Nursery Policies

At Little Angels we care for children between the ages of 0-10 years old.

The numbers and ages of children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery.

The nursery uses the following admission criteria, which is applied in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after children
2. A child known by the local authority to have special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND) and whose needs can be best met at the preferred nursery
3. A vulnerable child with either a Child Protection or a Child in Need Plan, or in receipt of other local authority support

1. Children who have siblings who are already with us
2. Children whose parents live within the area.

A child requiring a full-time place may have preference over one requiring a part-time place. This is dependent upon work commitments, occupancy and room availability. We operate a waiting list and places are offered on an availability basis.

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

Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.

Providers eligible to provide government funded places for early education

All settings registered to accept government funding (detailed in the code of practice) must offer free places eligible children for early learning sessions specified by the local authority. At Little Angels we currently provide free funded places for children is subject to availability. These places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and can be booked a term in advance. Please note for admissions for the free nursery education we have a termly intake, beginning the term following your child reaching the age eligibility.

All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for their funded place, we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes. We reserve the right to limit and/or have specific funded sessions, according to our business requirements.

At Little Angels Day Nursery we believe good attendance plays a fundamental role in supporting children’s educational achievement and well-being and in keeping children safer. Establishing regular routines for young children supports the settling-in process and enhances their sense of security and belonging. When a child has a part-time place, regular attendance is especially important.

This policy outlines the procedures to promote and monitor attendance and those that will be followed if a child is absent from the setting. We wish to create a culture where good attendance and punctuality is valued by all and so will work with parents to work together to remove barriers to attendance. We recognise that sometimes families may need extra support with attendance, therefore effective communication is essential between parents and the key person, who may be able to offer advice and support or referrals to other agencies who may be able to help, such as the health visiting team, portage or early help.

To promote good attendance, we will:

• Share our attendance expectations with parents prior to admission, including conveying clearly to parents that regular attendance and punctuality
  • Is expected
  • Is in the child’s best interest, and
  • That unexplained absence will be investigated
  • Keep records of attendance to enable monitoring and evaluation so that emerging patterns are addressed
  • Foster a positive attitude to good attendance by quickly responding to children's absence while also recognising and celebrating, ‘good’ and ‘improving’ attendance
  • Target attendance where there has been an issue and aim to set in place strategies and techniques to support improvement.

Whilst attendance at nursery is not statutory, authorised absence will be granted in the following circumstances, where parents inform the nursey on the first day of absence or prior to the first day of absence:

• Illness of the child
• Illness of siblings or parents
• Bereavement
• Health services appointments
• Holidays, including extended visits to family overseas
• Religious observance
• Emergency or exceptional circumstances.

Monitoring attendance

Records of children’s attendance are accurately kept and regularly monitored to ensure that we can identify any potential problems and look for patterns. All managers and staff are alert to signs that children and learners who are missing might be at risk of abuse or neglect, and appropriate action is taken when children stop attending. While we are aware that attendance is not statutory, we recognise that non-attendance could be an indicator of other concerns. All managers and staff are particularly aware of the need to monitor groups such as those who are considered to be vulnerable learners.

Procedures to record, monitor and follow up non-attendance

1. Registration will be completed at the start of each session within 10 minutes of the start time to record attendance or non-attendance.

Non-attendance:

• If a child is absent and we are informed of their reason for absence this will be recorded on the register
• If a child is absent without an explanation a telephone call (to priority and secondary numbers, e.g. home and work) will be made to the main carer to establish the reason for the absence
• If no contact is made, then we will follow this process:

• Contact any second main carer (to priority and secondary numbers, e.g. home and work)
• Contact the first emergency contact number
• Contact the second emergency contact number.

• If contact cannot be made by telephone call, a home visit may be carried out and a contact postcard will be posted through your door if there is no response
• If there continues to be no contact and there is cause for concern, the health visiting service and/or the Children and Family service will be contacted to ascertain if family support may be needed
• In more urgent cases, the police may be contacted to carry out a welfare check.

Leaving the nursery

If you decide to withdraw your child from the nursery, please see our Parent Contract and Terms and Conditions for notice periods. This will ensure that we remove your child from our systems and therefore will not expect them to attend.

If your child is transitioning to another early year’s provider or school, please provide us with the details of the new setting so that we can transfer essential information.

At Little Angels we encourage all our employees to maximise their attendance at work while recognising that employees will, from time to time, be unable to come to work due to sickness, illness or infectious. By implementing this policy, we aim to strike a reasonable balance between the pursuit of our business needs and the genuine needs of employees to take occasional periods of time off work because of sickness. This policy and procedure establish a framework to support individuals and the organisation in times of sickness absence. It ensures that appropriate and consistent advice is provided and that assistance and support is offered to employees and, where necessary, action is taken.

Principles

We promote good health and aim to provide a healthy working environment demonstrating commitment to health, safety and the welfare of all staff in order to maximise attendance.

Management is responsible for regularly monitoring and taking appropriate action in connection with sickness and other unplanned absence.

Exclusion periods for contagious illnesses

Working with children means that you are more likely to come in to contact with illnesses, which can be highly contagious. We take the health of children and staff very seriously; therefore, if you have any infectious/contagious illnesses you must adhere to the same exclusion periods as children. This will ensure that you are able to recover appropriately and that this infection/illness is not passed on to other staff, children or parents. The manager will advise you of any exclusion times required (see the sickness and illness and infection control policies).

Sickness Absence Reporting Procedure

Reporting sickness absence must be done in line with the following guidelines. Failure to follow these may result in delays to any sick pay you are entitled to and could potentially lead to disciplinary action.

1. On your first d Shortcode Coay of absence, you must:

• Telephone the setting within the first hour of your usual start time.
  Text messages, emails, or other forms of communication are not acceptable for reporting sickness.
• You must contact a member of the management team directly by texting their personal mobile number with as much notice as possible. For example, if your shift is due to start at 7:30am or 8:00am, you should aim to contact management at least one hour before your scheduled start time—or as early as possible—to allow time to arrange alternative cover.
• Provide brief details of your illness and an indication of how long you expect to be off work.

You should contact the Nursery every day that you are absent in the first week of absence.

1. On returning to work you must complete a copy of the ‘Employee’s statement of sickness self-certification form’. This should be signed by nursery management.
2. For absences of more than seven consecutive days, including the weekend/non-working days, you must provide a ‘fit note’ completed by a qualified medical practitioner for the period of absence.

After returning to work from any sickness absence leave, a ‘return to work’ interview will be undertaken by the employee and line manager.

During the return to work interview the following will be discussed:

• The reason for absence
• Whether and support is required and/or adjustments to the role (on a temporary or more permanent basis) and what they are. These might include regular catchup meetings, adjusted work patterns, changes of duties
• Future requirements and expectations, e.g. Improved attendance.

The return-to-work interview discussion is recorded using a set template and signed by both the manager and employee.  A copy is attached to the employee’s file.

Where an employee’s attendance record gives cause for concern because of the duration or frequency of absence, this is brought to the attention of the employee through a discussion with the manager.

Throughout any stage of discussions on sickness absence, employees may be accompanied by a work colleague.

The abuse of sick leave and pay regulations may be classified as misconduct and will be dealt with through the disciplinary procedure.

Frequent and/or persistent short-term sickness absence

Short-term absence may be short periods of one or two days occurring frequently.

Absence of this nature can be identified by one of the following indicators and should be classed as a trigger:

• Four self-certified spells of absence in one calendar year
• A total of 10 working days or more of self-certified absence in one calendar year
• Patterns of absence over a period, e.g. an individual regularly taking Mondays or Fridays off
• Where an employee’s attendance record is significantly worse than those of comparable employees, or absence problems have gone on for a considerable length of time.

Long-term sickness absence

For the purposes of the policy, long-term sickness absence is defined by the nursery as absences lasting over one month.

Where absences have lasted over 10 working days or more, the manager will contact the member of staff concerned to obtain an initial assessment of the sickness/illness.

At this point and where felt appropriate after further assessment of the sickness/illness, the manager will arrange a face-to-face meeting or telephone conference between themselves and the member of staff. The meeting will include:

• Confirming the reasons and nature of the absence and its likely duration
• Ensuring that the member of staff is aware of the nursery’s concern regarding their health and necessary absence from work
• Consideration of alternative duties or a shorter working week if this would enable a quicker return to work subject to medical advice
• Consideration to any personal issues being encountered and discuss possible ways of helping the individual resolve these
• Advising the member of staff that in their best interests they may be asked to see a registered medical practitioner or occupational health provider appointed by the nursery to enable a medical report to be prepared
• Alternatively, and if appropriate, gain agreement from the member of staff to contact their doctor or specialist in order to establish the likely length of absence and the long-term effect on capability in relation to job performance and attendance at work.

If all other avenues have been investigated, the absence continues or, following return to work, the attendance record does not improve, a subsequent meeting would be arranged. At this point and with legal advise the manager may advise the member of staff on long term sickness absence that unless there are reasonable grounds to believe there will be an improvement in the foreseeable future, their ill health may put their employment at risk with the possibility of termination by reason of capability or suitability to work with children might have to be considered, taking into account any medical information available.

The position will be reviewed periodically and ultimately it may become necessary from a business perspective to consider termination of employment. In these circumstances, the nursery will:

• Review the employee's absence record to assess whether or not it is sufficient to justify dismissal
• Consult the employee
• Obtain up-to-date medical advice through the employee’s GP and/or occupational health
• Seek legal advice, where applicable
• Advise the employee in writing as soon as it is established that termination of employment has become a possibility
• Meet with the employee to discuss the options and consider the employee's views on continuing employment
• Review if there are any other jobs that the employee could do prior to taking any decision on whether or not to dismiss
• Allow a right of appeal against any decision to dismiss the employee on grounds of long-term ill health
• Arrange a further meeting with the employee to determine any appeal
• Following this meeting, inform the employee of its final decision
• Act reasonably towards the employee at all times.

Any decision to terminate employment will be taken by the Director/Manager, making sure the capability procedure has been exhausted.

Occupational health

The nursery reserves the right to request employees to attend an appointment with an Occupational Health Advisor (e.g. consultant, GP) during their employment, if it is reasonably deemed necessary due to sickness absence, changes in health or the role, or where it is necessary to seek an expert medical opinion as to whether or not the employee can fulfil their job role or whether any reasonable adjustments should be made to the employee’s role.

The nursery will seek to engage the services of an independent Occupational Health Advisor in situations where expert medical opinion is required and work with them to identify the best course of action in circumstances of sickness absence.

Access to medical records

The Access to Medical Records Act 1988 gives individuals the right of access to medical records relating to themselves which have been prepared by a medical practitioner for employment purposes. The Act provides that:

• Employers must gain the consent of employees before requesting reports from medical practitioners
• Employers must inform employees of their rights in respect of medical reports
• The employee has the right of access to the report before the employer sees it, provided appropriate notification is given
• The employer is responsible for notifying the medical practitioner that the employee wishes to have access
• The employee may ask for a report to be amended or may attach a statement to the report
• Having seen the report, the employee may wish to withhold consent to it being supplied.

Where the nursery requests further medical information about the health of staff from an individual’s General Practitioner or Specialist, or its own occupational health provider, the provisions of the Act will be followed.

Throughout any interviews regarding sickness absence, staff are entitled to the support of and/or representation by a work colleague or recognised trade union representative.

Sick Pay

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be paid in accordance with Department for Work and Pensions requirements and no payment will be made for the first three working days in a period of incapacity for work.

Annual leave and sick pay

Where an employee falls sick or is injured whilst on annual leave, the nursery will allow the employee to take sick leave and take the annual leave at a later time. This policy is subject to the following strict conditions:

• The total period of incapacity must be fully certificated by a qualified medical practitioner
• The employee must contact the manager as soon as he/she knows that there will be a period of incapacity during the pre-planned annual leave in accordance with the Sickness Absence Reporting Procedure
• The employee must submit a written request no later than five days after returning to work setting out how much of the annual leave period was affected by sickness and the amount of leave that the employee wishes to take at another time
• Where the employee is overseas when he/she falls sick or is injured, evidence must be produced that the employee was sick by way of either a medical certificate or proof of a claim on an insurance policy for medical treatment received at the overseas location.

Where the employee fulfils all of the above conditions, we will allow the employee the same amount of annual leave as the amount lost due to sickness or injury.

Sickness or injury shortly before a period of planned holiday

If an employee is ill or is injured before the start of a period of planned annual leave, we will agree to the employee postponing the annual leave dates to another mutually agreed time. Any period of sickness absence will then be treated in accordance with the employer's normal policy on sickness absence.

The employee must submit a written request to postpone the planned annual leave and this must be accompanied by a letter from his/her doctor confirming that he/she is unfit to take the annual leave.

Replacement annual leave dates

Where it is agreed that an employee can take replacement annual leave at a later time, the employee should nominate replacement annual leave dates as soon as possible, with the dates being subject to the agreement of the employee's line manager in the usual way.

Employees should endeavour to take any replacement annual leave within the same holiday year as the days lost as a result of sickness or injury. In the event that part or all of the annual leave is lost due to incapacity towards the end of the nursery’s holiday year and there is insufficient time left during that year for the replacement annual leave to be taken, the employee will be permitted to carry over the replacement annual leave to the next holiday year. However, this leave must be taken as early in the new holiday year as possible.

Serious illness/injury of an employee’s immediate family

This will be looked at on an individual basis, the nursery manager will agree with you a reasonable period of leave time which will be considered as unpaid leave. You may also need to consider taking any annual leave/TOIL and working flexibly i.e. making adjustments to the length of the working day, changes in hours/days worked etc.

Death of a member of an employee’s immediate family

This leave applies on the death of an employee’s spouse, life partner, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, dependant or other relative for whom the employee has special responsibility or has had special ties. See bereavement leave policy.

Legislation

• Data Protection Act 2018
• General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)

Related Policies 

• Whistleblowing
• Social Networking
• Safeguarding Children/Child Protection
• Online Safety

This Policy describes the rights and responsibilities of staff using resources, such as computers, tablets, the internet, landline and mobile telephones, and other electronic equipment. It explains the procedures you are expected to follow and makes clear what is considered acceptable behaviour when using them. These devices are a vital part of our business and should be used in accordance with our policies in order to protect children, staff and families.

Security and passwords

All electronic devices will be password protected and passwords will be updated on a regular basis. Passwords for our systems are confidential and must be kept as such.  You must not share any passwords with any other person; in particular you must not allow any other staff member to know or use our password.

Email

We expect all staff to use their common sense and good business practice when using email.  As email is not a totally secure system of communication and can be intercepted by third parties, external email should not normally be used in relation to confidential transactions.

Emails must not be used to send abusive, offensive, sexist, racist, disability-biased, sexual orientation based or defamatory material, including jokes, pictures or comments which are potentially offensive. Such use may constitute harassment and/or discrimination and may lead to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal. If you receive unwanted messages of this nature, you should bring this to the attention of your Manager.

Internet access

You must not use the internet facilities to visit, bookmark, download material from or upload material to inappropriate, obscene, pornographic or otherwise offensive websites. Such use constitutes misconduct and will lead to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal in serious cases.

Each employee has a responsibility to report any misuse of the internet or email.  By not reporting such knowledge, the employee will be considered to be collaborating in the misuse. Each employee can be assured of confidentiality when reporting misuse.

Personal use of the internet, email and telephones

Any use of our electronic communication systems (including email, internet and telephones) for purposes other than the duties of your employment is not permitted.

Emergency personal calls need to be authorised by the manager and where possible, be made on your own personal mobile phone outside the nursery.

Staff are not permitted to access or use the Famly app on their personal devices or from home unless expressly authorised by management.

Disciplinary action will be taken where:

• the privilege of using our equipment is abused; or
• unauthorised time is spent on personal communications during working hours.

Data protection

When using any of our systems employees must adhere to the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR).  For more information see our Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy.

Downloading or installing software

Employees may not install any software that has not been cleared for use by the manager onto our computers or systems. Such action may lead to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal in serious cases.

Using removable devices

Before using any removable storage media which has been used on hardware not owned by us (e.g. USB pen drive, CDROM etc.) the contents of the storage device must be virus checked.

At Little Angels we have an open access policy in relation to accessing information about the nursery and parents’ own children. This policy is subject to the laws relating to data protection and document retention and should be used in conjunction with the Data protection and confidentiality policy and the GDPR privacy notice.

Parents are welcome to view the policies and procedures of the nursery, which govern the way in which the nursery operates. These may be viewed at any time when the nursery is open, by asking the nursery manager. The nursery manager or any other relevant staff member will also explain any policies and procedures to parents or use any other methods to make sure that parents understand these.

Parents are also welcome to see and contribute to all the records that are kept on their child. However, we must adhere to data protection laws and, where relevant, any guidance from the relevant agencies for child protection.

As we hold personal information about staff and families, we are registered under data protection law with the Information Commissioner’s Office. A copy of the certificate can be viewed on request. All parent, child and staff information is stored securely according to the requirements of data protection registration, including details, permissions, certificates and photographic images. We will ensure that staff understand the need to protect the privacy of the children in their care as well as the legal requirements that exist to ensure that information relating to the child is handled in a way that ensures confidentiality.

We are required under legislation to keep certain records about children, parents and also staff members. Due to this legislation, we are required to keep this information for a set amount of time. Below is a brief overview of the information we keep and for how long. This policy should be used in conjunction with the Data protection and confidentiality policy and the GDPR privacy notice.

Children’s records: A reasonable period of time after children have left the provision.

Records relating to individual children e.g. care plans, speech and language referral forms: We will pass these on to the child’s next school or setting following our Local Authority’s protocols for transition and sharing of sensitive records.

Copies will be kept for a reasonable period.

Accidents and pre-existing injuries: If relevant to child protection we will keep these until the child reaches 25 years old.

Safeguarding records and cause for concern forms: We will pass these on to the child’s new educational establishment, e.g. school. In the event that we are not informed of the child’s new placement, we will keep the records until the child has reached 25 years old.

Records of any reportable death, injury, disease or dangerous occurrence (for children): As these incidents could result in potential negligence claims, or evolve into a more serious health condition, we keep records until the child reaches the age of 21 years and 3 months.

Records of any reportable death, injury, disease or dangerous occurrence (for staff): 3 years.

Type of accidents including fractures, broken limbs, serious head injuries or where the child is hospitalised: Until the child reaches the age of 21 years and 3 months.

Observation, planning and assessment records of children: We keep our planning filed since the last inspection date so there is a paperwork trail if the inspector needs to see it.

Information and assessments about individual children are either given to parents when the child leaves or to the next setting or school that the child moves to (with parents’ permission).

Personnel files and training records (including disciplinary records and working time records): 7 years.

Visitor signing in book: Up to 24 years as part of the child protection trail.

Nursery records and documentation that are not required to be kept are deleted or destroyed in line with the current data protection laws and our GDPR privacy notice which can be found.

If parents have a specific deletion or retention request regarding any data that we hold, please raise a query in writing and we will respond formally to your request.

This policy will be reviewed annually and amended according to any change in law and/or legislation.

At Little Angels the safety of all child 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 all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen[1]; and that the circumstances of the accident or incident are reviewed with a view to minimising any future risks.

Accidents

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/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 Report 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 at least 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/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 22 years
• Where medical attention is required, a senior member of staff will notify the parent(s) as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately
• Where medical treatment is required the nursery manager will follow the insurance company procedures, which may involve informing them in writing of the accident
• The nursery manager/registered provider will report any accidents of a serious nature to Ofsted and the local authority children’s social care team (as the local child protection agency), where necessary. Where relevant such accidents will also be reported to the local authority environmental health department or the Health and Safety Executive and their advice followed. If the setting is an awarded Millie’s Mark setting, or working towards the award then the *manager / registered provider 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.

Location of accident records: Famly App

Accident and incident records will be regularly reviewed to identify if there are trends or common features that could be addressed to reduce the risks of accidents and incidents in the setting. Appropriate action will be taken to address any identified concerns.

Contact Details:

Head injuries

If a child has a head injury in the setting then we will follow the following 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.

Choking

When a child experiences a choking incident that requires intervention, we will:

• Record details of where and how the child choked
• Make parents aware of the incident.

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 may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the accident.

*If a child has an accident that may require hospital treatment but not an ambulance and you choose to transport children within staff vehicles Citation advise you consider the following in your policy:

• Requesting permission from parents
• Ratio requirements of the setting being maintained
• The age and height of the child, in regards to will they need a car seat? Further guidance can be found at childcarseats.org.uk/types-of-seat/
• There are some exceptions for needing a child seat depending again on their age. Further guidance can be found at childcarseats.org.uk/the-law/cars-taxis-private-hire-vehicles-vans-and-goods-vehicles/#under-three
• With the fitting of the car seat, we also need to ask has the individual had training in carrying in carrying this out?
• Is this transport covered under business insurance, so a call to your insurance company will be needed, or do they have business insurance on their vehicle?
• Safeguarding of the child needs to be looked at. In certain situations e.g. A designated member of staff should be appointed to plan and provide oversight of all transporting arrangements and respond to any difficulties that may arise. Wherever possible and practicable it is advisable that transport is undertaken other than in private vehicles, with at least one adult additional to the driver acting as an escort. Staff should ensure that their behaviour is safe and that the transport arrangements and the vehicle meet all legal requirements. They should ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and appropriately insured and that the maximum capacity is not exceeded
• Emergency procedures, e.g. what happens if the child’s health begins to deteriorate during the journey.

First aid

The first aid boxes are located in: Downstairs and Upstairs Landings

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

The Manager/ Room Leaders are responsible for first aid checks the contents of the boxes regularly/ every Month and replaces items that have been used or are out of date.

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

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is Saadia Khalid/ Person in Charge.

All of the staff are aimed to be 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 the risk of choking. The use of food as a play material is discouraged. However, as we understand that learning experiences are provided through exploring different malleable materials the following may be used:

• Playdough
• Cornflour
• Dried pasta, rice and pulses.

These are risk assessed and presented differently to the way it would be presented for eating e.g. in trays,

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 fully 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 choosing PPE to ensure all allergies and individual needs are supported and this is evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Dealing with blood

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

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

Needle punctures and sharps injury

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

We treat our responsibilities and obligations in respect of health and safety as a priority and 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.

[1] An accident is an unfortunate event or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in an injury, for example tripping over and hurting your knee.

An Incident is an event or occurrence that is related to another person, typically resulting in an injury, for example being pushed over and hurting your knee.

At Little Angels 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. Staff are trained in appropriate treatments for allergies and anaphylaxis, the differences between allergies and intolerances and that children can develop allergies at any time, especially during the introduction of solid foods
• Before a child is admitted to the setting we obtain information about special dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies and intolerances that the child has
• We have ongoing discussions with parents and, where appropriate, health professionals to develop allergy plans for managing any known allergies and intolerances. We ask parents to inform staff of any allergies or intolerances discovered after registration
• We share all information with all staff involved in the preparing and handling of food, including at mealtimes and snack times and keep a record of allergy list in the rooms boards and displayed on kitchen cabinet
• 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 and this assessment is shared with all staff. This may involve displaying photos of the children along with their known allergies in the kitchen/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
• The manager, nursery cook and parents 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
• At each mealtime and snack time we ensure staff are clear who is responsible for checking that the food being provided meets all the requirements for each child
• 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, where 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 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 children to hospital, the nursery manager/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 well affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the incident.

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

Legislation

• The Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Act 2018

At Little Angels we recognise that children and their families may experience grief and loss of close family members or friends or their family pets whilst with us in the nursery. We understand that this is not only a difficult time for families, but it may also be a confusing time for young children, especially if they have little or no understanding of why their parents are upset and why this person/pet is no longer around.

We aim to support both the child and their family and will adapt the following procedure to suit their individual needs and family preferences:

• We ask that if there is a loss of a family member or close friend that the parents inform the nursery as soon as they feel able to. This will enable us to support both the child and the family wherever we can and helps us to understand any potential changes in behaviour of a child who may be grieving themselves
• The key person and/or the manager will talk with the family to ascertain what support is needed or wanted from the nursery. This may be an informal discussion or a meeting away from the child to help calm a potentially upsetting situation
• The child may need extra support or one-to-one care during this difficult time. We will adapt our staffing arrangements so the child is fully supported by the most appropriate member of staff on duty, where possible the child’s key person
• We will be as flexible as possible to adapt the sessions the child and family may need during this time.

We will adapt the above procedure as appropriate when a family pet dies to help the child to understand their loss and support their emotions through this time.

We also recognise that there may also be rare occasions when the nursery team is affected by a death of a child or member of staff. This will be a difficult time for the staff team, children and families. Below are some agencies that may be able to offer further support and counselling if this occurs.

The Samaritans: www.samaritans.org  116 123

Priory: www.priorygroup.com   0808 138 8680

Child Bereavement UK: www.childbereavementuk.org   0800 02 888 40

Cruse Bereavement Care: https://www.cruse.org.uk  0808 808 1677

British Association of Counselling: www.bacp.co.uk  01455 883300

SANDS: https://www.sands.org.uk/ 0808 164 3332

Death of a Child

If an employee experiences the death of a child under the age of 18 or suffers a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy, or has an abortion after 24 weeks (in very limited circumstances an abortion can take place after 24 weeks if the mother’s life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability), the employee will be entitled to two weeks paid leave, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria having been employed for at least 26 weeks.

Additionally, an employee may take parental bereavement leave in the event of the death of an adopted child while on adoption leave or the death of a child while on shared parental leave. The amount of leave depends on the circumstances and the employer will seek legal advice regarding the employee’s individual circumstances at the time of the bereavement.

Support will be given, including making reasonable adjustments on the return to work and further ongoing support, as required.

At Little Angels we care for babies and children under the age of two as well as toddlers ages 2-3 and pre-school children.

We ensure their health, safety and well-being through the following:

• Implementing the EYFS requirements at all times and caring for babies and under2’s in a separate base room with a maximum number of 12 of children on a minimum ratio of 1:3
• Allocating each baby with a key person and working in partnership with their parent/carers to meet their individual needs and routines
• Having well qualified staff that understand the needs of babies and under 2’s, ensuring that at least half of the staff team caring for children under the age of two have undertaken specific training for working with babies.

• Ensuring babies and under 2’s have opportunities to see and play with older children whilst at nursery.
• Children transitioning to the older age groups/rooms when assessed as appropriate for their age/stage (see separate Transition Policy)
• Staff supervising all babies and under 2’s and organising the environment to support both non-mobile babies and more mobile babies and under2’s.

Environment

• The environment, equipment and resources are risk assessed and checked daily before the children access the rooms/area. This includes checking the stability of cots and areas around, low/highchairs and ensuring restraints on these, pushchairs and prams are intact and working
• All doors are fitted with viewing panels and door finger-guards to prevent accidents
• Outdoor shoes are removed or covered when entering the baby area(s). Staff remind parents and visitors to adhere to this procedure. Flooring is cleaned regularly
• Sterilisers are washed out and cleaned daily
• Large pieces of furniture are fixed to the walls to stop them falling on top of babies and young children

Play and learning is planned in line with children’s individual interests and the EYFS learning and development requirements.

Resources

• Care is taken to ensure that babies and under2’s do not have access to resources/activities containing small pieces, which may be swallowed or otherwise injure the child
• Babies and young children are closely supervised during all activities
• Resources and equipment that babies and young children have placed in their mouth are cleaned/sterilised after use
• All resources are frequently cleaned
• Soft furnishings are frequently cleaned
• The use of resources that restrict babies’ movement such as baby walkers, pushchairs, jumparoos, etc will not be used on a regular basis because these can contribute to delayed physical development. We follow NHS guidelines which recommends that if these resources are to be used then it should be for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Intimate Care 

• Babies’/toddlers’ privacy is considered and balanced with safeguarding and support needs when changing nappies and toileting

• Babies and young children have their nappies changed according to their individual needs and requirements by their key person, wherever possible. Checks are documented with the time and staff initials and information is shared with parents.
• When developmentally appropriate, we work closely with parents/carers to sensitively support toilet training in a way that suits the individual needs of the child
• Potties are washed and disinfected after every use. Changing mats are wiped with anti-bacterial cleanser before and after every nappy change
• Staff ensure all the equipment is ready before babies and young children are placed on the changing mat
• No child is ever left unattended during nappy changing time
• Intimate care times are seen as opportunities for one-to-one interactions
• Staff do not change nappies whilst pregnant until a risk assessment has been discussed and conducted. Students only change nappies with the support and close supervision of a qualified member of staff (see separate Students Policy)
• Cameras, mobile phones and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities are not permitted in toilet and nappy changing areas
• Nappy sacks and creams are not be left in reach of babies and children
• We always systems in place to ensure there is an adequate supply of clean bedding, towels and spare clothes

See separate Nappy changing policy.

Sleep

• Each baby/toddler has labelled nursery bedding which is washed at least weekly and when necessary, this takes into account any allergies and irritation to soap powders and any individual needs for example if a child prefers to sleep in a sleeping bag we will ask parents/carers to bring one from home
• All cot mattresses/sleep mats meet necessary safety standards
• Safe sleep guidance is followed at all times, babies are always laid to sleep on their back, with their feet touching the foot of the cot. Children under two years are not given pillows, cot bumpers or any soft furnishings in order to prevent risk of suffocation
• We also share safe sleep advice with parents/carers.
• We ensure that sheets or thin blankets come no higher than the baby's shoulders, to prevent them wriggling under the covers. We make sure the covers are securely tucked in so they cannot slip over the baby's head
• Only sheets and blankets that are of good condition are used, any loose threads are removed.
• Cots are checked before use to ensure no items are within reach i.e. hanging over or beside the cot (e.g. fly nets, cables, cord blinds)
• Babies sleeping outside have cat/fly nets over their prams and we ensure we only use prams that lie flat for sleeping so babies/toddlers are supported
• Sleeping babies/children are supervised at all times and checks are completed every 10 minutes. This may increase to five minutes for younger babies and/or new babies.

Bottles 

• Feeding times are seen as an opportunity for bonding between practitioner and child and where possible babies are fed by their key person

• Food/milk for babies is prepared in a Separate area which is specifically designated for this preparation. Handwashing is completed before preparation is undertaken

• Bottles of formula milk are only made up as and when the child needs them. Following the Department of Health guidelines, we only use recently boiled water to make formula bottles (left for no longer than 30 minutes to cool). We do not use cooled boiled water that is reheated. They are then cooled to body temperature, which means they should feel warm or cool, but not hot.

• Bottles are only made following the instructions on the formula, if during the making process there are discrepancies, a new bottle will be made
• All new staff will be shown the procedure, and only when competent and confident will they make them on their own. Students are fully supervised.
• Nursery bottles and teats are thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water and sterilised after use (they are not be washed in the dishwasher). They are replaced as and when required.
• Unwanted/left over contents of bottles are disposed of after two hours

• Babies are never left propped up or laid in a cot with bottles as it is both dangerous and inappropriate
• A designated area is available for mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies or express milk
• Labelled mothers’ breast milk is stored in the fridge.

Mealtimes

• All babies and young children are seated safely in low/highchairs used for feeding. The chairs are fitted with restraints, and these are used at all times. Children are never left unattended when eating or when in low/highchairs. Restraints are removed and washed weekly or as needed
• Mealtimes are seen as social occasions and promote interactions. Staff always sit with babies and young children, interacting, promoting communication and social skills
• Staff supervising mealtimes will have ongoing discussions with parents about the stage their child is at in regard to introducing solid foods, including to understand the textures the child is familiar with. Assumptions will not be made based on age
• Food will be prepared in a suitable way for each child’s individual developmental needs, working with parents to help children move on to the next stage at a pace right for the child
• All children are closely supervised whilst eating and if any choking incidents occur paediatric first aid will be administered
• Babies and young children are encouraged to feed themselves with support, as required
• We work together with parents regarding weaning and offer any support, as required.

See separate Nutrition and mealtimes policy for further details.

Comforter and dummies

• We have a separate ‘Use of Dummies in Nursery’ Policy to promote communication and language development

• If dummies are used, they are cleaned and sterilised. This also applies to dummies which have been dropped on the floor (see separate dummy policy)
• All dummies are stored in separate labelled containers to ensure no cross-contamination occurs
• Dummies are disposed of if they become damaged
• Comforters including teddies and blankets are kept safe and provided at sleep times, or if the child becomes unsettled.

The 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.

The system comprises of 10 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 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 will be retained for a maximum of 30 days, except where the image identifies an issue and is retained specifically in the context of an investigation/prosecution of that issue.  The images/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, the recordings may also be viewed by other individuals. When CCTV recordings are being 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 the information has been provided to (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 / 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 3rd 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
• They 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 are 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) or for parents to view child transitions.

Well-being is a broad term that covers how you feel about yourself and your life. It encompasses the physical, emotional (and mental), social and spiritual areas of a person. Under the Early Years Foundations Stage (EYFS) this is covered in the children’s personal, social, emotional development and physical development, both of which are prime areas of learning and development.

Physical well-being covers everything physical to do with the body:

• Growth and development
• Moving and keeping physically fit
• Caring for personal health (e.g. washing, cleaning teeth, etc.)
• Eating a balanced and nutritious diet
• Rest and appropriate sleep patterns.

Mental and emotional well-being includes:

• Acknowledging, expressing and coping with feelings and emotions
• Thought processes
• Reducing stress and anxiety.

Social well-being includes:

• Relationships
• Family (close and extended)
• Friends
• The feeling of belonging and acceptance
• Compassion and caring approaches.

Spiritual well-being can cover the following:

• Value and beliefs held
• Personal identity and self-awareness.

Children’s physical well-being is supported through our carefully planned curriculum programme which supports all types of gross and fine motor play both inside and outside. We provide nutritionally balanced meals for the children and support our staff to make healthy choices in regards to their physical health.

Personal hygiene is supported in children of all ages, explaining the reasons for hand washing, tooth brushing and other routines.

Children are provided with quiet and calming areas for rest, sleep and relaxation. This supports both their physical and mental well-being.  We support children to make strong attachments with their key person as well as forge relationships with their peers in order to support their social well-being. We offer opportunities and resources for children to play singly, in pairs, small groups and large groups to support this area of development.

Children’s mental and emotional well-being is supported. We provide a safe environment that allows for caregiver to child co-regulation. This practice supports the process of children building the capacity for self-regulation, through providing activities in which children are able to recognise and express their emotions, including emotional literacy.   This enables us to provide support for children who may be experiencing big emotions they cannot cope with just yet, including sadness and over-excitement. We support children’s self-regulation through carefully planned activities and resources, modelling calming strategies and naming and talking about feelings and by providing opportunities for children to practise their self-regulation skills.

Staff use the Promoting positive behaviour policy to ensure a consistent approach.

Staff are able to recognise when a child may need support with their emotions and will provide this one-to-one or in a small group, whichever is more appropriate. Teaching children to recognise and manage their emotions at a young age helps support foundations for doing this throughout their life.

At Little Angels we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for our children and families and believe that all parents are 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/Child Protection Policy.

Internal complaints procedure

Stage 1

If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, they should in the first instance take it up with the child's key person or a senior member of staff/room leader.  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 in relation to the fulfilment of the EYFS requirements and report back to the parent within 14 days. The manager will document the complaint fully, the actions taken and the outcome in relation to it in the complaints log book.

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

Stage 3

If the matter is still not resolved, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the manager, parent and a senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. The nursery will make a record of the meeting and document any actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, and be asked to sign to agree it and receive a copy. This will signify the conclusion of the procedure.

Stage 4

If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with Ofsted. Parents are made aware that they can contact Ofsted at any time they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaint’s procedure, and are given information on how to contact Ofsted. Ofsted is the registering authority for nurseries in England and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nursery’s registration. Its risk assesses all complaints made and may visit the nursery to carry out a full inspection where it believes requirements are not met.

A record of complaints will be kept in the nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, 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. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately.

The record of complaints is made available to Ofsted on request.

We will follow this procedure for any other compliments and complaints received from visitors to the provider, where applicable.

Contact details for Ofsted:

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 4666

For more information about Ofsted’s role see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-for-parents-about-ofsteds-role-in-regulating-childcare

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

At Little Angels 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/abusive manner

The call taker receiving a call leading to abusive/aggressive 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 calls will be logged with an outline of the conversation.

 Emails of an aggressive/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 complaint’s procedure. If slanderous/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 calm 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 children. 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/professionals that can offer support if applicable.

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

At Little Angels we understand we need to plan for all eventualities to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all the children we care for. With this in mind, we have a critical incident policy in place to ensure our nursery is able to operate effectively in the case of a critical incident. These include:

• Flood
• Fire
• Burglary
• Abduction or threatened abduction of a child
• Bomb threat/terrorism attack
• National outbreaks of infection/health pandemics
• Any other incident that may affect the care of the children in the nursery.

If any of these incident’s impact on the ability of the nursery to operate, we will contact parents via *famly app/*phone/*email/*text message at the earliest opportunity, e.g. before the start of the nursery day.

Flood

There is always a danger of flooding from adverse weather conditions or through the water/central heating systems. We cannot anticipate adverse weather; however, we can ensure that we take care of all our water and heating systems through regular maintenance and checks to reduce the option of flooding in this way. Our central heating systems are checked and serviced annually by a registered gas engineer and they conform to all appropriate guidelines and legislation.

If flooding occurs during the nursery day, the nursery manager will make a decision based on the severity and location of this flooding, and it may be deemed necessary to follow the same procedure as the fire evacuation procedure. In this instance children will be kept safe and parents will be notified in the same way as the fire procedure (see Fire Safety Policy).

Should the nursery be assessed as unsafe through flooding, fire or any other incident we will follow our operational plan and provide *care in another location/*parents with alternative arrangements in sister nurseries/*options for childcare facilities in the local area.

Fire

Please refer to the fire safety policy.

Burglary

The management of the nursery follow a lock up procedure which ensures all doors and windows are closed and locked before vacating the premises. Alarm systems are used and in operation during all hours the nursery is closed.

The manager or most senior member of staff on site will always check the premises as they arrive in the morning. Should they discover that the nursery has been broken into they will follow the procedure below:

• In an emergency dial 999 or non-emergency dial 101 with as many details as possible, i.e. name and location, details of what you have found and emphasise this is a nursery and children will be arriving soon
• Contain the area to ensure no-one enters until the police arrive.
• Where it is safe to do so, the staff will direct parents and children to a separate area as they arrive. If all areas have been disturbed staff will follow police advice. This may include temporary short-term closure and/or following the relocation procedure under the flood section wherever necessary to ensure the safety of the children
• The manager on duty will help the police with enquiries, e.g. by identifying items missing, areas of entry etc.
• A manager will be available at all times during this time to speak to parents, reassure children and direct enquires
• Management will assess the situation following a theft and ensure parents are kept up to date with developments relating to the operation of the nursery
• Arrangements will be made to ensure the nursery is made safe and secure again.

Abduction or threatened abduction of a child

We have secure safety procedures in place to ensure children are safe while in our care, including taking reasonable steps to ensure that children do not leave the premises unsupervised and to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises and at risk of abduction. Staff are vigilant at all times and report any persons lingering on nursery property immediately. All doors and gates to the nursery are locked and cannot be accessed unless staff members allow individuals in. Parents are reminded on a regular basis not to allow anyone into the building whether they are known to them or not. We also have visual reminders about closing the door behind them to prevent tailgating (another person accessing entry behind them).   Visitors and general security are covered in more detail in the supervision of visitor’s policy.

Children will only be released into the care of a designated adult; see the arrivals and departures policy for more details. Parents are requested to inform the nursery of any potential custody proceedings or family concerns as soon as they arise so the nursery is able to support the child. The nursery will not take sides in relation to any custody arrangements and will remain neutral for the child. If an absent parent arrives to collect their child, the nursery will not restrict access unless a court order is in place. Parents are requested to issue the nursery with a copy of these documents should they be in place. We will consult our solicitors with regards to any concerns over custody and relay any information back to the parties involved.

If a member of staff witnesses an actual or potential abduction from nursery we have the following procedures which are followed immediately:

• The staff member will notify management immediately and the manager will take control, dialling 999 and requesting the police, instructions from the emergency response team will be followed
• The parent(s) will be contacted
• All other children will be kept safe and secure, reassured and calmed where necessary
• The police will be given as many details as possible including details of the child, description of the abductor, car registration number if used, time and direction of travel if seen and any family situations that may have impacted on this abduction.
• Any incidents must be recorded in writing as soon as practicably possible including the outcome, who was abducted, time identified, notification to police and findings
• In the unlikely event that the child is not found, the nursery will follow the local authority and police procedure
• Ofsted will be contacted and informed of any incidents
• With incidents of this nature parents, carers, children and staff may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience. Management will provide this or seek further support where necessary
• In any cases with media attention staff will not speak to any media representatives
• Post-incident risk assessments will be conducted following any incident of this nature to enable the chance of this reoccurring being reduced.

Bomb threat/terrorism attack

If a bomb threat is received at the nursery, the person taking the call will record all details given over the phone as soon as possible and raise the alarm/contact emergency services as soon as the phone call has ended. The management will follow the fire evacuation procedure and guidance from the emergency services to ensure the safety of all on the premises. The person who took the call will provide as much detail to the emergency services as possible. Ofsted will be notified. With incidents of this nature parents, carers, children and staff may require support and reassurance following the traumatic experience. Management will provide this or seek further support where necessary.

Any other significant incidents

All incidents will be managed by the manager on duty and all staff will co-operate with any emergency services on the scene, where applicable. The fire evacuation procedure will be followed for any other incident that requires an emergency evacuation. Other incidents e.g. no water supply, will be dealt with on an individual basis taking into account the effect on the safety, health and welfare of the children and staff in the nursery

If there is an incident outside of the nursery building and it is safer to stay inside the building will put into place the lockdown procedure. Emergency advice would be taken.

National outbreaks of infection/Health Pandemics

In the event of a national outbreak of a health pandemic, we will follow Government health advice and guidance, legal advice and advice from our insurance provider.

The setting will remain open as long as we have sufficient staff to care for the children. Depending on the nature of the pandemic we will follow all advice and implement measures to ensure that risks to vulnerable children and staff are minimised. This may include excluding infected children/staff/parents or family members from the setting for a set period of time, to prevent the spread of infection. This decision will be done in consultation with parents, staff, legal advice and our insurance provider. Each case will be reviewed on an individual basis.

The nursery manager will notify Ofsted in the event of a critical incident.

At Little Angels we recognise that we hold sensitive/confidential information about children and their families and the staff we employ. This information is used to meet children’s needs, for registers, invoices and emergency contacts. We store all records in a locked cabinet or on the office computer with files that are password protected in line with data protection principles. Any information shared with the staff team is done on a ‘need to know’ basis and treated in confidence. This policy works alongside the Privacy Notice to ensure compliance under General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

Legal requirements

• We follow the legal requirements set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and accompanying regulations about the information we must hold about registered children and their families and the staff working at the nursery
• We follow the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 with regard to the storage of data and access to it.

Procedures

It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their families and we do so by:

• Storing confidential records in a locked filing cabinet or on the office computer with files that are password protected
• Ensuring staff, student and volunteer inductions include an awareness of the importance of the need to protect the privacy of the children in their care as well as the legal requirements that exist to ensure that information relating to the child is handled in a way that ensures confidentiality. This includes ensuring that information about the child and family is not shared outside of the nursery other than with relevant professionals who need to know that information. It is not shared with friends and family, or part of any social discussions outside of the setting. If staff breach any confidentiality provisions, this may result in disciplinary action and, in serious cases, dismissal. Students on placement in the nursery are advised of our Data protection and confidentiality policy and required to respect it
• Ensuring that all staff, volunteers and students are aware that information about children and families is confidential and only for use within the nursery and to support the child’s best interests with parental permission
• Ensuring that parents have access to files and records of their own children but not to those of any other child, other than where relevant professionals such as the police or local authority children’s social care team decide this is not in the child’s best interest
• Ensuring all staff are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery setting. If any of this information is requested for whatever reason, the parent’s permission will always be sought other than in the safeguarding circumstances above
• Ensuring staff do not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs
• Ensuring staff, students and volunteers are aware of and follow our Social networking policy in relation to confidentiality
• Ensuring issues concerning the employment of staff remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions
• Ensuring any concerns or evidence relating to a child’s personal safety are kept in a secure, confidential file and are shared with as few people as possible on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. If, however, a child is considered at risk, our Safeguarding children and child protection policy will override confidentiality.

All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the nursery, which is to the safety and well-being of the child.

General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) compliance

In order to meet our requirements under GDPR we will also undertake the following:

• We will ensure our terms and conditions, privacy and consent notices are easily accessed and made available in accurate and easy to understand language
• We will use personal data to ensure the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our nursery. We will only make contact in relation to the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our nursery. We will not share or use personal data for other purposes. Further detail can be found in the GDPR privacy notice
• Everyone in our nursery understands that people have the right to access their records or have their records amended or deleted (subject to other laws and regulations)
• We will ensure staff have due regard to the relevant data protection principles, which allow them to share (and withhold) personal information, as provided for in the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR. This includes:
  • Being confident of the processing conditions which allow them to store and share information for safeguarding purposes, including information which is sensitive and personal, and should be treated as ‘special category personal data’
  • Understanding that ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ is a processing condition that allows practitioners to share special category personal data. This includes allowing practitioners to share information without consent where there is good reason to do so, and that the sharing of information will enhance the safeguarding of a child in a timely manner, but it is not possible to gain consent, it cannot be reasonably expected that a practitioner gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.

Staff and volunteer information

• All information and records relating to staff and volunteers will be kept confidentially in a locked cabinet
• Individual staff may request to see their own personal file at any time.
• Our Organisation is registered with ICO. A copy of ICO certificate is stored with policies documents.

This may form part of your Inclusion and Equality policy rather than a standalone policy. This policy also links to safeguarding and child protection, prevent duty and radicalisation and whistleblowing policies.

At Little Angels we do not tolerate discriminatory behaviour and take action to tackle discrimination. We believe that parents have a right to know if discrimination occurs and what actions the nursery will take to tackle it. We follow our legal duties in relation to discrimination and record all incidents of any perceived or actual relating to discrimination on any grounds and report these where relevant to children’s parents and the registering authority.

Definition and legal framework

Types of discrimination

• Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic
• Discrimination by association occurs when there is a direct discrimination against a person because they associate with a person who has a protected characteristic
• Discrimination by perception occurs when there is a direct discrimination against a person because they are perceived to have a protected characteristic
• Indirect discrimination can occur where a provision, criterion or practice is in place which applies to everyone in the organisation but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic and that provision, criterion or practice cannot be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
• Harassment is defined as ‘unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual’
• Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly or put to detriment because they have made or supported a complaint or raised grievance under the Equality Act 2010 or have been suspected of doing so.

Protected characteristics

The nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity.

Incidents may involve a small or large number of persons, they may vary in their degree of offence and may not even recognise the incident has discriminatory implications; or at the other extreme their behaviour may be quite deliberate and blatant.

Examples of discriminatory behaviour are:

• Physical assault against a person or group of people
• Derogatory name calling, insults and discriminatory jokes
• Graffiti and other written insults (depending on the nature of what is written)
• Provocative behaviour such as wearing badges and insignia and the distribution of discriminatory literature
• Threats against a person or group of people pertaining to the nine protected characteristics listed above
• Discriminatory comments including ridicule made in the course of discussions
• Patronising words or actions.

Our procedures

We tackle discrimination by:

• Providing inclusive early years practice where all staff are able to identify, understand and break down barriers to participation and belonging and create an ethos of equality
• Consistently promoting the British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs to all practitioners, children and families in the setting. We value diversity and celebrate differences in children and families
• Providing training and support around this subject to support staffs understanding and confidence in challenging discriminatory practice
• Challenging any observed instances of inequalities, discrimination and prejudice as they arise in play, conversation, books or other contexts from practitioners, children and families and follow this policy, as outlines below, to ensure that discriminatory behaviours against the protected characteristics are not tolerated within our setting
• Ensuring all children and families have a sense of belonging and they can see themselves and their families identity reflected in the setting
• Expecting all staff in the nursery to be aware of and alert to any discriminatory behaviour, stereotyping, bias or bullying taking place in person or via an online arena
• Expecting all staff to intervene firmly and quickly to prevent any discriminatory behaviour or bullying, this may include behaviour from parents and other staff members
• Expecting all staff to treat any allegation seriously and report it to the nursery manager. Investigating and recording each incident in detail as accurately as possible and making this record available for inspection by staff, inspectors and parents where appropriate, on request. The nursery manager is responsible for ensuring that incidents are handled appropriately and sensitively and entered in the record book. Any pattern of behaviour should be indicated. Perpetrator/victim’s initials may be used in the record book as information on individuals is confidential to the nursery
• Ensuring any online bullying or discriminatory behaviour is tackled immediately
• Informing: the parents of the child(ren) who are perpetrators and/or victims should be informed of the incident and of the outcome, where an allegation is substantiated following an investigation
• Excluding or dismissing any individuals who display continued discriminatory behaviour or bullying, but such steps will only be taken when other strategies have failed to modify behaviour. This includes any employees where any substantiated allegation after investigation will incur our disciplinary procedures (please see the policy on disciplinary procedures).

We record any incidents of discriminatory behaviour or bullying to ensure that:

• Strategies are developed to prevent future incidents
• Patterns of behaviour are identified
• Persistent offenders are identified
• Effectiveness of nursery policies are monitored
• A secure information base is provided to enable the nursery to respond to any discriminatory behaviour or bullying.

If the behaviour shown by an individual is deemed to be radicalised, we will follow our procedure as detailed in our Safeguarding and child protection and Prevent Duty and Radicalisation Policies in order to safeguard children and families concerned.

Nursery staff

We expect all staff to be alert and seek to overcome any ignorant or offensive behaviour based on fear or dislike of distinctions that children, staff or parents may express in nursery.

We aim to create an atmosphere where the victims of any form of discrimination have confidence to report such behaviour, and that subsequently they feel positively supported by the staff and management of the nursery.

It is incumbent upon all members of staff to ensure that they do not express any views or comments that are discriminatory; or appear to endorse such views by failing to counter behaviour, which is prejudicial in a direct manner. We expect all staff to use a sensitive and informed approach to counter any harassment perpetrated out of ignorance.

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

Legal obligations

Our legal obligations as an employer are detailed in the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (2015). A full copy of the ACAS Code of Practice and the accompanying guidance can be obtained from the ACAS website http://www.acas.org.uk.

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

Objectives and guiding principles

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

It is our policy to ensure that any disciplinary matter is dealt with fairly and consistently. We will take the necessary steps to establish the facts and to give employees the opportunity to respond before taking any formal action.

This procedure does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and it may be amended at any time. We may also vary this procedure, including any time limits, as appropriate in any case.

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

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

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

The employee will not normally be dismissed for a first act of misconduct, unless it is decided it amounts to gross misconduct or the employee has not yet completed their probationary period.

The procedure

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

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

Stage 1: Investigation

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

Suspension

• If the nursery believes that the employee may be guilty of misconduct, which is considered (at the settings absolute discretion) to be serious misconduct, where relationships have broken down, or where we have any grounds to consider that nursery property or responsibilities to other parties are at risk, or where we consider in the settings absolute discretion that the employees continued presence at the Company's premises would hinder an investigation, the nursery is entitled to suspend the employee on full pay
• Any such suspension will normally last only as long as required to enable an investigation into the circumstances giving rise to such belief of serious misconduct to be carried out and any disciplinary hearing to be convened
• Any such period of suspension is not a punishment, nor considered as disciplinary action against the employee, nor does it imply that any decision has been taken about the employee’s case.

Stage 2: Invite to disciplinary hearing

• The nursery will hold the disciplinary meeting to discuss the allegations. The employee will have the right to bring a companion to the meeting. A companion may be a work colleague or trade union representative. The employee must inform the nursery manager prior to the meeting who their chosen companion is. If their companion is unreasonable, for example, there may be a conflict of interest, the nursery manager may require the employee to choose someone else
• If the employee or their companion is unable to attend the meeting the employee should inform the nursery manager immediately and an alternative time and date, where applicable will be arranged. The employee must make every effort to attend the meeting and failure to do so without good cause may be treated as misconduct in itself.

Disciplinary hearing

• During the meeting the nursery manager or designated person leading the meeting will go through the allegations against the employee and the evidence that has been collated. The employee will be able to state their case and call relevant witnesses (provided the employee gives advance notice and we agree to their attendance) to support the case
• The nursery may adjourn the disciplinary meeting if further investigations need to be carried out and the employee will be given reasonable opportunity to consider new information
• The employee will be notified of the decision in writing, usually within [suggest seven] working days of the hearing
• If the employee persistently fails to reply to invitations, or persistently fails to attend the arranged hearing without good cause, it may be carried out in their absence and they will be notified of the decision in writing. The employee will retain the right to appeal.

Appeal

• The employee will be given the opportunity to appeal the decision. If they wish to appeal, the employee should state their full grounds in writing and the letter should be sent to owner within five working days from the date the decision was communicated to them
• The appeal meeting will be conducted impartially by a senior manager, where possible, who has not previously been involved in the case
• The employee will be able to bring a companion to the meeting and the companion may be a work colleague or trade union representative (as stated above)
• The nursery may adjourn the appeal hearing if further investigations need to be carried out and the employee will be given reasonable opportunity to consider any new information before the hearing is reconvened
• The nursery will inform the employee in writing of the final decision as soon as possible, usually within  five working days of the appeal hearing.

There is no legal right to appeal beyond this stage.

Disciplinary penalties

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

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

The usual penalties for misconduct are set out below. No penalty should be imposed without a hearing. We aim to treat all employees fairly and consistently, and a penalty imposed on another employee for similar misconduct will usually be taken into account but should not be treated as a precedent. Each case will be assessed on its own merits.

The employee will not normally be dismissed for a first act of misconduct, unless it is decided that it amounts to gross misconduct or the employee has not yet completed their probationary period.

First written warning

A first written warning may be authorised by Manager, owner, HR department. It will usually be appropriate for a first act of misconduct where there are no other active written warnings on the employee disciplinary record.

Final written warning

A final written warning may be authorised by Manager, owner, HR department. It will usually be appropriate for:

1. misconduct where there is already an active written warning on the employee record,
2. misconduct that we consider is sufficiently serious, to warrant a final written warning even though there are no active warnings on the employee record.

Dismissal

Dismissal may be authorised by Manager, owner, HR department. It will usually only be appropriate for:

1. any misconduct during the employee probationary period;
2. further misconduct where there is an active final written warning on the employee record; or
3. any gross misconduct regardless of whether there are active warnings on the employee record. Gross misconduct will usually result in immediate dismissal without notice or payment in lieu of notice (summary dismissal). Examples of gross misconduct are set out below.

Levels of authority

Nursery Managers have the authority to suspend an employee pending investigation. Only the Nursery Manager and higher management has the authority to dismiss an employee as set out above.

Gross misconduct

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

Duration of warnings

Under normal circumstances warnings will be valid for the following time periods, although these may vary according to the nature of the occurrence and may therefore be determined by mutual agreement at the time of issue:

• Verbal warning - six months
• First written warning - six months
• Final written warning - 12 months.

On expiry, warnings will be disregarded for future disciplinary purposes.

Alternatives to dismissal

In some cases the nursery may, at the setting’s discretion, consider alternatives to dismissal. These must be authorised by management grade and will usually be accompanied by a final written warning. Examples include:

• Demotion/Loss of seniority
• Change to job role
• A period of suspension without pay
• Loss of additional hours/overtime.

Examples of gross misconduct

Examples of what would constitute a gross misconduct offence include:

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

• Unauthorised absence from work/unacceptable attendance levels
• Obscene language or other offensive behaviour
• Negligence in the performance of the employee duties.

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

Examples of misconduct

Examples of what would constitute a misconduct offence include:

• Minor breaches of our policies including the Sickness Absence Policy, Mobile Phone, Smartwatches and Social Networking Policy, and Health and Safety Policies
• Minor breaches of the employee contract
• Minor damage to, or unauthorised use of nursery property
• Poor timekeeping
• Time-wasting
• Refusal to follow instructions
• Excessive use of our telephones for personal calls
• Excessive personal email or internet usage
• Smoking in no smoking areas.

N.B. Some of the misconduct offences above may, dependent on the circumstances and having followed a detailed investigation, also be classed as gross misconduct offences.

As an organisation we take the health and wellbeing of staff and children seriously. As such, we would expect all members of staff working within the setting to abide by any government recommendations, laws and guidelines set for example rules on social distancing whether at work or in their private lives. Any breaches of government guidelines will be dealt with in accordance with our disciplinary procedures and may also be treated as misconduct.

At Little Angels we promote the learning and development of all children in our care. We have a quality workforce with highly qualified staff who recognise that each child is an individual, focusing on their needs, interests, learning and development. Staff plan challenging and enjoyable experiences across the seven areas of the curriculum. Our staff are ambitious for our children and guide and plan what children learn reflecting on the different rates at which they develop and adjust practice appropriately. Our aim is to support all children attending the nursery to attain their maximum potential within their individual capabilities.

We provide a positive inclusive play environment for every child, so they develop good social skills and an appreciation of all aspects of this country's multi-cultural society. We plan learning experiences to ensure, as far as practical, there is equality of opportunity for all children and a celebration of diversity.

We maintain a personalised record of every child's development, showing their abilities, progress, interests and any areas requiring further support.

For children whose home language is not English, we will take reasonable steps to:

• Provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning and support their language development at home; and
• Ensure that children have sufficient opportunities to learn and reach a good standard in English language during the EYFS, ensuring that children are ready to benefit from the opportunities available to them when they begin year one.

We ensure that the educational programmes are well planned and resourced to have depth and breadth across the seven areas of learning. They provide interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of all children and reflects the wide range of skills, knowledge and attitudes they will need as foundations for learning. Planning is based on a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children and what they can achieve. We may use the Development matters and Birth to 5 matters for guidance to support staff to plan and deliver the EYFS learning and development requirements.

We implement the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) set by the Department for Education that sets standards to ensure all children learn and develop well. We support and enhance children’s learning and development holistically through play-based activities. We review all aspects of learning and development and ensure a flexible approach is maintained, which responds quickly to children’s learning and developmental needs. We develop tailor-made activities based on observations, which inform future planning and draw on children’s needs and interests. This is promoted through adult-led and child-initiated opportunities both indoors and outdoors.

If we are concerned about a child’s progress in any areas of learning, staff will discuss this with the child’s parents and agree how best to support the child. Staff will consider whether a child may require any additional support, or if they may have a special educational need or disability which will require specialist support.

Assessment is an integral part of our practice; we carry out ongoing assessment (formative) through daily observations and ensure that this does not take us away from interacting with the children.

Summative assessment is carried out at set points of the year including:

• Assessment on entry (starting point), including parental contributions. Progress check at age two (where applicable)
• the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (where applicable) or any other summative assessment e.g. when children transition to new rooms or leave for school

We acknowledge parents as primary educators and encourage parental involvement as outlined in our Parents and Carers as Partners policy. We build strong home links in order to enhance and extend children’s learning both within the nursery environment and in the child’s home and have regular meetings with parents to keep them up to date with their child’s progress.

We share information about the EYFS curriculum with parents and signpost them to further support via the following website:

www.foundationyears.org.uk/

We take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises, in the event of an emergency requiring a full lock down we will follow the lock down procedure: 

Lock down procedure

We will use the lock down procedure when the safety of the children, staff and others on the premises are at risk and we are better placed inside the current building, with doors and windows locked and blinds/curtains drawn.

We will activate this emergency procedure in response to a number of situations, but some of the more typical might be:

• A report incident or disturbance in the local community (with potential to pose a risk to staff and children in the nursery)
• An intruder on the nursery site (with potential to pose a risk to staff and children in nursery)
• A warning being received regarding a risk locally, of air pollution (smoke plumes, gas cloud etc.)
• A major fire or explosion in the vicinity of the nursery – as long as it is safer staying in the premises than leaving.

In this case the staff will be notified by using a repeated phrase, rainbow file, rainbow file, rainbow file via internal room phone call.

All individuals (including children) will remain in the area they are in, if safe to do so.  If the children are outside, staff are to promptly and calmly direct children into the building, if this will not endanger them. Staff will make efforts to close and lock doors/Shutters and blind down, wherever safe to do so.

All individuals will keep away from the windows and doors and children will be occupied in the centre of the room so they are not placed at risk or are able to see any situation developing outside.

The manager will ensure all children, staff and visitors are accounted for and safe before returning to the office area to keep up to date with the current situation via updates. The manager on duty will manage the situation dependant the information available. If the nursery is in immediate danger of an intruder, the police will be called as a matter of urgency. In other cases where the situation has been alerted by the police or local area authority then the nursery will await further instructions.

Once the all clear has been given externally the manager will issue the all clear internally. After this time the staff will try to return to normal practice to enable the children not to be disrupted or upset by the events.

Any children showing worries or concerns will have one to one time with their key person to talk about these.

Parents will be informed about the situation at the earliest safest opportunity and will be kept updated when the information changes.

After the event a post-incident evaluation will be conducted to ensure that each child and staff member was supported fully and the procedure went as planned. Ofsted will be informed.

At Little Angels we wish to support children to learn about sustainable practices and foster respect and care for living and non-living environments, in line with the DfE Sustainability and climate change strategy^[1].

We provide opportunities for children to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the importance of nature, sustainability, and the causes and impact of climate change through their learned and lived experiences. Children are able to develop positive attitudes and values about sustainable practices by exploring solutions to environmental issues, learning about the world around them and how to protect it and watching adults role model positive sustainable actions and solutions .

We promote a holistic, open-ended curriculum which explores ideas and practices for environmental sustainability and helps children understand the interdependence between people and the environment by:

• Helping children to spend time in nature, and explore it through art and play
• Supporting children to experience the natural environment through natural materials like wood, stone, sand and recycled materials
• Supporting the environment by learning how to grow and nurture plants in the nursery garden and discovering all about the food cycle by growing, harvesting and cooking food for our nursery menu
• Helping children to learn about water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction through play-based activities and adult interactions
• Going on nature walks and learning about plants they see in the local area
• Encouraging parents and children to regularly walk to nursery to raise the awareness of caring for the planet
• Encouraging children to become actively involved in the improvement of their local environment, such as by developing a recycling area and encouraging children to share a recycling ethos in the home environment.

helping children to explore nature through art and play

• Supporting children to experience the natural environment through natural materials like wood, stone, sand and recycled materials
• Supporting the environment by learning how to grow and nurture plants in the nursery garden and discovering all about the food cycle by growing, harvesting, and cooking food for our nursery menu
• Helping children to learn about water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction through play based activities and adult interactions
• Going on nature walks and learning about plants they see in the local area
• Encouraging parents and children to walk to nursery once a week / month to raise the awareness of caring for the planet
• Developing a recycling area and encouraging children to share recycling ethos into the home environment.

As a nursery we will embed sustainability into all aspects of the operations including:

• Recycling materials for art and creative activities and encouraging parents to bring in their recycling materials for the same use
• Ensuring parents recycle children’s take-home recycled material models if they do not keep them
• Considering our carbon footprint when purchasing materials
• Shopping local where possible
• Turning off equipment and lights when not in use
• Using energy saving light bulbs
• Not leaving any equipment on standby
• Unplugging all equipment at the end of its use/the day
• Using energy saving wash cycles on the washing machine
• Hanging washing out to dry/using clothes horses rather than tumble dryers where possible
• Composting food waste
• Incorporating water-wise strategies such as ensuring taps are turned off and leaks fixed
• Using rain water butts for outdoor water play
• Recycling water from the water play to water plants outside
• Using food that we have grown in nursery meals.

Working together with all our parents and partners will help our environment to be more sustainable and make it a better place for our future generations to grow up in.

We assess our nursery’s impact on the environment on a regular basis and put procedures in place to counteract this impact.

In order to encourage children not to waste food or to play with food at mealtimes, we discourage the use of food as a play material; instead we encourage activities which involve preparing and tasting different types of food.

This policy is reviewed annually and is carefully considered in the best interests of the children, nursery and the environment.

[1] https://bit.ly/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy

At Little Angels we organise the premises and equipment to meet the needs of all the children. We provide a wide range of high-quality equipment and resources to support the delivery of our early year’s curriculum. We take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children and ensure they are not exposed to risks.

To ensure this occurs within the nursery, including in our outdoor areas, we provide:

• Play equipment and resources which are safe and, where applicable, conform to the European Standards for Playground Equipment: EN 1176 and EN 1177, BS EN safety standards or Toys (Safety) Regulation (1995)
• A sufficient quantity of equipment and resources for the number of children registered in the nursery
• High quality e-sources to meet children’s individual needs and interests and promote all areas of children's learning and development
• Involve the children in decision making about new resources and equipment, where possible
• A wide range of books, equipment and resources which promote positive images of people of all races, cultures, ages, gender and abilities, are non-discriminatory and do not stereotype
• Play equipment and resources which promote continuity and progression, provide sufficient challenges
• Sufficient storage so resources and equipment can be displayed for children to independently choose and/or stored away safely and then rotated
• Appropriate risk assessments and checks on all resources and equipment before first use to identify any potential risks and again regularly at the beginning and end of every session.

Cleaning and maintaining of all resources and equipment. We repair or replace any unsafe, worn out, dirty or damaged equipment whenever required

• An inventory of resources and equipment. This records the date on which each item was purchased and the price paid for it
• An evaluation of the effectiveness of the resources including the children’s opinions and interests
• Role models and discussions to ensure that all children respect the equipment and resources and encourage them to put them back where they belong after use. We will often use silhouettes or pictures to support the children to do this.

At Little Angels we take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the nursery premises in the case of a fire or other emergency through our fire safety policy and emergency evacuation procedures.

The designated fire marshal is Muhammad Khalid Farooq.

We ensure the nursery premises are compliant with fire safety regulations, including following any major changes or alterations to the premises. The *manager/*designated fire marshal ensures we have all the appropriate fire detection and control equipment (e.g. fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire blankets and/or fire extinguishers) are in working order and seeks advice from the local fire safety officer as necessary.

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

All staff receive fire safety and evacuation training (including as part of induction) to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. This includes the steps they must take to ensure the safety of children, for example keeping fire doors free from obstruction, how to safely evacuate the children and where the evacuation meeting point is situated. Each room has a specific evacuation plan, which includes information such as evacuating non-mobile babies and using alternative exits depending on where the fire may be situated.

The *Manager/*Designated Fire Marshal checks fire detection and control equipment and fire exits in line with the timescales within the checklist below.

Fire checklist

A deputy fire marshal is appointed to over this role when the fire marshal is absent.

Registration

An accurate record of all staff and children present in the building must be kept at all times and children/staff must be marked in and out on arrival and departure. An accurate record of visitors is kept in the visitor’s book. These records are taken out along with the register and emergency contacts list in the event of a fire.

No smoking/vaping policy

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

Fire drill procedure

On discovering a fire:

• Calmly raise the alarm by *blowing the whistle/*ringing the bell/*breaking the alarm glass
• Immediately evacuate the building under guidance from the *manager on duty/*fire marshal (Collecting children’s room register, where applicable)
• Using the nearest accessible exit lead the children out, assemble at Car Park.
• Close all doors behind you wherever possible
• Do not stop to collect personal belongings on evacuating the building
• Do not attempt to go back in and fight the fire
• Do not attempt to go back in if any children or adults are not accounted for
• Wait for emergency services and report any unaccounted persons to the fire service/police.

If you are unable to evacuate safely:

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

The Manager/Fire marshal/Room leader is to:

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

Remember

• Do not stop to collect personal belongings on evacuating the building
• Do not attempt to go back in and fight the fire
• Do not attempt to go back in if any children or adults are not accounted for.

This policy is updated at least annually in consultation with staff and parents and/or after a fire evacuation practice and/or fire.

At Little Angels we ensure any food we use for play with the children is carefully supervised. We will also use the following procedures to ensure children are kept safe:

• Choking hazards are checked and avoided
• We will not use whole jelly cubes for play. If we do use jelly to enhance our play then all jelly will be prepared with water as per the instructions and then used
• Small objects such as dried pasta and pulses will not be used for younger children
• All allergies and intolerances will be checked and activities will be adapted to suit all children’s needs so no child is excluded
• All activities including food will be included on the planning sheets showing all allergens so all staff and parents are aware of the ingredients
• Children’s allergies will be visible to staff when placing out food play activities to ensure all needs are met
• Any cooking activities will be checked prior to start to ensure all children are able use all the ingredients based on their individual needs
• We will use food in play to enhances the opportunities children are receiving from the activity. Many of the food will be reused in other activities, especially the dry materials.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT?

At Little Angels is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information.

This privacy notice describes how the Nursery collects and uses personal information about employees of the Nursery, children attending the Nursery and the parents of the Children, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Little Angels is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about You. We are required under data protection legislation to notify You of the information contained in this privacy notice.

This notice applies to Employees, Children and Parents. This notice does not form part of any contract of employment or other contract to provide services. We may update this notice at any time but if we do so, we will provide You with an updated copy of this notice as soon as reasonably practical.

It is important that Employees, Children and Parents read and retain this notice, together with any other privacy notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal information about You, so that You are aware of how and why we are using such information and what Your rights are under the data protection legislation.

DATA PROTECTION PRINCIPLES

We will comply with data protection law. This says that the personal information we hold about You must be:

1. Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way.
2. Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to You and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes.
3. Relevant to the purposes we have told You about and limited only to those purposes.
4. Accurate and kept up to date.
5. Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told You about.
6. Kept securely.

THE KIND OF INFORMATION WE HOLD ABOUT YOU

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

There are “special categories” of more sensitive personal data which require a higher level of protection, such as information about a person’s health or sexual orientation.

Employees:

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about Employees:

• Personal contact details such as name, title, addresses, telephone numbers, and personal email addresses.
• Date of birth.
• Marital status and dependants.
• Next of kin and emergency contact information.
• National Insurance number.
• Bank account details, payroll records and tax status information.
• Salary, annual leave, pension and benefits information.
• Start date and, if different, the date of an Employee’s continuous employment.
• Location of employment or workplace.
• Copy of driving licence (where applicable).
• Recruitment information (including copies of right to work documentation, references and other information included in a CV or cover letter or as part of the application process).
• Employment records (including job titles, work history, working hours, holidays, training records and professional memberships.
• Personnel files and training records including performance information, disciplinary and grievance information, and working time records.
• Information about your use of our information and communications systems.
• Records of any reportable death, injury, disease or dangerous occurrence.

We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:

• Information about an Employee’s race or ethnicity.
• Information about an Employee’s health, including any medical condition, accident, health and sickness records, including:
• where an employee leaves employment and under any share plan operated by a group company the reason for leaving is determined to be ill-health, injury or disability, the records relating to that decision;
• details of any absences (other than holidays) from work including time on statutory parental leave and sick leave; and
• where an employee leaves employment and the reason for leaving is related to their health, information about that condition needed for pensions and permanent health insurance purposes.

Children: 

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about Children:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Home address
• Dietary requirements
• Attendance information
• Photographs and video clips of the Child to signpost Children to where their belongings are stored at the Nursery that they attend, and also for general display purposes
• Emergency contact should Parents be unavailable and the emergency contact’s contact details
• Record book for each Child containing the work of the Child whilst at the Nursery, observations about the Child’s development whilst at the Nursery from Employees of the Nursery, specific examples of the Child’s progress, photographs demonstrating the Child’s development whilst at the Nursery, and personal details of the Child (e.g. their date of birth) (“Progress Report”)
• Records relating to individual Children e.g. care plans, common assessment frameworks, speech and language referral forms
• Accidents and pre-existing injuries forms
• Records of any reportable death, injury, disease or dangerous occurrence
• Observation, planning and assessment records of Children

We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:

• Information about a Child’s race or ethnicity, spoken language and nationality.
• Information about a Child’s health, including any medical condition, health and sickness records.
• Information about a Child’s accident or incident reports including reports of pre-existing injuries.
• Information about a Child’s incident forms / child protection referral forms / child protection case details / reports.

Parents:

We will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about Parents:

• Name
• Home address
• Telephone numbers, and personal email addresses.
• National Insurance number.
• Bank account details.

We may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:

• Information about a Parent’s race or ethnicity, spoken language and nationality.
• Conversations with Parents where Employees of the Nursery deem it relevant to the prevention of radicalisation or other aspects of the governments Prevent strategy.

HOW IS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTED?

Employees:

We collect personal information about Employees through the application and recruitment process, either directly from candidates or sometimes from an employment agency or background check provider. We may sometimes collect additional information from third parties including former employers, credit reference agencies or other background check agencies.

We will collect additional personal information in the course of job-related activities throughout the period of when an Employee works for us.

Children and Parents:

We collect personal information about Children and Parents from when the initial enquiry is made by the Parents, through the enrolment process and until the Children stop using the Nursery’s services.

HOW WE WILL USE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

We will only use Your personal information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use Your personal information in the following circumstances:

1. Where we need to perform the contract, we have entered into with You.
2. Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.
3. Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and Your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

We may also use Your personal information in the following situations, which are likely to be rare:

1. Where we need to protect Your interests (or someone else’s interests).

Situations in which we will use Employee personal information

We need all the categories of information in the list above (see Employee section within the Paragraph entitled ‘The Kind of Information We Hold About You’) primarily to allow us to perform our contracts with Employees and to enable us to comply with legal obligations. The situations in which we will process Employee personal information are listed below.

• Making a decision about an employee’s recruitment or appointment.
• Checking an Employee is legally entitled to work in the UK. Paying an Employee and, if an Employee is an Employee or deemed Employee for tax purposes, deducting tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• Providing any Employee benefits to Employees.
• Enrolling you in a pension arrangement in accordance with our statutory automatic enrolment duties.
• Liaising with the trustees or managers of a pension arrangement operated by a group company, your pension provider and any other provider of employee benefits.
• Administering the contract we have entered into with an Employee.
• Conducting performance and/or salary reviews, managing performance and determining performance requirements.
• Assessing qualifications for a particular job or task, including decisions about promotions.
• Gathering evidence for possible grievance or disciplinary hearings.
• Making decisions about an Employee’s continued employment, engagement.
• Making arrangements for the termination of our working relationship.
• Education, training and development requirements.
• Dealing with legal disputes involving Employees, including accidents at work.
• Ascertaining an Employee’s fitness to work.
• Managing sickness absence.
• Complying with health and safety obligations.
• To prevent fraud.
• To monitor your use of our information and communication systems to ensure compliance with our IT policies.
• To ensure network and information security, including preventing unauthorised access to our computer and electronic communications systems and preventing malicious software distribution.
• Equal opportunities monitoring.

Some of the above grounds for processing will overlap and there may be several grounds which justify our use of an Employee’s personal information.

Situations in which the Nursery will use personal information of Children

We need all the categories of information in the list above (see Children section within the Paragraph entitled ‘The Kind of Information We Hold About You’) primarily to allow us to perform our obligations (including our legal obligations to Children. The situations in which we will process personal information of Children are listed below.

• Upon consent from the Parents, Personal Data of Children will be shared with schools for progression into the next stage of their education.
• Personal information of Children will be shared with local authorities without the consent of Parents where there is a situation where child protection is necessary.
• The personal information of Children will be shared with local authorities without the consent of Parents for funding purposes.
• Ofsted will be allowed access to the Nursery’s systems to review child protection records.
• To ensure we meet the needs of the Children
• To enable the appropriate funding to be received
• Report on a Child’s progress whilst with the Nursery
• To check safeguarding records
• To check complaint records
• To check attendance patterns are recorded
• When a Child’s Progress Report is given to its Parent in order for that Parent to pass the same Progress Report to a school for application or enrolment purposes

Situations in which the Nursery will use personal information of Parents

We need all the categories of information in the list above (see Parents Section within the Paragraph entitled ‘The Kind of Information we Hold About You’) primarily to allow us to perform our contracts with Parents and to enable us to comply with legal obligations. The situations in which we will process personal information of Parents are listed below.

• The personal information of Parents will be shared with local authorities without the consent of Parents for funding purposes.
• To report on a Child’s attendance
• To be able to contact a Parent or a Child’s emergency contact about their Child
• To ensure nursery fees are paid

If Employees and Parents fail to provide personal information

If Employees and Parents fail to provide certain information when requested, we may not be able to perform the respective contracts we have entered into with Employees and Parents, or we may be prevented from complying with our respective legal obligations to Employees, Children and Parents.

Change of purpose

We will only use Your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use Your personal information for an unrelated purpose, we will notify the Employee, Child or Parent, as is appropriate in the circumstances, and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process an Employee’s, a Child’s or a Parent’s personal information without their respective knowledge or consent, as relevant to the circumstances, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

HOW WE USE PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION

“Special categories” of particularly sensitive personal information require higher levels of protection. We need to have further justification for collecting, storing and using this type of personal information. We have in place an appropriate policy document and safeguards which we are required by law to maintain when processing such data. We may process special categories of personal information in the following circumstances:

1. In limited circumstances, with Employee or Parent explicit written consent.
2. Where we need to carry out our legal obligations or exercise rights in connection with Employee employment.
3. Where it is needed in the public interest, such as for equal opportunities monitoring or in relation to our occupational pension scheme.

Less commonly, we may process this type of information where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect an Employee, a Child or a Parents’ interests (or someone else’s interests) and the Employee, Child or Parent as is appropriate is not capable of giving consent, or where the Employee or Parent has already made the information public.

The Nursery’s obligations as an employer

We will use particularly sensitive personal information of Employees in the following ways:

• We will use information relating to leaves of absence, which may include sickness absence or family related leaves, to comply with employment and other laws.
• We will use information about the physical or mental health of an Employee, or their disability status, to ensure Employee health and safety in the workplace and to assess the fitness of Employees to work, to provide appropriate workplace adjustments, to monitor and manage sickness absence and to administer benefits including statutory maternity pay, statutory sick pay, pensions and permanent health insurance.
• We will use information about an employee’s race or national or ethnic origin, religious, philosophical or moral beliefs, or an Employee’s sexual life or sexual orientation, to ensure meaningful equal opportunity monitoring and reporting.

Do we need Employee consent?

We do not need the consent of Employees if we use special categories of personal information in accordance with our written policy to carry out our legal obligations or exercise specific rights in the field of employment law. In limited circumstances, we may approach Employees for their written consent to allow us to process certain particularly sensitive data. If we do so, we will provide Employees with full details of the information that we would like and the reason we need it, so that Employees can carefully consider whether they wish to consent. Employees should be aware that it is not a condition of their contract with the nursery that they agree to any request for consent from us.

INFORMATION ABOUT CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS

We may only use information relating to criminal convictions where the law allows us to do so. This will usually be where such processing is necessary to carry out our obligations and provided, we do so in line with our data protection policy.

Less commonly, we may use information relating to criminal convictions where it is necessary in relation to legal claims, where it is necessary to protect the interests of You (or someone else’s interests) and You are not capable of giving your consent, or where an Employee or a Parent, as is relevant to the circumstances, has already made the information public.

We envisage that we will hold information about criminal convictions.

We will only collect information about criminal convictions if it is appropriate given the nature of the role and where we are legally able to do so, which includes but is not limited to Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) checks. Where appropriate, we will collect information about criminal convictions as part of the recruitment process or we may be notified of such information directly by you in the course of you working for us. We will use information about criminal convictions and offences in the following ways:

• To conduct a DBS check on each Employee, to record the date of the DBS check, the number of the DBS check and the name of the body conducting the DBS check.

We are allowed to use your personal information in this way to carry out our obligations. We have in place an appropriate policy and safeguards which we are required by law to maintain when processing such data.

AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING

Automated decision-making takes place when an electronic system uses personal information to make a decision without human intervention. We are allowed to use automated decision-making in the following circumstances:

1. Where we have notified Employees or Parents of the decision and given the Employee of the Parent as is appropriate 21 days to request a reconsideration.
2. Where it is necessary to perform the contract with an Employee or a Parent and appropriate measures are in place to safeguard the Employee’s, the Child’s or the Parent’s rights as is appropriate.
3. In limited circumstances, with explicit written consent from the Employee or the Parent, as is appropriate, and where appropriate measures are in place to safeguard Employee or Parent rights.

If we make an automated decision on the basis of any particularly sensitive personal information, we must have either explicit written consent from an Employee or a Parent as is appropriate, or it must be justified in the public interest, and we must also put in place appropriate measures to safeguard an Employee or a Parents right as is relevant in the circumstances.

You will not be subject to decisions that will have a significant impact on You based solely on automated decision-making, unless we have a lawful basis for doing so and we have notified the Employee or the Parent as is appropriate in the circumstances.

DATA SHARING

We may have to share Employee, Child or Parent data with third parties, including third-party service providers and other entities in the group.

We require third parties to respect the security of Your data and to treat it in accordance with the law.

Why might the Nursery share Employee, Child or Parent personal information with third parties?

We will share Your personal information with third parties where required by law, where it is necessary to administer the working relationship with You or where we have another legitimate interest in doing so.

Which third-party service providers process my personal information?

‘’Third parties” includes third-party service providers (including contractors and designated agents), local authorities, regulatory bodies, schools and other entities within our group. The following third-party service providers process personal information about you for the following purposes:

• Local Authorities – for funding and monitoring reasons (e.g. equal opportunities and uptake of funded hours)
• Regulatory bodies – for ensuring compliance and the safety and welfare of the children
• Schools – to provide a successful transition by ensuring information about the child’s progress and current level of development and interests are shared

We will share personal data regarding your participation in any pension arrangement operated by a group company with the trustees or scheme managers of the arrangement in connection with the administration of the arrangements.

How secure is my information with third-party service providers and other entities in our group?

All our third-party service providers and other entities in the group are required to take appropriate security measures to protect Your personal information in line with our policies. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use Your personal data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process Your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

When might you share my personal information with other entities in the group?

We will share Your personal information with other entities in our group as part of our [DESCRIBE OTHER KNOWN ACTIVITIES].

What about other third parties?

We may share Your personal information with other third parties, for example in the context of the possible sale or restructuring of the business. In this situation we will, so far as possible, share anonymised data with the other parties before the transaction completes. Once the transaction is completed, we will share Your personal data with the other parties if and to the extent required under the terms of the transaction.

We may also need to share Your personal information with a regulator or to otherwise comply with the law.

DATA RETENTION

How long will you use my information for?

We will only retain Your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Details of retention periods for different aspects of your personal information are available in our retention policy which is available from the manager. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of Your personal data, the purposes for which we process Your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

In some circumstances we may anonymise Your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with You, in which case we may use such information without further notice to You. Once you are no longer an Employee, or a Child benefiting from the Nursery’s services or a Parent, as is appropriate, we will retain and securely destroy your personal information in accordance with [our data retention policy OR applicable laws and regulations].

RIGHTS OF ACCESS, CORRECTION, ERASURE, AND RESTRICTION

Your duty to inform us of changes

It is important that the personal information we hold about You is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your working relationship with us.

Your rights in connection with personal information

Under certain circumstances, by law You have the right to:

• Request access to Your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables You to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about You and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
• Request correction of the personal information that we hold about You. This enables You to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about You corrected.
• Request erasure of your personal information. This enables Employees or Parents to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove Your personal information where You have exercised Your right to object to processing (see below).
• Object to processing of Your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about Your particular situation which makes You want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing Your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
• Request the restriction of processing of Your personal information. This enables Employees or Parents, as is appropriate, to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about You for example if You want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.
• Request the transfer of Your personal information to another party.

If You want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of Your personal information, object to the processing of Your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of Your personal information to another party, please contact the manager in writing.

No fee usually required

You will not have to pay a fee to access Your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights).

What we may need from You

We may need to request specific information from You to help us confirm your identity and ensure Your right to access the information (or to exercise any of Your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

RIGHT TO WITHDRAW CONSENT

In the limited circumstances where You may have provided Your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of Your personal information for a specific purpose, You have the right to withdraw Your consent for that specific processing at any time. To withdraw Your consent, please contact the Manager. Once we have received notification that You have withdrawn Your consent, we will no longer process Your information for the purpose or purposes You originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time, and we will provide You with a new privacy notice when we make any substantial updates. We may also notify You in other ways from time to time about the processing of your personal information.

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact Nursery Manager.

At Little Angels we follow our legal obligations as an employer at all times including hearing and investigating grievances. We have the following policy and procedures that set out our process.

Legal obligations

Our obligations as an employer are detailed in the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures (2015). A full copy of the ACAS Code of Practice and the accompanying guidance can be obtained from the ACAS website www.acas.org.uk

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

Objectives and guiding principles

We recognise that an employee needs to feel that his or her grievance has been fully investigated and has received a fair hearing. The employee also needs to understand the reasons for the decision made by the manager who heard their grievance. The employee should then be given the opportunity to appeal against the decision. Their appeal should be submitted in writing and should be investigated and heard by someone more senior to the person who heard the initial grievance. The person allocated to hear the employee’s appeal should be able to take a fresh and independent look at the issue. In our organisation the individual’s immediate line manager deals with the grievance initially separately before being passed on to the owner, manager or officer in charge* of the nursery.

ACAS advocates the use of mediation to resolve grievances, in an attempt to maintain a good working relationship and resolve issues within the workplace. We may decide to use such mediation where appropriate using ACAS support and guidance.

Our grievance procedure does not form part of any employees’ contract of employment. It may be amended at any time and we may depart from it depending on the circumstances of any case.

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

Our nursery believes that all employees should be treated fairly and with respect. We encourage all employees to try to resolve any grievance with the individual concerned on an informal basis, as most grievances can be resolved quickly through discussion. Your line manager will assist you with this if you feel this is the best route for you.

If this does not resolve the complaint/issue/problem you should initiate the formal process below.

Grievance process

Stage 1

Making your grievance

• You should put your grievance in writing and forward it to your line manager
• This written statement will form the basis of any investigations and the subsequent hearing, so it is important that you set out clearly the nature of your grievance and any dates and names of individuals involved. You should also indicate the outcome that you are seeking. If your grievance is unclear, you may be asked to clarify your complaint before any meeting takes place
• If your complaint relates to an issue with your line manager, the grievance may be sent to Muhammad Khalid Farooq.
• Before proceeding to a full grievance hearing, it may be necessary to carry out investigations of any allegations made by you. If any evidence is gathered in the course of these investigations, you will be given a copy in advance of the hearing and appropriate time for you to consider your response. In exceptional circumstances, the evidence given by individuals may have to remain confidential. Where confidentiality is necessary, this will be explained to you and an appropriate summary of the evidence gathered will be given to you.

Stage 2

The grievance hearing

The hearing will be held as soon as is reasonably possible following any investigations, and within five working days of the receipt of your written complaint. It will be conducted by your line manager or another nominated manager if your complaint relates to an issue with your line manager. You are entitled to bring a companion to the grievance meeting if you make a reasonable request to do so. This request must be in advance of the meeting and you should tell us the name of your chosen companion. The companion may either be a trade union representative or a work colleague.

You should ensure that you attend the meeting where possible. If you are unable to attend because of circumstances beyond your control, you should inform your line manager as soon as possible and a further meeting will be re-arranged as soon as possible. If you fail to attend without explanation, or if it appears that you have not made sufficient attempts to attend, the hearing may take place in your absence.

During the hearing you will be given the opportunity to explain your complaint. Your explanations should focus on the complaint and not on irrelevant issues. The manager conducting the hearing will inform you if they believe the key issues are not being focused on. They may also set a reasonable timeframe for the meeting; this will be determined by the nature and complexity of your complaint.

The hearing may be adjourned to allow further investigations to take place. Following the meeting, you will be informed in writing of the outcome within five working days, where reasonably practicable, and told of any action that the nursery proposes to take as a result of your complaint, if applicable. If it is anticipated that further investigation is required and therefore the outcome cannot be provided within this timeframe, we will inform you as to when you can expect to receive the outcome.

[N.B. However, if another employee has been disciplined as a result of the grievance, you should not inform the employee who raised the grievance as this information is confidential between you as the employer and the other employee.

Stage 3

We will hold an appeal meeting within 14 working days of receiving the appeal, where reasonably practicable. This will be dealt with impartially by a more senior manager, where applicable who has not previously been involved in the case. You will have the right to bring a companion, as explained above.

We will confirm our final decision in writing, usually within  seven working days of the appeal hearing, where reasonably practicable. There is no further right of appeal.

Grievances linked to disciplinary matters

Complaints that you may have about any disciplinary action taken against you should be dealt with as an appeal under the disciplinary procedure.

Grievances raised while you are subject to disciplinary proceedings will usually be heard when the disciplinary process has been completed.

If a grievance has any bearing on the disciplinary proceedings, it will be dealt with as part of the disciplinary hearing or disciplinary appeal, as appropriate.