This parent handbook is a guide to nursery policies and procedures. We hope that you find it useful in giving you an insight into how we operate as a setting. The handbook also provides useful information for new parents and we would like to introduce it with a section of useful things to remember.
Regards The management team at Happy Bunnies
Mobile Phone and social networking
At Happy Bunnies we promote the safety and welfare of all children in our care. We believe our staff should be completely attentive during their hours of working to ensure all children in the nursery receive good quality care and education. To ensure the safety and well-being of children we do not allow staff to use personal mobile phones during working hours. We use mobile phones registered with the office to provide a means of contact in certain circumstances, such as outings.
We ask parents and visitors to respect and adhere to our policy.
We ask that no staff accept friend requests from a parent and we would like to ask the parent to respect this and not send friends requests to staff as this could put them at risk of losing their job.
Parents' and visitors' use of mobile phones and social networking
Whilst we recognise that there may be emergency situations which necessitate the use of a mobile telephone, in order to ensure the safety and welfare of children in our care and share information about the child's day, parents and visitors are kindly asked to refrain from using their mobile telephones whilst in the nursery or when collecting or dropping off their children.
We promote the safety and welfare of all staff and children and therefore ask parents and visitors not to post publically or privately information about any child on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. We ask all parents and visitors to follow this policy to ensure that information about children, images and information do not fall into the wrong hands.
Parents/visitors are invited to share any concerns regarding inappropriate use of social media through the official procedures (please refer to the partnership with parents policy, complaints procedures and grievance policy)'.
No smoking policy
At Happy Bunnies we are committed to promoting children's health and well-being. This is of the upmost importance for the nursery. Smoking has proved to be a health risk and therefore in accordance with legislation, the nursery operates a strict no smoking policy within its buildings and grounds. It is illegal to smoke in enclosed places.
All persons must abstain from smoking while on the premises . This applies to staff, students, parents, carers, contractors and any other visitors to the premises.
Staff accompanying children outside the nursery are not permitted to smoke. We also request that parents accompanying nursery children on outings refrain from smoking while caring for the children.
Staff must not smoke while wearing nursery uniform as it is essential that staff are positive role models to children and promote a healthy lifestyle. Staff and students must not smoke whilst wearing their nursery uniform. Staff must refrain from smoking 20 minutes before they start their shift and during their working hours. They must change into their own clothing and smoke away from the main entrance of the nursery.
We respect that smoking is a personal choice, although as an organisation we support healthy lifestyles. We aim to help staff and parents to stop smoking by:
Providing factsheets and leaflets
Providing information of local help groups
Providing details of the NHS quit smoking helpline – www.smokefree.nhs.uk
Offering information regarding products that are available to help stop smoking
Offering in-house support.
This policy also applies to electronic cigarettes.
Alcohol and substance misuse
At Happy Bunnies we are committed to providing a safe environment that helps to ensure the welfare of the children in our care. This includes making sure that children are not exposed to adults who may be under the influence of alcohol or other substances that may affect their ability to care for children.
Alcohol
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, companies have a legal requirement to provide a safe working environment for all of their employees.
Anyone who arrives at the nursery clearly under the influence of alcohol will be asked to leave. If they are a member of staff, the nursery will investigate the matter and will initiate the disciplinary process as a result of which action may be taken, including dismissal. If they are a parent the nursery will judge if the parent is suitable to care for the child. The nursery may call the second contact on the child's registration form to collect them. If a child is thought to be at risk the nursery will follow the safeguarding children/child protection procedure and the police/children's social services may be called.
If anyone arrives at the nursery in a car under the influence of alcohol the police will be contacted.
Staff, students, parents, carers, visitors, contractors etc. are asked not to bring alcohol on to the nursery premises.
Substance misuse
Anyone who arrives at the nursery under the influence of illegal drugs, or any other substance including medication, that affects their ability to care for children, they will be asked to leave the premises immediately. If they are a member of staff, an investigation will follow which may lead to consideration of disciplinary action, as a result of which dismissal could follow. If they are a parent the nursery will judge if the parent is suitable to care for the child. The nursery may call the second contact on the child's registration form to collect them. If a child is thought to be at risk the nursery will follow the safeguarding children/child protection procedure and the police may be called
The nursery will contact the police if anyone (including staff, students, volunteers, contractors and visitors) is suspected of being in possession of illegal drugs or if they are driving or may drive when under the influence of illegal drugs.
If they are a member of staff serious disciplinary procedures will be followed.
If a member of staff is taking prescriptive medication that may affect their ability to work, they must inform the nursery manager as soon as possible to arrange for a risk assessment to take place.
Safeguarding/child protection
If a parent or carer is clearly over the alcohol limit, or under the influence of illegal drugs and it is believed the child is at risk we will follow our safeguarding/child protection procedures, contact social services and the police.
Staff will do their utmost to prevent a child from travelling in a vehicle driven by them and if necessary if the police will be called.
Where an illegal act is suspected to have taken place, the police will be called.
Confidentiality
At Happy Bunnies 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 cabinets in a locked office in line with data protection registration and any information shared with the staff team is done on a ‘need to know' basis and treated in confidence.
Legal requirements
We follow the legal requirements set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) March 2014 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 Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 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 office in a filing cabinet
Ensuring staff, student and volunteer inductions include an awareness of the importance of confidentiality and that information about the child and family is not shared outside of the nursery other than with relevant professionals who need to know that information. It is not shared with friends and family, discussions on the bus or at the local bar. If staff breach any confidentiality provisions, this may result in disciplinary action and, in serious cases, dismissal. Students on placement in the nursery are advised of our confidentiality policy and required to respect it
Ensuring that all staff, volunteers and students are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery and to support the child's best interests with parental permission
Ensuring that parents have access to files and records of their own children but not to those of any other child, other than where relevant professionals
such as the police or local authority children's social care team decide this is not in the child's best interest
Ensuring all staff are aware that this information is confidential and only for use within the nursery setting. If any of this information is requested for whatever reason, the parent's permission will always be sought other than in the circumstances above
Ensuring staff do not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs
Ensuring staff, students and volunteers are aware of and follow our social networking policy in relation to confidentiality
Ensuring issues concerning the employment of staff remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions
Ensuring any concerns/evidence relating to a child’s personal safety are kept in a secure, confidential file and are shared with as few people as possible on a ‘need-to-know' basis. If, however, a child is considered at risk, our safeguarding/child protection policy will override confidentiality.
All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the nursery, which is to the safety and well-being of the child.
Hints and tips
For more information on data protection and to register your nursery visit www.ico.gov.uk
www.ico.gov.uk/fororganisations/data_protection.aspx
Parents and carers as partners
At Happy Bunnies we believe that parents and staff need to work together in a close partnership in order for children to receive the quality of care and early learning to meet their individual needs. We welcome parents as partners and support a two-way sharing of information that helps establish trust and understanding. We are committed to supporting parents in an open and sensitive manner to be
an integral part of the care and early learning team within the nursery.
Our policy is to:
Recognise and support parents as their child's first and most important educators and to welcome them into the life of the nursery
Generate confidence and encourage parents to trust their own instincts and judgement regarding their own child
Welcome all parents into the nursery at any time
Welcome nursing mothers. The nursery will make available a private area whenever needed to offer space and privacy to nursing mothers
Ensure nursery documentation and communications are provided in different formats to suit each parent's needs, e.g. Braille, multi-lingual, electronic communications
Ensure that all parents are aware of the nursery's policies and procedures. A detailed folder of our policies documents will be available to parents at all times by the front entrance.
Maintain regular contact with parents to help us to build a secure and beneficial working relationship for their children
Support parents in their own continuing education and personal development including helping them to develop their parenting skills and inform them of relevant conferences, workshops and training
Create opportunities for parents to talk to other adults in a secure and supportive environment through such activities as open days, parents' evenings and a parents' forum
Inform parents about the range and type of activities and experiences provided for children, the daily routines of the setting, the types of food and drinks provided for children and events through regularly emailed newsletters, the nurseries website and face book page
Operate a key person system to enable parents to establish a close working relationship with a named practitioner and to support two-way information sharing about each child's individual needs both in nursery and at home. Parents are given the name of the key person of their child and their role when the child starts
Inform parents on a regular basis about their child's progress and involve them in shared record keeping. Parents' evenings will be held at least twice a year. The nursery will consult with parents about the times of meetings to avoid excluding anyone
Actively encourage parents to contribute to children's learning through sharing observations, interests and experiences from home. This may be verbally, sharing photographs or in written form
Agree the best communication method with parents e.g. email, face-to-face, telephone and share information about the child's day, e.g. food eaten, activities, sleep times etc.
Consider and discuss all suggestions from parents concerning the care and early learning of their child and nursery operation
Provide opportunities and support for all parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the nursery
Inform all parents of the systems for registering queries, compliments, complaints or suggestions, and to check that these systems are understood by parents
Make sure all parents have access to our written complaints procedure
Share information about the Early Years Foundation Stage, young children’s learning in the nursery, how parents can further support learning at home and where they can access further information
Provide a written contract between the parent(s) and the nursery regarding conditions of acceptance and arrangements for payment
Respect the family's religious and cultural backgrounds and beliefs and accommodate any special requirements wherever possible and practical to do so
Inform parents how the nursery supports children with special educational needs and disabilities
Find out the needs and expectations of parents. We will do this through regular feedback via questionnaires, suggestion system and encouraging parents to review working practices. We will evaluate any responses and use these to promote nursery practice, policy and staff development.
Medication Policy
At Happy Bunnies we promote the good health of children attending nursery and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection (see sickness and illness policy). If a child requires medicine we will obtain information about the child's needs for this, and will ensure this information is kept up to date.
We follow strict guidelines when dealing with medication of any kind in the nursery and these are set out below.
Medication prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist
(Medicines containing aspirin will only be given if prescribed by a doctor)
Prescription medicine will only be given to the person named on the bottle for the dosage stated
Medicines must be in their original containers, they need to be in English so that the dosage can be check by the staff.
Those with parental responsibility for any child requiring prescription medication should hand over the medication to the most appropriate member of staff who will then note the details of the administration on the appropriate form and another member of staff will check these details
Those with parental responsibility must give prior written permission for the administration of each and every medication. However, we will accept written permission once for a whole course of medication or for the ongoing use of a particular medication under the following circumstances:
The written permission is only acceptable for that brand name of medication and cannot be used for similar types of medication, e.g. if the course of antibiotics changes, a new form will need to be completed
The dosage on the written permission is the only dosage that will be administered. We will not give a different dose unless a new form is completed
Parents must notify us IMMEDIATELY if the child's circumstances change, e.g. a dose has been given at home, or a change in strength/dose needs to be given.
The nursery will not administer a dosage that exceeds the recommended dose on the instructions unless accompanied by written instructions from a relevant health professional such as a letter from a doctor or dentist
The parent must be asked when the child has last been given the medication before coming to nursery; and the staff member must record this information on the medication form. Similarly when the child is picked up, the parent or guardian must be given precise details of the times and dosage given throughout the day. The parent's signature must be obtained at both times
At the time of administering the medicine, a senior member of staff will ask the child to take the medicine, or offer it in a manner acceptable to the child at the prescribed time and in the prescribed form. (It is important to note that staff working with children are not legally obliged to administer medication)
If the child refuses to take the appropriate medication then a note will be made on the form
Where medication is “essential†or may have side effects, discussion with the parent will take place to establish the appropriate response.
Non-prescription medication (these will not usually be administrated)
The nursery will not administer any non-prescription medication containing aspirin
The nursery will only administer non-prescription medication for a short initial period, dependant on the medication or the condition of the child. After this time medical attention should be sought
If the nursery feels the child would benefit from medical attention rather than non-prescription medication, we reserve the right to refuse nursery care until the child is seen by a medical practitioner
If a child needs liquid paracetamol or similar medication during their time at nursery, such medication will be treated as prescription medication with the *onus being on the parent to provide the medicine/*nursery providing one specific type of medication should parents wish to use this
On registration, parents will be asked if they would like to fill out a medication form to consent to their child being given a specific type of liquid paracetamol or anti-histamine in particular circumstances such as an increase in the child's temperature or a wasp or bee sting. This form will state the dose to be given, the circumstances in which this can be given e.g. the temperature increase of their child, the specific brand name or type of non-prescription medication and a signed statement to say that this may be administered in an emergency if the nursery CANNOT contact the parent
An emergency nursery supply of fever relief (e.g Calpol) and anti-histamines (e.g. Piriton) will be stored on site. This will be checked at regular intervals by the designated trained first aider to make sure that it complies with any instructions for storage and is still in date
If a child does exhibit the symptoms for which consent has been given to give non-prescription medication during the day the nursery will make every attempt to contact the child's parents. Where parents cannot be contacted then the nursery manager will take the decision as to whether the child is safe to have this medication based on the time the child has been in the nursery, the circumstances surrounding the need for this medication and the medical history of the child on their registration form. Giving non-prescription medication will be a last resort and the nursery staff will use other methods first to try and alleviate the symptoms, e.g. for an increase in temperature the
nursery will remove clothing, use fanning, tepid cooling with a wet flannel. The child will be closely monitored until the parents collect the child
For any non-prescription cream for skin conditions e.g. Sudocrem, prior written permission must be obtained from the parent and the onus is on the parent to provide the cream which should be clearly labelled with the child's name
If any child is brought to the nursery in a condition in which he/she may require medication sometime during the day, the manager will decide if the child is fit to be left at the nursery. If the child is staying, the parent must be asked if any kind of medication has already been given, at what time and in what dosage and this must be stated on the medication form
As with any kind of medication, staff will ensure that the parent is informed of any non-prescription medicines given to the child whilst at the nursery, together with the times and dosage given
The nursery DOES NOT administer any medication unless prior written consent is given for each and every medicine.
Injections, pessaries, suppositories
As the administration of injections, pessaries and suppositories represents intrusive nursing, we will not administer these without appropriate medical training for every member of staff caring for this child. This training is specific for every child and not generic. The nursery will do all it can to make any reasonable adjustments including working with parents and other professionals to arrange for appropriate health officials to train staff in administering the medication.
Staff medication
All nursery staff have a responsibility to work with children only where they are fit to do so. Staff must not work with children where they are infectious or too unwell to meet children's needs. This includes circumstances where any medication taken affects their ability to care for children, for example, where it makes a person drowsy. If any staff member believes that their condition, including any condition caused by taking medication, is affecting their ability they must inform their line manager and seek medical advice. The nursery manager will decide if a staff member is fit to work, including circumstances where other staff members notice changes in behaviour suggesting a person may be under the influence of medication. This decision will include any medical advice obtained by the individual or from an occupational health assessment.
Where staff may occasionally or regularly need medication, any such medication must be kept in the person's locker/separate locked container in the staff room or nursery room where staff may need easy access to the medication such as an asthma inhaler. In all cases it must be stored out of reach of the children. It must not be kept in the first aid box and should be labelled with the name of the member of staff.
Storage
All medication for children must have the child's name clearly written on the original container and kept in a closed box, which is out of reach of all children.
Emergency medication, such as inhalers and EpiPens, will be within easy reach of staff in case of an immediate need, but will remain out of children's reach.
Any antibiotics requiring refrigeration must be kept in a fridge inaccessible to children.
All medications must be in their original containers, labels must be legible and not tampered with or they will not be given. All prescription medications should have the pharmacist's details and notes attached to show the dosage needed and the date the prescription was issued. This will all be checked, along with expiry dates, before staff agree to administer medication.
Parents and carers thing to remember:
Contact Details
Our telephone number is: 01634 780165
Our address is :
Happy Bunnies
Unit 2, Conqueror Court
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
Kent ME8 0GD
Absences and illnesses:
If you are taking your child on holiday, please remember to tell us in writing
Illness: Please tell us by 9am on the day your child is ill and unable to attend
If your child has suffered with sickness and/or diarrhoea, please allow 48 hours before returning them to Nursery. For all other contagious diseases/illnesses, please ask!
Opening Hours:
We are open on Monday to Friday, between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. We open for 52 weeks a year, offer day-care for babies right through to 5 years and offer term-time only sessions.
In an Emergency:
We can be contacted on the above telephone number.
We will do everything we can to contact parents in the event of nursery closure or an emergency so PLEASE make sure all the contact details we hold are up to date
Fees:
Nursery fees are to be paid no later than the first day of the month in advance. Late payments WILL incur a late payment charge and your child’s place cannot be assured if fees are not paid in advance and on time.
Policies:
We have a folder containing all our policies at the nursery .
Lunchtimes:
Our caterer, Zebedee’s Lunchbox, provides children with hot meals and snacks throughout the day. All meals and snacks are inclusive except lunch and remember the weather if you are providing packed lunches
Contact Us – Our details are below
If you need to get in touch, then please find our contact details below:
Gemma Parsons
Happy Bunnies
Unit 2, Conqueror Court
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
Kent ME8 0GD
Telephone: 01634 780165
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.happybunnies.co.uk
Absences – what to do if your child is ill or on holiday
Please contact us before 9:00 am on the day if your child is unwell and can’t attend a session. We follow Health Protection Agency Guidelines regarding childhood illnesses i.e. chickenpox/sickness and diarrhoea. Our policy can be found on the website and there is a copy at the nursery we can make available for you to read. Please ask!
If you are taking your child away on holiday, please let us know as soon as you can in writing. This allows us to keep our registers, ratios and fire roll up to date.
Complaints
We hope that you never have a need to complain but we do have a complaints procedure in order to deal with any concerns as quickly as possible.
If you are concerned about some aspect of the care and education your child is receiving please discuss your concern as soon as possible with your child's key person.
This can be done informally when delivering/collecting your child from Nursery School. Often misunderstandings can be cleared up quickly once both parties are aware of the problem.
If it is inappropriate to talk about your concern at the classroom door please ask to make an appointment to see the key person – this will usually be at the end of the session.
If you are unhappy with discussion with the class teacher or it is more convenient please telephone Gemma Parsons on 01634 780165 to discuss the matter.
In the event that after talking with the class key person and Gemma you are unhappy with the Key persons response to your complaint you may raise a formal complaint, in writing or via email, to the address on. We will acknowledge your complaint and provide you with an account of our findings, and any action taken, within 28 days.
If you are still unhappy, you may contact Ofsted, in writing or by telephone, using the contact details supplied below.
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
Tel 0300 123 1231
Email [email protected]
Meeting the Needs of all children
Meeting children’s needs is of the upmost importance to us at Happy Bunnies and we will work with the parents and carers to ensure that all children attending the nursery receive the best possible care.
When children start at the setting they are allocated a key person, this person will be responsible for forming attachments with the children and getting to know them.
Before each child starts we ask the parent to complete a getting to know you form which gives us all the information we need to care for the child.
If your child needs additional support the nursery will do what they can so support this by making reasonable adjustments where possible and working with the multi agencies.
If your child has a Special Education need, we have 2 trained members of staff who work with you and guide you thorough this sensitive time.