Policies

Health, Safety and Welfare Policy

This policy represents the agreed principles for Health, Safety and Welfare throughout the Nursery. All Nursery staff, representing Jack in the Box Nursery have agreed this policy.

Introduction

The health, safety and welfare of all the people who work or learn at Jack in the Box Nursery are of fundamental importance. We aim to provide a safe, secure and pleasant learning/working environment for everyone. The management take responsibility for protecting the health and safety of all children and members of staff.

The Nursery school will ensure that:

• All children are supervised by adults at all times and will always be in sight of an adult
• Adults do not walk about with hot drinks or place hot drinks in reach of children
• A register of both adults and children is completed on arrival so that a complete record of all those present is available in an emergency
• Children do not have unsupervised access to kitchens, cookers or any cupboards storing hazardous materials including matches.
• Children will only leave the group with authorised adults
• A correctly stocked and locked first aid box is available at all times
• Safety checks on premises both inside and outside are made before everyday/session
• The outdoor space is securely fenced
• Equipment is checked regularly and any dangerous items are repaired and discarded
• Activities such as cooking, woodwork, and energetic play receive close and constant supervision
• The layout and space ratios allow children and adults to move safely and freely between activities
• Equipment offered to children is developmentally appropriate; recognising that materials suitable for older children may pose a risk to younger/less mature children
• On outings the adult/child ratio will be at least 1:2

Personal, Social, Emotional, Development

We teach the children about health and safety in order to equip them with the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to live positive, successful and healthy lives. Staff take every opportunity to educate children in this regard as part of the Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

We teach children respect for their bodies, and how to look after themselves. We discuss these issues with the children in circle times, We also show them how to move and play safely through Physical Development.

Within the Nursery we try to promote everyone’s safety, so we teach children to spot hazards in both the indoor and outdoor environment, and inform a member of staff.

Breakfast, Lunch and Tea Club

Jack in the Box provides the opportunity for children to have breakfast, lunch and tea. We do all we can to ensure that the meals provided have a suitable nutritional value. Parents who provide pack lunches must ensure these are of a balanced and nutritional content with a drink; these will be stored safely till lunch time and monitored during lunch times.

Children will have the opportunity throughout the sessions to visit the snack bar where fruit, other nutritional snacks and fresh water are available. An additional snack time will be held throughout both the morning and afternoon sessions, where milk and fruit is provided.

Our Nursery promotes a healthy lifestyle this is reinforced through our menus and supervision over home packed lunches brought into the setting to ensure they are of nutritional value. As sweets can damage children’s teeth, we do not allow sweets to be eaten in the setting.

We will notify Ofsted of any food positioning affecting any child form food provided by Jack in the Box.

Child protection

The named person with responsibility for child protection in the nursery is the managers. We will follow the procedures for child protection (see Child Protection Policy).

If any member of staff suspects that a child in their class may be the victim of abuse, they should not try to investigate, but should immediately inform the person responsible in the nursery for child protection (the managers) about their concerns.

We require all adults employed in the nursery to have an up to date CRB record, in order to check that there is no evidence of offences involving children or abuse.

All the adults in our nursery share responsibility for keeping our children safe. We may on occasion report concerns which, on investigation, prove unfounded. It is better to be safe than sorry, and we trust that parents, while they will naturally be upset, will nevertheless accept that the nursery acted in the child’s best interests.

Nursery security

While it is difficult to make the nursery site totally secure, we will do all we can to ensure that the nursery is a safe environment for the children to play and learn in and staff to work in. We review security measures regularly, and carry out a daily Risk Assessment and draw upon the advice of experts (e.g. police officers, fire officers, architects and other consultants).

We require all adult visitors who arrive in normal nursery hours to sign the visitors’ book in the reception area, and to wear an identification badge at all times whilst on the nursery premises.

Registered providers will inform Ofsted of any significant changes or events relating to the premises on which child care is provided.

Stranger awareness

Staff are constantly alert to any strangers on the premises. We will not open the door to anyone that is unknown to us and will NEVER release a child to anybody other than the parent/guardian unless a permission form is signed.

Children’s names and identity are protected at all times and staff will not disclose information about any child attending the nursery to any person other than those immediately responsible for the child. If the child was the subject of a child protection issue, information would only be shared with Social Services or other agencies involved in a strictly confidential manner.

Parents have a responsibility to inform staff if anyone other than themselves is collecting their child for whatever reason. Staff will ask parent to complete form situated in the cloakroom area as to who is going to be collecting their child only then will they be released from our care. If we are unsure at any time, parents will be contacted to confirm the identity of any person.   

Safety of children

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all activities are safe. Similarly, staff will always be vigilant for hazards concerning equipment or activities. If a member of staff has any concerns about the children’s safety, they should bring them to the attention of the manager before that particular activity takes place.

We do not take any child off the school site without the prior permission of the parent.

If an accident does happen, and it results in an injury to a child, the staff will do all s/he can to aid the child concerned. We keep a first aid box in the kitchen area. All staff are First Aid trained and certificates are kept on the premises.

Should any incident involving injury to a child take place, one of the members of staff who have been first aid trained will be called to assist. If necessary emergency assistance will be called for.

We record any accident in the accident file involving injury, and in all cases we inform parents and they sign an Accident Form to confirm they have been informed. Should a child be quite seriously hurt, we contact the parents through the emergency telephone number that we keep on file. We update these numbers annually, but it is essential that parents inform us when contact details change. If we cannot reach the parent/guardian or emergency contact we will refer to the Pupil Information Sheet.

There may be rare occasions where it is necessary for staff to restrain a pupil physically, to prevent them from inflicting injury to others, causing self-injury, damaging property, or being disruptive. In such cases only the minimum force necessary may be used, and any action taken must be only to restrain the pupil.

Fire and other emergency procedure

Procedures for fire and other emergency evacuation are displayed prominently in all rooms. Fire drills are held once each term and this is recorded in our Fire Drill book.

The fire bell is rung and children are helped to put down games/activities and walked towards the door and then out to stand safely at the fence.

• Fire doors are never obstructed
• Details are recorded in the fire drill book

The fire procedure is displayed in the hall and all staff are familiar with the procedure
Staff check all areas, pick up the register and phone and walk out with the children, where the children, staff and visitors are counted. If necessary the fire brigade are called.

Arrangements are made to monitor the condition of all fire prevention equipment regularly. This includes the visual inspection of fire extinguishers, and the testing of the fire alarm system.

There is a no smoking policy at Jack in the Box which is abided to.

Educational visits

The Nursery takes very seriously its responsibilities for ensuring the safety of children whilst
on Nursery Off-Site Visits (see also the policy for Off-Site Visits).

Seat belts

We use coaches and mini-buses only when seat belts are provided. We instruct the children to use seat belts at all times when the bus is moving.

Medicines

Most pupils will at some time have a condition requiring medication. For many the condition will be short-term – perhaps the duration of a short absence from Nursery. However, although a child may soon be well enough to be back at nursery medication may still be required during the nursery day for a short period. Parents must complete a medicine form giving details of the child’s condition and time to be administered. All medication must be clearly labelled with the child’s details and will be kept in a locked container. Records will be kept of all medication received and administered by the Nursery. We endeavour to administer medication at the prescribed time however if this differs the new time will be stated to the parent/guardian

Staff involved in administering the medication will receive training.

Internet safety

We regularly use the Internet in the nursery, because it has many educational benefits. In order to minimise the risk of children coming across unsuitable material, we provide constant supervision, and we use only a filtered service, selected links, and child-friendly search engines. Parents are asked to sign authorisation for their child to use the Internet. We also seek parental permission before using photographs of children or their work on the nursery’s website, or in newsletters and other publications.

The health and welfare of staff

The nursery takes very seriously the need to safeguard the health and welfare of all our staff. This includes their professional development, which we address in our CPD policy. We also pay particular attention to the assessment and prevention of work-related stress, thus complying with health and safety law. If a member of staff is experiencing stress at work, s/he should inform the managers without delay.

The nursery will not tolerate violence, threatening behaviour or abuse directed against members of staff. If such incidents do occur, the nursery will take the matter very seriously, and take action in line with the LEA’s policy.

The nursery, in consultation with professional advisors, carries out regular risk assessments, with the object of keeping the nursery environment safe.

The managers implement the school’s health, safety and welfare policy on a day-to-day basis, and ensure that all staff are aware of the details of the policy as it applies to them.

Practitioners taking medication which they believe may affect their ability to care for children should seek medical advice and only work directly with children if that advise is that the medication is unlikely to impair their to look after children.

Practitioners must not be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance which may affect their ability to care for children.

Non-Collection of Children

All adults are aware of the system in operation for children’s arrivals and departures an adult will be at the door during these periods. If for any reason you are unable to collect your child at the end of the session be assured that there would always be two members of staff on duty. If you are able to phone through to the nursery to let us know when you hope to collect that would be helpful. If for any reason you are unable, please do not worry as no child would ever be left on the premises alone.
We would phone all the contact numbers held on the contact form. If a child attending a session has not been collected after 30 minutes and there has been no contact from the parent or carer, the staff member would reserve their right to phone Children Schools and Families.

Lost Child

In the highly unlikely event of a child becoming lost whilst at the nursery we would carry out the following procedures:

After a thorough search of the premises inside and out the police would be notified and the children’s parents called immediately.

This policy was adopted by the managers and staff in September 2010
Signed on behalf of Jack in the Box