We ask for individual permissions for photographs and video recordings for a range of purposes including: use in the child’s learning journey; for display purposes; for promotion materials including our nursery website, brochure and the local press; and for security in relation to CCTV and the different social media platforms we use. We ensure that parents understand that where their child is also on another child’s photograph, but not as the primary person, that may be used in another child’s learning journey.

If a parent is not happy about one or more of these uses, we will respect their wishes and find alternative ways of recording their child’s play or learning.

Staff are not permitted to take any photographs or recordings of a child on their own information storage devices e.g. cameras, mobiles, tablets or smartwatches and may only use those provided by the nursery. The nursery manager will monitor all photographs and recordings to ensure that the parents’ wishes are met and children are safeguarded.

Photographs or videos recorded on nursery mobile devices will be transferred to the correct storage device to ensure no images are left on these mobile devices.

Parents are not permitted to use any recording device or camera (including those on mobile phones or smartwatches) on the nursery premises without the prior consent of the manager.

During special events, e.g. Christmas or leaving parties, staff may produce group photographs to distribute to parents on request. In this case we will gain individual permission for each child before the event. This will ensure all photographs taken are in line with parental choice. We ask that photos of events such as Christmas parties are not posted on any social media websites/areas without permission from parents of all the children included in the picture.

Charging personal device in the premises

No personal devices are allowed to be charged within the premises. This is due to our safety procedure that all electronic devices and chargers need to be tested (Pat). Urgent phone calls can be made using the nursery phone.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Children’s health and well-being is of the upmost importance for us at Spring Nursery. Smoking has proved to be a health risk and therefore in accordance with legislation, Spring Nursery operates a strict no smoking policy within its buildings and grounds. It is illegal to smoke in enclosed places.

You are legally required to abstain from smoking whilst on the premises. This rule also applies to staff, students, parents, carers, visitors, contractors etc.

Staff accompanying children outside the nursery are not permitted to smoke. We also request that parents accompanying nursery children on outings refrain from smoking whilst caring for the children.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Our nursery is aware of the growth of internet use and the advantages this can bring. However, it is also aware of the dangers and strives to support children, staff and families in using the internet safely.

Keeping Children Safe in Education states “The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable, but can be categorised into three areas of risk:
 content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material;
 contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; and
 conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes,
harm”

Within the nursery we aim to keep children (and staff) safe online by:
• Ensuring we have appropriate antivirus and anti-spyware software on all devices and update them regularly
• Ensuring content blockers and filters are on all our devices, e.g. computers, laptops and any mobile devices
• Keeping passwords safe and secure, not sharing or writing these down. These will be changed at least every term to keep the devices secure
• Ensure management monitor all internet activities in the setting
• Locking away all nursery devices at the end of the day
• Ensuring no social media or messaging apps are installed on nursery devices
• Management reviewing all apps or games downloaded to tablets to ensure all are age appropriate for children and safeguard the children and staff
• Using approved devices to record/photograph in the setting
• Never emailing personal or financial information
• Reporting emails with inappropriate content to the internet watch foundation (IWF www.iwf.org.uk)
• Ensuring children are supervised when using internet devices
• Using tracking software to monitor suitability of internet usage (for older children)
• Not permitting visitors access to the nursery Wi-Fi
• Integrating online safety into nursery daily practice by discussing computer usage ‘rules’ deciding together what is safe and what is not safe to do online
• Talking to children about ‘stranger danger’ and deciding who is a stranger and who is not, comparing people in real life situations to online ‘friends’
• Provide training for staff who need this to keep children safe online.
• We abide by an acceptable use policy, ensuring staff only use the work IT equipment for matters relating to the children and their education and care. No personal use will be tolerated
• Children’s screen time is monitored to ensure they remain safe online and have access to material that promotes their development. We will ensure that their screen time is within an acceptable level and is integrated within their programme of learning.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

We believe that in order for children to receive quality care and early learning that suits their individual needs, parents and staff need to work together in a close partnership. The two-way sharing of information is key to this. The nursery team welcomes parents as partners and this relationship needs to be built on trust and understanding. It is important that we, as practitioners, are able to support parents in an open and sensitive manner.

The nursery wishes to ensure parents are an integral part of the care and early learning 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 nursing mothers
• Ensure nursery documentation and communications are provided in different formats to suit individual parent’s needs, e.g. Braille, multi-lingual, electronic communications
• Ensure that all 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
• 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 a parents’ forum
• Inform parents about the range and type of activities and experiences provided for children, the daily routines of the setting, the types of food and drinks provided for children and events through newsletters and the nursery website
• Operate a key person system to enable a close working relationship with all parents. Parents are given the name of the key person of their child and their role when the child starts. Support two-way information sharing regarding each child’s individual needs both in nursery and at home
• Inform parents on a regular basis about their child’s progress and involve them in the shared record keeping. Parents’ evenings will be held at least twice a year. Parents will be consulted with about the times of meetings to avoid excluding anyone
• Encourage parents to contribute to children’s learning through sharing observations, interests and experiences from home. This could be verbally, sharing photographs or in written form
• Share information about the child’s day, e.g. food eaten, activities, sleep times etc. The best communication method, e.g. email, face-to-face, telephone, written, will be agreed in advance.
• Consider and discuss all suggestions from parents concerning the care and early learning of their child and nursery operation
• Provide opportunities and support for all parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the nursery
• Inform all parents of the systems for registering queries, compliments, complaints or suggestions, and to check that these systems are understood by parents. All parents have access to our written complaint procedure
• Share information about the Early Years Foundation Stage, young children’s learning in the nursery, how parents can further support learning at home and where they can access further information
• 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 beliefs and accommodate any special requirements wherever possible and practical to do so
• Inform parents how the nursery supports children with special educational needs and disabilities
• Find out the needs and expectations of parents. These will be obtained through regular feedback via questionnaires, suggestion system and encouraging parents to review working practices. These are then evaluated by the nursery to promote nursery practice, policy and staff development.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Extremism – the Prevent Duty

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) defines extremism. It states “Extremism goes beyond terrorism and includes people who target the vulnerable – including the young – by seeking to sow division between communities on the basis of race, faith or denomination; justify discrimination towards women and girls; persuade others that minorities are inferior; or argue against the primacy of democracy and the rule of law in our society.
Extremism is defined in the Counter Extremism Strategy 2015 as the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist”

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to refer any concerns of extremism to the police (In Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support).

This may be a cause for concern relating to a change in behaviour of a child, family member or adult working with the children in the setting, comments causing concern or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care.

Alongside this we will be alert to any early signs in children and families who may be at risk of radicalisation, on which we will act and document all concerns when reporting further.

The NSPCC states that signs of radicalisation may be:
• isolating themselves from family and friends
• talking as if from a scripted speech
• unwillingness or inability to discuss their views
• a sudden disrespectful attitude towards others
• increased levels of anger
• increased secretiveness, especially around internet use.

We will tackle radicalisation by:
• Training all staff to understand what is meant by the Prevent Duty and radicalisation
• Ensuring staff understand how to recognise early indicators of potential radicalisation and terrorism threats and act on them appropriately in line with national and local procedures
• Make any referrals relating to extremism to the police (or the Government helpline) in a timely way, sharing relevant information as appropriate
• Ensure our nursery is an inclusive environment, tackle inequalities and negative points of view and teach children about tolerance through British Values
• Using the Government document Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445977/3799_Revised_Prevent_Duty_Guidance__England_Wales_V2-Interactive.pdf”

Our nursery believes that children flourish best when they know how they and others are expected to behave. Children gain respect through interaction with caring adults who act as good role models, 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 and that some behaviours are normal in young children e.g. biting
• 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
• Ensure that all staff act as positive role models for children
• Encourage parents and other visitors to be positive role models and challenge any poor behaviour shown
• Work in partnership with parents by communicating openly
• Praise children and acknowledge their positive actions and attitudes, therefore ensuring that children see that we value and respect them
• Encourage all staff working with children to accept their responsibility for implementing the goals in this policy and to be consistent
• Promote non-violence and encourage children to deal with conflict peacefully
• Provide a key person system enabling staff to build a strong and positive relationship with children and their families
• Provide activities and stories to help children learn about accepted behaviours, including opportunities for children to contribute to decisions about accepted behaviour where age/stage appropriate
• Supporting and developing self-regulation and empathy as appropriate to stage of development
• Have a named person who has overall responsibility for behaviour management.

The named person for managing behaviour will:
• advise and support other staff on behaviour issues
• along with each room leader will keep up to date with legislation and research relating to behaviour
• support changes to policies and procedures in the nursery
• access relevant sources of expertise where required and act as a central information source for all involved
• attend regular external training events, and ensure all staff attend relevant in-house or external training for behaviour management. A record will be kept of staff attendance at this training.

Nursery rules are concerned with safety and care and respect for each other. Children who behave inappropriately by physically abusing another child or adult e.g. biting, or through verbal bullying, will be required to talk through these actions and apologise where appropriate. 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 when a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour is not acceptable, not the child.

When children behave in unacceptable ways:
• We never use or threaten to use physical punishment/corporal punishment such as smacking or shaking.
• We only use physical intervention for the purpose of averting immediate danger or personal injury to any person (including the child) or to manage a child’s behaviour if absolutely necessary. We keep record of any occasions where physical intervention is used and inform parents on the same day, or as reasonably practical.
• There may be times where children may have regular occasions where they lose control and may need separate techniques. This will only be carried out by staff who have been appropriately trained to do so. Any restraints will only be done following recommended guidance and training and only with a signed agreement from parents on when to use it. An incident form will be completed following any restraints used and parents will be notified
• Children will not be singled out or humiliated in any way. Where children use unacceptable behaviour they will, wherever possible, be re-directed to alternative activities. Discussions with children will take place as to why their behaviour was not acceptable, respecting their level of understanding and maturity
• Staff will not raise their voices in an inappropriate way (other than to keep children safe)
• 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’s age, level of development and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour. It may involve the child being asked to talk and think about what he/she has done. All staff will support children in developing empathy and this may include asking the child to apologise for their actions, where appropriate
• We help staff to reflect on their own responses towards challenging behaviours to ensure that their reactions are appropriate.
• Parents will be informed if their child’s behaviour is 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 their home and the nursery. In some cases we may request additional advice and support from other professionals, such as an educational psychologist
• Children need to be supported in developing non-aggressive strategies to enable them to express their feelings
• Confidential records will be kept on any inappropriate behaviour that has taken place. Parents will be informed and asked to read and sign any incidents concerning their child
• All children will be supported to develop positive behaviour, every effort will be made to provide for their individual needs
• Through partnership with parents and formal observations, staff will make every effort to identify any behavioural concerns and the causes of that behaviour. From these observations and discussions an individual behaviour modification plan will be implemented where a child’s behaviour involves aggressive actions towards other children and staff, for example hitting, kicking etc. The manager should complete risk assessments identifying any potential triggers or warning signs ensuring other children’s and staff’s safety at all times. In these instances it may be that the child is removed from that area until they have calmed down.

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 each child’s feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.

Children must be encouraged to recognise that bullying, fighting, hurting and discriminatory 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 procedure 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 inappropriate and they will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
• Our staff are encouraged to use intervention when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or harmless it may seem
• 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 through co-operation that we can ensure our children feel confident and secure in their environment, both at home and in the nursery
• All concerns will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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.

As well as children, Staff and adult’s behaviour will also be monitored using different methods such as peer on peer observations, raising concerns,whistle blowing and also supervisions held by managers. Any changes in behaviour should be reported to Designated Safeguarding Lead and t will be monitored closely.

Monitoring staff behaviour

Within the nursery we:

• Conduct regular peer observations using all staff and management, during which we will look at interactions with children and their peers
• Have regular supervisions with all staff in which ongoing suitability will be monitored and recorded
• Use a whistleblowing policy that enables team members to discuss confidentially any concerns about their colleagues
• Operate staff suitability forms and clauses in staff contracts to ensure any changes to their suitability to work with children are reported immediately to management
• Ensure all new staff members are deemed suitable with the appropriate checks as detailed in the safeguarding policy.

Some behaviours that may cause concern and will be investigated further:

• Change in moods
• Sudden change in religious beliefs / cultural beliefs (may be a sign of radicalisation)
• Changes in the way of acting towards the children or the other members of the team (becoming more friendly and close, isolation, avoidance, agitation etc.)
• Sudden outbursts
• Becoming withdrawn
• Secretive behaviours
• Missing shifts, calling in sick more often, coming in late
• Standards in work slipping
• Extreme changes in appearance.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we are vigilant in our recruitment procedures aiming to ensure all people working with children are suitable to do so. We follow this procedure each and every time we recruit a new member to join our team.

Legal requirements
• We abide by all legal requirements relating to safe recruitment set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and accompanying regulations
• We also follow any requirements or guidance given by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in relation to carrying out checks; and abide by the employer’s responsibilities relating to informing the DBS of any changes to the suitability of their staff, whether this member of staff has left the nursery or is still under investigation. Please refer to the child protection/safeguarding policy for further information.

Advertising
• We use reputable newspapers, websites and the local job centre to advertise for any vacancies
• We ensure that all recruitment literature includes details of our equal opportunities policy and our safe recruitment procedures; including an enhanced DBS check and at least two independent references for every new employee.

Interview stage
• We shortlist all suitable candidates against a pre-set specification and ensure all applicants receive correspondence regardless of whether they are successful in reaching the interview stage or not
• All shortlisted candidates will receive a job description, a person specification, an equal opportunities monitoring form and a request for identification prior to the interview
• The manager will decide the most appropriate people for the interview panel. There will be at least two people involved are both are involved in the overall decision making
• At the start of each interview all candidates’ identities will be checked using, for example, their passport and/or photocard driving licence. All candidates will be required to prove they are eligible to work in the UK. The interview will also cover any gaps in the candidate’s employment history
• All candidates reaching the interview stage are questioned using the same set criteria and questions. These cover specific areas of childcare, including safeguarding the children in their care, planning suitable activities to enhance the child’s development and their understanding of the legal frameworks applied to childcare and used in the nursery. The questions will be value based and will ensure the candidate has the same values as the nursery with regards to the safety and welfare of the children in their care
• Candidates will be given a score for their answers including a score for their individual experience and qualifications
• Every shortlisted candidate will be asked to take part in a supervised practical exercise which will involve spending time in a particular age group in the nursery interacting with the children, staff and where appropriate parents
• The manager and deputy will then select the most suitable person for this position based on these scores and their knowledge and understanding of the early years framework as well as the needs of the nursery
• Every candidate will receive communication from the nursery stating whether they have been successful or not. Unsuccessful candidates are offered feedback.

Starting work
• The successful candidate will be offered the position subject to at least two references from previous employment or, in the case of a newly qualified student, their tutor and a personal or professional reference. These references will be taken up BEFORE employment commences. This may be verbal initially and then followed up with a written reference which will form part of their personnel file
• The successful candidate will be asked to provide proof of their qualifications, where applicable. All qualifications will be checked and copies taken for their personnel files
• Prior to employment but after the job has been offered a health check questionnaire will be given to the employee and its results will be taken into account in making an overall decision about suitability. The nursery reserves the right to take any further advice necessary in relation to a person’s physical and mental fitness to carry out their role.
• All new starters, other than those who have registered for the continuous updating service (see below), will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This will be initiated before the member of staff commences work in the nursery and they will not have unsupervised access to any child or their records before this check comes back clear. Further to this, the new starter will not be allowed to take photographs of any child, look at their learning and development log or change the nappy of any child without an up-to-date enhanced DBS check (whether supervised or not)
• The nursery will record and retain details about the individual including staff qualifications, identity checks carried out and the vetting process completed. This will include the criminal records disclosure reference number, the date the disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it. The nursery will not retain copies of the disclosure itself once the employment decision is taken
• There may be occasions when a DBS check is not clear but the individual is still suitable to work with children. This will be treated on an individual case basis and at the manager’s/owner’s discretion taking into account the following:
o seriousness of the offence or other information
o accuracy of the person’s self-disclosure on the application form
o nature of the appointment including levels of supervision
o age of the individual at the time of the offence or other information
o the length of time that has elapsed since the offence or other information
o relevance of the offence or information to working or being in regular contact with children
• If the individual has registered on the DBS system since 17 July 2013 managers may use the update service with the candidate’s permission instead of carrying out an enhanced DBS check
• New starters are required to sign (either application form, contract or separate form) to state that they have no criminal convictions, court orders or any other reasons that disqualify them from working with children or unsuitable to do so; and that, to the best of their knowledge.
• All new members of staff will undergo an intensive induction period during which time they will read and discuss the nursery policies and procedures and be assigned a senior member of staff who will introduce them to the way in which the nursery operates
• During their induction period all new staff will receive training on how to safeguard children in their care and follow the Safeguarding Children/Child Protection policy and procedure, emergency evacuation procedures, equality policy and health and safety issues
• The new member of staff will have regular meetings with the manager and their mentor during their induction period to discuss their progress.

On going support and checks
• All staff are responsible for notifying the manager in person if any there are any changes to their circumstances that may affect their suitability to work with children. This includes any incidents occurring outside the nursery. Staff will face disciplinary action should they fail to notify the manager with immediate effect
• All members of staff will update a health questionnaire on an annual basis to ensure management have a good knowledge of any changes that may require support or additional resources to aid them to carry out their day-to-day duties. This will also be discussed at staff supervisions/review meetings. Management may require this more regularly where health circumstances change.
• The nursery manager*/owner* will review any significant changes to an individual’s circumstances that may suggest they are no longer suitable to work with children and take appropriate action to ensure any unsuitable or potentially unsuitable employee does not have unsupervised contact with children until the matter is resolved. This may include requiring the individual to obtain a waiver from Ofsted in relation to any disqualification.
• Every member of staff will have at least two meetings a year with the manager: a formal appraisal and a supervision meeting. This will provide an opportunity for the manager and member of staff to discuss training needs for the following six months as well as evaluate and discuss their performance in the previous six months
• The manager, deputy and room leaders will be responsible for any support the staff team may have between these reviews. This includes mentor support, one-to-one training sessions, ongoing supervision, work-based observations and constructive feedback
• The nursery will provide appropriate opportunities for all staff to undertake professional development and training to help improve the quality of experiences provided for children.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we aim to support parents and other carers to help their children settle quickly and easily by giving consideration to the individual needs and circumstances of every child and their families. Our aim is for children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the nursery and to feel secure and comfortable with all staff. We also want parents to have confidence in both their children’s continued well-being and their role as active partners, with the child being able to benefit from what the nursery has to offer.

All our staff know about the importance of building strong attachments with children. They are trained to recognize the different stages of attachment and use this knowledge to support children and families settling into the nursery.

The nursery staff will work in partnership with parents to settle their child into the nursery environment by:
• 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 ensuring that their care is tailored to meet their individual needs. He/she offers a settled relationship for the child and builds a relationship with 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
• Providing parents with relevant information regarding the policies and procedures of the nursery
• Encouraging the parents and children to visit the nursery during the weeks before an admission is planned and arranging home visits where applicable
• Planning settling in visits and introductory sessions (lasting approximately 1-2 hours).
• Welcoming parents to stay with their child during the first week until the child feels settled and the parents feel comfortable about leaving their child. We highly recommend parents to stay at least half day on the first day. Settling in visits and introductory sessions are key to a smooth transition and to ensure good communication and information sharing between staff and parents
• Reassuring parents whose children seem to be taking a long time settling in to the nursery and develop a plan with them
• Encouraging parents, where appropriate, to separate themselves from their children for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer absences
• Assigning a back-up key person to each child in case the key person is not available. Parents will be made aware of this to support the settling process and attachment
• Reviewing the nominated key person if the child is bonding with another member of staff to ensure the child’s needs are supported
• 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
• Not taking a child on an outing from the nursery until he/she is completely settled.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we promote the good health of all children attending. To help keep children healthy and minimize infection, we do not expect children to attend nursery if they are unwell. If a child is unwell it is in their best interest to be in a home environment with adults they know well rather than at nursery with their peers.

Our procedures
In order to take appropriate action of children who become ill and to minimize the spread of infection we implement the following procedures:
• If a child becomes ill during the nursery day, we contact their parent(s) and ask them to pick up their child as soon as possible. During this time we care for the child in a quiet, calm area with their key person, wherever possible
• We follow the guidance given to us by Public Health England (Health Protection In Schools and other childcare facilities) and advice from our local health protection unit on exclusion times for specific illnesses, e.g. sickness and diarrhoea, measles and chicken pox, to protect other children in the nursery
• Should a child have an infectious disease, such as sickness and diarrhoea, they must not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 48 hours. We inform all parents if there is a contagious infection identified in the nursery, to enable them to spot the early signs of this illness. We thoroughly clean and sterilise all equipment and resources that may have come into contact with a contagious child to reduce the spread of infection
• We notify Ofsted as soon as possible and in all cases within 14 days of the incident where we have any child or staff member with food poisoning.
• We exclude all children on antibiotics for the first 48 hours of the course (unless this is part of an ongoing care plan to treat individual medical conditions e.g. asthma and the child is not unwell) This is because 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 a course of antibiotics
• We have the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. This decision will be taken by the manager on duty and is non-negotiable
• We make information/posters about head lice readily available and all parents are requested to regularly check their children’s hair. If a parent finds that their child has head lice we would be grateful if they could inform the nursery so that other parents can be alerted to check their child’s hair.

Transporting children to hospital procedure

The nursery manager/staff member must:
• Call for an ambulance immediately if the sickness is severe. DO NOT attempt to transport the sick child in your own vehicle
• Whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent(s) and arrange to meet them at the hospital
• Redeploy staff if necessary to ensure there is adequate staff deployment to care for the remaining children. This may mean temporarily grouping the children together
• Arrange for the most appropriate member of staff to accompany the child taking with them any relevant information such as registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and the child’s comforter
• Inform a member of the management team immediately
• Remain calm at all times. Children who witness an incident may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the accident.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery, we aim to ensure that all children have enough sleep to support their development and natural sleeping rhythms in a safe environment.

We provide a safe sleeping environment by:
• Monitoring the room temperature
• Using clean, light bedding/blankets
• Only using safety-approved cots or other suitable sleeping equipment (i.e. pods or mats) that are compliant with British Standard regulations, and mattress covers are used in conjunction with a clean fitted sheet
• Keeping all spaces around sleeping area clear from hanging objects i.e. hanging cords, blind cords, drawstring bags
• Ensuring every toddler is provided with clean bedding
• Transferring any child who falls asleep while being nursed by a practitioner to a safe sleeping surface to complete their rest
• Frequently check sleeping children for temperature, suffocation risk etc.
• Placing an adult near sleeping area at all times.
• Having a no smoking policy.

We ask parents to provide information on their child’s sleeping routine with the child’s key person when the child starts at nursery and these are reviewed and updated at timely intervals. If a child has an unusual sleeping routine or a position that we do not use in the nursery i.e. sleeping on their tummies, we will explain our policy to the parents and ask them to sign to say they have requested we adopt a different position or pattern.

We recognise parents’ knowledge of their child with regard to sleep routines and will, where possible, work together to ensure each child’s individual sleep routines and well-being continues to be met. However, staff will not force a child to sleep or keep them awake against his or her will. They will also not usually wake children from their sleep.

Staff will discuss any changes in sleep routines at the end of the day and share observations and information about children’s behaviour when they do not receive enough sleep.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery we are committed to sharing good practice with those wishing to pursue a career in childcare. Therefore, students will be welcomed to join our staff team and gain work experience within our nursery. We welcome the chance to encourage training. We will accept three student(s) at a time as more students than this places undue pressure on staff. 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 visit 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 and sign their contract in readiness for their first day:
• All students will have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before their placement begins
• Students will be supervised at all times by a member of staff assigned to them and will not be left alone with the children. They will not change nappies but are allowed to observe.
• Students will be supported to understand nursery policies
• 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 staff to receive feedback about the student’s progress
• Students will be offered support and guidance throughout their placement and given constructive honest feedback in respect of their performance. Staff will respect individual students’ needs and abilities
• 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 when students are present in the nursery e.g., via the parent noticeboard. 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.
• All students are encouraged to contribute fully to the nursery routine and to spend some time in every area.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

As part of their learning and development, children at Spring Nursery undertake a range of local outings including walks and visits etc. off the premises. Permission will be sought for your child to be included in such outings. Outings and visits are planned to complement and enhance the learning opportunities inside the nursery environment and extend play opportunities for children.

These will be carefully planned and the following guidelines will be followed on all outings from the nursery, whatever the length or destination of the visit:
• 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
• At least one member of staff will hold a valid and current paediatric first aid certificate
• A fully stocked first aid box will always be taken on all outings along with any special medication or equipment required
• A completed trip register together with all parent and staff contact numbers will be taken on all outings
• Regular headcounts will be carried out throughout the outing especially upon arrivals and departures from a place to another. Timings of headcounts will be discussed in full with the nursery manager prior to the outing
• A senior member of staff will 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 high visibility vests/jackets
• 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. High visibility jackets/vets will also be used.
• A fully charged mobile phone with sufficient calling out credit 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. We will endeavour to visit the venue prior to the visit. 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 available for parents. 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. first aid kit, mobile phone, 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 child’s learning and development needs.

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
• When we use a mini bus, we will check that the driver is over 25 years of age and holds the appropriate driving licence.
• We will make sure all vehicles used 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 children are being transported, ratios will be maintained.

If a vehicle is used for outings the following procedures will be followed:
• Ensure seat belts, child seats and booster seats 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

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 will be contacted and informed of any incidents.

There may be opportunities for parents to assist on outings. The manager will speak to parents prior to the visit regarding health and safety and code of conduct.

Staff to children ratios are :

Indoor – 2 years old 1:4
3 years old 1:8

Outdoor – 2 years old 1:2
3 years old 1:4

The ratios can only be followed in normal situation where there are no new students or new member of staff. Extra precaution should be taken in situations such as first timers or possibility of tantrums.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

Spring Nursery recognises the immense benefits that volunteers bring to the nursery. In return we hope to give volunteers an opportunity to share their skills in a different environment and to undertake new experiences.

Status of volunteers
A volunteer is not an employee and will not have a contract of employment with the nursery. We will, however, insist that the volunteer follows all nursery procedures in the same manner as a paid employee to ensure consistency, safety and quality of care and early learning for the children. Volunteers will be supervised at all times.

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
All volunteers will have suitability checks conducted in the same way as paid employees. This will include an enhanced DBS check. These checks will be conducted before any volunteer starts their time within the nursery and will also include two written references.

In HouseTraining
Volunteers will be offered training and/or support as appropriate. We will provide any in house training and support required for the role, including child protection, paediatric first aid where applicable) and health and safety training. The purpose of this is to enable the volunteer to be supported and enhance their development in their voluntary role within our team.

Policies and procedures
Volunteers are expected to comply with all the nursery’s policies and procedures. The volunteer’s induction process will include an explanation of this.

Confidentiality
Volunteers should not disclose information about the nursery, staff, children and families as stated in the confidentiality policy and should follow the nursery confidentiality procedure at all times.

Volunteer’s induction pack
On commencing their volunteer work, the volunteer will be given a pack containing:
• General information about the nursery
• A copy of the volunteering policy
• A confidentiality statement which will require reading, signing and returning to the nursery manager
• Details of access to all nursery relevant policies and procedures.

Volunteer support
The nursery manager will support the volunteer through their induction and support and advise them throughout their time in the nursery.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID

At Spring Nursery, whilst we expect all our colleagues, both internal and external, to be professional at all times and hold the welfare and safety of every child as their paramount objective, there may be occasions where this may not be happening.

It is vital that all team members at Spring Nursery talk through any concerns they may have with the line manager at the earliest opportunity to enable any problems to be resolved as soon as they arise.

Legal Framework
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, commonly referred to as the ‘Whistleblowing Act’, amended the Employment Rights Act 1996 to provide protection for employees who raise legitimate concerns about specified matters. These are called ‘qualifying disclosures’. On 25 June 2013 there were some legal changes to what constitutes a qualifying disclosure.

A qualifying disclosure is one made in the public interest by an employee who has a reasonable belief that:
• a criminal offence
• a miscarriage of justice
• an act creating risk to health and safety
• an act causing damage to the environment
• a breach of any other legal obligation or
• concealment of any of the above
• any other unethical conduct
• An act that may be deemed as radicalised or a threat to national security is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed.

Qualifying disclosures made before 25 June 2013 must have been made ‘in good faith’ but when disclosed, did not necessarily have to have been made ‘in the public interest.’

Disclosures made after 25 June 2013 however, do not have to be made ‘in good faith’; they must however be made in the public interest. This is essential when assessing a disclosure made by an individual.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act has the following rules for making a protected disclosure:
• you must believe it to be substantially true
• you must not act maliciously or make false allegations
• you must not seek any personal gain.

It is not necessary for the employee to have proof that such an act is being, has been, or is likely to be, committed; a reasonable belief is sufficient.

Disclosure of information
If, in the course of your employment, you become aware of information which you reasonably believe indicates that a child is/may be or is likely to be in risk of danger and/or one or more of the following may be happening, you MUST use the nursery’s disclosure procedure set out below:
• That a criminal offence has been committed or is being committed or is likely to be committed
• That a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which they are subject (e.g. EYFS)
• That a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur
• That the health or safety of any individual has been, is being, or is likely to be endangered
• That the environment, has been, is being, or is likely to be damaged
• That information tending to show any of the above, has been, is being, or is likely to be deliberately concealed.

Disclosure procedure
• If this information relates to *child protection/*safeguarding then the nursery *child protection/*safeguarding policy should be followed, with particular reference to the staff and volunteering section
• Where you reasonably believe one or more of the above circumstances listed above has occurred you should promptly disclose this to your manager so that any appropriate action can be taken. If it is inappropriate to make such a disclosure to your manager (i.e. because it relates to your manager) you should speak to LADO
• Employees will suffer no detriment of any sort for making such a disclosure in accordance with this procedure. For further guidance in the use of the disclosure procedure, employees should speak in confidence to the owner.
• Any disclosure or concerns raised will be treated seriously and will be dealt with in a consistent and confidential manner and will be followed through in a detailed and thorough manner
• Any employee who is involved in victimising employees who make a disclosure, takes any action to deter employees from disclosing information or makes malicious allegations in bad faith will be subject to potential disciplinary action which may result in dismissal
• Failure to report serious matters can also be investigated and potentially lead to disciplinary action which may result in dismissal
• Any management employee who inappropriately deals with a whistleblowing issue (e.g. failing to react appropriately by not taking action in a timely manner or disclosing confidential information) may be deemed to have engaged in gross misconduct which could lead to dismissal
• We give all of our staff the telephone numbers of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Local Authority children’s social care team and Ofsted so all staff may contact them if they cannot talk to anyone internally about the issues/concerns observed.

DATE: REVIEW/READ BY: SIGNATURE:
06/09/2021 S NURUL H B S SAID