Here you will find The Little Learners Nursery Policies - These Policies are regularly reviewed to stay up to date with current legislation and guidance.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask us at any time.
Embedded Files
Health and Safety Policy
Health and Safety Policy
EYFS: 3.25, 3.28, 3.29, 3.30, 3.44, 3.45, 3.46, 3.47, 3.50, 3.51, 3.54, 3.55, 3.56, 3.57, 3.63, 3.64, 3.65, 3.66
At The Little Learners 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) 2021
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 (see infection control policy)
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
Wear protective clothing when cooking or serving food
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 on display (or made available to parents).
Responsibilities
The designated Health and Safety Officer in the nursery is Tracey Kingsley
The employer has overall and final responsibility for this policy being carried out at:
The Little Learners Nursery, Freedom Youth Club Building, St Leonards and St Ives Village Hall, Braeside Road, Ringwood BH24 2PH.
The Nursery manager/deputy Nursery manager 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 (see separate policy on disciplinary procedures).
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, monthly staff meetings and health and safety 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 Tracey Kingsley
Health and safety is covered in all induction training for new staff.
Training table (example):
Area
Training required
Who
Paediatric First aid
Course
All staff
Safeguarding/Child protection
In house training/course
All staff and students
Care of babies
In house training/course
All staff
Risk assessment
In house training/course
All staff
Fire safety procedures
In house training
All staff and students
Food hygiene
In house training/course
All staff and students
Allergy awareness
In house training/course
All staff and students
Manual handling
In house training/course
All staff and students
Stress awareness and management
In house training/course
All staff
Changing of nappies
In house training
All staff and students
Fire warden duties
External course
Fire Warden
Medication requiring technical or medical knowledge e.g. Epi Pen
External course
As required
SENCO
External course
SENCO
Supervision and appraisal
External course
Manager, deputy and room supervisor
At present at least one member of staff on duty MUST hold a full paediatric First Aid certificate in the nursery and when on outings. In addition to this, all newly qualified
entrants to the early years workforce who have completed a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification on or after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate within three months of starting work in order to be included in the required staff: child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting
All trained first aiders must be listed in the first aid policy.
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 the regular meetings 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.
Medication
Medication
EYFS: 3.19, 3.44, 3.45, 3.46
At The Little Leaners Nursery 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.
We follow strict guidelines when dealing with medication of any kind in the nursery and these are set out below.
The nursery WILL NOT administer any medication unless prior written consent is given for each and every medicine.
Illness
If any child is brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require medication sometime during the day, the Nursery Manager will decide if the child is fit to be left at the nursery.
For information on infection control and infectious diseases visit the Public Health England website and view their document titled ‘Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities’.
If the child is deemed well enough to stay at the setting, the parent/ carer must be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time and in what dosage and this will be recorded.
Medication in the Nursery Setting - General Guidance
Before administering medication to any child we will require written agreement from the parents
This agreement (usually a Medication Form) should include;
the child’s name
the name of the medication
the required dose and agreed time of administration
Clearly stated whether the medication is on-going or to be taken up until a particular date
Possible side effects, and/or the information leaflet that is normally supplied by the manufacturer made available
Medication is only accepted in its original labelled container
Where the medication is an adrenaline pen or inhaler (where there may be only occasional emergency use), it will have the expiry date of the medication recorded on the appropriate form
For non-prescription medication the nursery reserve the right to determine the number of days the medication will be given before requesting parents/ carers further input or the advice of a healthcare professional. This will be based upon the individual child and condition
If at any time there is any doubt regarding the administration of medication to a child, practitioners will stop and check with the Nursery Manager before continuing.
Storage
All medication will;
Be stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions on the container (e.g. cool dark place, refrigerated)
Be stored in a closed box
Be kept out of the reach of children
Be in their original containers
Have labels which are legible and in English
Be clearly marked with child’s name and date of birth
Emergency medication, such as inhalers and Adrenaline (EpiPens), will be within easy reach of staff in case of an immediate need, but will remain out of children’s reach
Any ‘stored’ medication such as Nursery stock of Paracetamol or a child’s inhaler, will be regularly checked to ensure the product is still within its expiry and therefore suitable for use.
Medication Prescribed by a Doctor, Dentist, Nurse or Pharmacist
(Medicines containing aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor)
Prescription only medicine will be given when prescribed by the above and only for the person named on the dispensing label on the bottle/container for the dosage stated
Medicines must be in their original containers
For all medication the parent/carer must give prior written permission for the administration of each and every medication. Written permission will be accepted once for a whole course of medication or for the ongoing use of a particular medication required for long term use
The parent/ carer will complete the relevant form to enable the nursery to administer the medication(s) required. The form will include;
Child’s name, date of birth
Name and strength of medication
Dose
Any additional requirements (such as to be taken with food)
Expiry date whenever possible
Dispensing date
The written permission is only acceptable for the medication listed and cannot be used for similar types of medication, e.g. if the course of antibiotics changes
Parents must notify the nursery 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
Any change in the details listed above must be recorded on a new form with counter signature from parent / carer
The nursery will only administer as per the information listed on the form
At each visit the child’s parent/ carer will be asked if there have been any changes to the requirements stated on the form. If there have been changes, a new form must be completed and counter signed by parent/ carer
When the child is picked up from the setting, the parent/ carer must be given an update as to the times and dosage given throughout the day. The parent’s signature must be obtained confirming this information has been given
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
N.B. 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 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. This will be documented on the form accordingly.
Non-prescription Medication (also known as over the counter medicine)
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
The nursery will not administer any non-prescription medication containing aspirin
The nursery will only administer non-prescribed medication for a short initial period and only if necessary. After this time parents / carers will be advised to seek medical advice
The nursery reserve their right to refuse to administer medication if they feel that the child does not need the medication or deem further medical attention is required
For all medication the parent/carer must give prior written permission for the administration of each and every medication
Medicines must be in their original containers
This also applies to non-prescription creams or ointments for skin conditions e.g. Sudocrem
The parent / carer will complete the relevant form to enable the nursery to administer the medication(s) required. The form will include:
Child’s name and date of birth
Name and strength of medication
Dose
Any additional requirements (such as to be taken with food)
Expiry date whenever possible
Length of treatment (will not be exceeded)
The written permission is only acceptable for the medication listed and cannot be used for similar types of medication
Parents must notify the nursery 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
Any significant changes in the details listed above must be recorded on a new form and countersigned by the parent/ carer
The nursery will only administer as per the information listed on the form
At each visit the child’s parent/carer will be asked if there have been any changes to the requirements stated on the form. If there have been changes, a new form must be completed and counter-signed by the parent/carer
When the child is picked up from the setting, the parent / carer must be given an update as to the times and dosage given throughout the day. The parent’s signature must be obtained confirming this information has been given
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.
Emergency Medication
At new registration of a child to the setting, parents will be asked if they are happy to give consent to ‘emergency’ treatment being given. This would be only deemed necessary for specific circumstances. Parents/ carers will be asked to complete a form to give consent. This form will include:
The circumstances in which ‘emergency’ medication will be given e.g. High temperature (above 37.8˚c)
The specific medication (drug name) e.g. Paracetamol
Dose to be administered will follow the guidance on the original container e.g. following age / dosage instructions
Statement that medication will only be given if the nursery is unable to contact the parent
An ‘emergency’ nursery stock of medication may be kept on site
Stock medication will be kept in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions on the container (e.g. cool dark place, out of the reach of children)
Stock will be checked at regular intervals by the designated trained first aider to ensure there is ample supply and is still within its expiry date
If a child experiences symptoms of illness, attempts will be made to contact the child’s parents before administering ‘emergency’ medication
Where parents cannot be contacted the Nursery Manager will take the decision as to whether the child is suitable to receive the ‘emergency’ medication based on the symptoms and medical history of the child given at registration
Administering ‘emergency’ non-prescription medication will be a last resort and the nursery staff will use other methods first to try and alleviate the symptoms. The child will be closely monitored until the parents collect the child.
Injections, Pessaries, Suppositories
As the administration of injections, pessaries and suppositories represents intrusive nursing, we will not administer these without appropriate medical training for every member of staff caring for this child. This training is 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.
Administration
As a general guideline before administering medication to a child the staff member should:
Wash their hands
Ensure a drink is available if appropriate (some medication can irritate and damage the throat and oesophagus if administered without a drink)
Check the label on the medication: name of child, dose, route of administration (e.g. by mouth, into ear/eye, rubbed on the skin), any special instructions and expiry date and ensure this is the same information on the Medication Form
If there is any doubt about any procedure staff should not administer, but seek advice from parent/ carer or health professional
If a child refuses the medication, they must not be forced. Staff can try to encourage them or perhaps get someone else to try. Under no circumstances should staff attempt to hide the medicine in food or drink, unless there in express written permission from parents to do so
It is normally considered poor practice to give medicines covertly, although in rare cases where the health professionals judge that it is in the child’s interests to do so, this is acceptable. Some children do find tablets difficult to swallow so may be given them, with their full knowledge, in, for example, a spoonful of jam. Even in these circumstances parents must give written instructions as some medicines can react with certain foods it is advisable they have sought advice from their pharmacist before doing this.
Staff Fitness to Work & 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 if they are infectious or too unwell to meet children’s needs. This includes circumstances where medication taken by staff affects their ability to care for children, for example, where it makes a person drowsy
If staff members believe their condition, including any condition caused by taking medication, is affecting their ability to care for children they must inform their line manager immediately
The nursery manager 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. If the medication is required to be accessed in an emergency, such as an asthma inhaler, this should be easily accessible but safe from children
In all cases medication must be stored out of reach of children. It must not be kept in the first aid box. It will be clearly labelled with the name of the member of staff.
Medication Errors
Occasionally mistakes may happen. In most cases, whether it is a missed dose or a medicine given in error there will be no harm done. It is important to be open and honest if errors occur
Parents should be contacted and the mistake explained to them:
In the case of a missed dose, the dose may be able to given at a later time. The parent may be able to advise
Where a dose has been given in error, it is important the child is monitored for any reactions and medical advice sought if there are concerns. It is important to inform the parent/ carer as this may happen after the child leaves the setting
The Nursery Manager will investigate all medication errors and put in preventative actions to ensure future errors do not occur.
Disposal of Medication
Tablets and capsules are occasionally dropped on the floor or spat out. In this case we will place the tablet in a labelled envelope and hand to the parents to be disposed of later
In no circumstances should it be flushed down the toilet or thrown in the bin
When a child leaves the setting, ceases to need medication or if a medicine has passed its expiry date, we will return any unused quantity to the parents. If this is not possible then we will take it to a local pharmacist for safe disposal.
Infection Control
Infection Control
EYFS: 3.44, 3.45, 3.46
At The Little Learners 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 babies and toddlers 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
Immediately clean and sterilise (where necessary) any dummy or bottle that falls on the floor or is picked up by another child
Provide labelled individual bedding for children that is not used by any other child and wash this at least once a week
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.
Sickness and Illness
Sickness and Illness
EYFS: 3.44, 3.45, 3.46
At The Little Learners Nursery we promote the good health of all children attending. To help keep children healthy and minimise 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 minimise 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.
Meningitis procedure
If a parent informs the nursery that their child has meningitis, the nursery manager will contact the Local Area Infection Control (IC) Nurse. The IC Nurse will give guidance and support in each individual case. If parents do not inform the nursery, we will be contacted directly by the IC Nurse and the appropriate support will be given. We will follow all guidance given and notify any of the appropriate authorities including Ofsted if necessary.
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.
Special Educational Needs Policy
Special Educational Needs Policy
EYFS: 31.6, 1.7, 2.3, 2.5, 3.20, 3.27, 3.28, 3.67, 3.73
This policy has been created with regard to:
The SEND Code Of Practice 2015
Children and Families Act 2014 (Part 3)
Equality Act 2010
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
EYFS
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) code of practice.
The nursery has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of practice (DfE 2015) to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs.
At The Little Learners Nursery we use the SEND Code of Practice (2015) definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability:
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
Statement of intent
At The Little Learners Nursery we are committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside their peers through positive experiences, to enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs and we work hard to ensure no children are discriminated against or put at a disadvantage as a consequence of their needs. Each child’s needs are unique, therefore any attempt to categorise children is inappropriate.
We are committed to working in partnership with parents in order to meet their child’s individual needs and develop to their full potential. We are committed to working with any child who has a specific need and/or disability and making reasonable adjustments to enable every child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.
The nursery will undertake a Progress Check of all children at age two in accordance with the Code of Practice. The early years provider will also undertake an assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (in the final term of the year in which a child turns five) to prepare an EYFS Profile of the child.
Where we believe a child may have additional needs that have previously been unacknowledged, we will work closely with the child’s parents and any relevant professionals to establish if any additional action is required.
Where a child has additional needs, we feel it is paramount to find out as much as possible about those needs; any way that this may affect his/her early learning or care needs and any additional help he/she may need by:
Liaising with the child’s parents and, where appropriate, the child
Liaising with any professional agencies
Reading any reports that have been prepared
Attending any review meetings with the local authority/professionals
Observing each child’s development and monitoring such observations regularly.
All children will be given a full settling in period when joining the nursery according to their individual needs.
We will:
Recognise each child’s individual needs and ensure all staff are aware of, and have regard for, the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
Ensure that all children are treated as individuals/equals and are supported to take part in every aspect of the nursery day according to their individual needs and abilities
Include all children and their families in our provision
Identify the specific needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and meet those needs through a range of strategies
Ensure that children who learn at an accelerated pace e.g. gifted and talented children are also supported
Encourage children to value and respect others
Provide well informed and suitably trained practitioners to help support parents and children with special educational difficulties and/or disabilities
Develop and maintain a core team of staff who are experienced in the care of children with additional needs and identify a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCO) who is experienced in the care and assessment of children with additional needs. Staff will be provided with specific training relating to SEND and the SEND Code of Practice
Monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments, and seek specialist equipment and services if needed
Challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices
Promote positive images and role models during play experiences of those with additional needs wherever possible
Celebrate diversity in all aspects of play and learning.
Work in partnership with parents and other agencies in order to meet individual children's needs, including the education, health and care authorities, and seek advice, support and training where required
Share any statutory and other assessments made by the nursery with parents and support parents in seeking any help they or the child may need
Our nursery Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Tracey Kingsley.
The role of the SENCO In our setting includes:
ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEN
advising and supporting colleagues
ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting
liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting
taking the lead in implementing the graduated approach and supporting colleagues through each stage of the process.
We will:
Designate a named member of staff to be the SENCO and share their name with parents
Have high aspirations for all children and support them to achieve to their full potential
Develop respectful partnerships with parents and families
Ensure parents are involved at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their child's care and education and where possible include the thoughts and feelings voiced by the child
Signpost parents and families to our Local Offer in order to access local support and services
Undertake formal Progress Checks and Assessments of all children in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice January 2015
Provide a statement showing how we provide for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and share this with staff, parents and other professionals
Ensure that the provision for children with SEN and/or disabilities is the responsibility of all members of staff in the nursery through training and professional discussions
Set out in our inclusive admissions practice on how we meet equality of access and opportunity
Make reasonable adjustments to our physical environment to ensure it is, as far as possible suitable for children and adults with disabilities using the facilities
Provide a broad, balanced, aspirational early learning environment for all children with SEN and/or disabilities and differentiated activities to meet all individual needs and abilities
Liaise with other professionals involved with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families, including transition arrangements to other settings and schools. (See our transitions policy).
Use the graduated response system to assess, plan, do and review to ensure early identification of any SEND
Ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their parents are consulted at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability
Review children’s progress and support plans [insert time frame e.g. every 4 weeks] and work with parents to agree on further support plans
Provide privacy of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities when intimate care is being provided
Raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff
Ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. additional support reviews, Education and Healthcare (EHC) plans, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually
Provide a complaints procedure and make available to all parents in a format that meets their needs e.g. Braille, audio, large print, additional languages
Monitor and review our policy and procedures annually.
Effective assessment of the need for early help
Local agencies should work together to put processes in place for the effective assessment of the needs of individual children who may benefit from early help services. Children and families may need support from a wide range of local agencies. Where a child and family would benefit from coordinated support from more than one agency (e.g. education, health, housing, police) there should be an inter-agency assessment. These early help assessments, such as the Common Assessment Framework, should identify what help the child and family require to prevent needs escalating to a point where intervention would be needed via a statutory assessment under the Children Act 1989.
The early help assessment should be undertaken by a lead professional who should provide support to the child and family, act as an advocate on their behalf and coordinate the delivery of support services. The lead professional role could be undertaken by a General Practitioner (GP), family support worker, teacher, health visitor and/or special educational needs coordinator. Decisions about who should be the lead professional should be taken on a case by case basis and should be informed by the child and their family.
For an early help assessment to be effective:
The assessment should be undertaken with the agreement of the child and their parents or carers. It should involve the child and family as well as all the professionals who are working with them;
A teacher, GP, health visitor, early years’ worker or other professional should be able to discuss concerns they may have about a child and family with a social worker in the local authority. Local authority children’s social care should set out the process for how this will happen; and
If parents and/or the child do not consent to an early help assessment, then the lead professional should make a judgement as to whether, without help, the needs of the child will escalate. If so, a referral into local authority children’s social care may be necessary.
If at any time it is considered that the child may be a child in need as defined in the Children Act 1989, or that the child has suffered significant harm, or is likely to do so, a referral should be made immediately to local authority children’s social care. This referral can be made by any professional. Working together to safeguard children 2018
Graduated Approach
We follow the SEND Code of Practice (2015) recommendation that, in addition to the formal checks above, nurseries should adopt a graduated approach to assessment and planning, led and coordinated by a SENCO. Good practice of working together with parents, and the observation and monitoring of children’s individual progress, will help identify any child with special educational needs or disability This graduated approach will be led and coordinated by the SENCO and appropriate records will be kept according to the Code of Practice.
Assess
In identifying a child as needing SEN support, the key person, working with the SENCO and the child’s parents, will carry out an analysis of the child’s needs. This initial assessment will be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist teachers or from health, social services or other agencies beyond the setting. Where professionals are not already working with the setting, the SENCO will contact them, with the parents’ agreement.
Plan
Where it is decided to provide SEN support, and having formally notified the parents, the key person and the SENCO, in consultation with the parent, will agree the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans will take into account the views of the child.
The support and intervention provided will be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and provided by practitioners with relevant skills and knowledge. Any related staff development needs should be identified and addressed. Parents will be involved in planning support and, where appropriate, in reinforcing the provision or contributing to progress at home.
Do
The child’s key person will be responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. With support from the SENCO, they will oversee the implementation of the intervention agreed as part of SEN support. The SENCO will support the key person in assessing the child’s response to the action taken, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.
Review
The effectiveness of the support and its impact on the child’s progress will be reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact and quality of the support will be evaluated by the key person and the SENCO in full consultation with the child’s parents and taking into account the child’s views. Information will be shared with parents about the impact of the support provided.
Assess - The key person works with the setting SENCO and the child’s parents and brings together all the information, then analyses the child’s needs.
Plan - The key person and the SENCO will agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking for the child, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development and behaviour and finally a date for review.
Do - The child’s key person implements the agreed interventions or programmes
Review - On the agreed date, the key person and SENCO working with the child’s parents, and taking into account the child’s views, will review the effectiveness of the support and the impact of the support on the child’s progress. They will then evaluate the impact and quality of support on the child.
Education and Health Plan (EHC)
Some children and young people may require an EHC needs assessment in order to decide whether it is necessary to develop an EHC plan. The purpose of an EHC plan is to make adjustments and offer support to meet the special educational needs of the child, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care.
The local authority will conduct the EHC needs assessment and take into account a wide range of evidence, including
evidence of the child’s developmental milestones and rate of progress
information about the nature, extent and context of the child’s SEN
evidence of the action already being taken by us as the early years provider to meet the child’s SEN
evidence that, where progress has been made, it has only been as the result of much additional intervention and support over and above that which is usually provided
evidence of the child’s physical, emotional and social development and health needs, drawing on relevant evidence from clinicians and other health professionals and what has been done to meet these by other agencies.
We will then work with the local authority and other bodies to ensure that the child receives the support they need to gain the best outcomes.
The Little Learners Nursery Safeguarding Policy
The Little Learners Nursery Safeguarding Policy
At The Little Learners Nursery we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.
We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation, and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures (please refer to our inclusion and equality policy for further information). Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the nursery’s other policies and procedures.
This policy works alongside these other specific policies to cover all aspects of child protection:
· Online safety
· Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
· Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
· Domestic Violence, Honour Based Violence (HBV) and Forced Marriages
· Looked After Children
Legal framework and definition of safeguarding
· Children Act 1989, 2004 and 2016
· Childcare Act 2006
· Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
· Children and Social Work Act 2017
· The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021
· Working together to safeguard children 2018
· Keeping children safe in education 2018
· Data Protection Act 2018
· What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015
· Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as:
· Protecting children from maltreatment
· Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development
· Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
· Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Policy intention
To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:
· Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
· Provide positive role models and develop a safe culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct
· Support staff to notice the “softer signs” of abuse and know what action to take
· Examples of Softer Signs;
Low self-esteem, Wetting and soiling, Recurrent nightmares, Aggressive behaviour, Withdrawing communication, Habitual body rocking, Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking, Over-friendliness towards strangers and Persistently seeking attention
· Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
· Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
· Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities
· Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling
· Always listen to children
· Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
· Share information with other agencies as appropriate.
The nursery is aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for children’s social care, health professionals or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.
The nursery aims to:
· Keep the child at the centre of all we do
· Ensure staff are trained right from induction to understand the child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse (including the signs known as softer signs of abuse), understand what is meant by child protection and are aware of the different ways in which
children can be harmed, including by other children through bullying or discriminatory behaviour
· Be aware of the increased vulnerability of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerable or isolated families and children
· Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child, share information and seek the help that the child may need
· Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures, including thorough annual safeguarding newsletters and updates
· Make any child protection referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Dorset County Council
· Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know in order to protect the child and act in their best interest
· Keep the setting safe online using appropriate filters, checks and safeguards, monitoring access at all times
· Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff
· Identify changes in staff behaviour and act on these as per the Staff Behaviour Policy
· Take any appropriate action relating to allegations of serious harm or abuse against any person working with children or living or working on the nursery premises including reporting such allegations to Ofsted and other relevant authorities
· Ensure parents are fully aware of child protection policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and are kept informed of all updates when they occur
· Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements and any guidance or procedures issued by the Dorset County Council.
We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. We will devise activities according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem within their peer group and support them to learn how to keep themselves safe.
Contact telephone numbers
ChAD (Children’s Advice and Duty Service) - 01305 228558
There will be a triage where you can go to either Early Help or ChaD with MASH.
Dorset Council Designated Officer (LADO) -01305 221122
Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (Local Safeguarding Children Board) – 01305 221196
East District children’s social care team 01202 868224 eastdistrictchildcare@dorsetcouncil.gov.ukTel: 01202868224
Ofsted 0300 123 1231 Ofsted enquiries enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Emergency police 999
Non-emergency police 101
Government helpline for extremism concerns 020 7340 7264
Dorset Council East Locality www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/-/east-dorset-locality
Types of abuse and particular procedures followed
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by harming them or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused within a family, institution or community setting by those known to them or a stranger. This could be an adult or adults, another child or children.
The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused, but will help us to recognise that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree.
Indicators of child abuse
· Failure to thrive and meet developmental milestones
· Fearful or withdrawn tendencies
· Unexplained injuries to a child or conflicting reports from parents or staff
· Repeated injuries
· Unaddressed illnesses or injuries
· Significant changes to behaviour patterns.
Softer signs of abuse as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include:
· Low self-esteem
· Wetting and soiling
· Recurrent nightmares
· Aggressive behaviour
· Withdrawing communication
· Habitual body rocking
· Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
· Over-friendliness towards strangers
· Excessive clinginess
· Persistently seeking attention.
Peer on peer abuse
We are aware that peer on peer abuse does take place, so we include children in our policies when we talk about potential abusers. This may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse, or sexual abuse. We will report this in the same way as we do for adults abusing children, and will take advice from the appropriate bodies on this area.
Physical abuse
Action needs to be taken if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning, where there is definite knowledge or
reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented. These symptoms may include bruising or injuries in an area that is not usual for a child, e.g. fleshy parts of the arms and legs, back, wrists, ankles and face.
Many children will have cuts and grazes from normal childhood injuries. These should also be logged and discussed with the nursery manager or room leader.
Children and babies may be abused physically through shaking or throwing. Other injuries may include burns or scalds. These are not usual childhood injuries and should always be logged and discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and/or nursery manager.
Female genital mutilation
This type of physical abuse is practised as a cultural ritual by certain ethnic groups and there is now more awareness of its prevalence in some communities in England including its effect on the child and any other siblings involved. This procedure may be carried out shortly after birth and during childhood as well as adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy and varies widely according to the community. Symptoms may include bleeding, painful areas, acute urinary retention, urinary infection, wound infection, septicaemia, incontinence, vaginal and pelvic infections with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physiological concerns. If you have concerns about a child relating to this area, you should contact children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse. There is a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, we will ensure this is followed in our setting.
Breast Ironing
Breast ironing also known as "breast flattening" is the process where young girls' breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down through the use of hard or heated objects in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts entirely. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage. Although this is unlikely to happen to children in the nursery due to their age, we will ensure any signs of this in young adults or older children are followed up using the usual safeguarding referral process.
Fabricated illness
This is also a type of physical abuse. This is where a child is presented with an illness that is fabricated by the adult carer. The carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation. The signs may include a carer exaggerating a real illness or symptoms, complete fabrication of symptoms or inducing physical illness, e.g. through poisoning, starvation, inappropriate diet. This may also be presented through false allegations of abuse or encouraging the child to appear disabled or ill to obtain unnecessary treatment or specialist support.
Sexual abuse
Action needs be taken if the staff member has witnessed an occasion(s) where a child indicated sexual activity through words, play, drawing, had an excessive
preoccupation with sexual matters or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour or language. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls/toys or in the role play area with their peers, drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words. The child may become worried when their clothes are removed, e.g. for nappy changes.
The physical symptoms may include genital trauma, discharge and bruises between the legs or signs of a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Emotional symptoms could include a distinct change in a child’s behaviour. They may be withdrawn or overly extroverted and outgoing. They may withdraw away from a particular adult and become distressed if they reach out for them, but they may also be particularly clingy to a potential abuser so all symptoms and signs should be looked at together and assessed as a whole.
If a child starts to talk openly to an adult about abuse they may be experiencing the procedure below will be followed:
Procedure:
· The adult should reassure the child and listen without interrupting if the child wishes to talk
· The observed instances will be detailed in a confidential report
· The observed instances will be reported to the nursery manager or DSL
· The matter will be referred to the local authority children’s social care team (see reporting procedures).
Child sexual exploitation (CSE)
Working Together to Safeguard Children defines CSE as “…a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”
We will be aware of the possibility of CSE and the signs and symptoms this may manifest as. If we have concerns we will follow the same procedures as for other concerns and we will record and refer as appropriate.
Emotional abuse
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.
This may include extremes of discipline where a child is shouted at or put down on a consistent basis, lack of emotional attachment by a parent, or it may include parents or carers placing inappropriate age or developmental expectations upon them. Emotional abuse may also be imposed through the child witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.
The child is likely to show extremes of emotion with this type of abuse. This may include shying away from an adult who is abusing them, becoming withdrawn, aggressive or clingy in order to receive their love and attention. This type of abuse is harder to identify as the child is not likely to show any physical signs.
Neglect
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been any type of neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including cold, starvation or failure to seek medical treatment, when required, on behalf of the child), which results in serious impairment of the child's health or development, including failure to thrive.
Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in or a child having an illness or identified special educational need or disability that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs.
Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g. a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. They may be clingy and emotional. In addition, neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.
Domestic Abuse / Honour Based Violence / Forced Marriages
We look at these areas as a child protection concern. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this.
Reporting Procedures
All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.
· Staff will report their concerns to the DSL (in the absence of the DSL they will be reported to the Deputy DSL)
· Any signs of marks/injuries to a child or information a child has given will be recorded and stored securely
· If appropriate, the incident will be discussed with the parent/carer, such discussions will be recorded and the parent will have access to these records on request
· If there are queries/concerns regarding the injury/information given then the following procedures will take place:
The DSL will:
· Contact the ChAD 01305 228558 to report concerns and seek advice. If it is believed a child is in immediate danger we will contact the police. If the safeguarding concern relates to an allegation against an adult working or volunteering with children then the DSL will follow the reporting allegations procedure (see below).
· Record the information and action taken relating to the concern raised
· Speak to the parents (unless advised not do so by LA children’s social care team)
· The designated safeguarding lead will follow up with the ChAD if they have not contacted the setting within the timeframe set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2018). We will never assume that action has been taken,
Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the DSL or deputy DSL they should call the ChAD or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.
These contact numbers are displayed: ChAD 01305 228558
NSPCC 0808 800 5000
Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures
Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure, supported by the nursery manager or designated safeguarding lead (DSL). This record should include:
· Child's name
· Child's address
· Age of the child and date of birth
· Date and time of the observation or the disclosure
· Exact words spoken by the child
· Exact position and type of any injuries or marks seen
· Exact observation of any incident including any concern was reported, with date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time
· Any discussion held with the parent(s) (where deemed appropriate).
These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the DSL, dated and kept in a separate confidential file.
If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure is not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately.
It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted. Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information/concerns they have with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the local authority children’s social care, police, and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
Staff must not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent or member of staff.
Informing parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this.
Inclusion and Equality Policy
Inclusion and Equality Policy
EYFS: 1.6, 1.7, 2.3, 3.20, 3.27, 3.28, 3.67, 3.73
Statement of intent
At The Little Learners Nursery we take 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. We are 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 our 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:
Special Education Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015
Children and Families Act 2014
Equality Act 2010
Childcare Act 2006
Children Act 2004
Care Standards Act 2002
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.
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/paternity
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 (see dealing with discriminatory behaviour policy).
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
Recruitment, promotion and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoid discrimination. Shortlisting should be done by more than one person if possible.
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.
Vacancies should generally be advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying.
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.
Under the Equality Act 2010 you can only ask questions prior to offering someone employment in the following circumstances:
You need to establish whether the applicant will be able to comply with a requirement to undergo an assessment (i.e. an interview or selection test)
You need to establish whether the applicant will be able to carry out a function that is intrinsic to the work concerned
You want to monitor diversity in the range of people applying for work
You want to take positive action towards a particular group – for example offering a guaranteed interview scheme
You require someone with a particular disability because of an occupational requirement for the job.
The national College for Teaching and Leadership provides further guidance specific to working with children:
Providers have a responsibility to ensure that practitioners have the health and physical capacity to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm. The activities that a practitioner must be able to perform are set out in the Education (Health Standards England) Regulations 2003. Providers are responsible for ensuring that only practitioners who have the capacity to teach remain on the staff team.
People with disabilities or chronic illnesses may have the capacity to teach, just as those without disabilities or medical conditions may be unsuitable to teach. Further information on training to teach with a disability is available from the DfE website.
Successful applicants offered a position may be asked to complete a fitness questionnaire prior to commencing the programme. Providers should not ask all-encompassing health questions, but should ensure that they only ask targeted and relevant health-related questions, which are necessary to ensure that a person is able to teach.
Staff
It is the policy of The Little Learners 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 ‘Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour’ 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
Identifying a key person to each child who will continuously observe, assess and plan for children’s learning and development
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.
Discriminatory Behaviour
Discriminatory Behaviour
EYFS: 3.1, 3.2, 3.52
At The Little Learners Nursery we do not tolerate discriminatory behaviour and take action to tackle discrimination. We believe that parents have a right to know if discrimination occurs and what actions the nursery will take to tackle it. We follow our legal duties in relation to discrimination and record all incidents any perceived or actual relating to discrimination on any grounds and report these where relevant to children’s parents and the registering authority.
Definition and legal framework
Types of discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic
Discrimination by association occurs when there is a direct discrimination against a person because they associate with a person who has a protected characteristic
Discrimination by perception occurs when there is a direct discrimination against a person because they are perceived to have a protected characteristic
Indirect discrimination can occur where a provision, criterion or practice is in place which applies to everyone in the organisation but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic and that provision, criterion or practice cannot be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
Harassment is defined as ‘unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual’
Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly or put to detriment because they have made or supported a complaint or raised grievance under the Equality Act 2010 or have been suspected of doing so.
Protected characteristics
The nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are:
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Race
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity.
Incidents may involve a small or large number of persons, they may vary in their degree of offence and may not even recognise the incident has discriminatory implications; or at the other extreme their behaviour may be quite deliberate and blatant.
Examples of discriminatory behaviour are:
Physical assault against a person or group of people
Derogatory name calling, insults and discriminatory jokes
Graffiti and other written insults (depending on the nature of what is written)
Provocative behaviour such as wearing badges and insignia and the distribution of discriminatory literature
Threats against a person or group of people pertaining to the nine protected characteristics listed above
Discriminatory comments including ridicule made in the course of discussions
Patronising words or actions.
Our procedures
We tackle discrimination by:
Expecting all staff in the nursery to be aware of and alert to any discriminatory behaviour or bullying taking place in person or via an online arena
Expecting all staff to intervene firmly and quickly to prevent any discriminatory behaviour or bullying, this may include behaviour from parents and other staff members
Expecting all staff to treat any allegation seriously and report it to the nursery manager. Investigating and recording each incident in detail as accurately as possible and making this record available for inspection by staff, inspectors and parents where appropriate, on request. The nursery manager is responsible for ensuring that incidents are handled appropriately and sensitively and entered in the record book. Any pattern of behaviour should be indicated. Perpetrator/victim’s initials may be used in the record book as information on individuals is confidential to the nursery
Ensuring any online bullying or discriminatory behaviour is tackled immediately
Informing: the parents of the child(ren) who are perpetrators and/or victims should be informed of the incident and of the outcome, where an allegation is substantiated following an investigation
Excluding or dismissing any individuals who display continued discriminatory behaviour or bullying, but such steps will only be taken when other strategies have failed to modify behaviour. This includes any employees where any substantiated allegation after investigation will incur our disciplinary procedures (please see the policy on disciplinary procedures).
We record any incidents of discriminatory behaviour or bullying to ensure that:
Strategies are developed to prevent future incidents
Patterns of behaviour are identified
Persistent offenders are identified
Effectiveness of nursery policies are monitored
A secure information base is provided to enable the nursery to respond to any discriminatory behaviour or bullying.
If the behaviour shown by an individual is deemed to be radicalised, we will follow our procedure as detailed in our Safeguarding Policy in order to safeguard children and families concerned.
Nursery staff
We expect all staff to be alert and seek to overcome any ignorant or offensive behaviour based on fear or dislike of distinctions that children, staff or parents may express in nursery.
We aim to create an atmosphere where the victims of any form of discrimination have confidence to report such behaviour, and that subsequently they feel positively supported by the staff and management of the nursery.
It is incumbent upon all members of staff to ensure that they do not express any views or comments that are discriminatory; or appear to endorse such views by failing to counter behaviour, which is prejudicial in a direct manner. We expect all staff to use a sensitive and informed approach to counter any harassment perpetrated out of ignorance.
Safeguarding Children, Child Protection Policy And Looked after Children Policy
Safeguarding Children, Child Protection Policy And Looked after Children Policy
EYFS: 3.4-3.18, 3.19, 3.21, 3.22
At The Little Learners Nursery we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.
We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation, and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures (please refer to our inclusion and equality policy for further information). Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the nursery’s other policies and procedures.
This policy works alongside these other specific policies to cover all aspects of child protection:
Online safety
Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
Domestic Violence, Honour Based Violence (HBV) and Forced Marriages
Looked After Children
Legal framework and definition of safeguarding
Children Act 1989, 2004 and 2016
Childcare Act 2006
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
Children and Social Work Act 2017
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021
Working together to safeguard children 2018
Keeping children safe in education 2018
Data Protection Act 2018
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015
Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as:
Protecting children from maltreatment
Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development
Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Policy intention
To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:
Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
Provide positive role models and develop a safe culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct
Support staff to notice the “softer signs” of abuse and know what action to take
Examples of Softer Signs;
Low self-esteem, Wetting and soiling, Recurrent nightmares, Aggressive behaviour, Withdrawing communication, Habitual body rocking, Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking, Over-friendliness towards strangers and Persistently seeking attention
Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities
Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling
Always listen to children
Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
Share information with other agencies as appropriate.
The nursery is aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for children’s social care, health professionals or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.
The nursery aims to:
Keep the child at the centre of all we do
Ensure staff are trained right from induction to understand the child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse (including the signs known as softer signs of abuse), understand what is meant by child protection and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children through bullying or discriminatory behaviour
Be aware of the increased vulnerability of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerable or isolated families and children
Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child, share information and seek the help that the child may need
Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures, including thorough annual safeguarding newsletters and updates
Make any child protection referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Dorset County Council
Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know in order to protect the child and act in their best interest
Keep the setting safe online using appropriate filters, checks and safeguards, monitoring access at all times
Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff
Identify changes in staff behaviour and act on these as per the Staff Behaviour Policy
Take any appropriate action relating to allegations of serious harm or abuse against any person working with children or living or working on the nursery premises including reporting such allegations to Ofsted and other relevant authorities
Ensure parents are fully aware of child protection policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and are kept informed of all updates when they occur
Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements and any guidance or procedures issued by the Dorset County Council.
We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. We will devise activities according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem within their peer group and support them to learn how to keep themselves safe.
Contact telephone numbers
ChAD (Children’s Advice and Duty Service) - 01305 228558
There will be a triage where you can go to either Early Help or ChaD with MASH.
Dorset Council Designated Officer (LADO) -01305 221122
Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (Local Safeguarding Children Board) – 01305 221196
East District children’s social care team 01202 868224
eastdistrictchildcare@dorsetcouncil.gov.ukTel: 01202868224
Ofsted 0300 123 1231
Ofsted enquiries enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Emergency police 999
Non-emergency police 101
Government helpline for extremism concerns 020 7340 7264
Dorset Council East Locality www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/-/east-dorset-locality
Types of abuse and particular procedures followed
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by harming them or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused within a family, institution or community setting by those known to them or a stranger. This could be an adult or adults, another child or children.
The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused, but will help us to recognise that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree.
Indicators of child abuse
Failure to thrive and meet developmental milestones
Fearful or withdrawn tendencies
Unexplained injuries to a child or conflicting reports from parents or staff
Repeated injuries
Unaddressed illnesses or injuries
Significant changes to behaviour patterns.
Softer signs of abuse as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include:
Low self-esteem
Wetting and soiling
Recurrent nightmares
Aggressive behaviour
Withdrawing communication
Habitual body rocking
Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
Over-friendliness towards strangers
Excessive clinginess
Persistently seeking attention.
Peer on peer abuse
We are aware that peer on peer abuse does take place, so we include children in our policies when we talk about potential abusers. This may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse, or sexual abuse. We will report this in the same way as we do for adults abusing children, and will take advice from the appropriate bodies on this area.
Physical abuse
Action needs to be taken if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning, where there is definite knowledge or reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented. These symptoms may include bruising or injuries in an area that is not usual for a child, e.g. fleshy parts of the arms and legs, back, wrists, ankles and face.
Many children will have cuts and grazes from normal childhood injuries. These should also be logged and discussed with the nursery manager or room leader.
Children and babies may be abused physically through shaking or throwing. Other injuries may include burns or scalds. These are not usual childhood injuries and should always be logged and discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and/or nursery manager.
Female genital mutilation
This type of physical abuse is practised as a cultural ritual by certain ethnic groups and there is now more awareness of its prevalence in some communities in England including its effect on the child and any other siblings involved. This procedure may be carried out shortly after birth and during childhood as well as adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy and varies widely according to the community. Symptoms may include bleeding, painful areas, acute urinary retention, urinary infection, wound infection, septicaemia, incontinence, vaginal and pelvic infections with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physiological concerns. If you have concerns about a child relating to this area, you should contact children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse. There is a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, we will ensure this is followed in our setting.
Breast Ironing
Breast ironing also known as "breast flattening" is the process where young girls' breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down through the use of hard or heated objects in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts entirely. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage. Although this is unlikely to happen to children in the nursery due to their age, we will ensure any signs of this in young adults or older children are followed up using the usual safeguarding referral process.
Fabricated illness
This is also a type of physical abuse. This is where a child is presented with an illness that is fabricated by the adult carer. The carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation. The signs may include a carer exaggerating a real illness or symptoms, complete fabrication of symptoms or inducing physical illness, e.g. through poisoning, starvation, inappropriate diet. This may also be presented through false allegations of abuse or encouraging the child to appear disabled or ill to obtain unnecessary treatment or specialist support.
Sexual abuse
Action needs be taken if the staff member has witnessed an occasion(s) where a child indicated sexual activity through words, play, drawing, had an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour or language. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls/toys or in the role play area with their peers, drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words. The child may become worried when their clothes are removed, e.g. for nappy changes.
The physical symptoms may include genital trauma, discharge and bruises between the legs or signs of a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Emotional symptoms could include a distinct change in a child’s behaviour. They may be withdrawn or overly extroverted and outgoing. They may withdraw away from a particular adult and become distressed if they reach out for them, but they may also be particularly clingy to a potential abuser so all symptoms and signs should be looked at together and assessed as a whole.
If a child starts to talk openly to an adult about abuse they may be experiencing the procedure below will be followed:
Procedure:
The adult should reassure the child and listen without interrupting if the child wishes to talk
The observed instances will be detailed in a confidential report
The observed instances will be reported to the nursery manager or DSL
The matter will be referred to the local authority children’s social care team (see reporting procedures).
Child sexual exploitation (CSE)
Working Together to Safeguard Children defines CSE as “…a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”
We will be aware of the possibility of CSE and the signs and symptoms this may manifest as. If we have concerns we will follow the same procedures as for other concerns and we will record and refer as appropriate.
Emotional abuse
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.
This may include extremes of discipline where a child is shouted at or put down on a consistent basis, lack of emotional attachment by a parent, or it may include parents or carers placing inappropriate age or developmental expectations upon them. Emotional abuse may also be imposed through the child witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.
The child is likely to show extremes of emotion with this type of abuse. This may include shying away from an adult who is abusing them, becoming withdrawn, aggressive or clingy in order to receive their love and attention. This type of abuse is harder to identify as the child is not likely to show any physical signs.
Neglect
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been any type of neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including cold, starvation or failure to seek medical treatment, when required, on behalf of the child), which results in serious impairment of the child's health or development, including failure to thrive.
Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in or a child having an illness or identified special educational need or disability that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs.
Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g. a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. They may be clingy and emotional. In addition, neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.
Domestic Abuse / Honour Based Violence / Forced Marriages
We look at these areas as a child protection concern. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this.
Reporting Procedures
All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.
Staff will report their concerns to the DSL (in the absence of the DSL they will be reported to the Deputy DSL)
Any signs of marks/injuries to a child or information a child has given will be recorded and stored securely
If appropriate, the incident will be discussed with the parent/carer, such discussions will be recorded and the parent will have access to these records on request
If there are queries/concerns regarding the injury/information given then the following procedures will take place:
The DSL will:
Contact the ChAD 01305 228558 to report concerns and seek advice. If it is believed a child is in immediate danger we will contact the police. If the safeguarding concern relates to an allegation against an adult working or volunteering with children then the DSL will follow the reporting allegations procedure (see below).
Record the information and action taken relating to the concern raised
Speak to the parents (unless advised not do so by LA children’s social care team)
The designated safeguarding lead will follow up with the ChAD if they have not contacted the setting within the timeframe set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2018). We will never assume that action has been taken,
Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the DSL or deputy DSL they should call the ChAD or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.
These contact numbers are displayed: ChAD 01305 228558
NSPCC 0808 800 5000
Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures
Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure, supported by the nursery manager or designated safeguarding lead (DSL). This record should include:
Child's name
Child's address
Age of the child and date of birth
Date and time of the observation or the disclosure
Exact words spoken by the child
Exact position and type of any injuries or marks seen
Exact observation of any incident including any concern was reported, with date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time
Any discussion held with the parent(s) (where deemed appropriate).
These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the DSL, dated and kept in a separate confidential file.
If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure is not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately.
It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted. Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information/concerns they have with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the local authority children’s social care, police, and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
Staff must not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent or member of staff.
Informing parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.
Confidentiality
All suspicions, enquiries and external investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared in line with guidance from the local authority.
Support to families
The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff, students and volunteers within the nursery.
The nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst enquiries are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst any external investigations are carried out in the best interest of the child.
Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child's parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate in line with guidance of the local authority with the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount. We will do all in our power to support and work with the child's family.
Allegations against adults working or volunteering with children
If an allegation is made against a member of staff, student or volunteer or any other person who lives or works on the nursery premises regardless of whether the allegation relates to the nursery premises or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below.
The allegation should be reported to the senior manager on duty. If this person is the subject of the allegation then this should be reported to the deputy manager instead.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and Ofsted will then be informed immediately in order for this to be investigated by the appropriate bodies promptly:
The LADO will be informed immediately for advice and guidance
If as an individual you feel this will not be taken seriously or are worried about the allegation getting back to the person in question then it is your duty to inform the LADO yourself directly
A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals (LADO, Ofsted) to determine how this will be handled
The nursery will follow all instructions from the LADO and Ofsted and ask all staff members to do the same and co-operate where required
Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation in line with LADO support and advice
The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation
All enquiries/external investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file for access by the relevant authorities
Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated
Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisations including the local authority children’s social care team and where an offence is believed to have been committed, the police.
Founded allegations will be dealt with as gross misconduct in accordance with our disciplinary procedures and may result in the termination of employment, Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision.
The nursery will also notify the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their records are updated
All records will be kept until the person reaches normal retirement age or for 21 years and 3 months years if that is longer. This will ensure accurate information is available for references and future DBS checks and avoids any unnecessary reinvestigation
The nursery retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry
Counselling will be available for any member of the nursery who is affected by an allegation, their colleagues in the nursery and the parents.
Monitoring children’s attendance
As part of our requirements under the statutory framework and guidance documents we are required to monitor children’s attendance patterns to ensure they are consistent and no cause for concern.
Parents should please inform the nursery prior to their children taking holidays or days off, and all sickness should be called into the nursery on the day so the nursery management are able to account for a child’s absence.
If a child has not arrived at nursery within one hour of their normal start time the parents will be called to ensure the child is safe and healthy. If the parents are not contactable then the further emergency contacts will be used to ensure all parties are safe.
Where a child is part of a child protection plan, or during a referral process, any absences will immediately be reported to the local authority children’s social care team to ensure the child remains safeguarded.
This should not stop parents taking precious time with their children, but enables children’s attendance to be logged so we know the child is safe.
Looked after children
As part of our safeguarding practice we will ensure our staff are aware of how to keep looked after children safe. In order to do this we ask that we are informed of:
The legal status of the child (e.g. whether the child is being looked after under voluntary arrangements with consent of parents or on an interim or full care order)
Contact arrangements for the biological parents (or those with parental responsibility)
The child’s care arrangements and the levels of authority delegated to the carer by the authority looking after him/her
The details of the child’s social worker and any other support agencies involved
Any child protection plan or care plan in place for the child in question.
Please refer to the Looked After Children policy for further details.
Staffing and volunteering
Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. We only allow an adult who is employed by the nursery to care for children and who has an enhanced clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to be left alone with children. We will obtain enhanced criminal records checks (DBS) for all volunteers and do not allow any volunteers to be unsupervised with children.
All staff will attend child protection training and receive initial basic child protection training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for spotting signs and behaviours of abuse and abusers/potential abusers, recording and reporting concerns and creating a safe and secure environment for the children in the nursery. During induction staff will be given contact details for the LADO (local authority designated officer), the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted to enable them to report any safeguarding concerns, independently, if they feel it necessary to do so.
We have named persons within the nursery who take lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinate child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL), there is always at least one designated person on duty during all opening hours of the setting.
These designated persons will receive comprehensive training at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis, but at least once a year.
The nursery DSL’s liaise with the local authority children’s social care team, undertakes specific training, including a child protection training course, and receives regular updates to developments within this field. They in turn support the ongoing development and knowledge update of all staff on the team.
Although, under the EYFS, we are only required to have one designated lead for safeguarding, for best practice and to ensure cover at all times, we have two/three designated leads in place. This enables safeguarding to stay high on our priorities at all times. There will always be at least one designated lead on duty at all times our provision is open. This will ensure that prompt action can be taken if concerns are raised.
The Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) at the nursery are: TRACEY KINGSLEY, HAYLEY JONES.
We provide adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of all children
Applicants for posts within the nursery are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information
We give staff members, volunteers and students regular opportunities to declare changes that may affect their suitability to care for the children. This includes information about their health, medication or about changes in their home life such as child protection plans for their own children
This information is also stated within every member of staff’s contract
We request DBS checks on an annual basis/or we use the DBS update service (with staff consent) to re-check staff’s criminal history and suitability to work with children
We abide by the requirements of the EYFS and any Ofsted guidance in respect to obtaining references and suitability checks for staff, students and volunteers, to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers working in the setting are suitable to do so
We ensure we receive at least two written references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us
All students will have enhanced DBS checks conducted on them before their placement starts
Volunteers, including students, do not work unsupervised
We abide by the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Childcare Act 2006 in respect of any person who is disqualified from providing childcare, is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern
We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the nursery and take security steps to ensure that we have control over who comes into the nursery so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children
All visitors/contractors will be supervised whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use
As a staff team we will be fully aware of how to safeguard the whole nursery environment and be aware of potential dangers on the nursery boundaries such as drones or strangers lingering. We will ensure the children remain safe at all times
The Staff Behaviour Policy sits alongside this policy to enable us to monitor changes in behaviours that may cause concern. All staff sign up to this policy too to ensure any changes are reported to management so we are able to support the individual staff member and ensure the safety and care of the children is not compromised
All staff have access to and comply with the whistleblowing policy which will enable them to share any concerns that may arise about their colleagues in an appropriate manner
Signs of inappropriate staff behaviour may include inappropriate sexual comments; excessive one-to-one attention beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities; or inappropriate sharing of images. This is not an exhaustive list, any changes in behaviour must be reported and acted upon immediately
All staff will receive regular supervision meetings where opportunities will be made available to discuss any issues relating to individual children, child protection training and any needs for further support
We use peer on peer and manager observations in the setting to ensure that the care we provide for children is at the highest level and any areas for staff development are quickly highlighted. Peer observations allow us to share constructive feedback, develop practice and build trust so that staff are able to share any concerns they may have. Any concerns are raised with the designated lead and dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner
The deployment of staff within the nursery allows for constant supervision and support. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar or other safeguards will be put into action to ensure the safety of the child and the adult.
We also operate a Phones and Other Electronic Devices and Social Media policy which states how we will keep children safe from these devices whilst at nursery. This also links to our Online Safety policy.
Extremism – the Prevent Duty
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 or family member, comments causing concern made to a member of the team (or other persons in the setting) or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care. We have a Prevent Duty and Radicalisation policy in place. Please refer to this for specific details.
Online Safety.
We take the safety of our children very seriously and this includes their online safety. Please refer to the Online Safety policy for details on this.
Human Trafficking and Slavery
Please refer to our Human Trafficking and Slavery policy for detail on how we keep children safe in this area.
Our nursery has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager registered person at the earliest opportunity.
Promoting Positive Behaviour
Promoting Positive Behaviour
EYFS: 3.2, 3.52, 3.53
At The Little Learners Nursery we believe 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. The nursery actively promotes British values and encourages and praises positive, caring and polite behaviour at all times and provides 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 in their own environment and that of others 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 the stage of development
Have a named person who has overall responsibility for behaviour management.
The named person Jodie Kingsley and Tracey Kingsley for managing behaviour will:
Advise and support other staff on behaviour issues
Along with each room leader, 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. Keep a record of staff attendance at this training.
Our nursery rules are concerned with safety, care and respect for each other. We keep the rules to a minimum and ensure that these are age and stage appropriate. We regularly involve children in the process of setting rules to encourage cooperation and participation and ensure children gain understanding of the expectations of behaviour relevant to them as a unique child.
Children who behave inappropriately, for example, by physically abusing another child or adult e.g. biting, or through verbal bullying, are helped to talk through their actions and apologise where appropriate. We make sure that the child who has been upset is comforted and the adult will confirm that the other child's behaviour is not acceptable. We always acknowledge when a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour that 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 will 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 and in accordance with the EYFS statutory framework (3.52). We keep a record of any occasions where physical intervention is used and inform parents on the same day, or as reasonably practicable
We recognise that for some children there may be specific development needs that mean regular and ongoing restraint may be necessary to keep themselves and others safe from harm. Any restraint used will be carried out by staff who have received specialist restraint training and staff will use techniques and guidance recommended by the approved training provider. Specialist restraint arrangements will be agreed with parents and recorded. We will complete an incident form following any use of restraint and notify the parents the same day
We do not single out children or humiliate them 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 (other than to keep children safe)
In any case of misbehaviour, we always make it clear to the child or children in question, that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome
We decide how to handle a particular type of behaviour depending on the child’s age, level of development and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour. This may involve asking the child to talk and think about what he/she has done. All staff support children in developing empathy and children will only be asked to apologise if they have developed strong empathy skills and have a good understanding of why saying sorry is appropriate
We help staff to reflect on their own responses towards challenging behaviours to ensure that their reactions are appropriate
We inform parents if their child’s behaviour is unkind to others or if their child has been upset. In all cases we deal with inappropriate behaviour in nursery at the time. We may ask parents 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
We support children in developing non-aggressive strategies to enable them to express their feelings
We keep confidential records on any inappropriate behaviour that has taken place. We inform parents and ask them to read and sign any incidents concerning their child
We support all children to develop positive behaviour, and we make every effort to provide for their individual needs
Through partnership with parents and formal observations, we make every effort to identify any behavioural concerns and the causes of that behaviour. From these observations and discussions, we will implement an individual behaviour modification plan where a child’s behaviour involves aggressive actions towards other children and staff, for example hitting, kicking etc. The manager will complete risk assessments identifying any potential triggers or warning signs ensuring other children’s and staff’s safety at all times. In these instances we may remove a child from an area until they have calmed down.
Anti-bullying
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. We acknowledge that any form of bullying is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately while recognising that physical aggression is part of children’s development in their early years.
We recognise that children need their own time and space and that it is not always appropriate to expect a child to share. We believe it is important to acknowledge each child’s feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.
We encourage children 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.
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 are helped to understand that using aggression to get things, is inappropriate and they will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
Our staff will intervene when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or harmless it may seem
Staff will initiate games and activities with children when they feel play has become aggressive, both indoors or out
Staff will sensitively discuss any instance of bullying with the parents of all involved to look for a consistent resolution to the behaviour
We will ensure that this policy is available for staff and parents and it will be actively publicised at least once a year to parents and staff.
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.
Policy for Children Biting
Policy for Children Biting
At The Little Learners nursery we follow a positive behaviour policy to promote positive behaviour at all times. However, we understand that children may use certain behaviours such as biting as part of their development. Biting is a common behaviour that some young children go through and can be triggered when they do not have the words to communicate their anger, frustration or need.
Our procedures
The nursery uses the following strategies to help prevent biting: sensory activities, biting rings, adequate resources and staff who recognise when children need more stimulation or quiet times. However, in the event of a child being bitten we use the following procedures. The most relevant staff member(s) will:
Comfort any child who has been bitten and check for any visual injury. Administer any first aid where necessary. Complete an accident form and inform the parents via telephone if deemed appropriate. Continue to observe the bitten area for signs of infection. For confidentiality purposes and possible conflict we do not disclose the name of the child who has caused the bite to the parents
Tell the child who has caused the bite in terms that they understand that biting (the behaviour and not the child) is unkind and show the child that it makes staff and the child who has been bitten sad. The child will be asked to say sorry if developmentally appropriate or helped to develop their empathy skills by giving the child who has been bitten a favourite book or comforter. Complete an incident form to share with the parents at the end of the child’s session
If a child continues to bite, carry out observations to try to distinguish a cause, e.g. tiredness or frustration
Arrange for a meeting with the child’s parents to develop strategies to prevent the biting behaviour. Parents will be reassured that it is part of a child’s development and not made to feel that it is their fault
In the event of a bite breaking the skin and to reduce the risk of infection from bacteria, give prompt treatment to both the child who has bitten and the child who has been bitten.
If a child or member of staff sustains a bite wound where the skin has been severely broken arrange for urgent medical attention after initial first aid has been carried out.
In cases where a child may repeatedly bite and/or if they have a particular special educational need or disability that lends itself to increased biting, e.g. in some cases of autism where a child doesn’t have the communication skills, the nursery manager will carry out a risk assessment and may recommend immunisation with hepatitis B vaccine for all staff and children.
Approach to Risk Assessments
Approach to Risk Assessments
At The Little Learners Nursery we promote the safety of children, parents, staff and visitors by reviewing and reducing any risks.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments document the hazards/aspects of the environment that needs to be checked on a regular basis, who could be harmed, existing controls, the seriousness of the risk/injury, any further action needed to control the risk, who is responsible for what action, when/how often will the action be undertaken, and how this will be monitored and checked and by whom.
The nursery carries out written risk assessments regularly (at least annually). These are regularly reviewed and cover potential risks to children, staff and visitors at the nursery. When circumstances change in the nursery, e.g. a significant piece of equipment is introduced; we review our current risk assessment or conduct a new risk assessment dependent on the nature of this change.
All staff are trained in the risk assessment process to ensure understanding and compliance.
All outings away from the nursery are individually risk assessed and adequately staffed with paediatric first aid trained practitioners. For more details refer to the visits and outings policy.
Hints and tips
Please refer to the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Five Steps to Risk Assessment’ www.hse.gov.uk/risk/fivesteps.htm for further support with the risk assessment process. The Five Steps to Risk Assessment publication and risk assessment templates can be downloaded from the Health and Safety Executive’s website at www.hse.gov.uk
Citation Plc can also offer further support with risk assessments at www.citation.co.uk
Complaints and Compliments Procedures
Complaints and Compliments Procedures
EYFS: 3.74, 3.75
At The Little Learners Nursery we believe that parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their individual needs and wishes. We hope that at all times parents are happy with the service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned.
We record all compliments and share these 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.
We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our 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 they must present their concerns in writing as a formal complaint to the nursery manager. The manager will then investigate the complaint and report back to the parent within 10 working days. The manager will document the complaint fully and the actions taken in relation to it 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, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the manager, parent and a senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. The nursery will make a record of the meeting and document any actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, and be asked to sign to agree it and receive a copy. This 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 complaints 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; 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 the nursery will provide a copy of the report to parents and/or carers of children attending on a regular basis.
Intimate Care Policy
Intimate Care Policy
EYFS: 3.1, 3.6, 3.27 3.20 3.64
At The Little Learners Nursery we believe that all children need contact with familiar, consistent carers to ensure they can grow and develop socially and emotionally. At times children need to be cuddled, encouraged, held and offered physical reassurance.
Intimate care routines are essential throughout the day to meet children’s basic needs. This may include nappy changing, supporting children with toileting, changing clothes, and giving first aid treatment and specialist medical support, where required.
In order to maintain the child’s privacy, we will carry out the majority of these actions on a one-to-one basis, wherever possible, 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 children during 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. We aim to support all parties through the following actions:
Promoting consistent and caring relationships through the key person system in the nursery and ensuring all parents understand how this works
Ensuring all staff undertaking intimate care routines have suitable enhanced DBS checks
Training all staff in the appropriate methods for intimate care routines and arranging 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
Conducting thorough inductions for all new staff to ensure they are fully aware of all nursery procedures relating to intimate care routines
Following up procedures through supervision meetings and appraisals to identify any areas for development or further training
Working closely with parents on all aspects of the child’s care and education as laid out in the Parent and Carers as Partners Policy. This is essential for intimate care routines which require specialist training or support. If a child requires specific support the nursery will arrange a meeting with the parent to discover all the relevant information relating to this to enable the staff to care for the child fully and meet their individual needs
Ensuring 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 set out in the safeguarding/child protection policy
Operating a whistleblowing policy to help staff raise any concerns about their peers or managers; and helping staff develop confidence in raising worries as they arise in order to safeguard the children in the nursery
Conducting 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
Conducting regular risk assessments on all aspects of the nursery operation including intimate care and reviewing the safeguards in place. 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.
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.
Safe and Respectful Care - Conjunction with Intimate Care
Safe and Respectful Care - Conjunction with Intimate Care
The safe and respectful care policy may complement the Intimate Care Policy.
EYFS: 3.1, 3.6
At The Little Learners Nursery we believe that all children need to feel safe, secure and happy. This involves nursery staff being responsive to children’s needs, whilst maintaining professionalism. This includes giving children cuddles and changing children’s nappies or clothes.
To promote good practice and to minimise the risk of allegations we have the following guidelines:
Although we recognise it is appropriate to cuddle children, we give cuddles only when sought by children needing comfort to support their emotional development. Staff are advised to do this in view of other children and practitioners, whenever possible. We recognise that there may be occasions where it is appropriate for this to happen away from others, such as when a child is ill. In these circumstances, staff are advised to leave the door open. It is the duty of all staff and the manager to ensure that children are appropriately comforted and to monitor practice
When changing children’s nappies or soiled/wet clothing, we leave the doors open, where appropriate
We discourage inappropriate behaviour such as over tickling, over boisterous play or inappropriate questions such as asking children to tell them they love them and we advise staff to report any such observed practice
Staff are respectful of each other and the children and families in the nursery and do not use inappropriate language or behaviour, including during breaks
All staff are aware of the whistleblowing procedures and the manager carries out random checks throughout the day to ensure safe practices.
If a parent or member of staff has concerns or questions about safe care and practice procedures or behaviour they consider as inappropriate, including between staff members, they are urged to see the manager at the earliest opportunity. Management will challenge inappropriate behaviour in line with the supervision/ disciplinary or whistleblowing procedures. If the concern relates to the manager and/or nursery owner then parents should contact Ofsted 03001234666 or the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) 01305 221122.
Modern Slavery Policy
Modern Slavery Policy
EYFS: 3.6, 3.7
Legislation
The Modern Slavery Act, received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. The act consolidates slavery and trafficking offenses and introduces tougher penalties and sentencing rules.
Background
Child trafficking and modern slavery is becoming a more frequent form of child abuse. Children are recruited, moved, transported and then exploited, forced to work or are sold on.
Modern slavery is a term that covers:
Slavery
Servitude and forced or compulsory labour
Human trafficking.
Victims of modern slavery are also likely to be subjected to other types of abuse such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This policy should be used alongside the following policies to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are fully safeguarded:
Safeguarding and child protection
Whistleblowing
Equality and inclusion
For an adult or child to have been a victim of human trafficking there must have been:
Action (e.g. recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation)
Means (threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, abuse of power or vulnerability) There does not need to be “means” for children as they are not able to give informed consent
Purpose (e.g. sexual exploitation, forced labour or domestic servitude, slavery, financial exploitation, illegal adoption, removal of organs).
Procedure:
When a concern is raised about slavery or trafficking then we will follow our safeguarding procedure. If the child (or adult) is at risk of immediate harm then the police will be called, otherwise the local authority will be contacted and the referral process will be followed as per the safeguarding procedure.
PREVENT Duty and Radicalisation Policy
PREVENT Duty and Radicalisation Policy
EYFS: 3.4, 3.6, 3.7
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
Online Safety Policy
Online Safety Policy
EYFS: 3.4-3.7
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”
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is ultimately responsible for online safety concerns. All concerns need to be raised as soon as possible to Tracey Kingsley
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 staff or 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’
When using Skype and FaceTime (where applicable) discussing with the children what they would do if someone they did not know tried to contact them
Provide training for staff at least annually in online safety and understanding how to keep children safe online. We encourage staff and families to complete a online safety briefing which can be found at https://moodle.ndna.org.uk
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
Under no circumstances should any member of staff, either at work or in any other place, make, deliberately download, possess, or distribute material they know to be illegal, for example child sexual abuse material
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
The nursery is aware of the need to manage our digital reputation, including the appropriateness of information and content that we post online, both professionally and personally. This is continually monitored by the setting’s management.
All electronic communications between staff and parents should be professional and take place via the official nursery communication channels, e.g. the setting’s email addresses and telephone numbers. This is to protect staff, children and parents.
If any concerns arise relating to online safety then we will follow our safeguarding policy and report all online safety concerns to the DSL.
The DSL will make sure that:
All staff know how to report a problem and when to escalate a concern, including the process for external referral if they feel it is needed
All concerns are logged, assessed and actioned upon using the Nursery’s Safeguarding procedure
Parents are supported to develop their knowledge of online safety issues concerning their children via [insert examples from own nursery]
Parents are offered support to help them talk about online safety with their children using appropriate resources
Parents are signposted to appropriate sources of support regarding online safety at home and are fully supported to understand how to report an online safety concern.
The Professionals Online Safety Helpline (0344 381 4772 or helpline@saferinternet.org.uk) is shared with all staff and used if any concerns arise
Refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations-for-managers to ensure all requirements are met in order to keep children and staff safe online
Share https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-guidance-for-practitioners with the wider team to help them to keep themselves safe online, both personally and professionally
Domestic Abuse, Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage policy
Domestic Abuse, Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage policy
EYFS: 3.4, 3.6, 3.7
The UK’s cross-government definition of domestic abuse is:
"Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This abuse can encompass but is not limited to
psychological
physical
sexual
financial
emotional.
The Serious Crime Act 2015 section 76 created a new offence of “controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship”.
The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 extended provisions to help stop domestic abuse and created the new offence of "causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable adult". This Act was amended in 2012 by the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims (Amendment) Act 2012 to include 'causing or allowing serious physical harm (equivalent to grievous bodily harm) to a child or vulnerable adult'.
Where domestic abuse is taking place in a child’s home the child is at risk of harm, whether they witness the violence or not. This may take the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect. At The Little Learners Nursery we ensure that if there are any signs or symptoms that domestic abuse may be occurring we act without haste and follow our main safeguarding / child protection policy
Signs may include:
Visible signs of injury on the adult being abused
Changes in behaviour of the adult(s) and child – e.g. the abused adult may become withdrawn, show low levels of self-esteem
One adult being visible worried about what their partner may say in a certain situation (e.g. if the child has become dirty or injured at nursery)
One adult becoming scared of their partner
Adults becoming isolated from their friends or family
Signs of abuse in the child (as per the main safeguarding policy).
Honour based Violence
‘Honour' based violence (HBV) is a type of domestic abuse which occurs in the name of so called ‘honour'. Some families believe that certain actions bring shame on the family and may react with punishment. This may be rejecting a forced marriage, having a relationship not approved by the family, wearing the wrong clothing or wearing makeup. This can happen in families from a variety of cultures and countries and also happens within the UK.
Signs of HBV may include changes in behaviour of the person undergoing the violence, changes in how they dress or act and also in comments they make.
If signs of HBV are present in a parent or staff member within the nursery then we will act and follow our safeguarding policy to keep children safe in the environment as well as seeking support for the adult involved.
Forced Marriage
We are aware arranged marriages are part of some cultural practices. We also recognise there is a clear distinction between a marriage in which the both parties are willing and able to give an informed consent to, and a marriage which is forced. Forced marriage is a criminal offence.
A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not and/or cannot consent to the marriage and duress is involved. If we become aware of a forced marriage occurring then we will report it to the appropriate body. If the person is under the age of 18 then we will report it to the children’s social care team as this is a child protection issue. We will follow our safeguarding reporting procedure.
Whistleblowing Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
EYFS: 3.4 – 3.18 and 3.22
At The Little Learners Nursery 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.
We recognise that there may be occasions where this may not happen and we have in place a procedure for staff to disclose any information that suggests children’s welfare and safety may be at risk.
We expect all team members to talk through any concerns they may have with their 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 do not have to be made ‘in good faith’; however, they must 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, Equalities Act 2010)
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 children 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, Patrick Crawford 01305 221122
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 nursery manager
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), the 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.
Staff Behaviour Policy
Staff Behaviour Policy
EYFS: 3.4-3.18, 3.19, 3.21, 3.22
At The Little Learners Nursery we take the safety and welfare of our children and staff seriously. This policy ensures staff behave in an appropriate manner to act as a role model for and protect all children in their care. Within this policy we will also ensure that any changes to staff behaviours or ways of working are closely monitored, discussed and supported to ensure all children are safeguarded throughout their time here.
Expected staff behaviour
Within our nursery we expect our staff to:
Put our children first, their safety, welfare and ongoing development is the most important part of their role
Behave as a positive role model for the children in their care by remaining professional at all times and demonstrating caring attitudes to all
Work as part of the wider team, cohesively and openly
Be aware of their requirements under the EYFS Statutory Framework and the nursery policies and procedures designed to keep children safe from harm whilst teaching children and supporting their early development
React appropriately to any safeguarding concerns quickly and concisely in accordance to the nursery / Local authority procedures and training received
Not share any confidential information relating to the children, nursery or families using the facility
Maintain the public image of the nursery and do nothing that will pull the setting into disrepute
Ensure that parental relationships are professional and external social relationships are not forged. If a relationship exists prior to the child starting at the setting, discussions with management will be held to ensure the relationship remains professional.
Adhere to the Mobile Phone and Other Electronic Device and Social Networking policy
Report to management immediately any changes in personal life that may impact on the ability to continue the role. These may include (but not limited to) changes in police record, medication, any social service involvement with their own children.
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.
Procedures to be followed:
If we have a concern about changes in staff behaviour within the nursery, an immediate meeting will be called with the individual and a member of management to ascertain how the person is feeling. We will aim to support the staff wherever possible and will put support mechanisms in place where appropriate.
Ultimately we are here to ensure all staff are able to continue to work with the children as long as they are suitable to do so, but if any behaviours cause concern about the safety or welfare of the children then the procedure in the child protection/safeguarding policy will be followed as in the case of allegations against a team member and the Local Authority Designated officer (LADO) will be called.
All conversations, observations and notes on the staff member will be logged and kept confidential.
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