Bizzy Bees Policies

Please note that a full set of our policies are located in our foyer

Incubation period for illness -

Admissions

The Centre is open to every family in the Community with our waiting lists operating in date of birth order, although priority may be given to children with an identified special need.

Equal Opportunities Policy

We work in accordance with all relevant legislation, including Disabled Persons Act, Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Children’s Act.

We believe that the group’s activities should be open to all children and families. We aim to ensure that all who wish to work in, or volunteer, with our Centre have an equal chance to do so.

Existing Injuries

We are required to record any injuries that a child presents on arrival at nursery, so that we can also monitor any developing problems.

Where injuries give cause for concern these records may be passed on to relevant child protection authorities, otherwise they will be stored with the child’s registration form and destroyed when the child reaches 25 years old.

We will inform you straight away if your child appears to be in discomfort or suffering in some way. This may result in the exclusion of your child. Please inform us of any illnesses, infections or conditions affecting your child so that we can provide the best care in each case.

Illness Information

It is ESSENTIAL that sick or infectious children are not brought to nursery, as this can be distressing for your child and cause a rapid spread of infection to other children. Please note that we can administer prescribed and non-prescribed (over the counter) medicines. All prescribed medication must be specifically prescribed for the child and all medication must be signed for by the parent/carer prior to administering. We recommend that you bring in a temperature controlling medicine when your child starts with us so that we can administer it as soon as needed, if necessary. Medication must be presented in its original container and be within the expiry date. We will not exceed the manufactures recommended dosage unless the medication is accompanied by a Doctors letter. Please refer to our medication procedure. Children taking antibiotics prescribed by a Doctor should be kept at home for the first 24 hours of taking the medication. This gives the antibiotics time to work and allows you to monitor your child for any allergic reaction that may occur. For any illness not mentioned below, please speak to a member of staff regarding the incubation period and advice. Bizzy Bees reserves the right, to ask parents to keep their child away from nursery if the child presents symptoms that appear infectious and/or the child appears too ill for the nursery environment. This also includes any infections or illness that may effect a pregnant member of our staff team.

Symptoms & Exclusion Period

Vomiting

If your child is sick whilst at nursery, we will contact you to collect him/her if they show signs of being unwell after the sickness. You should keep your child away from nursery for 24 hours if we have sent them home due to vomiting. If your child has been sick whilst at home, you should not bring them to nursery until 24 hours have passed after the last sickness.

Persistent cough or temperature

Whilst ever the coronavirus remains a significant threat to us all, we will ask you to keep your child away from nursery if they present either or both of these symptoms. If your child develops these symptoms whilst at nursery, we will ask you to collected them and use the coronavirus procedure whilst we wait for you to arrive.

Conjunctivitis

We will contact you to collect your child if we suspect conjunctivitis and you should seek medical advice from your GP and keep him/her away from nursery until infection has cleared. Your child will not be allowed to stay at nursery if his/her eyes are discharging green fluid, regardless of whether it is conjunctivitis or cold.

Diarrhoea

If your child has more than 2 loose stools during their time at nursery, we will ask you to come and collect him/her straight away if we believe that the cause is due to a virus and/or your child appears unwell. In this instance we ask that you keep them at home until 24 hours after the last loose stool. If your child has diarrhoea as a result of anything else other than a virus, for example teething or medication, we may ask you to collect him/her if we feel that 1 to 1 care is needed. In this instance we ask that you keep them home until the diarrhoea has stopped.

Chickenpox / Shingles

Chickenpox is contagious and is usually passed through coughing or sneezing. If your child develops spots that become blistered whilst at nursery, we will inform you when you collect him/ her and ask you to collect them and keep him/her away from nursery until all the spots have scabbed.

Gastroenteritis, food poisoning, salmonella, dysentery

Your child must stay away from nursery until authorised by the doctor.

Measles

Exclusion period is 5 days from appearance of the rash.

Meningococcal infection (meningitis)

Your child must stay away until they have fully recovered from the illness.

Mumps

Medical advice should be sought and your child should stay away from nursery for 5 days from onset of swollen glands.

Impetigo

You must keep your child away from nursery until lesions have healed.

Hand, foot and mouth

Medical advice should be sought and the child should be kept away from nursery until all blisters have disappeared.

Slapped Cheek & Glandular Fever

Please seek medical advice and keep your child at home if he/she appears unwell.

Head Lice

You should treat your child’s head, using the appropriate medication. Children need not be excluded but please let us know so that we can alert other parents to check their own children.

Scabies

Medical advice should be sought and may return to nursery the day after medication has been given

Scarlet Fever

Medical advice should be sought and the child should not return until 2 days after antibiotics have started.

Croup

If your child develops symptoms (a cough that sounds like a bark) then you must seek advice from a doctor.

Whooping Cough

Medical advice should be sought and your child should remain at home until antibiotic course is completed. (5 days)

Oral Thrush

Medical advice should be sought.

Tonsillitis

Please seek medical advice and keep your child at home until 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.

Rubella (German measles)

Please notify nursery so that we can alert pregnant mums and keep your child at home for 5 days from the start of the rash.

Threadworm

Seek medical advice. Your child can return to nursery when treatment has been given

Open Cuts and wounds

Should be covered with a suitable dressing before arriving at nursery

Complaints Policy

We believe that our nursery users are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve our service and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of the centre. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly and efficiently. If this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with concerns.

Complaints Procedure

Stage 1 (Informal)

At Bizzy Bees we try to ensure that the service we provide is of the highest quality, however, there may be occasions when you feel we could do something better. We are always prepared to listen to any ideas or concerns that are raised, by parents, staff or children and will use them to try to improve the service we offer in the future.

If you feel uneasy about any aspect of our provision you should, first of all if possible, talk over your worries and anxieties with: -

a) Your child’s Key Person or Room Senior

b) The Centre Manager (Lisa Burgin) or Assistant Manager (Linda Stoney),

Stage 2 (Formal)

If stage 1 does not have a satisfactory outcome, or if the problem recurs, you can make a formal complaint in writing (forms available in the Reception Office) or by E-mail to

either: -

Mrs Lisa Burgin, Centre Manager,

Beighton Bizzy Bee Family Childcare Centre,

Off School Road, Beighton, Sheffield. S20 1EG

E-mail

The Board of Trustees,

c/o Beighton Bizzy Bee Family Childcare Centre,

Off School Road, Beighton,

Sheffield. S20 1EG

E-mail

A written reply acknowledging receipt of the complaint, as well as an indication of how and when the investigation will proceed will be sent to the complainant within 5 working days.

If the incident breaches registration requirements or has child protection implications Bizzy Bees is obliged to report it to OFSTED and (in the case of child protection implications) the local safeguarding services.

Stage 3

The Management must investigate the formal complaint and give an account of the findings and any action taken, in writing, to the parent who made the complaint within 28 days of the date of receiving the complaint. This action applies to children on the EYFS register (3 months to 5 years).

Stage 4

If the complainant still remains dissatisfied after this internal investigation has taken place, you are advised to take your complaint to OFSTED. The address and telephone number of our OFSTED regional Centre is: -

OFSTED,

Piccadilly Gate,

Store Street

Manchester.

M1 2WD

OFSTED complaints telephone hotline is 0300 123 4666 or you can email them at enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

The role of the OFSTED Early Years Directorate and the Area Child Protection Committee

Parents may approach OFSTED directly at any stage of this complaints procedure, on

Tel: 0300 123 4666. In addition, where there seems to be a possible breach of our registration requirements, it is essential to involve OFSTED as the registering and inspection body who have a duty to ensure the welfare requirements are adhered to.

If a child appears to be at risk, Bizzy Bees must follow the procedures of the Sheffield Safeguarding Hub – 0114 273 48 55.

In these cases, the parent is informed and the Manager works with OFSTED or the Area Child Protection Team to ensure a proper investigation of the complaint and appropriate action is taken.

Record of Complaints

All records of all complaints against our nursery are kept. This must include the date, source and nature of the complaint, the welfare requirement it relates to, how it was dealt with and the outcomes/action.

Appropriate confidentiality will be maintained when filling in the record. This means that we should not name the person making the complaint or any persons (adults and children) that relate to the complaint. (See appendix 1 – How to complete a Complaint’s Record)

This record must be shared with any parent who asks to see it, as well as with OFSTED and is retained for 3 years.

All information gathered as part of an investigation will be kept separately from the Record of Complaints in a locked filing cabinet in line with Data Protection requirements.

A separate record of Informal Concerns and Compliments is also kept for monitoring purposes. Informal Concerns Procedure

At Bizzy Bees we try to ensure that the service we provide is of the highest quality, however, there may be occasions when you feel that we could do something better. We are always prepared to listen to any ideas or concerns that are raised, by parents, staff or children and will use them to try to improve the service we offer in the future.

Informal concerns can be dealt with by Room Seniors, Manager or Assistant Manager who may record it for monitoring purposes in the concerns/complaints file.

Formal complaints submitted in writing or by E-mail must be recorded in the record of complaints file using the Complaints Record.

How Informal Concerns/Complaints should be handled

Any parent indicating they have a concern or wish to make a complaint about the nursery or a member staff, should be directed straight to the Manager on duty who will carry out the following -

Listen to the complaint/concern
If needed, make notes of what the complainant has said.
Ask the complainant if he/she wishes to make a formal complaint in writing. In this case a copy of the complaints policy and complaints form will be given.

Advise the complainant that the matter will be investigated and that they will be informed of the outcome.
If the complaint involves a member of staff, their comments will be added to the report.
Advice may be needed from outside agencies e.g. OFSTED, if appropriate
Both the complainant and (if applicable) the staff member involved will be kept informed of the progress of the complaint and any outcome
All discussions will be kept confidential between those involved.
Record the concern in our record of concerns book. This will be monitored at Management meetings.

The Registering Authority -OFSTED

Will need to be brought in: -

If a child appeared to be at risk
Where there seemed to be a breach of EYFS Standards

Welfare Requirements

All complaints notified in writing or by email, by a parent of a child attending the setting, must be investigated and the complainant must be notified in writing of the findings and outcomes within 28 days.
Where a complaint relates to a welfare requirement it must be recorded on a Complaints Record Sheet and retained for 3 years

Records of complaints must be made available to any parent wishing to see them or OFSTED and so should be written so as to protect the identity of everyone involved.

How to complete the complaints record

Record will be shared with any parent who asks to see it as well as with OFSTED. Confidentiality will be maintained when completing the records. The persons making the complaint will not be named neither will persons (adults and children) that relate to the complaint.

A. Source of complaint

Record who made the complaint.

B. Nature of complaint

The record is intended only for complaints relating to the welfare requirements. It will be recorded here which one or more welfare requirement the complaint refers. All details associated with the complaint will be recorded without using any names.

C. How it was investigated

Information on how the complaint was investigated will be provided. For example: -

The process that was taken to ensure that the complaint was fully investigated, such as interviews, reviews of records

Who was involved in the investigation without identifying any individuals named in the complaint including staff or any child

Any referrals made to an external agency, for example local authority environmental health departments or social services.

D. Actions and outcomes

Details of the outcome of the investigation will be provided. For example: -

Any action(s) identified

Any actions set or taken by OFSTED

Any action taken by another external agency, where permission has been granted to do so

The outcome of the investigation, identifying any areas where improvements could be made to our provision

If, as a result, any member of staff has been dismissed following the investigation and if so, under what circumstances. If a member of staff has been dismissed for misconduct, because they placed a child at risk of significant harm, you may need to refer the individual for inclusion onto the Protection of Children Act (POCA) list. You can find out how to do this by ringing OFSTED on 0300 123 4666

An account of the findings of the investigation and any action taken will be shared with parents at the setting. This will be done within 28 days from the date the complaint was made. This can be achieved by sharing the record.

Special Educational Needs

Children with special educational needs (S.E.N) may have difficulties or disabilities that can make it more challenging for them to progress at the same rate as most children the same age. They may need extra help because of difficulties concerning areas of their development, such as communication, physical skills, learning or behaviour. Many children will have special educational needs of some kind at some time during their early development. We aim to help children overcome the barriers that their difficulties present quickly and easily, but a few children will need extra help for some or all of their time at nursery. Our SEN Co-ordinator is Gareth Hadley.

Accidents Policy

Accidents are common in childhood, despite all reasonable precautions. When accidents do occur in nursery we record them in our accident book, detailing what happened, when and any treatment given. You are required to read and sign the accident book when collecting your child and you will receive a copy of the report for your reference. This ensures you have been informed of what has happened and you can continue to monitor your child’s welfare.

At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid certificate is on the premises at all times when children are present. There is at least one person on outings who holds a current paediatric first aid certificate.

Where accidents require medical treatment at a medical centre, we are required to notify Ofsted.

Collection of children

You are required to let us know if anyone other than you will be collecting your child. Passwords will be asked for from anyone unknown to the nursery or anyone telephoning the nursery to notify of alternative collection arrangements. Our registration form also invites you to authorise named individuals who may collect your child. Please note persons, other than parents, collecting children must be age 16 or above.

Where children remain uncollected and we are not able to contact anyone authorised to collect, we are required to contact Social Services and the Police.

Behaviour

All children coming into the setting have the right to play and enjoy what is on offer without the fear of intimidation, harassment, physical or verbal abuse. We strive to promote behaviour, which encourages respect for each individual, co-operation with each other and opportunities for play and learning within a safe, caring environment. Racism, sexism and other kinds of discriminatory behaviour will be challenged and will not be allowed to continue within the setting.

We aim to work closely with parents where behaviour causes concerns, to ensure a consistent approach. Our designated behaviour co-ordinator is Gareth Hadley

Investigating a Disclosure

If we think that your child might be telling us that they or another child has been abused, we will: –

Show that we have heard what they are saying, and that we take their account seriously
Encourage the child to talk, but not prompt them or ask them leading questions. We will not interrupt when a child is recalling significant events and will not make a child repeat their account
Explain what actions we must take, in a way that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child
Write down what we have been told using the exact words where possible
Make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present
Report our concerns immediately to the Sheffield safeguarding team
We will not promise the child that we will not tell anyone else about the disclosure they have made
We will inform you as the child’s parent/carer and let you know the action we have taken, providing this would not put the child at risk of further harm

Allegations Against a Member of Staff/ Volunteer

If we receive any complaints about poor childcare practice that is alleged to have taken place in our setting we are required to investigate the matter and report it to OFSTED and the Sheffield Safeguarding Children’s Service.

Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility is defined in law as being all the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities a parent has in relation to their child and his/her property.

Parental responsibility is given to: -

The birth Mother
The birth Father, if he was married to the Mother at the time of birth, or they got married after that date but before the child’s 16th birthday
The birth Father if both parents jointly registered the birth in person
The birth Father if he has been granted parental responsibility through a court order or through a prescribed form of agreement under the Children Act
An adult who has been granted a residence or care order by the court
The child’s legally appointed guardian or adoptive parents.

Safeguarding Children

Bizzy Bees aims to provide an environment in which children are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to.

Where we believe that a child may be suffering, or be at risk of suffering significant harm, we have a legal duty to refer our concerns to Social Services or Police promptly.

It is our responsibility to investigate if we notice: -

Significant changes in children’s behaviour
Deterioration in their general well-being
Unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse
Neglect
Any comments made which give us cause for concern

We will implement the procedures set out in our safeguarding children policy without delay, to minimise any risk to the child.

We will keep a factual record of our concerns, discuss them by telephone with the local Children and Families Services Area Office, and follow this up in writing within 48 hours.

We will discuss our concerns with you as the child’s parents/carers and let you know the action we have taken, providing this would not put the child at risk of further harm.