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Medication Policy

HSCS: 1.19, 1.24, 2.23, 4.27

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 24

At Innocence Nursery we promote the good health of children attending nursery and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection (see Sickness and illness and Infection control policies). 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 the Care Inspectorate guidance on the management of medication in day care of children and childminding services when dealing with medication of any kind in the nursery and this is set out below.

Medication prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist.

(Medicines containing aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor)

Prescription medicine will only be given to the person named on the bottle for the dosage stated.
Early learning and childcare practitioners should not give the first dose of a new medication to a child. Parents should have already given at least one dose to ensure that the child does not have an adverse reaction.
Medicines must be in their original containers with their instructions printed in English and where possible early learning and childcare practitioners should always read and retain the information which is supplied with the medicine.
Those with parental responsibility for any child requiring prescription medication should hand over the medication to the most appropriate member of staff who will then note the details of the administration on the appropriate form and another member of staff will check these details
Those with parental responsibility must give prior written permission for the administration of every medication. However, we will accept written permission once for a whole course of medication or for the ongoing use of a particular medication under the following circumstances:

The written permission is only acceptable for that brand name of medication and cannot be used for similar types of medication, e.g. if the course of antibiotics changes, a new form will need to be completed.
The dosage on the written permission is the only dosage that will be administered. We will not give a different dose unless a new form is completed.
Parents must notify us IMMEDIATELY if the child’s circumstances change, e.g. a dose has been given at home, or a change in strength/dose needs to be given.

The nursery will not administer a dosage that exceeds the recommended dose on the instructions unless accompanied by written instructions from a relevant health professional such as a letter from a doctor or dentist.
The parent must be asked when the child has last been given the medication before coming to nursery; and the staff member must record this information on the medication form. Similarly, when the child is picked up, the parent or guardian must be given precise details of the times and dosage given throughout the day. The parent’s signature must be obtained at both times
At the time of administering the medicine, a senior member of staff will ask the child to take the medicine or offer it in a manner acceptable to the child at the prescribed time and in the prescribed form. (It is important to note that staff working with children are not legally obliged to administer medication)
If the child refuses to take the appropriate medication or spits it out, then a note will be made on the form and parents informed by telephone and on arrival.
Where medication is ‘essential’ or may have side effects, discussion with the parent will take place to establish the appropriate response.

Non-prescription medication (these will not usually be administered)

The nursery will not administer any non-prescription medication containing aspirin
The nursery will only administer non-prescription medication for a short initial period, dependent on the medication or the condition of the child. After this time medical attention should be sought
The nursery will not administer ear and eye drops.
If the nursery feels the child would benefit from medical attention rather than non-prescription medication, we reserve the right to refuse nursery care until the child is seen by a medical early learning and childcare practitioner
If a child needs liquid paracetamol or similar medication during their time at nursery, such medication will be treated as prescription medication with the onus being on the parent to provide the medicine.
We do not keep an emergency communal nursery supply of fever relief and antihistamines on site (following Care Inspectorate guidance). If a child exhibits symptoms requiring non-prescription medication during the day, e.g. a high temperature the nursery will make every attempt to contact the child’s parents. Where parents cannot be contacted, the nursery manager will help reduce the child’s temperature, contact the child’s emergency number and seek further medical advice if the child is:
- under three months old and a temperature of 38 degrees or above
- between three to six months and has a temperature of 39 degrees or above
- over six months and shows other signs of being unwell – for example, they are floppy and drowsy, or you are concerned about them.
For any non-prescription cream for skin conditions prior written permission must be obtained from the parent and the onus is on the parent to provide the cream which should be clearly labelled with the child’s name
If any child is brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require medication sometime during the day, the manager will decide if the child is fit to be left at the nursery. If the child is staying, the parent must be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time and in what dosage and this must be stated on the medication form.
As with any kind of medication, staff will ensure that the parent is informed of any non-prescription medicines given to the child whilst at the nursery, together with the times and dosage given.
The nursery DOES NOT administer any medication unless prior written consent is given for every medicine.

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. For children with long term medical requirements, an individual Health Care Plan from the relevant health team will be put in place to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to meet the child’s needs.

Staff medication

All nursery staff have a responsibility to work with children only where they are fit to do so. Staff must not work with children where they are infectious or feel unwell and cannot meet children’s needs. This includes circumstances where any medication taken affects their ability to care for children, for example, where it makes a person drowsy.

If any staff member believes that their condition, including any condition caused by taking medication, is affecting their ability to care for children they must inform their line manager and seek medical advice. The nursery manager/person’s line 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 where staff may need easy access to the medication, such as an asthma inhaler. In all cases, it must be stored securely out of reach of the children, at all times. It must not be kept in the first aid box and must be labelled with the name of the member of staff.

Storage

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

Emergency medication, such as inhalers and EpiPens, will be within easy reach of staff in case of an immediate need, but will remain out of children’s reach. Any antibiotics requiring refrigeration must be kept in a fridge inaccessible to children. This must be in the designated place with the child’s name clearly written in the original container

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

Medication stored at Innocence Nursery will be regularly checked with the parents to ensure it continues to be required, along with checking the details of the medication form remain current.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Infection Control Policy

At Innocence Nursery we promote the good health of all children attending (including oral health) through maintaining high hygiene standards to help reduce the chances of infection being spread. We follow the Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (Day Care and Childminding Settings), which sets out when and how long children need to be excluded from settings, when treatment and/or medication is required and where to get further advice.

Viruses and infections can be passed easily 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 an face contact after touching a person or surface contaminated with viruses.

We follow the guidance below to prevent a virus or infection from spreading 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 daily 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 daily and when needed, including when the children have placed it in their mouth
Store dummies in individual hygienic dummy boxes labelled with the child’s name to prevent cross-contamination with other children
Store toothbrushes (where applicable) hygienically to prevent cross-contamination
Immediately clean and sterilise (where necessary) any dummy or bottle that falls on the floor or is picked up by another child
Provide individual bedding for children that is not used by any other child and wash this daily after every use.
Ask parents and visitors to remove all outdoor footwear, or use shoe covers, when entering rooms where children may be crawling or sitting on the floor
Where applicable wear specific indoor shoes or slippers whilst inside the rooms and make sure that children wear them as well
Follow the Sickness and illness policy when children are ill to prevent the spread of any infection in the nursery. Staff are also requested to stay at home if they are ill and/or contagious.

In addition:

The nursery manager retains the right of refusal of all children, parents, staff and visitors who are deemed contagious or ill who 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
In the event of an infection outbreak the nursery will, where appropriate, undertake a deep clean to ensure the spread of infection is contained
We will follow Government health guidance, as well as seeking legal advice and information from our insurers, on any national outbreak of a virus and /or pandemic and keep parents informed of any course of action. Each specific circumstance will differ and to ensure we take the most appropriate action; we will treat each case on an individual basis
In addition, where contagious outbreaks occur, we will adopt Government guidance for all visitors to minimize the risk of further spreading of the infection
The nursery will ensure stocks of tissues, hand washing equipment, cleaning materials and sterilizing fluid are maintained at all times. These will be increased during the winter months or when flu and cold germs are circulating.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15		Jan 25

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 16, 24

Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy

HSCS: 3.20, 3.21, 3.22, 3.23, 3.24, 3.25

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 32-37, 39

PART 1: Safeguarding children and child protection procedures

Introduction

Innocence Nursery is dedicated to the support, development and promotion of high-quality care and education for the benefit of our children, families and community. We are committed to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.

All staff, students and volunteers have a responsibility for safeguarding children, being vigilant and identifying and reporting any safeguarding concerns, in line with this and supporting policies, including:

Acceptable internet use policy	Online safety policy
CCTV policy	Promoting positive behaviour policy
Data protection and confidentiality policy	Safe and respectful care policy
Inclusion and equality policy	Safer recruitment of staff policy
Intimate care policy	Social networking policy
Late collection and non-collection of children policy	Additional Support Needs and Disability Policy
Lock down policy	Staff behaviour policy
Lone working policy	Suitability of staff policy
Looked after children policy	Supervision of children
Missing child from nursery policy	Supervision of visitor’s policy
Missing child from outings policies	Volunteer agreement
Mobile phone and electronic device use policy	Whistleblowing policy
Nappy changing policy	Young workers policy

Policy intention

To promote children’s welfare we will:

Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
Provide positive role models
Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
Always listen to children.

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. Safeguarding children and child protection is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document is to be used in conjunction with the other nursery policies and procedures.

The nursery staff are aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our early learning and childcare practitioners have a duty to safeguard 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 is a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest 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. All staff will work with other agencies, including as part of a multi-agency team where needed, in the best interests of the child.

The nursery aims to:

Keep the child at the centre of all we do, providing sensitive interactions that develop and build children’s well-being, confidence and resilience. We will support children to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe, healthy and have positive relationships

Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff
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
Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to share information and seek the help that the child may need
Ensure staff are trained right from induction to understand the Safeguarding children and child protection policy, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse, understand what is meant by safeguarding children and child protection and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children (peer-on-peer) through bullying or discriminatory behaviour

Support staff to notice the softer signs of abuse and know what action to take

Be aware of the increased vulnerability of children with disabilities and additional support needs and other vulnerable or isolated families and children
Ensure staff understand how to recognise early indicators of potential radicalisation and terrorism threats and act them appropriately in line with national and local procedures
Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with safeguarding children and child protection issues and procedures including the local Child protection committee guidelines
Ensure parents are fully aware of Safeguarding children and child protection policies and procedures when they register with the nursery and are kept informed of all updates when they occur including through annual safeguarding children and child protection newsletters and updates
Make any referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the local Child protection committee guidelines
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 Child Protection Board
Keep the setting safe online using appropriate filters, checks and safeguards, monitoring access at all times

Ensure that staff identify, minimise and manage risks while caring for children

Identify changes in staff behaviour and act on these as per the staff behaviour policy.

We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. We will offer diverse 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.

Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures

Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure (supported by the nursery manager). 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 other witnesses
Name of the person to whom any concern was reported, with date and time and the names of any other person present at the time
Any discussion held with parent.

The person reporting this should sign these records as well as the manager or supervisor, 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. It is important to remember this because any subsequent investigation by the relevant authorities must not be compromised by staff putting words in the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure, details must be logged accurately.

It may be thought necessary that after discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the Child Protection Team and the Care Inspectorate. Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information they have concerns about with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the Child Protection Team and the Care Inspectorate in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the child.

Staff must not comment either publicly or in private about the alleged or actual behaviour of staff or a parent.

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.

We ask parents to inform the nursery prior to their children taking holidays or days off, and all incidents of sickness absence should be reported to the nursery the same day so the nursery management are able to account for a child’s absence.

This should not stop parents taking precious time with their children, by keeping us informed parents can help us to meet our statutory requirements and let us know that children are safe.

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. Staff will work their way down the emergency contact list until contact is established and we are made aware that all is well with the child and family. It is a parent’s responsibility to keep their emergency contact details updated If contact cannot be established then we would assess if a home visit is required to establish all parties are safe.

Where a child is part of a child protection plan, or during a referral process, any absences will be reported immediately to the child protection team to ensure the child remains safeguarded.

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 child protection 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.

Looked after children

As part of our 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.

Contact

Care Inspectorate 0345 600 9527
Scottish Social Services Council
Child Protection Team
Local authority social services
Prevent Delivery Unit East on 0131 311 3230; West on 01236 818 940; or North on 01382 596 021
Non-emergency police 101.

PART 2: Definitions of abuse

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
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: [1]

Emotional states: Fearful, withdrawn, low self-esteem.

Behaviour: Aggressive, habitual body rocking.

Interpersonal behaviours:

Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
Over-friendliness to strangers including healthcare professionals
Excessive clinginess, persistently resorting to gaining attention
Demonstrating excessively ‘good’ behaviour to prevent parent disapproval
Failing to seek or accept appropriate comfort or affection from an appropriate person when significantly distressed
Coercive controlling behaviour towards parents

Lack of ability to understand and recognise emotions
Very young children showing excessive comforting behaviours when witnessing parental or carer distress.

Child-on-child abuse

If child-on-child abuse is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Child-on-child abuse is also known as peer-on-peer abuse; children are included as potential abusers in our policies. Child-on-child abuse may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse or sexual abuse. Reporting procedures in these instances remain the same although additional support from relevant agencies may be required to support both the victim and the perpetrator. Children who develop harmful behaviours are also likely to be victims of abuse or neglect.

Physical abuse

Action needs to be taken if staff have reason to believe that there has been physical harm or injury to a child, which may involve hitting, smacking, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. 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, trunk and face. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. This is fabricated or induced illness or FII.

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, drowning or suffocation. These are not usual childhood injuries and should always be logged and discussed with the nursery manager.

If physical abuse is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Fabricated illness (FII)

Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child. The parent or carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation, they may exaggerate a real illness and symptoms, or deliberately induce an illness through poisoning with medication or other substances, or they may interfere with medical treatments. Fabricated illness is a form of physical abuse and any concerns will be reported, in line with our safeguarding procedures.

FII is a form of physical abuse and any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM is a procedure where the female genital organs are injured or changed with no medical reason. The procedure may be carried out shortly after birth, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy, according to the community.

It is frequently a very traumatic and violent act for the victim and can cause harm in many ways. The practice can cause severe pain and there may be immediate and/or long-term health consequences, including mental health problems, difficulties in childbirth, causing danger to the child and mother, and/or death (definition taken from the Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation). Other consequences include shock, bleeding, infections (tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C) and organ damage.

FGM is a form of physical abuse and any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

In addition, there is a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of FGM appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18.

Breast ironing

Breast ironing, also known as breast flattening, is a 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 to 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. These actions can cause serious health issues such as abscesses, cysts, itching, tissue damage, infection, discharge of milk, dissymmetry of the breasts, severe fever.

Breast ironing/flattening is a form of physical abuse and any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing, or enticing, a child to take part in sexual activities. Sexual abuse does not necessarily involve a high level of violence and includes whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse.

Sexual abuse can take place online and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Adult males are not the sole perpetrators of sexual abuse; women also commit acts of sexual abuse, as do other children. This policy applies to all children up to the age of 18 years.

Action must be taken if staff witness symptoms of sexual abuse including a child indicating sexual activity through words, play or drawing, having an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters or having an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, or language, for their developmental age. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls or 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.

Additional signs of emotional and physical symptoms are shown below.

Emotional signs

Physical signs

· Being overly affectionate or knowledgeable in a sexual way inappropriate to the child’s age or stage of development

· Personality changes, such as becoming insecure or clingy

· Regressing to younger behaviour patterns, such as thumb sucking or bringing out discarded cuddly toys

· Sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating

· Being isolated or withdrawn

· Inability to concentrate

· Lack of trust or fear of someone they know well, such as not wanting to be alone with a carer

· Becoming worried about clothing being removed.

· Bruises

· Bleeding, discharge, pains or soreness in their genital or anal area

· Sexually transmitted infections

· Pregnancy.

If sexual abuse is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Child sexual exploitation (CSE)

CSE is defined 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 its potential signs and symptoms. If we have concerns, we will follow the same procedures as for other concerns and we will record and refer as appropriate.

Adult sexual exploitation

As part of our safeguarding procedures, we will also ensure that staff and students are safeguarded from sexual exploitation.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is persistent emotional ill treatment that has severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development. ‘Persistent’ means there is a continuous or intermittent pattern which has caused, or is likely to cause, significant harm. Emotional abuse

is present to some extent in all types of ill treatment of a child, but it can also occur independently of other forms of abuse.

It may involve:

conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person
exploitation or corruption of a child, or imposition of demands inappropriate for their age or stage of development
repeated silencing, ridiculing or intimidation
demands that so exceed a child’s capability that they may be harmful
extreme overprotection, such that a child is harmed by prevention of learning,
exploration and social development
seeing or hearing the abuse of another (in accordance with the Domestic Abuse

(Scotland) Act 2018)

Signs and indicators may include delay in physical, mental and/or emotional development, sudden speech disorders, overreaction to mistakes, extreme fear of any new situation, neurotic behaviour (rocking, hair twisting, self-mutilation), extremes of passivity or aggression, appearing to lack confidence or self-assurance.

If emotional abuse is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Neglect

Neglect consists in persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. There can also be single instances of neglectful behaviour that cause significant harm. Neglect can arise in the context of systemic stresses such as poverty, and is an indicator of both support and protection needs.

‘Persistent’ means there is a pattern which may be continuous or intermittent which has caused, or is likely to cause significant harm. However, single instances of neglectful behaviour by a person in a position of responsibility can be significantly harmful. Early signs of neglect indicate the need for support to prevent harm.

The GIRFEC SHANARRI indicators set out the essential wellbeing needs. Neglect of any or all of these can impact on healthy development. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers); to seek consistent access to appropriate medical care or treatment; to ensure the child receives education; or to respond to a child’s essential emotional needs.

Faltering growth refers to an inability to reach normal weight and growth or development milestones in the absence of medically discernible physical and genetic reasons. This condition requires further assessment and may be associated with chronic neglect.

Malnutrition, lack of nurturing and lack of stimulation can lead to serious long-term effects

such as greater susceptibility to serious childhood illnesses and reduction in potential stature. For very young children the impact could quickly become life-threatening. Chronic physical and emotional neglect may also have a significant impact on teenagers.

If neglect is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

CCE can be described as when an individual, or group, takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. CCE does not always involve physical contact as it can also occur using technology.

CCE can include children being forced to work in cannabis factories, being coerced into moving drugs or money across the country, forced to shoplift or pickpocket, or to threaten other young people. Some of the following can be indicators of CCE:

Children who appear with unexplained gifts or new possessions
Children who associate with other young people involved in exploitation
Children who suffer from changes in emotional well-being
Children who misuse drugs and alcohol
Children who go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late
Children who regularly miss school or education, or do not take part in education.

If staff have any concerns regarding CSE or CCE, they will be reported following our safeguarding reporting procedures.

County lines

The National Crime Agency (NCA) defines county lines as gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs from big cities into smaller towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line.’ Customers live in a different area to the dealers, so drug runners are needed to transport the drugs and collect payment.

Perpetrators often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims. A child is targeted and recruited into county lines through schools, further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, special educational needs schools, children’s homes and care homes.

Signs and symptoms include:

Changes in dress style
Unexplained, unaffordable new things (for example, clothes, jewellery, cars etc.)
Missing from home or school and/or significant decline in performance
New friends with those who don’t share any mutual friendships with the victim, gang association or isolation from peers or social networks
Increase in anti-social behaviour in the community including weapons
Receiving more texts or calls than usual
Unexplained injuries
Significant changes in emotional well-being
Being seen in different cars or taxis driven by unknown adults
A child being unfamiliar with where they are.

If involvement in county lines is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Cuckooing

Cuckooing is a form of county lines crime in which drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to exploit them criminally as a base for drug dealing, often in multi-occupancy or social housing properties. Signs that this is happening in a family property may be an increase in people entering or leaving the property, an increase in cars or bikes outside the home, windows covered or curtains closed for long periods, family not being seen for extended periods, signs of drug use or an increase in anti-social behaviour at the home.

If we recognise any of these signs, we will report our concerns as per our safeguarding children and child protection reporting process.

Contextual safeguarding

As young people grow and develop they may be vulnerable to abuse or exploitation from outside their family. These extra-familial threats might arise at school and other educational establishments, from within peer groups, or more widely from within the wider community and/or online.

As part of our safeguarding procedures we will work in partnership with parents and carers and other agencies to work together to safeguard children and provide the support around contextual safeguarding concerns.

Domestic abuse / Honour based violence / Forced marriages

We look at these areas as safeguarding children and child protection concerns. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this.

Extremism and radicalisation

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, there is a duty to safeguard vulnerable and at risk children by preventing them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent Duty.

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources and some of these views may be considered radical or extreme. Radicalisation is the way a person comes to support or be involved in extremism and terrorism; usually it’s a gradual process so those who are affected may not realise what’s happening. Radicalisation is a form of harm. The process may involve:

Being groomed online or in person
Exploitation, including sexual exploitation
Psychological manipulation
Exposure to violent material and other inappropriate information
The risk of physical harm or death through extremist acts.

For further information visit The Prevent Duty website.

If radicalisation or extremism is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures. This includes reporting concerns to the police.

Online safety

While the growth of internet and mobile device use brings many advantages, the use of technology has become a significant component of many safeguarding issues such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation.

There are four main areas of risk associated with online safety:

Content – being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material such as pornography, fake news, racist or radical and extremist views
Contact – being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users such as commercial advertising or adults posing as children or young adults
Conduct – personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm, such as making, sending and receiving explicit images and online bullying
Commerce – risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and or financial scams.

Report online safety concerns to the DSL and to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP): https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/

Inappropriate content received via email must be reported to the DSL and to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF): https://www.iwf.org.uk/

Child trafficking and modern slavery

Child trafficking and modern slavery is when children are recruited, moved, transported and then exploited, forced to work or are sold.

For a child to have been a victim of trafficking there must have been:

Action: recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation
Purpose: sexual exploitation, forced labour or domestic servitude, slavery, financial exploitation, illegal adoption, removal of organs.

Modern slavery includes slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and child trafficking. Victims of modern slavery are also likely to be subjected to other types of abuse such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

Signs and symptoms for children include:

Being under control and reluctant to interact with others
Having few personal belongings, wearing the same clothes every day or wearing unsuitable clothes
Being unable to move around freely
Appearing frightened, withdrawn, or showing signs of physical or emotional abuse.

If child trafficking or modern slavery are suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Up skirting

Up skirting involves taking a picture of someone’s genitals or buttocks under their clothing without them knowing, either for sexual gratification or in order to humiliate, or distress, the individual. This is a criminal offence and any such action would be reported following our reporting procedures.

If up skirting is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

Child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB)

CALFB can happen in families when there is a concept of belief in:

Witchcraft and spirit possession, demons or the devil acting through children or leading them astray (traditionally seen in some Christian beliefs)
The evil eye or djinns (traditionally known in some Islamic faith contexts) and dakini (in the Hindu context)
Ritual or multi murders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits, or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies
Use of belief in magic or witchcraft to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation.
Children’s actions are believed to have brought bad fortune to the family or community.

If CALFB is suspected, then any concerns must be reported in line with our safeguarding procedures.

PART 3: Reporting procedures

Reporting procedures

All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the Child Protection Coordinator as soon as possible.

Staff will report their concerns to the Child Protection Coordinator (in the absence of the Officer they will be reported to the Deputy Child Protection Coordinator)
Any signs of marks/injuries to a child or information a child has given will be recorded and stored securely
For children who arrive at nursery with an existing injury, a form will be completed along with the parent or carer explanation as to how the injury happened. Staff will have professional curiosity around any explanations given and any concerns around existing injuries will be reported
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 Child Protection Coordinator will:

Contact the local authority Child Protection Team to report concerns and seek advice immediately, or as soon as it is practical to do so (if it is believed a child is in immediate danger we will contact the police)
Inform Care Inspectorate
Record the information and action taken relating to the concern raised
Speak to the parents (unless advised not do so by Child Protection Team)
The Child Protection Coordinator will follow up action taken by Child Protection Team if they have not contacted the setting within the statutory timeframe

Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the Child Protection Coordinator or deputy they should call the Child Protection Team or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.

These contact numbers are displayed [insert contact numbers]

Responding to a spontaneous disclosure from a child

If a child starts to talk openly to a member of staff about abuse they may be experiencing then staff will:

Give full attention to the child or young person
Keep body language open and encouraging
Be compassionate, be understanding and reassure them their feelings are important using phrases such as “you’ve shown such courage today”
Take time and slow down: show respect, pause and do not interrupt the child, let them go at their own pace
Recognise and respond to their body language
Make it clear you are interested in what the child has to say
Reflect back what they have said to check your understanding, use their language to show it’s their experience
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing in telling you. Make sure they know that abuse is never their fault
Never talk to the alleged perpetrator about the child’s disclosure. This could make things a lot worse for the child.

(Information taken from NSPCC)

Any disclosure will be reported to the nursery manager or Child Protection Coordinator and will be referred to the Child Protection Team immediately, following our reporting procedures.

Staffing and volunteering

Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. The nursery will therefore not allow an adult to be left alone with a child if they have not received their Disclosure Scotland clearance check.

We ask all new staff to register with the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

All staff will attend safeguarding children and child protection training within their first six months of employment and receive initial basic training during their first week. 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.

We have a named person within the nursery who co-ordinates safeguarding children and child protection and welfare issues. The Child Protection Coordinator undertakes specific training and accesses regular updates to developments within this field.

The named person regarding safeguarding children and child protection at the nursery is: S.Kiyani

We have a secondary designated officer to pick up any concerns in the lead designated officer’s absence. The name of the secondary officer is N.Newman

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
All Disclosure Scotland checks will be updated on a regular basis to ensure the suitability of the adults caring for the children. We ask all staff requiring updated checks to join the PVG scheme
We abide by the Care Inspectorate requirements regarding references and suitability checks for staff and volunteers to ensure that no disqualified person or unfit person works at the nursery or has access to the children
We ensure we receive at least two written references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us
All students will be requested to join the PVG scheme
Volunteers, including students, do not work unsupervised
We abide by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act 2007 requirements in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment, or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise lead 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 contractors/external workers will be Disclosure Scotland checked/PVG scheme registered and the manager will request this before allowing them access to the nursery. All visitors/contractors will still be accompanied whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use
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 attend regular supervision meetings where opportunities will be made available to discuss safeguarding children and child protection training and any needs for further support
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.

Confidentiality

All suspicions and investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared under the guidance of the Child Protection Team. All staff, students and volunteers are bound by confidentiality and any information will not be discussed out of work, or this will become a disciplinary matter.

The nursery has due regard to the data protection principles as in the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)[2]. These do not prohibit the collection and sharing of personal information, even without consent, if this would put the child at further risk. We will follow the principles around data collection and information sharing and ensure any information is recorded and shared in an appropriate way.

Support to families

The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff and volunteers within the nursery
The nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst investigations are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst investigations are carried out in the best interests of the child
Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate under the guidance of the Child Protection Team, 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.

PART 4: Recruitment, selection, induction and training

Recruitment and selection

Through the implementation of our Safer recruitment of staff policy, we endeavour to prevent unsuitable people from becoming members of staff. Procedures include relevant checks, such as requesting references, establishing the identity of applicant and conducting criminal records disclosures. Where required, staff and stakeholders have PVG checks. Clear person specification criteria and processes during the recruitment and selection process enable us to determine a candidate’s suitability for the role.

We have specific responsibilities, as outlined in this policy, for any staff, apprentices, students and learners under the age of 18 whether living with their families, in state care, or living independently.

Induction and probation for staff

As part of our induction process, all new workers will receive basic training on this Safeguarding children and child protection policy so they have the necessary knowledge and skills to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Within the first week of induction, all staff will receive a copy of this policy. It is the line manager’s responsibility to ensure that the new staff member understands it and is able to follow it. All safeguarding training must be completed by the end of the probationary period.

All staff are expected to keep their safeguarding knowledge and skills up-to-date and report any concerns they may have. We maintain records to ensure all staff have received the training they need.

Learners on placements or in employment

We hold responsibility for ensuring that learners on placement or in employment are familiar with and sign up to this policy and agree to work within this framework. Learners will receive basic child protection training prior to starting their placement.

Learners and students under the age of 18 will be protected as children. Risk assessments will be completed to ensure their safety and well-being are protected and supported during their employment or training period. If situations arise during employment or placement which identifies those aged 18 or under are at risk from abuse or neglect, we will contact the appropriate bodies to ensure the individual is safeguarded.

Employees, students or volunteers of the nursery, or any other person living or working on the nursery premises

We have a Staff behaviour policy in place that supports us to monitor staff and changes in their character. Staff are aware of the need to disclose changes to circumstance and use the whistle blowing policy where required.

We also operate a Mobile phone and electronic device use policy and Social networking policy, which state how we will keep children safe from these devices whilst at nursery. This also links to our Online safety policy.

Allegations against those 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 incident will be dealt with by the *manager/*registered person with support from the Child Protection Team:

A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals to determine how this will be handled
The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation
All investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file for access by the relevant authorities
Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation in line with professional support and advice
Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being re-instated
Substantiated allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisation (police) and will result in the termination of employment. The Care Inspectorate will be notified immediately of this decision
Counselling will be available for any member of the nursery who is affected by an allegation, their colleagues in the nursery and the parents.

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/*owner/*registered person at the earliest opportunity.

Legal framework and guidance

We adhere to all current legislation, as below:

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act 2007
Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach
National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021
The Early Years Framework
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Children’s Charter

Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Accidents and First Aid Policy

HSCS: 1.24, 3.14, 3.17, 3.19, 3.20,

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 16, 18, 23, 24, 25

At Innocence Nursery the safety of all children is paramount, and we have measures in place to help to protect children. However sometimes accidents do unavoidably happen.

We follow this policy and procedure to ensure that all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen[3]; and that the circumstances of the accident or incident are reviewed with a view to minimising any future risks

Accidents or incidents

When an accident or incident occurs, we ensure:

The child is comforted and reassured first
The extent of the injury is assessed and, if necessary, a call is made for medical support or an ambulance
First aid procedures are carried out, where necessary, by a trained paediatric first aider

The person responsible for reporting accidents, incidents or near misses is the member of staff who saw the incident or was first to find the child where there are no witnesses.
The accident or incident is recorded on an accident/incident form and it is reported to the nursery manager. Other staff who have witnessed the accident may also countersign the form and, in more serious cases, provide a statement. This should be done as soon as the accident is dealt with, whilst the details are still clearly remembered.
Parents are shown the accident/incident form and informed of any first aid treatment given. They are asked to sign it the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable after
The nursery manager reviews the accident/incident forms monthly for patterns, e.g. one child having a repeated number of accidents, a particular area in the nursery or a particular time of the day when most accidents happen. Any patterns are investigated by the nursery manager and all necessary steps to reduce risks are put in place
The nursery manager reports any serious accidents or incidents to the registered person for investigation for further action to be taken (i.e. a full risk assessment or report under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR))
The accident file is kept for at least 21 years and three months
Where medical attention is required, a senior member of staff will notify the parent(s) as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately Where medical treatment is required the nursery manager will follow the insurance company procedures, which may involve informing them in writing of the accident
The nursery manager will report any accidents of a serious nature to Care Inspectorate and the local authority children’s social care team (as the local child protection agency), where necessary. Where relevant such accidents will also be reported to the local authority environmental health department or the Health and Safety Executive and their advice followed. If the setting is an awarded Millie’s Mark setting, or working towards the award then the manager will also notify Millie’s Mark to meet the requirements under this scheme. Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practical, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring.

Head injuries

If a child receives a head injury while in the setting then we will follow this procedure:

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

Transporting children to hospital procedure

The nursery manager/staff member must:

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

First aid

The first aid boxes are located in: all play rooms

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

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

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

First aid boxes should only contain items permitted by the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations Act 1981, such as sterile dressings, bandages and eye pads. No other medical items, such as paracetamol should be kept in first aid boxes.

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is S.Kiyani

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

All first aid trained staff are listed in every room. When children are taken on an outing away from our nursery, we will always ensure they are accompanied by at least one member of staff who is trained in first aid. A first aid box is taken on all outings, along with any medication that needs to be administered in an emergency, including inhalers etc.

Food safety and play

Children are supervised during meal times and food is adequately cut up to reduce choking. We understand that learning experiences are provided through exploring different malleable materials and the following may be used. These are risk assessed and presented differently to the way it would be presented for eating e.g. in tuff trays,

Playdough
Cornflour
Dried pasta, rice and pulses.

Food items may also be incorporated into the role play area to enrich the learning experiences for children, e.g. fruits and vegetables. Children will be supervised during these activities. Food that could cause a choking hazard, including raw jelly, is not used.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

The nursery provides staff with PPE according to the need of the task or activity. Staff must wear PPE to protect themselves and the children during tasks that involve contact with bodily fluids. PPE is also provided for domestic tasks. Staff are consulted when procuring PPE to ensure all allergies and individual needs are supported and this is evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Dealing with blood

We may not be aware that any child attending the nursery has a condition that may be transmitted via blood. Any staff member dealing with blood must:

Always take precautions when cleaning wounds as some conditions such as hepatitis or the HIV virus can be transmitted via blood
Wear disposable gloves and wipe up any blood spillage with disposable cloths, neat sterilising fluid or freshly diluted bleach (one part diluted with 10 parts water). Such solutions must be carefully disposed of immediately after use.

Needle puncture and sharps injury

We recognise that injuries from needles, broken glass and so on may result in blood-borne infections and that staff must take great care in the collection and disposal of this type of material. For the safety and well-being of the employees, any staff member dealing with needles, broken glass etc. must treat them as contaminated waste.

Parents of children requiring needles as part of managing a medical condition should supply the nursery with an approved sharps box for safe disposal. Full boxes will be returned to the parents.

If a needle is found e.g. in the nursery grounds, the local authority must be contacted to deal with its disposal.

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

This policy is updated at least annually in consultation with staff and parents and/or after a serious accident or incident.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Allergies and Allergic Reactions Policy

HSCS: 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.19, 1.24, 1.28, 1.37, 2.23, 3.4, 3.14, 3.17, 3.18, 3.20, 3.21, 3.25, 4.2, 4.11, 4.14, 4.27, 5.17,

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 16, 23, 24

At Innocence Nursery we are aware that children may have or develop an allergy resulting in an allergic reaction.

We aim to ensure allergic reactions are minimised or, where possible, prevented and that staff are fully aware of how to support a child who may be having an allergic reaction.

Our procedures

All staff are made aware of the signs and symptoms of a possible allergic reaction in case of an unknown or first reaction in a child. These may include a rash or hives, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, itchy skin, runny eyes, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the mouth and/or tongue, swelling of the airways to the lungs, wheezing and anaphylaxis
We ask parents to share all information about allergic reactions and allergies on their child’s registration form and to inform staff of any allergies discovered after registration
We share all information with all staff and keep an allergy register in the play rooms
Where a child has a known allergy, the nursery manager will carry out a full allergy risk assessment procedure with the parent prior to the child starting the nursery and/or following notification of a known allergy. This assessment is shared with all staff and may involve displaying photos of the children along with their known allergies in the kitchen or nursery rooms, where applicable
All food prepared for a child with a specific allergy is prepared in an area where there is no chance of contamination and served on equipment that has not been in contact with this specific food type, e.g. nuts, gluten
The manager, nursery cook and parents will work together to ensure a child with specific food allergies receives no food at nursery that may harm them. This may include designing an appropriate menu or substituting specific meals on the current nursery menu
Seating is monitored for children with allergies. Where deemed appropriate staff will sit with children who have allergies and where age/stage appropriate staff will discuss food allergies with the children and the potential risks
If a child has an allergic reaction to food, a bee or wasp sting, plant etc. a paediatric first aid trained member of staff will act quickly and administer the appropriate treatment, if necessary. We will inform parents and record the information in the incident book and on the allergy register
If an allergic reaction requires specialist treatment, e.g. an EpiPen, then at least two members of staff working directly with the child and the manager will receive specific medical training to be able to administer the treatment to each individual child.

Food information (Scotland) regulations 2014

We incorporate additional procedures in line with the Food information regulations 2014 (FIR) including displaying our weekly menus on the parent information board/website/online system* identifying any of the 14 allergens that are used as ingredients in any of our dishes.

In the event of a serious allergic reaction and a child needing transporting to hospital, the nursery manager or staff member will:

Call for an ambulance immediately if the allergic reaction is severe. Staff will not attempt to transport the sick child in their own vehicle
Ensure someone contacts the parent(s) whilst waiting for the ambulance, and arrange to meet them at the hospital
Arrange for the most appropriate member of staff to accompany the child, taking with them any relevant information such as registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and the child’s comforter
Redeploy staff if necessary to ensure there is adequate staff deployment to care for the remaining children. This may mean temporarily grouping the children together
Inform a member of the management team immediately
Remain calm at all times and continue to comfort and reassure the child experiencing an allergic reaction. Children who witness the incident may also be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the incident
Where a serious incident occurs and a child requires hospital treatment, the Care Inspectorate will be informed.

This policy is updated at least annually in consultation with staff and parents and/or after a serious incident.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Arrivals and Departures Policy

HSCS: 3.1, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9, 3.11, 3.16, 3.25, 4.8, 4.27, 5.17

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 16, 23, 24, 28

At Innocence Nursery we give a warm welcome to every child and family on their arrival and goodbye on departure, while ensuring the safety of children, parent/carers, visitors, employees, volunteers and students.

Parents are requested to pass the care of their child to a specific member of staff who will ensure his/her safety (this is usually a child’s key worker). The staff member receiving the child immediately records his/her arrival in the daily attendance register. The staff member also records any specific information provided by the parents, including the child’s interests, experiences and observations from home.

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

If the child is to be collected by someone who is not the parent at the end of the session, the agreed procedure must be followed to identify the designated person. Photo identification and/or a password are also required where possible for the designated adult. Parents are informed about these arrangements and reminded about them regularly. Other than the parent/s or legal guardian of the child, we do not allow anyone under the age of 18 to collect. If anyone under the age of 18 arrives to collect child, the parent/carer will be contacted.

The child’s key worker or other nominated staff member must plan the departure of the child. This should include opportunities to discuss the child’s day with the parent in addition to what may already be shared via electronic systems, e.g. meals, sleep time, activities, interests, progress and friendships. The parent should be told about any accidents or incidents and the appropriate records must be signed by the parent before departure. Where applicable, all medicines should be recovered from the medicine box or fridge after the parent has arrived and handed to him/her personally. The medication policy is to be followed regarding parental signature.

The nursery will not release a child to anyone other than the known parent unless an agreement has been made at the time of arrival. In the case of any emergency such as a parent being delayed and arranging for a designated adult to collect a child, the parent should inform the designated adult of the agreed procedure and contact the nursery about the arrangements as soon as possible. If in any doubt the nursery will check the person’s identity by ringing the child’s parent or their emergency contact number (please refer to the Late collection and non-collection of children policy).

On departure, the staff member releasing the child must mark the attendance register immediately marked to show that the child has left the premises.

Parents/carers will be informed and reminded not to allow any other person onto the premises when dropping-off or collecting to ensure the safety at all times.

In the unlikely event that someone gains unauthorised access to the premises and if it feels safe to do so, a member of staff will ask the person what the purpose of their visit is. If needed our lockdown procedure will be initiated by staff and the police will be called. (Refer to lockdown procedure). In any cases where someone has gained unauthorised access to the premises, we will revisit our arrivals and departures procedures and risk assessment.

Adults arriving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Please refer to the Alcohol and Substance Misuse Policy.

Arrivals and departures of visitors

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

Staff, Students and Volunteers

Staff, students and volunteers are responsible for ensuring they sign themselves in and out of the building, including on breaks and lunchtimes.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

CCTV Policy

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 12, 16, 19, 23

Innocence nursery CCTV surveillance is intended for the purposes of:

Promoting the health and safety of children, staff and visitors
Protecting the nursery building and resources.
Developing best practice.

The system comprises of 16 fixed cameras. These are placed around the nursery, inside and outside, but not in the toilets or changing areas. This is to ensure the dignity of children is maintained.

The use of CCTV to control the perimeter of the nursery for security purposes has been deemed to be justified by the nursery management. The system is intended to capture images of intruders or of individuals damaging property or removing goods without authorisation or of antisocial behaviour.

Monitoring

The CCTV is monitored centrally from the nursery office and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) under the terms of the Data Protection Act. This policy outlines the nursery’s use of CCTV and how it complies with the Act. The nursery complies with Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) CCTV Code of Practice to ensure it is used responsibly.

All authorised operators and employees with access to images are aware of the procedures that need to be followed when accessing the recorded images. All operators are trained to understand their responsibilities under the CCTV Code of Practice. All employees are aware of the restrictions in relation to access to, and disclosure of, recorded images.

A copy of this CCTV Policy will be provided on request to staff, parents and visitors to the nursery and will be made available on the website and in the policy file.

Location of cameras

The location of CCTV cameras will also be indicated and adequate signage will be placed at each location in which a CCTV camera(s) is sited to indicate that CCTV is in operation.

Adequate signage will also be prominently displayed at the entrance to the nursery’s property. Signage shall include the name and contact details of the data controller as well as the specific purpose(s) for which the CCTV camera is in place in each location.

Storage and retention

The images captured by the CCTV system are retained for a maximum of 14 days, except where the image identifies an issue. In this case, it is retained specifically in the context of an investigation or prosecution of that issue. The images and recordings will be stored in a secure environment with a log of access kept. Access will be restricted to authorised personnel.

Supervising the access and maintenance of the CCTV System is the responsibility of the manager. In certain circumstances, other individuals may also view the recordings. When CCTV recordings are viewed, access will be limited to authorised individuals on a need-to-know basis. Files will be stored in a secure environment with a log of access to recordings kept.

Recorded footage and the monitoring equipment will be securely stored in a restricted area. Unauthorised access to that area will not be permitted at any time. The area will be locked when not occupied by authorised personnel. A log of access to footage will be maintained.

When accessing images two authorised members of staff must be present. A written record of access will be made. A record of the date of any disclosure request along with details of who has received the information (the name of the person and the organisation they represent), why they required it and how the request was dealt with will be made and kept, in case of challenge.

Subject access requests (SAR)

Individuals have the right to request access to CCTV footage relating to themselves under the Data Protection Activity and GDPR. Individuals submitting requests for access will be asked to provide sufficient information to enable the footage relating to them to be identified. For example, date, time and location.

The nursery will respond to requests within 14 calendar days of receiving the request. The nursery reserves the right to refuse access to CCTV footage where this would prejudice the legal rights of other individuals or jeopardise an on-going investigation. A record of the date of the disclosure along with details of who the information has been provided to (the name of the person and the organisation they represent) and why they required it will be made.

Where footage contains images relating to third parties, the nursery will take appropriate steps to mask and protect the identities of those individuals.

Complaints

Complaints and enquiries about the operation of CCTV within the nursery should be directed to the manager of the nursery in the first instance.

Responsibilities

The manager (or deputy) will ensure:

That the use of CCTV systems is implemented in accordance with this policy
They oversee and co-ordinate the use of CCTV monitoring for safety and security purposes
That all CCTV monitoring systems will be evaluated for compliance with this policy
That the CCTV monitoring is consistent with the highest standards and protections
That if there safeguarding concerns arise from monitoring the footage, appropriate safeguarding, actions are taken.
We review camera locations and be responsible for the release of any information or recorded CCTV materials stored in compliance with this policy
They maintain a record of access (e.g. an access log) to or the release of files or any material recorded or stored in the system
That the perimeter of view from fixed location cameras conforms to this policy both internally and externally
That all areas being monitored are not in breach of an enhanced expectation of the privacy of individuals
That external cameras are non-intrusive in terms of their positions and views of neighbouring residential housing and comply with the principle of ‘Reasonable expectation of privacy’
That monitoring footage is stored in a secure place with access by authorised personnel only
That images recorded are stored for a period not longer than 30 days and are then erased unless required as part of a criminal investigation or court proceedings (criminal or civil)
That camera control is solely to monitor suspicious behaviour, criminal damage etc. and not to monitor individual characteristics
That under certain circumstances, the CCTV footage may be used for training purposes (including staff supervisions, staff training) or for parents to view child transitions.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Parent Participation Policy

HSCS: 1.1, 1.2, 1.10, 3.7, 3.16, 4.3, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.19

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 18

At Innocence Nursery we believe that parental involvement contributes enormously to the effective way in which we operate. Parents are welcome to come to the setting at any time to spend time with their child and assist with activities, and become involved in the overall support network we provide for children and their families.

Our policy is to:

Welcome all parents to the nursery
Ensure that all parents have opportunities to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests, e.g. music, languages, drama or other activities
Give all parents the opportunity to contribute to the policies and procedures review process
Give all parents the opportunity to express their views and for those views to be listened to and taken account of through different methods including forum meetings, questionnaires and through technology
Ensure that all parents are fully informed about meetings, conferences, workshops and training through displays on the noticeboard, newsletters and our website
Encourage parents to support our nursery through fundraising and donations.
Invite parents to take part in nursery visits and outings (where possible).

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 18

Parents as Partners Policy

HSCS: 1.2, 1.13, 1.19, 1.23, 2.12, 3.4, 3.7, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19, 4.3, 4.5, 4.7, 4.27

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 28, 29

At Innocence Nursery we believe all parents and staff need to work together in a close partnership in order for children to receive the quality of care and early learning to meet their individual needs. We welcome parents as partners and support a two-way sharing of information that helps establish trust and understanding. We are committed to supporting parents in an open and sensitive manner to be an integral part of the care and early learning team within the nursery. Working together ensures we can meet the individual needs of the family and child, and provide the highest quality of care and education.

The key worker system supports engagement with all parents and uses strategies to ensure that all parents can contribute to their child’s learning and development. We ask parents to contribute to the initial assessment of a child’s starting point on entry and they are kept well informed about their child’s progress. We encourage parents to support and share information about their child’s learning and development at home and the key person will seek to engage them in guiding their child’s development at home too. The key worker system ensures all practitioners use effective, targeted strategies and interventions to support learning that match most children’s individual needs.

Our policy is to:

Recognise and support parents as their child’s first and most important educators and to welcome them into the life of the nursery
Generate confidence and encourage parents to trust their own instincts and judgement regarding their own child
Welcome all parents into the nursery at any time and provide an area where parents can speak confidentially with us as required
Welcome nursing mothers. The nursery will make available a private area whenever needed to offer space and privacy to nursing mothers
Ensure nursery documentation and communications are provided in different accessible formats to suit each parent’s needs, e.g. Braille, multi-lingual, electronic communications
Ensure that all parents are aware of the nursery’s policies and procedures. A detailed parent prospectus will be provided and our full policy documents will be available to parents at all times in nursery reception area and on the nursery website
Maintain regular contact with parents to help us to build a secure and beneficial working relationship for their children
Support parents in their own continuing education and personal development including helping them to develop their parenting skills and inform them of relevant conferences, workshops and training, where required
Create opportunities for parents to talk to other adults in a secure and supportive environment through such activities as open days, parents’ evenings and a parents’ forum
Inform parents about the range and type of activities and experiences provided for children, the daily routines of the setting, the types of food and drinks provided for children and events through the nursery website /notices or letters
Operate a key worker system to enable parents to establish a close working relationship with a named early learning and childcare practitioner and to support two-way information sharing about each child’s individual needs, both in nursery and at home. Parents are given the name of their child’s key worker, their role when the child starts and updates as they transition through the setting
Inform parents on a regular basis about their child’s progress and involve them in shared record keeping. Parents’ evenings are held at least twice a year. The nursery consults with parents about the times of meetings to avoid excluding anyone
Actively encourage parents to contribute to children’s learning through sharing observations, interests and experiences from home. This may be verbally, sharing photographs or in written form
Agree the best communication method with parents e.g. email, face-to-face, telephone and share information about the child’s day, e.g. food eaten, activities, sleep times, etc.
Consider and discuss all suggestions from parents concerning the care and early learning of their child and nursery operation
Provide opportunities and support for all parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the nursery
Inform all parents of the systems for registering queries, compliments, complaints or suggestions, and to check that these systems are understood by parents
Make sure all parents have access to our written complaints procedure
Share information about the Curriculum for Excellence, young children’s learning in the nursery, how parents can further support learning at home and where they can access further information
Provide a written contract between the parent(s) and the nursery regarding conditions of acceptance and arrangements for payment
Respect the family’s religious and cultural backgrounds and beliefs and accommodate any special requirements wherever possible and practical to do so
Inform parents how the nursery supports children with additional needs for learning and disabilities
Find out the needs and expectations of parents. We will do this through regular feedback via questionnaires, suggestion system and encouraging parents to review working practices. We will evaluate any responses and use these to promote nursery practice, policy and staff development.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12, 28, 29

Outdoor Play Policy

HSCS: 1.25, 1.32, 2.24, 2.25, 2.27, 3.20, 3.21, 3.25, 5.1, 5.11, 5.16, 5.17, 5.20

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 23, 24, 28, 29, 31

At Innocence Nursery we are committed to the importance of daily outdoor play and the physical development of all children regardless of their age and stage of development. We provide outdoor play in all weathers. Where possible and appropriate, we make outdoor activities accessible to children with learning difficulties and disabilities to ensure inclusive use of the outdoor area.

We recognise that children need regular access to outdoor play in order to keep fit and healthy, develop their large and fine motor skills, experience learning in a natural environment and access sunlight in order to absorb vitamin D more effectively.

The outdoor areas, both within the nursery grounds and in the local community have a wealth of experiences and resources, which help children to develop in a variety of ways, including independence, exploration and investigative skills, risk taking and self-esteem, all of which support children to develop skills now and for the future.

We take reasonable steps to ensure all areas are safe and secure through close supervision and the use of robust risk assessments and safety checks. Where possible and appropriate, we plan and encourage play that helps children understand and manage risks. This type of play allows children to explore and find their own boundaries in a safe environment with supportive early learning and childcare practitioners. Staff are informed of the importance of safety procedures and are trained appropriately to ensure these procedures are followed effectively.

We ensure outdoor play is supervised adequately and we have robust safety checks in place, including regular head counts.

We obtain parental permission before any child leaves the nursery during the day. This includes short outings into the local community. There is more information in the Visits and Outings Policy.

We plan all outdoor play opportunities and outings to complement the indoor activities, providing children with purposeful activities that support and follow individual interests. There is a balance of both adult-led and child-initiated opportunities to enable children to learn and practice new skills, knowledge and behaviours. Where possible, and in line with the children’s needs, we will also often have snacks and meals outdoors and some children will sleep outdoors (see Sleep policy).

Where activities take place away from the setting (e.g. in the local wood, park) then a nursery mobile phone and first aid kit will be taken to ensure the safety of children at all times. A trained paediatric first aider will be present when children are away from the main setting.

We use this policy alongside the following policies to ensure the safety and welfare of children throughout their time outside:

Health and safety
Sun care
Caring for babies and toddlers
Lost child policy
Parents and carers as partners
Supervision of children
Child Protection
Outings.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

Nutrition and Mealtimes Policy

HSCS: 1.33, 1.34, 1.35, 1.36, 1.37, 1.38, 1.39, 2.21, 4.11, 5.1

At Innocence Nursery we believe that mealtimes should be happy, social occasions for children and staff alike. We promote shared, enjoyable positive interactions at these times.

We are committed to offering children healthy, nutritious and balanced meals and snacks that meet individual needs and requirements.

We will ensure that:

A balanced and healthy breakfast, midday meal, tea and two daily snacks are provided for children attending a full day at the nursery
Menus are planned in advance and in line with example menus and guidance produced by Public Health Scotland (Setting the Table). These are rotated regularly and reflect cultural diversity and variation. These are displayed for children and parents to view
All allergens are displayed alongside the menus to show the contents of each meal
We provide nutritious food at all snack and meal times, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings
Menus include at least 2/3 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day
Parents and children are involved in menu planning
Only milk and water are provided as drinks to promote oral health. Fresh drinking water is always available and accessible. It is offered frequently to children and babies and intake is monitored. In hot weather staff will encourage children to drink more water to keep them hydrated
Individual dietary requirements are respected. We gather information from parents regarding their children’s dietary needs, including any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies that a child has and any special health requirements, before a child starts or joins the nursery. Where appropriate we will carry out a risk assessment in the case of allergies and work alongside parents to put into place an individual dietary plan for their child
We give careful consideration to seating to avoid cross contamination of food from child to child. Where appropriate an adult will sit with children during meals to ensure safety and minimise risks. Where appropriate, age/stage discussions will also take place with all children about allergies and potential risks to make them aware of the dangers of sharing certain foods
Staff show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. They do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child, or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy
Staff set a good example, eat with the children, and show good table manners. Meal and snack times are organised so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate in small groups. During meals and snack times children are encouraged to use their manners and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and conversation is encouraged
Staff use meal and snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink, and feeding themselves. Staff support children to make healthy choices and understand the need for healthy eating
Where possible, we provide foods from the diet of each of the children’s cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones. Cultural differences in eating habits are respected
Any child who shows signs of distress at being faced with a meal he/she does not like will have his/her food removed without any fuss. If a child does not finish his/her first course, he/she will still be given a helping of dessert
Children not on special diets are encouraged to eat a small piece of everything
Children who refuse to eat at the mealtime are offered food later in the day
Children are given time to eat at their own pace and not rushed
Quantities offered take account of the ages of the children being catered for in line with recommended portion sizes for babies and young children
We promote positive attitudes to healthy eating through play opportunities and discussions
The nursery provides parents with daily written records of feeding routines for all children
No child is ever left alone when eating/drinking to minimise the risk of choking
We will sometimes celebrate special occasions such as birthdays with the occasional treat of foods such as cake, sweets or biscuits. These will be given at mealtimes to prevent tooth decay and not spoil the child’s appetite. Where we have frequent birthdays and celebrations we consider other alternatives such as celebrating through smiles and praise, stickers and badges, choosing a favourite story, becoming a special helper, playing a party game, dancing and/or singing their favourite song
We do allow parents to bring in cakes on special occasions. We ensure that all food brought in from parents meets the above and health and safety requirements and ingredients that are listed within the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 and detailed in the allergens policy and procedure
All staff who prepare and handle food are competent to do so and receive training in food hygiene which is updated every three years
In the very unlikely event of any food poisoning affecting two or more children on the premises, whether or not this may arise from food offered at the nursery, we will inform the Care Inspectorate as soon as reasonably practical and in all cases within 14 days. We will also inform the relevant health agencies and follow any advice given.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

No UNCRC links

Late Collection and Non-Collection of Children Policy

HSCS: 2.7, 2.14, 3.14, 3.20, 3.25, 4.14, 4.27, 5.17

Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 12

At Innocence Nursery we are monitoring sessions parents are able to collect their child from the nursery flexibly within this time period although they are asked to be no later than the session end time. All day session children collected no later than 5.50 p.m. Children are all requested to be in for 9.00 p.m. to minimise disruptions in the playrooms. We understand that some parents may arrive earlier to collect their child, which and this is acceptable. However, the full fees remain in place for the allocated session times.

We give parents information about the procedures to follow if they expect to be late. These include:

Calling the nursery as soon as possible to advise of their situation and expected time of arrival

Agreeing a safety password with the nursery in advance to be used by anyone collecting a child who is not the parent (designated adult)

Asking a designated adult to collect their child wherever possible
Informing the nursery of this person’s identity so the nursery can talk to the child if appropriate. This will help to reduce or eliminate any distress caused by this situation
If the designated person is not known to the nursery staff, the parent must provide a detailed description of this person, including their date of birth where known. This designated person must know the individual child’s safety password in order for the nursery to release the child into their care. This is the responsibility of the parent.

If a child has not been collected from the nursery after a reasonable amount of time(6.00p.m] has been allowed for lateness, we will initiate the following procedure:

The nursery manager will be informed that a child has not been collected
The manager will check for any information regarding changes to normal routines, parents’ work patterns or general information. If there is no information recorded, the manager will try to contact the parents on the telephone numbers provided for their mobile, home or work. If this fails the manager will try the emergency contacts shown on the child’s records
The manager or staff member in charge and one other member of staff must stay behind with the child (if outside normal operating hours). During normal operating times the nursery will plan to meet required staff ratios
If the parents have still not collected the child, the manager will telephone all contact numbers available every 10 minutes until contact is made. These calls will be logged on a full incident record
In the event of no contact being made after one hour has lapsed, the person in charge will ring the Social Services Emergency Duty Team
The nursery will inform the Care Inspectorate as soon as convenient
The two members of staff will remain in the building until suitable arrangements have been made for the collection of the child
The child’s welfare and needs will be met at all times and to minimise distress staff will distract, comfort and reassure the child during the process
In order to provide this additional care a late fee of £30.00 will be charged to parents. This will pay for any additional operational costs that caring for a child outside their normal nursery hours may incur.

Contact :

Social Services Emergency Duty Team

Care Inspectorate

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

;

Complaints and Compliments Policy

HSCS: 4.20, 4.21

At Innocence Nursery we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for our children and families and believe that all parents should be treated with care, courtesy and respect.

We hope that at all times parents are happy and satisfied with the quality and service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned and/or management. 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 children and 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 worker or a senior member of staff or room leader. If this is not resolved, we ask them to discuss this verbally with the manager.

Stage 2

If the issue still 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 7 days. The manager will document the complaint fully, the actions taken and the outcome in relation to it in the complaint’s logbook.

(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 the 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 will 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 the Care Inspectorate. Parents are made aware that they can contact the Care Inspectorate whenever they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaints procedure and are given information on how to contact them is displayed in the setting. The Care Inspectorate is the registering authority for nurseries in Scotland and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nursery’s registration.

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, outcomes 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. Care Inspectorate inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately.

Parents are also informed that they can complain directly to the Care Inspectorate at any time, which will investigate. Timescales are 20 working days.

Telephone contact details for the Care Inspectorate: 0345 600 9527

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

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

No UNCRC links

Conflict Resolution with Parents and Aggressive Behaviour Policy

At Innocence Nursery we believe that we have a strong partnership with our parents and an open-door policy to discuss any matters arising (if applicable).

If as a parent, you have any concerns or issues you wish to raise with the nursery then please follow the complaints procedure.

In the case of a parent emailing, calling or using social media to complain the nursery will direct them to the correct procedure for raising a complaint.

We have a zero tolerance on abusive calls, emails, social media contact and face-to-face confrontation.

Calls of an aggressive or abusive manner

The call taker receiving a call leading to abusive or aggressive behaviour will remain calm and professional, and ask them to follow the complaints policy. If the abuse continues the call taker will end the call. Any abusive and aggressive calls will be logged with an outline of the conversation.

Emails of an aggressive or abusive manner

The responder will ask the parents to come into the setting to speak in person, as per our complaints policy. If the emails persist, the manager may seek legal action. All emails will be kept as evidence until the matter is resolved.

Social Media

If slanderous or abusive messages appear on any social media sites, we will address these immediately with a request to follow our complaints procedure. We will endeavour to resolve any issue raised through our complaints procedure. If slanderous or abusive messages continue, we will seek legal action against the complainant.

In the event that any person inside the nursery starts to act in an aggressive manner at the nursery, our policy is to:

Direct the person away from the children and into a private area, such as the office (where appropriate)
Ensure that a second member of staff is in attendance, where possible, whilst continuing to ensure the safe supervision of the children
Remain composed and professional in order to calm the aggressive person, making it clear that we do not tolerate aggressive or abusive language or behaviour
If the aggressive behaviour continues or escalates we will contact the police in order to ensure the safety of our staff team, children and families
If the person calms down and stops the aggressive behaviour a member of staff will listen to their concerns and try to resolve the issue
Following an aggressive confrontation an incident form will be completed detailing the time, reason and any action taken
Any aggressive behaviour from a parent could result in the withdrawal of a place for the child/ren. Parents will be informed, by the management team, in writing within 3 days of any incident that involved aggressive or threatening behaviour to their staff
Management will provide support and reassurance to any staff member involved in such an incident
Management will signpost parents to organisations or professionals that can offer support if applicable
Police will be contacted if required.

This policy will be followed in the event of any other visitors or member of the public displaying this type of behaviour by phone, email, social media or in person.

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 14	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

No UNCRC links

Complaints and Compliments Policy

HSCS: 4.20, 4.21

At Innocence Nursery we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for our children and families and believe that all parents should be treated with care, courtesy and respect.

Internal complaints procedure

Stage 1

Stage 2

(Most complaints are usually resolved informally at stage 1 or 2.)

Stage 3

Stage 4

Parents are also informed that they can complain directly to the Care Inspectorate at any time, which will investigate. Timescales are 20 working days.

Telephone contact details for the Care Inspectorate: 0345 600 9527

This policy was adopted on	Signed on behalf of the nursery	Date for review
Jan 15	S.Kiyani	Jan 25

No UNCRC links

[1] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng76/chapter/Recommendations

[2]

[3]

Policies

Medication Policy

Infection Control Policy

Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy

Accidents and First Aid Policy

Allergies and Allergic Reactions Policy

Arrivals and Departures Policy

CCTV Policy

Parent Participation Policy

Parents as Partners Policy

Outdoor Play Policy

Nutrition and Mealtimes Policy

Late Collection and Non-Collection of Children Policy

Complaints and Compliments Policy

Conflict Resolution with Parents and Aggressive Behaviour Policy

Complaints and Compliments Policy

Opening Times

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