Bright Stars Childcare

At Bright Stars Childcare we give a warm welcome and goodbye to every child and family on their arrival and departure, as well as ensuring the safety of children, parent/carers, visitors, employees, volunteers and students. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adults arriving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Please refer to the alcohol and substance misuse policy. 

Arrivals and departures of visitors

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

Staff, Students and Volunteers 

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

At Bright Stars Childcare 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 and Child Protection Policy.

Internal complaints procedure

Stage 1

If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, they should in the first instance take it up with the child's key 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 7 days. The manager will document the complaint fully, the actions taken and the outcome in relation to it in the complaint’s logbook.   

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

Stage 3

If the matter is still not resolved, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the manager, parent and 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. It 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 1231   

By post:

Ofsted

Piccadilly Gate

Store Street

Manchester

M1 2WD

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 and/or carers of children attending on a regular basis. 

At Bright Stars Childcare 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) 2021 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, 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 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/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.

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 & conditions, privacy and consent notices are easily accessed/made available in accurate and easy to understand language 

We will use your data to ensure the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our Nursery, after school club and holiday clubs, these include registration forms, funding forms etc. We will only contact you in relation to the safe, operational and regulatory requirements of running our Nursery, these include if your child is sick, injured or we require your consent for medication. We will not share or use your data for other purposes. Further detail can be found in our GDPR policy [insert document name].

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 Ac 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.

Our Data protection certificate is located on the entrance notice board at our nursery setting and in a named file at our other sites.

Staff and volunteer information

All information and records relating to staff/volunteers will be kept confidentially in a locked cabinet

Individual staff may request to see their own personal file at any time.

For more information on data protection and to register your nursery visit https://ico.org.uk/

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

We follow this policy and procedure to ensure all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen; 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 settings 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 settings 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 21 years and three months

Where medical attention is required, a senior member of staff will notify the parent(s) as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately 

Where medical treatment is required the manager will follow the insurance company procedures, which may involve informing them in writing of the accident

The 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 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 files: in each playroom

Contact details:

Organisation -0161 643 2536

Ofsted -0300 123 1231

Local authority children’s social care team -0300 303 0440

Local authority environmental health department -01706 647474

Health and Safety Executive -0300 003 1647

RIDDOR report form

http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm

Millie’s Mark

info@milliesmark.com

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. 

Transporting children to hospital procedure

The 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.

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 www.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 www.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: all rooms, kitchen and offices 

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

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

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

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

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is Sandra ozdemir, Amanda Morley and Wendy Butterworth

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

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

Food Safety and play  

Children are supervised during meal times and food is adequately cut up to reduce 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 setting 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.

At Bright Stars Childcare 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 or tongue, swelling to the airways to the lungs, wheezing and anaphylaxis

We ask parents to share all information about allergic reactions and allergies on child’s registration form and to inform staff of any allergies discovered after registration

We share all information with all staff and keep an allergy register in the office, kitchen and every playroom  

Where a child has a known allergy, the 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, 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  menu

Seating is monitored for children with allergies. Where deemed appropriate, staff will sit with children who have allergies and where age/stage appropriate staff will discuss food allergies with the children and the potential risks 

If a child has an allergic reaction to food, a bee or wasp sting, plant etc. a paediatric first aid trained member of staff will act quickly and administer the appropriate treatment, 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  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.

At Brightstars Childcare we provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees and a safe early learning environment in which children learn and are cared for. To develop and promote a strong health and safety culture within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children, parents and any visitors, we provide information, training and supervision. We also accept our responsibility for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements which we will make to implement our health and safety procedures are set out within this policy and we make sufficient resources available to provide a safe environment.

Legal framework 

We follow all relevant legislation and associated guidance relating to health and safety within the nursery including:

The requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021

The regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation such as Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH)

Any guidance provided by Public Health England, the local health protection unit, the local authority environmental health department, fire authority or the Health and Safety Executive.

Aims and objectives

The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises. 

To achieve this, we will actively work towards the following objectives:

• Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery including outdoor spaces
• Establish and maintain safe working practices amongst staff and children
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and the minimising of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of hazardous articles and substances
• Ensure the provision of sufficient information, instruction and supervision to enable all people working in or using the nursery to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety and to ensure that staff have access to regular health and safety training
• Maintain a healthy and safe nursery with safe entry and exit routes
• Formulate effective procedures for use in case of fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. Practice this procedure on a regular basis to enable the safe and speedy evacuation of the nursery
• Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers or for workers who have recently given birth, including undertaking appropriate risk assessments
• Maintain a safe environment for those with special educational needs and disabilities and ensure all areas of the nursery are accessible (wherever practicable)
• Provide a safe environment for students or trainees to learn in
• Encourage all staff, visitors and parents to report any unsafe working practices or areas to ensure immediate response by the management. 

We believe the risks in the nursery environment are low.  To maintain the maximum protection for children, staff and parents our settings:

• Ensures all entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits are clearly identifiable, free from obstruction and easily opened from the inside
• Regularly check the premises room by room for structural defects, worn fixtures and fittings or electrical equipment and take the necessary remedial action
• Ensures that all staff, visitors, parents and children are aware of the fire procedures and regular fire drills are carried out
• Has the appropriate fire detection and control equipment which is checked regularly to make sure it is in working order
• Ensures that all members of staff are aware of the procedure to follow in case of accidents for staff, visitors and children 
• Ensures that all members of staff take all reasonable action to control the spread of infectious diseases and wear protective gloves and clothing where appropriate
• Ensures there are suitable hygienic changing facilities (see infection control policy) 
• Prohibits smoking/vaping on the nursery premises
• Prohibits any contractor from working on the premises without prior discussion with the officer in charge 
• Encourages children to manage risks safely and prohibits running inside the premises unless in designated areas 
• Risk assesses all electrical sockets and take appropriate measures to reduce risks where necessary and ensure no trailing wires are left around the nursery
• Ensures all cleaning materials are placed out of the reach of children and kept in their original containers
• Ensures staff wear protective clothing when cooking or serving food
• Prohibits certain foods that may relate to children’s allergies, e.g., nuts are not allowed on any of our premises 
• Follows the EU Food Information for Food Consumers Regulations (EU FICby identifying the 14 allergens listed by EU Law that we use as ingredients in any of the dishes we provide to children and ensure that all parents are informed 
• Follows the allergies and allergic reactions policy for children who have allergies or have a reaction at the nursery
• Ensures risk assessments are undertaken on the storage and preparation of food produce within the nursery
• Familiarises all staff and visitors with the position of the first aid boxes and ensure all know who the appointed first aiders are
• Provides appropriately stocked first aid boxes and check their contents regularly
• Ensures children are supervised at all times
• Takes all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises and have an agreed procedure for checking the identity of visitors
• Ensures no student or volunteer is left unsupervised at any time
• Ensures staff paediatric first aid certificates or a list of staff who hold a current PFA certificate are on display (and/or made available to parents).

Responsibilities 

The designated Health and Safety Officer in the nursery is Sandra and Wendy

The employer has overall and final responsibility for this policy being carried out at:

Cleworth Childrens Activity Centre, Cleworth Road, M245DF

The deputy manager Amanda Morley will be responsible in their absence.

All employees have the responsibility to cooperate with senior staff and the manager to achieve a healthy and safe nursery and to take reasonable care of themselves and others. Neglect of health and safety regulations/duties will be regarded as a disciplinary matter (see separate policy on disciplinary procedures).

Whenever a member of staff notices a health or safety issue or problem which they are not able to rectify, they must immediately report it to the appropriate person named above. Parents and visitors are requested to report any concerns they may have to the 

Daily contact, monthly staff meetings and health and safety meetings provide consultation between management and employees. These include health and safety matters.

Health and safety training

Person responsible for monitoring staff training is Amanda Morley and Wendy Butterworth

Health and safety is covered in all induction training for new staff.

At present at least one member of staff on the premises and available at times when children are present MUST hold a full paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate in the nursery and must accompany children on outings. The certificate must be for a full course consistent with the criteria set out in Annex A of the EYFS, 2021. This must be renewed every three years and the emergency PFA course is taken face to face. 

In addition to this, all newly qualified entrants to the early years workforce who have completed a level 2 and/or level 3 qualification on or after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full PFA or an emergency PFA certificate within three months of starting work in order to be included in the required staff: child ratios at level 2 or level 3 in an early years setting

At nursery, we take in to account the number of children, staff, layout of premises to ensure that a paediatric first aider is able to respond to emergencies quickly.

All trained first aiders must be listed in the first aid policy. Our trained first aiders are Sandra Ozdemir and Amanda Morley

Health and safety arrangements

• All staff are responsible for general health and safety in the nursery
• Risk assessments will be conducted on all areas of the nursery, including rooms, activities, outdoor areas, resources, cleaning equipment, legionella and lone working
• These are reviewed at regular intervals and when arrangements change
• All outings away from the nursery (however short) will include a prior risk assessment – more details are included in our outings policy
• All equipment, rooms and outdoor areas are checked thoroughly by staff before children access them or the area. These checks are recorded and initialled by the staff responsible. Unsafe areas are made safe where possible, or the area is not used to promote the safety of children. In these cases, the manager will be notified immediately  
• We provide appropriate facilities for all children, staff, parents and visitors to receive a warm welcome and provide for their basic care needs, e.g., easy to access toilet area and fresh drinking water
• We adhere to the Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation (COSHH) to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are safe in relation to any chemicals we may use on the premises
• We identify and assess any water sources at risk of legionella, and manage these risks including avoiding stagnant water
• All staff and students receive appropriate training in all areas of health and safety which includes risk assessments, manual handling, fire safety and emergency evacuation procedures. We may also use benefit risk assessments for particular activities and resources for children
• We have a clear accident and first aid policy to follow in the case of any person in the nursery suffering injury from an accident or incident
• We have a clear fire safety policy and procedure, which supports the prevention of fire and the safe evacuation of all persons in the setting. This is shared with all staff, students, parents and visitors to the nursery
• We review accident and incident records to identify any patterns/hazardous areas
• All health and safety matters are reviewed informally on an ongoing basis and formally every six months or when something changes. Staff and parents receive these updates, as with all policy changes, as and when they happen
• We welcome feedback from staff and parents. They are able to contribute to any policy through informal discussions, the suggestion scheme and/or during regular meetings held at nursery.

At Bright Stars Childcare we promote the good health of all children attending including oral health by: 

Asking parents to keep children at home if they are unwell.  If a child is unwell, it is in their best interest to be in a home environment rather than at nursery or out of school care with their peers. 

Asking staff and other visitors not to attend the setting if they are unwell

Helping children to keep healthy by providing balanced and nutritious snacks, meals and drinks

Minimising infection through our rigorous cleaning and hand washing processes (see infection control policy) Ensuring children have regular access to the outdoors and having good ventilation inside 

Sharing information with parents about the importance of the vaccination programme for young children to help protect them and the wider society from communicable diseases

Sharing information from the Department of Health that all children aged 6 months – 5 years should take a daily vitamin

Having areas for rest and sleep, where required and sharing information about the importance of sleep and how many hours young children should be having.

Our procedures

In order to take appropriate action of children who become ill and to minimise the spread of infection we implement the following procedures: 

• If a child becomes ill during their day when attending nursery or out of school care, we contact their parent(s) and ask them to pick up their child as soon as possible. During this time, we care for the child in a quiet, calm area with their key person (wearing PPE), wherever possible 
• We follow the guidance published by Public Health England (Health Protection in Schools and other childcare facilities) and advice from our local health protection unit on exclusion times for specific illnesses, e.g., sickness and diarrhoea, measles and chicken pox, to protect other children in the nursery
• Should a child have an infectious disease, such as sickness and diarrhoea, they must not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 48 hours
• We inform all parents if there is a contagious infection identified in the nursery, to enable them to spot the early signs of this illness. We thoroughly clean and sterilise all equipment and resources that may have come into contact with a contagious child to reduce the spread of infection
• We notify Ofsted as soon as is reasonably practical, but in any event within 14 days of the incident of any food poisoning affecting two or more children cared for on the premises.
• We ask parents to keep children on antibiotics at home for the first 48 hours of the course (unless this is part of an ongoing care plan to treat individual medical conditions e.g. asthma and the child is not unwell) This is because it is important that children are not subjected to the rigours of the day, which requires socialising with other children and being part of a group setting, when they have first become ill and require a course of antibiotics
• We have the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. This decision will be taken by the manager on duty and is non-negotiable
• We make information/posters about head lice readily available, and all parents are requested to regularly check their children’s hair. If a parent finds that their child has head lice, we would be grateful if they could inform the setting so that other parents can be alerted to check their child’s hair. 

Meningitis procedure

If a parent informs the setting that their child has meningitis, the manager will contact the Local Area Infection Control (IC) Nurse. The IC Nurse will give guidance and support in each individual case. If parents do not inform the nursery, we may be contacted directly by the IC Nurse and the appropriate support given. We will follow all guidance given and notify any of the appropriate authorities including Ofsted where necessary.  

We will follow the transporting children to hospital procedure in any cases where children may need hospital treatment. 

The nursery manager/staff member must:

• Inform a member of the management team immediately

• Call 999 for an ambulance immediately if the illness is severe. DO NOT attempt to transport the unwell child in your own vehicle
• Follow the instructions from the 999 call handler
• Whilst waiting for the ambulance, a member of staff must contact the parent(s) and arrange to meet them at the hospital 
• 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
• 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 
• 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 advice is to 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 www.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 www.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 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.

This policy will be reviewed at least annually in consultation with staff and parents and/or after a significant incident, e.g. serious illness/hospital visit required. 

At Brightstars Childcare 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 family’s 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 settings 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 setting
• 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. 

Brightstars 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 any of our settings.

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 Bright Stars Childcare we believe that children flourish best when they feel safe and secure and have their needs met by supportive practitioners who act as good role models, show them respect and value their individual personalities. Children are supported through co-regulation, where adults and children work together towards a common purpose, including finding ways to resolve upsets from stress in any domain and return to balance leading on to a path to self-regulation. The nursery actively promotes British values and encourages and praises positive, caring and polite behaviour at all times and provides an environment where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their surroundings. 

We implement the early year’s curriculum supporting children to develop their personal, social and emotional development. This involves helping children to understand their own feelings and others and beginning to regulate their behaviour. We support children to do this through working together with parents, having consistent approaches, structure, routine and age/stage appropriate boundaries. We help build confidence and self-esteem by valuing all children and giving lots of praise and encouragement. 

To support positive behaviour in our setting, we aim to:

• Recognise the individuality of all our children
• Provide a warm, responsive relationship where children feel respected, comforted and supported in times of stress, and confident that they are cared for at all times.  
• Understand that behaviours are a normal part of some young children’s development e.g. biting
• Encourage self-regulation, consideration for each other, our surroundings and property
• Encourage children to participate in a wide range of group activities to enable them to develop their social skills
• Ensure that all staff act as positive role models for children
• Encourage parents and other visitors to be positive role models
• Work in partnership with parents by communicating openly
• Praise children and acknowledge their positive actions and attitudes, therefore ensuring that children see that we value and respect them
• Encourage all staff working with children to accept their responsibility for implementing the goals in this policy and to be consistent
• Promote non-violence and encourage children to deal with conflict peacefully
• Provide a key person system enabling staff to build a strong and positive relationship with children and their families
• Provide activities and stories to help children learn about accepted behaviours, including opportunities for children to contribute to decisions about accepted behaviour where age/stage appropriate
• Supporting and developing children’s understanding of different feelings and emotions, self-regulation and empathy as appropriate to stage of development. This includes using strategies and naming and talking about feelings and ways to manage them
• Have a named person who has overall responsibility for is Sandra ozdemir and Amanda Morley promoting positive behaviour and behaviour support.

The named person for promoting and supporting behaviour,  It is their role to: 

• Advise and support other staff on any behaviour concerns 
• Along with each room leader will keep up to date with legislation and research relating to promoting positive behaviour 
• Support changes to policies and procedures in the nursery and the out of school facilities we offer
• Access relevant sources of expertise where required and act as a central information source for all involved
• Attend regular external training events, and ensure all staff attend relevant in-house or external training for behaviour management. Keep a record of staff attendance at this training.

Our settings rules are concerned with safety, care and respect for each other. We keep the rules to a minimum and ensure that these are age and stage appropriate.  We regularly involve children in the process of setting rules to encourage cooperation and participation and ensure children gain understanding of the expectations of behaviour relevant to them as a unique child.

Children who are displaying distressed/challenging behaviour, for example, by physically abusing another child or adult e.g., biting, or through verbal bullying, are helped to talk through their feelings and actions through co-regulation before thinking about the situation and apologise where appropriate. We make sure that the child who has been upset is comforted. We always acknowledge when a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour that is not acceptable, not the child or their feelings.

Our promoting positive behaviour procedure is: 

• We support all children to develop positive behaviour, and we make every effort to provide for their individual needs
• We never use or threaten to use physical punishment/corporal punishment such as smacking or shaking or use or threaten any punishment that could adversely affect a child’s well being 
• We only use physical intervention (where practitioners may use reasonable force to prevent children from injuring themselves or others or damaging property) or to manage a child’s behaviour if absolutely necessary. We keep a record of any occasions where physical intervention is used and inform parents on the same day, or as reasonably practicable
• We recognise that there may be occasions where a child is displaying challenging/ distressed behaviour and may need individual techniques to restrain them to prevent a child from injuring themselves or others. This will only be carried out by staff who have been appropriately trained to do so. Any restraints will only be done following recommended guidance and training and only with a signed agreement from parents on when to use it. We will complete an incident form following any restraints used and notify the parents 
• We do not single out children or humiliate them in any way. Where children are displaying challenging behaviour, they will, wherever possible, be distracted/re-directed to alternative activities. Discussions with children will take place as to why their behaviour was not acceptable, respecting their level of understanding and maturity
• Staff do not raise their voices (other than to keep children safe)
• In any case of challenging behaviour, we always make it clear to the child or children in question, that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome
• We decide on particular strategies to support particular types of behaviour depending on the child’s age, level of development and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour. This may involve asking the child to talk and think about what he/she has done. All staff support children in developing empathy and children will only be asked to apologise if they have developed strong empathy skills and have a good understanding of why saying sorry is appropriate 
• We help staff to reflect on their own responses towards behaviours that challenge to ensure that their reactions are appropriate
• We inform parents if their child’s behaviour is unkind to others or if their child has been upset. In all cases we deal with behaviour that challenges in nursery at the time. We may ask parents to meet with staff to discuss their child's behaviour, so that if there are any difficulties, we can work together to ensure consistency between their home and the setting. In some cases, we may request additional advice and support from other professionals, such as an educational psychologist
• We support children in developing non-aggressive strategies to enable them to express their feelings and emotions 
• We keep confidential records on any behaviour that challenges that has taken place We inform parents and ask them to read and sign any incidents concerning their child
• Through partnership with parents and formal observations, we make every effort to identify any behavioural concerns and the causes of that behaviour. From these observations and discussions, we will implement an individual behaviour modification plan where a child’s behaviour involves aggressive actions towards other children and staff, for example hitting, kicking etc. The manager will complete risk assessments identifying any potential triggers or warning signs ensuring other children’s and staff’s safety at all times. In these instances, we may remove a child from an area until they have calmed down. 

We recognise that children need their own time and space and that it is not always appropriate to expect a child to share. We believe it is important to acknowledge each child’s feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.

At our settings, staff follow the procedure below to enable them to deal with behaviour that challenges:

• Staff are encouraged to ensure that all children feel safe, happy and secure
• Staff are encouraged to recognise that active physical aggression in the early years is part of the child’s development and that it should be channelled in a positive way
• Children are helped to understand that using aggression to get things, is inappropriate and they will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
• Staff will initiate games and activities with children when they feel play has become overly boisterous/aggressive, both indoors or out
• We will ensure that this policy is available for staff and parents, and it will be shared at least once a year to parents and staff
• Staff and parents are also welcomed to review and comment on the policy and procedure 
• If any parent has a concern about their child, a member of staff will be available to discuss those concerns. Working together can ensure our children feel confident and secure in their environment, both at home and in the nursery
• All concerns will be treated in the strictest confidence.

• Anti-bullying

We encourage children to recognise that bullying, fighting, hurting and discriminatory comments are not acceptable behaviour. We want children to recognise that certain actions are right and that others are wrong. 

Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical, verbal or emotional, but it is always a repeated behaviour that makes other people feel uncomfortable or threatened.  We acknowledge that any form of bullying is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately while recognising that physical aggression is part of children’s development in their early years. Staff will intervene when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or harmless it may seem and sensitively discuss any instance of bullying with the parents of all involved to look for a consistent resolution to the behaviour. 

By positively promoting positive behaviour, valuing co-operation and a caring attitude, we hope to ensure that children will develop a positive sense of self, have confidence in their own abilities, make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These will provide them with a secure platform for school and later life. 

Statement of intent

At Bright Stars Childcare we take great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all staff, children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation has no place within our nursery. 

A commitment to implementing our inclusion and equality policy is part of each employee’s job description. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the owner – Sandra Ozdemir at the earliest opportunity. 

Appropriate steps will then be taken to investigate the matter and if such concerns are well-founded, the nursery’s disciplinary policy will be followed.

The legal framework for this policy is based on:

• Special Education Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015
• Children and Families Act 2014
• Equality Act 2010
• Childcare Act 2006
• Children Act 2004
• Care Standards Act 2002
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

The nursery and staff are committed to:

• Recruiting, selecting, training and promoting individuals on the basis of occupational skills requirements. In this respect, the nursery will ensure that no job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation 
• Creating a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued
• Providing a childcare place, wherever possible, for children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are deemed disadvantaged according to their individual circumstances
• Making reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities 
• Striving to promote equal access to services and projects by taking practical steps (wherever possible and reasonable), such as ensuring access to people with additional needs and by producing materials in relevant languages and media for all children and their families
• Providing a secure environment in which all our families are listened to, children can flourish, and all contributions are valued
• Including and valuing the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality, inclusion and diversity
• Providing positive non-stereotypical information 
• Continually improving our knowledge and understanding of issues of equality, inclusion and diversity and training all staff about their rights and responsibilities under the inclusion and equality policy.
• Regularly reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of inclusive practices to ensure they promote, and value diversity and difference and that the policy is effective and practices are non-discriminatory
• Making inclusion a thread which runs through the entirety of the nursery, for example, by encouraging positive role models through the use of toys, imaginary play and activities, promoting non-stereotypical images and language and challenging all discriminatory behaviour (see dealing with discriminatory behaviour policy).

Admissions/service provision

 All our settings accessible to all children and families in the local community and further afield through a comprehensive and inclusive admissions policy.  

The nursery will strive to ensure that all services and projects are accessible and relevant to all groups and individuals in the community within targeted age groups.

Recruitment

Recruitment, promotion and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoids discrimination. Shortlisting will be done by more than one person, where possible.

All members of the selection group are committed to the inclusive practice set out in this policy and will have received appropriate training in this regard. 

Application forms are sent out along with a copy of the equal opportunities monitoring form. Application forms do not include questions that potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent.

Vacancies are generally advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying. 

At interview, no questions are posed which potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent. All candidates are asked the same questions and members of the selection group will not introduce nor use any personal knowledge of candidates acquired outside the selection process. Candidates are given the opportunity to receive feedback on the reasons why they were not successful.

We may ask questions (Under the Equality Act 2010) prior to offering someone employment in the following circumstances:

• To establish whether the applicant will be able to comply with a requirement to undergo an assessment (i.e., an interview or selection test)
• Too establish whether the applicant will be able to carry out a function that is intrinsic to the work concerned
• To monitor diversity in the range of people applying for work
• To take positive action towards a particular group – for example offering a guaranteed interview scheme
• You require someone with a particular disability because of an occupational requirement for the job.

The national College for Teaching and Leadership provides further guidance specific to working with children, which we follow: 

Providers have a responsibility to ensure that practitioners have the health and physical capacity to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm. The activities that a practitioner must be able to perform are set out in the Education (Health Standards England) Regulations 2003. Providers are responsible for ensuring that only practitioners who have the capacity to teach remain on the staff team.

People with disabilities or chronic illnesses may have the capacity to teach, just as those without disabilities or medical conditions may be unsuitable to teach. Further information on training to teach with a disability is available from the DfE website.

Successful applicants offered a position may be asked to complete a fitness questionnaire prior to commencing the programme. Providers should not ask all-encompassing health questions but should ensure that they only ask targeted and relevant health-related questions, which are necessary to ensure that a person is able to teach.

Staff

It is our policy not to discriminate in the treatment of individuals. All staff are expected to co-operate with the implementation, monitoring and improvement of this and other policies. They are expected to challenge language, actions, behaviours and attitudes which are oppressive or discriminatory on the grounds specified in this policy and recognise and celebrate other cultures and traditions. All staff are expected to participate in equality and inclusion training.

Staff will follow the ‘Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour’ policy where applicable to report any discriminatory behaviours observed. 

Training

Brightstars recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective inclusion and equality policy. All new staff receive induction training including specific reference to the inclusion and equality policy. The nursery strives towards the provision of inclusion, equality and diversity training for all staff on a annual basis.

• Early learning framework

We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensure that all learning opportunities offered in the nursery and the out of school clubs encourage children to develop positive attitudes to people who are different from them. Our curriculum encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.

We do this by:

• Identifying a key person to each child who will ensure that each child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs and continuously observe, assess and plan for their learning and development
• Listening to children (verbally and non-verbally) and making children feel included, valued and good about themselves
• Ensuring that we know what each child knows and “can do” and have equal access to tailored early learning and play opportunities
• Reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources
• Avoiding stereotypical or derogatory images in the selection of materials
• Acknowledging and celebrating a wide range of religions, beliefs and festivals
• Creating an environment of mutual respect 
• Supporting children to talk about their feelings and those of others, manage emotions and develop empathy
• Helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are unacceptable
• Knowing children well, being able to meet their needs and know when they require further support 
• Ensuring that all early learning opportunities offered are inclusive of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds 
• Ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to our early learning opportunities and are supported in their learning
• Working in partnership with all families to ensure they understand the policy and challenge any discriminatory comments made
• Ensuring the medical, cultural and dietary needs of all children are met and help
• children to learn about a range of food and cultural approaches to mealtimes and to respect the differences among them.

Parent information and meetings

Information about the nursery, its activities, experiences, resources are shared with parents as well as information about their child’s development. This is given in a variety of ways according to individual needs (written, verbal and translated), to ensure that all parents can access the information they need.  

Wherever possible, meetings are arranged to give all families opportunities to attend and share information about their child. 

We also consult with parents regularly about the running of the nursery and ask them to contribute their ideas. 

At Bright Stars Childcare we believe that children flourish best when they feel safe and secure and have their needs met by supportive practitioners who act as good role models, show them respect and value their individual personalities. Children are supported through co-regulation, where adults and children work together towards a common purpose, including finding ways to resolve upsets from stress in any domain and return to balance leading on to a path to self-regulation. The nursery actively promotes British values and encourages and praises positive, caring and polite behaviour at all times and provides an environment where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their surroundings. 

We implement the early year’s curriculum supporting children to develop their personal, social and emotional development. This involves helping children to understand their own feelings and others and beginning to regulate their behaviour. We support children to do this through working together with parents, having consistent approaches, structure, routine and age/stage appropriate boundaries. We help build confidence and self-esteem by valuing all children and giving lots of praise and encouragement. 

To support positive behaviour in our setting, we aim to:

• Recognise the individuality of all our children
• Provide a warm, responsive relationship where children feel respected, comforted and supported in times of stress, and confident that they are cared for at all times.  
• Understand that behaviours are a normal part of some young children’s development e.g. biting
• Encourage self-regulation, consideration for each other, our surroundings and property
• Encourage children to participate in a wide range of group activities to enable them to develop their social skills
• Ensure that all staff act as positive role models for children
• Encourage parents and other visitors to be positive role models
• Work in partnership with parents by communicating openly
• Praise children and acknowledge their positive actions and attitudes, therefore ensuring that children see that we value and respect them
• Encourage all staff working with children to accept their responsibility for implementing the goals in this policy and to be consistent
• Promote non-violence and encourage children to deal with conflict peacefully
• Provide a key person system enabling staff to build a strong and positive relationship with children and their families
• Provide activities and stories to help children learn about accepted behaviours, including opportunities for children to contribute to decisions about accepted behaviour where age/stage appropriate
• Supporting and developing children’s understanding of different feelings and emotions, self-regulation and empathy as appropriate to stage of development. This includes using strategies and naming and talking about feelings and ways to manage them
• Have a named person who has overall responsibility for is Sandra ozdemir and Amanda Morley promoting positive behaviour and behaviour support.

The named person for promoting and supporting behaviour,  It is their role to: 

• Advise and support other staff on any behaviour concerns 
• Along with each room leader will keep up to date with legislation and research relating to promoting positive behaviour 
• Support changes to policies and procedures in the nursery and the out of school facilities we offer
• Access relevant sources of expertise where required and act as a central information source for all involved
• Attend regular external training events, and ensure all staff attend relevant in-house or external training for behaviour management. Keep a record of staff attendance at this training.

Our settings rules are concerned with safety, care and respect for each other. We keep the rules to a minimum and ensure that these are age and stage appropriate.  We regularly involve children in the process of setting rules to encourage cooperation and participation and ensure children gain understanding of the expectations of behaviour relevant to them as a unique child.

Children who are displaying distressed/challenging behaviour, for example, by physically abusing another child or adult e.g., biting, or through verbal bullying, are helped to talk through their feelings and actions through co-regulation before thinking about the situation and apologise where appropriate. We make sure that the child who has been upset is comforted. We always acknowledge when a child is feeling angry or upset and that it is the behaviour that is not acceptable, not the child or their feelings.

Our promoting positive behaviour procedure is: 

• We support all children to develop positive behaviour, and we make every effort to provide for their individual needs
• We never use or threaten to use physical punishment/corporal punishment such as smacking or shaking or use or threaten any punishment that could adversely affect a child’s well being 
• We only use physical intervention (where practitioners may use reasonable force to prevent children from injuring themselves or others or damaging property) or to manage a child’s behaviour if absolutely necessary. We keep a record of any occasions where physical intervention is used and inform parents on the same day, or as reasonably practicable
• We recognise that there may be occasions where a child is displaying challenging/ distressed behaviour and may need individual techniques to restrain them to prevent a child from injuring themselves or others. This will only be carried out by staff who have been appropriately trained to do so. Any restraints will only be done following recommended guidance and training and only with a signed agreement from parents on when to use it. We will complete an incident form following any restraints used and notify the parents 
• We do not single out children or humiliate them in any way. Where children are displaying challenging behaviour, they will, wherever possible, be distracted/re-directed to alternative activities. Discussions with children will take place as to why their behaviour was not acceptable, respecting their level of understanding and maturity
• Staff do not raise their voices (other than to keep children safe)
• In any case of challenging behaviour, we always make it clear to the child or children in question, that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome
• We decide on particular strategies to support particular types of behaviour depending on the child’s age, level of development and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour. This may involve asking the child to talk and think about what he/she has done. All staff support children in developing empathy and children will only be asked to apologise if they have developed strong empathy skills and have a good understanding of why saying sorry is appropriate 
• We help staff to reflect on their own responses towards behaviours that challenge to ensure that their reactions are appropriate
• We inform parents if their child’s behaviour is unkind to others or if their child has been upset. In all cases we deal with behaviour that challenges in nursery at the time. We may ask parents to meet with staff to discuss their child's behaviour, so that if there are any difficulties, we can work together to ensure consistency between their home and the setting. In some cases, we may request additional advice and support from other professionals, such as an educational psychologist
• We support children in developing non-aggressive strategies to enable them to express their feelings and emotions 
• We keep confidential records on any behaviour that challenges that has taken place We inform parents and ask them to read and sign any incidents concerning their child
• Through partnership with parents and formal observations, we make every effort to identify any behavioural concerns and the causes of that behaviour. From these observations and discussions, we will implement an individual behaviour modification plan where a child’s behaviour involves aggressive actions towards other children and staff, for example hitting, kicking etc. The manager will complete risk assessments identifying any potential triggers or warning signs ensuring other children’s and staff’s safety at all times. In these instances, we may remove a child from an area until they have calmed down. 

We recognise that children need their own time and space and that it is not always appropriate to expect a child to share. We believe it is important to acknowledge each child’s feelings and to help them understand how others might be feeling.

At our settings, staff follow the procedure below to enable them to deal with behaviour that challenges:

• Staff are encouraged to ensure that all children feel safe, happy and secure
• Staff are encouraged to recognise that active physical aggression in the early years is part of the child’s development and that it should be channelled in a positive way
• Children are helped to understand that using aggression to get things, is inappropriate and they will be encouraged to resolve problems in other ways
• Staff will initiate games and activities with children when they feel play has become overly boisterous/aggressive, both indoors or out
• We will ensure that this policy is available for staff and parents, and it will be shared at least once a year to parents and staff
• Staff and parents are also welcomed to review and comment on the policy and procedure 
• If any parent has a concern about their child, a member of staff will be available to discuss those concerns. Working together can ensure our children feel confident and secure in their environment, both at home and in the nursery
• All concerns will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Anti-bullying

We encourage children to recognise that bullying, fighting, hurting and discriminatory comments are not acceptable behaviour. We want children to recognise that certain actions are right and that others are wrong. 

Bullying takes many forms. It can be physical, verbal or emotional, but it is always a repeated behaviour that makes other people feel uncomfortable or threatened.  We acknowledge that any form of bullying is unacceptable and will be dealt with immediately while recognising that physical aggression is part of children’s development in their early years. Staff will intervene when they think a child is being bullied, however mild or harmless it may seem and sensitively discuss any instance of bullying with the parents of all involved to look for a consistent resolution to the behaviour. 

By positively promoting positive behaviour, valuing co-operation and a caring attitude, we hope to ensure that children will develop a positive sense of self, have confidence in their own abilities, make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These will provide them with a secure platform for school and later life. 

At Bright Stars Childcare we have suitable staffing arrangements to meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety. The manager is responsible for all staff, students and relief/agency staff receiving information on health and safety policies and procedures in the nursery in order to ensure they are adequately supervising the children, including whilst they are eating.  

Supervision

We ensure that children are supervised adequately at all times, whether children are in or out of the building, including eating through:

• Appropriately deploying staff members meeting the ratio and qualification requirements to ensure children’ needs are met and continuing to monitor this across the setting regularly. This includes informing parents and/or carers about staff deployment, and, when relevant and practical involving them in these decisions
• Making sure that every child is always within the sight and/or hearing of a suitably vetted member of staff
• Completing registers as soon as soon children enter and leave the premises and carrying out head counts throughout the day
• Risk assessing activities/experiences and equipment to ensure children are not exposed to unnecessary risks, including removal of any choking hazards and fully supervising any activities that may pose this risk
• Ensuring children are fully supervised at all times when using water play/paddling pools as we are aware that children can drown in only a few centimetres of water 
• Taking special care when children are using large apparatus e.g., a climbing frame, and when walking up or down steps/stairs
• Support children to identify, minimise and manage risks in their play
• Making sure staff recognise and are aware of any dangers relating to bushes, shrubs and plants when on visits/outdoors 
• Supervising children at all times when eating; monitoring toddlers and babies closely and never leaving babies alone with a bottle. Babies are always bottle fed by a member of staff Supervising sleeping babies/children and never leaving them unattended
• Never leaving babies/children unattended during nappy changing times 
• Supervising children carefully when using scissors or tools, including using knives in cooking activities where this is required 
• Increasing staff: child ratios during outings to ensure supervision and safety (please refer to Outing’s policy)
• Strictly following any safety guidelines given by other organisations or companies relating to the hire of equipment or services e.g. hire of a bouncy castle and a member of staff MUST supervise the children at all times.

At Bright Stars Childcare we are vigilant in our recruitment procedures aiming to ensure that all people working looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role. We have effective systems in place to ensure that practitioners and any other person who may have regular contact with children are suitable.

We follow this procedure each and every time we recruit a new member of staff to join our team. 

Legal requirements 

We abide by all legal requirements relating to safe recruitment set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and accompanying regulations including our legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2021 

We also follow any requirements or guidance given by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in relation to carrying out checks; and abide by the employer’s responsibilities relating to informing the DBS of any changes to the suitability of their staff, whether this member of staff has left the setting or is still under investigation. Please refer to the child protection/safeguarding policy for further information.

Advertising 

We use Facebook, Instagram and Famly to advertise for any vacancies 

We ensure that all recruitment literature includes details of our equal opportunities policy and our safe recruitment procedures; including an enhanced DBS check and at least two independent references for every new employee. We also include the requirement for an additional criminal records check (or checks if more than one country) for anyone who has lived or worked abroad. 

Interview stage

• We shortlist all suitable candidates against a pre-set specification and ensure all applicants receive correspondence regardless of whether they are successful in reaching the interview stage or not
• All shortlisted candidates receive a job description, a person specification, an equal opportunity monitoring form and a request for identification prior to the interview
• The manager decides the most appropriate people for the interview panel. There will be at least two people involved are both are involved in the overall decision making
• At the start of each interview all candidates’ identities are checked using, for example, their passport and/or photo card driving licence. All candidates are required to prove they are eligible to work in the UK. The interview will also cover any gaps in the candidate’s employment history
• All candidates reaching the interview stage are questioned using the same set criteria and questions. These cover specific areas of childcare, including safeguarding the children in their care, planning suitable activities to enhance the child’s development and their understanding of the legal frameworks applied to childcare and used in the setting. The questions are value based and will ensure the candidate has the same values as the nursery with regards to the safety and welfare of the children in their care
• Candidates will be given a score for their answers including a score for their individual experience and qualifications 
• Every shortlisted candidate will be asked to take part in a supervised practical exercise which will involve spending time in a particular age group in the nursery interacting with the children, staff and where appropriate parents 
• The manager and deputy will then select the most suitable person for this position based on these scores and their knowledge and understanding of the early year’s framework as well as the needs of the setting
• Every candidate will receive communication from the nursery stating whether they have been successful or not. Unsuccessful candidates are offered feedback. 

Starting work

• The successful candidate will be offered the position subject to at least two references from previous employment or, in the case of a newly qualified student, their tutor and a personal or professional reference. These references will be taken up BEFORE employment commences. This may be verbal initially and then followed up with a written reference which will form part of their personnel file 
• The successful candidate will be asked to provide proof of their qualifications, where applicable. All qualifications will be checked, and copies taken for their personnel files where applicable 
• Prior to employment but after the job has been offered a health check questionnaire will be given to the employee and its results will be taken into account in making an overall decision about suitability. Brightstars reserves the right to take any further advice necessary in relation to a person’s physical and mental fitness to carry out their role. Please see the absence management policy for more details about how the nursery manages health problems including access to medical records
• All new starters, other than those who have registered for the continuous updating service (see below), will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This will be initiated before the member of staff commences work in the setting and they will not have unsupervised access to any child or their records before this check comes back clear. Further to this, the new starter will not be allowed to take photographs of any child, look at their learning and development log or change the nappy of any child without an up-to-date enhanced DBS check (whether supervised or not)
• An additional criminal records check (or checks if more than one country) should also be made for anyone who has lived or worked abroad
• The setting will record and retain details about the individual including staff qualifications, identity checks carried out and the vetting process completed. This will include the disclosure and barring service reference number, the date the disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it. The setting will not retain copies of the disclosure itself once the employment decision is taken

There may be occasions when a DBS check is not clear, but the individual is still suitable to work with children. This will be treated on an individual case basis and at the manager’s/owner’s discretion taking into account the following: 

• seriousness of the offence or other information
• accuracy of the person’s self-disclosure on the application form
• nature of the appointment including levels of supervision
• age of the individual at the time of the offence or other information
• the length of time that has elapsed since the offence or other information
• relevance of the offence or information to working or being in regular contact with children.
• If the individual has registered on the DBS system since 17 July 2013, managers may use the update service with the candidate’s permission instead of carrying out an enhanced DBS check
• New starters are required to sign (either application form, contract or separate form) to state that they have no criminal convictions, court orders or any other reasons that disqualify them from working with children or unsuitable to do so
• All new members of staff will undergo an intensive induction period during which time they will read and discuss Brightstars policies and procedures and be assigned a ‘mentor/ buddy’ who will introduce them to the way in which the nursery operates
• During their induction period all new staff will receive training on how to safeguard children in their care and follow the Safeguarding Children/Child Protection policy and procedure, emergency evacuation procedures, equality policy and health and safety issues 
• The new member of staff will have regular meetings with the manager and their buddy during their induction period to discuss their progress, support required and/or further training and professional development opportunities. 
•  

Ongoing support and checks

All staff are responsible for notifying the manager in person if any there are any changes to their circumstances that may affect their suitability to work with children (staff suitability status will also be checked through an annual ‘staff suitability questionnaire’). This includes any incidents occurring outside the nursery. Staff will face disciplinary action should they fail to notify the manager immediately

All members of staff will update a health questionnaire on an annual basis to ensure management have a good knowledge of any changes that may require support or additional resources to aid them to carry out their day-to-day duties. This will also be discussed at staff supervisions/review meetings. Management may require this more regularly where health circumstances change. There are more details about how the nursery deals with any health problems in the absence management policy

The  manager will review any significant changes to an individual’s circumstances that may suggest they are no longer suitable to work with children and take appropriate action to ensure any unsuitable or potentially unsuitable employee does not have unsupervised contact with children until the matter is resolved. Please see the Disciplinary Policy for further details

Every member of staff will have two meetings a year with the manager: a formal appraisal and a more informal review. This will provide an opportunity for the manager and member of staff to discuss training needs for the following six months as well as evaluate and discuss their performance in the previous six months

The manager, deputy, compliance officer and room leaders will be responsible for any support the staff team may have between these reviews. This includes mentor support, one-to-one training sessions, ongoing supervision, work-based observations and constructive feedback

The setting will provide appropriate opportunities for all staff to undertake professional development and training to help improve the quality of experiences provided for children.

Extremism – the Prevent Duty 

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) defines extremism. It states “Extremism goes beyond terrorism and includes people who target the vulnerable – including the young – by seeking to sow division between communities on the basis of race, faith or denomination; justify discrimination towards women and girls; persuade others that minorities are inferior; or argue against the primacy of democracy and the rule of law in our society.

Extremism is defined in the Counter Extremism Strategy 2015 as the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist”

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to safeguard at risk or vulnerable children under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have “due regard” to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and refer any concerns of extremism to the police (If you are in a Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support, add contact details here). 

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme. Radicalisation is the way a person comes to support or be involved in extremism and terrorism. It’s a gradual process so young people who are affected may not realise what’s happening.

Radicalisation is a form of harm. The process may involve:

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

Alongside this we will be alert to any early signs in children and families who may be at risk of radicalisation, on which we will act, and document all concerns when reporting further. 

The NSPCC states that signs of radicalisation may be:

• isolating themselves from family and friends
• talking as if from a scripted speech
• unwillingness or inability to discuss their views
• a sudden disrespectful attitude towards others
• increased levels of anger
• increased secretiveness, especially around internet use.

We will tackle radicalisation by:

• Training all staff to understand what is meant by the Prevent Duty and radicalisation 
• Ensuring staff understand how to recognise early indicators of potential radicalisation and terrorism threats and act on them appropriately in line with national and local procedures
• Make any referrals relating to extremism to the police (or the Government helpline) in a timely way, sharing relevant information as appropriate 
• Ensure our nursery is an inclusive environment, tackle inequalities and negative points of view and teach children about tolerance through British Values
• Using the Government document Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales.

At Brightstars Childcare we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.

We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation, and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures (please refer to our inclusion and equality policy for further information). Safeguarding children is everybody’s responsibility. All staff, students, any supply staff and visitors are made aware of and asked to adhere to, the policy. 

Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the settings other policies and procedures including: 

• Online safety
• Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
• Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
• Domestic Abuse, Honour Based Abuse (HBA) and Forced Marriage 
• Looked After Children
• Monitoring staff behaviour
• Social networking
• Mobile phone and electronic device use
• Safe recruitment of staff 
• Disciplinary 
• Grievance 
• Promoting positive behaviour 

Legal framework and definition of safeguarding

Children Act 1989 and 2004

Childcare Act 2006 (amended 2018)

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

Children and Social Work Act 2017

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2021 

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020

Data Protection Act 2018 

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015

Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015.

Inspecting Safeguarding in Early years, Education and Skills settings 2019

Prevent Duty 2015

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as: 

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing the impairment of children’s health or development 
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

(Definition taken from the HM Government document ‘Working together to safeguard children 2018).

Policy intention

To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:

• Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
• Provide positive role models and develop a safe culture where staff are confident to raise concerns about professional conduct
• Ensure all staff are able to identify the signs and indicators of abuse, including the softer signs of abuse, and know what action to take
• Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
• Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
• Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities
• Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling
• Always listen to children
• Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
• Share information with other agencies as appropriate.

Brightstars staff are aware that abuse does occur in our society, and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Staff working on the frontline with children and families are often the first people to identify a concern, observe changes in a child’s behaviour or receive information relating to indicators of abuse. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse. 

Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for Children’s Social Care, family support, health professionals including health visitors or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.

Brightstars aims are to:

• Keep the child at the centre of all we do, providing sensitive interactions that develops and builds children’s well-being, confidence and resilience. We will support children to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe, healthy and develop positive relationships
• Ensure staff are trained right from induction to understand the safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse (including the signs known as softer signs of abuse), understand what is meant by child protection and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children (peer on peer) through bullying or discriminatory behaviour.
• Be aware of the increased vulnerability of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), isolated families and vulnerabilities in families; including the impact of toxic trio on children and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s).
• Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child; maintaining professional curiosity around welfare of children and share information and seek the help that the child may need at the earliest opportunity.
• Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with child protection training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures, including thorough annual safeguarding newsletters and updates.
• Make any child protection referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Partnership (RBSCP) 
• Ensure that information is shared only with those people who need to know in order to protect the child and act in their best interest.
• Keep the setting safe online, we refer to 'Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations and use appropriate filters, checks and safeguards, monitoring access at all times and maintaining safeguards around the use of technology by staff, parents and visitors in the setting.
• Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the care of nursery staff.
• Identify changes in staff behaviour and act on these as per the Staff Behaviour Policy.
• Take any appropriate action relating to allegations of serious harm or abuse against any person working with children or living or working on the nursery premises including reporting such allegations to Ofsted and other relevant authorities including the local authority. 
• Ensure parents are fully aware of our safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures when they register with the setting and are kept informed of all updates when they occur.
• Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements and any guidance or procedures issued by Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Partnership (RBSCP) 

Contact telephone numbers

Local authority children’s social care team 01706 647474

Local authority Designated Officer (LADO) 0300 303 350

Local Authority referral team 01706 925127

Local Authority Out of Hours Team 0300 303 8875

NSPCC 0808 800 5000

Local Safeguarding Partner’s Cafcass NHS Heywood & Middleton NHS Pennine Care Cheshire and greater Manchester Community rehabilitation Company

Local Early Help services 01706 925127

ehash@rochdale.gov.uk Telephone 0300 303 0440 (8.30am - 4.45pm) 

0300 303 8875 (out of office hours) Fax 0844 963 2483 

Website www.rochdale.gov.uk/.../child-protection.aspx

Ofsted 0300 123 1231

Emergency police 999

Non-emergency police 101 

Government helpline for extremism concerns 020 7340 7264

Child exploitation and Online protection command (CEOP) https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

Types of abuse and particular procedures followed

Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused within a family, institution or community setting by those known to them or more rarely, a stranger. 

This could be an adult or adults, another child or children. 

What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused, advice for practitioners (2015) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)

The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused but will help us to recognise that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree.

Indicators of child abuse

• Failure to thrive and meet developmental milestones
• Fearful or withdrawn tendencies
• Unexplained injuries to a child or conflicting reports from parents or staff 
• Repeated injuries 
• Unaddressed illnesses or injuries
• Significant changes to behaviour patterns. 

Softer signs of abuse as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include: 

Emotional states: 

• Fearful
• Withdrawn 
• Low self-esteem.
• Behaviour: 
• Aggressive
• Oppositional habitual body rocking.
• Interpersonal behaviours: 
• Indiscriminate contact or affection seeking
• Over-friendliness to strangers including healthcare professionals
• Excessive clinginess, persistently resorting to gaining attention
• Demonstrating excessively 'good' behaviour to prevent parental or carer disapproval
• Failing to seek or accept appropriate comfort or affection from an appropriate person when significantly distressed
• Coercive controlling behaviour towards parents or carers
• Lack of ability to understand and recognise emotions
• Very young children showing excessive comforting behaviours when witnessing parental or carer distress.

Peer-on-peer abuse 

We are aware that peer-on-peer abuse does take place, so we include children in our policies when we talk about potential abusers. This may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse or sexual abuse. We will report this in the same way we do for adults abusing children and will take advice from the appropriate bodies on this area; to support for both the victim and the perpetrator, as they could also be a victim of abuse. We know that children who develop harmful sexual behaviour have often experienced abuse and neglect themselves.  

Physical abuse 

A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

All children can suffer injuries during their early years as they explore and develop. If an explanation of how a child received their injury doesn’t match the injury itself or if a child’s injuries are a regular occurrence or there is a pattern to their injuries, then we will report our concerns.

Fabricated illness

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

Female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM can also be known as Female Genital Cutting. FGM is a procedure where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. It is frequently a very traumatic and violent act for the victim and can cause harm in many ways. The practice can cause severe pain and there may be immediate and/or long-term health consequences, including mental health problems, difficulties in childbirth, causing danger to the child and mother; and/or death (definition taken from the Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance on Female Genital Mutilation).

The procedure may be carried out shortly after birth and during childhood as well as adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy and varies widely according to the community.

FGM is child abuse and is illegal in the UK. It can be extremely dangerous and can cause:

• Severe pain

• Shock

• Bleeding

• Infection such at tetanus, HIV and hepatitis B and C

• Organ damage

• Blood loss and infections

• Death in some cases

Any concerns about a child or family, will be reported to the children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse. We have a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18.

Breast ironing/flattening

Breast ironing also known as "breast flattening" is the process where young girls' breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down through the use of hard or heated objects in order for the breasts to disappear, or delay the development of the breasts entirely. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage. 

Breast Ironing/Flattening is a form of physical abuse and can cause serious health issues such as: 

• Abscesses
• Cysts
• Itching
• Tissue damage
• Infection
• Discharge of milk
• Dissymmetry of the breasts
• Severe fever.
• Any concerns about a child or family, will be reported to the children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse.

Sexual abuse 

Sexual abuse involves forcing, or enticing, a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Adult males do not solely perpetrate sexual abuse; women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Action must be taken if a staff member witnesses an occasion(s) where a child indicates sexual activity through words, play, drawing, has an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters; or has an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour, or language, for their developmental age. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls/toys or in the role-play area with their peers; drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words.

If a child is being sexually abused staff may observe both emotional and physical symptoms. 

Emotional signs:

• Being overly affectionate or knowledgeable in a sexual way inappropriate to the child's age
• Personality changes such as becoming insecure or clingy 
• Regressing to younger behaviour patterns such as thumb sucking or bringing out discarded cuddly toys
• Sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating
• Being isolated or withdrawn
• Inability to concentrate
• Lack of trust or fear of someone they know well, such as not wanting to be alone with a carer
• Becoming worried about clothing being removed
• Suddenly drawing sexually explicit pictures or acting out actions inappropriate for their age
• Using sexually explicit language.

Physical Signs:

• Bruises
• Bleeding, discharge, pains or soreness in their genital or anal area
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Pregnancy
• Any concerns about a child or family will be reported to the children’s social care team. 

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) 

Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020) describes CSE as: where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. CSE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. CSE can affect any child or young person (male or female) under the age of 18 years, including 16 and 17 year olds who can legally consent to have sex. It can include both contact (penetrative and non-penetrative acts) and non-contact sexual activity and may occur without the child or young person’s immediate knowledge (e.g. through others copying videos or images they have created and posted on social media).

Signs and indicators may include:

• Physical injuries such as bruising or bleeding
• Having money or gifts they are unable to explain 
• Sudden changes in their appearance 
• Becoming involved in drugs or alcohol, particularly if you suspect they are being supplied by older men or women
• Becoming emotionally volatile (mood swings are common in all young people, but more severe changes could indicate that something is wrong)
• Using sexual language that you wouldn’t expect them to know
• Engaging less with their usual friends
• Appearing controlled by their phone
• Switching to a new screen when you come near the computer
• Nightmares or sleeping problems
• Running away, staying out overnight, missing school
• Changes in eating habits
• Talk of a new, older friend, boyfriend or girlfriend 
• Losing contact with family and friends or becoming secretive
• Contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)

CCE is where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. CCE does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

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

Children who appear with unexplained gifts or new possessions;

Children who associate with other young people involved in exploitation;

Children who suffer from changes in emotional well-being;

Children who misuse drugs and alcohol;

Children who go missing for periods of time or regularly come home late; and

Children who regularly miss school or education or do not take part in education.

If staff have any concerns regarding CSE or CCE, they will be reported in the usual way. 

Emotional abuse

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) defines emotional abuse as ‘the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development’. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. 

It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Signs and indicators may include:

• Physical, mental and emotional development lags
• Sudden speech disorders
• Overreaction to mistakes
• Extreme fear of any new situation
• Neurotic behaviour (rocking, hair twisting, self-mutilation)
• Extremes of passivity or aggression
• Appear unconfident or lack self-assurance.

Action will be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection. Children may also experience emotional abuse through witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.  

Neglect 

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) defines Neglect as ‘the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development’. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:

a. Provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)

b. Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger

c. Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caregivers)

d. Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in, or a child having an illness or identified special educational need or disability that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs. 

Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g., a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. In addition, neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. 

Action will be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been any type of neglect of a child.

County Lines

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

Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims. Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in a number of locations including schools, further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, special educational needs schools, children’s homes and care homes.

Signs and indicators to be aware of include:

• Changes in the way young people you might know dress
• Unexplained, sometimes unaffordable new things (e.g., clothes, jewellery, cars etc.)
• Missing from home or schools and/or significant decline in performance
• New friends or relationships with those who don't share any mutual friendships with the victim or anyone else
• May be carrying a weapon
• Receiving more texts or calls than usual
• Sudden influx of cash, clothes or mobile phones
• Unexplained injuries
• Significant changes in emotional well-being
• Young people seen in different cars/taxis driven by unknown adults
• Young people seeming unfamiliar with your community or where they are
• Truancy, exclusion, disengagement from school
• An increase in anti-social behaviour in the community
• Unexplained injuries
• Gang association or isolation from peers or social networks.

Cuckooing

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

If staff have any concerns regarding county lines/cuckooing they will be reported in the usual way.

Contextual safeguarding- 

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

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

Domestic Abuse / Honour Based Abuse / Forced Marriages

We look at these areas as a child protection concern. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this. 

Extremism – the Prevent Duty 

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to safeguard at risk or vulnerable children under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and refer any concerns of extremism to the police (In Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support). 

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme. Radicalisation is the way a person comes to support or be involved in extremism and terrorism. It’s a gradual process so young people who are affected may not realise what’s happening.

Radicalisation is a form of harm. The process may involve:

• Being groomed online or in person

• Exploitation, including sexual exploitation

• Psychological manipulation

• Exposure to violent material and other inappropriate information

• The risk of physical harm or death through extremist acts

We have a Prevent Duty and Radicalisation policy in place. Please refer to this for specific details.

Online Safety

We take the safety of our children very seriously and this includes their online safety. Please refer to the Online Safety policy for further details. 

Human Trafficking and Slavery 

Please refer to our Human Trafficking and Slavery policy for detail on how we keep children safe in this area.

Adult sexual exploitation 

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

Up skirting

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

Child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB)

Child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB) can happen in families when there is a concept of belief in: 

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

This is not an exhaustive list and there will be other examples where children have been harmed when adults think that their actions have brought bad fortune. 

Reporting Procedures

All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding/child protection concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.

Staff will report their concerns to Sandra (in the absence of the DSL they will be reported to the Deputy DSL) Amanda

Any signs of marks/injuries to a child or information a child have given will be recorded and stored securely

For children who arrive at nursery with an existing injury, a form will be completed along with the parent’s/carer’s explanation as to how the injury happened. Staff will have professional curiosity around any explanations given, any concerns around existing injury’s will be reported 

If appropriate, any concerns/or incidents will be discussed with the parent/carer and discussions will be recorded. Parents will have access to these records on request in line with GDPR and data protection guidelines. 

If there are queries/concerns regarding the injury/information given, then the following procedures will take place:

The designated safeguarding lead will:

• Contact the Local Authority children’s social care team to report concerns and seek advice immediately, or as soon as it is practical to do so. If it is believed a child is in immediate danger, we will contact the police. If the safeguarding concern relates to an allegation against an adult working or volunteering with children, then the DSL will follow the reporting allegations procedure (see below)
• Record the information and action taken relating to the concern raised
• Speak to the parents (unless advised not do so by LA children’s social care team)
• The designated safeguarding lead will follow up with the Local Authority children’s social care team if they have not contacted the setting within the timeframe set out in Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2018). We will never assume that action has been taken.

Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the DSL or deputy DSL they should call the Local Authority children’s social care team, the Police or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.

These contact numbers are displayed in the entrance, both offices and in every room at our other sites these will be displayed in our parents file which can be found at the entrance on pick up.  Alternatively, please ask a member of staff who will treat this matter with the strictest of confidence and support.

Responding to a spontaneous disclosure from a child 

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

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

(Information taken from NSPCC) 

Any disclosure will be reported to the nursery manager or DSL and will be referred to the local authority children’s social care team immediately, following our reporting procedures.

Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures 

Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure, supported by  manager or designated safeguarding lead (DSL). This record should include: 

• Child's name
• Child's address
• Age of the child and date of birth
• Date and time of the observation or the disclosure, location
• Exact words spoken by the child (word for word) and non-verbal communication
• Exact position and type of any injuries or marks seen
• Exact observation of any incident including any concern was reported, with date and time; and the names of any other person present at the time
• Any discussion held with the parent(s) (where deemed appropriate). 

These records should be signed by the person reporting this and Sandra or Amanda, dated and kept in a separate confidential file. 

If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse, it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly, and disclosure is not forced, or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately. It is not Brightstars role to investigate, it is the role of statutory services to complete this.

Staff involved in a safeguarding case may be asked to supply details of any information/concerns they have with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the local authority children’s social care, police, and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.

Staff must not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent, child or member of staff.  

Informing parents

Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this to happen. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases, the investigating officers will inform parents.

Confidentiality

All suspicions, enquiries and external investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared in line with guidance from the local authority. All staff, students and volunteers are bound by confidentiality and any information will not be discussed out of work, or this will become a disciplinary matter. 

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

Support to families

Brightstars takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff, students and volunteers within the setting.

Brightstars continues to welcome the child and the family whilst enquiries are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst any external investigations are carried out in the best interest of the child.

Record Keeping

Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child's parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate and in line with guidance of the local authority with the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount. We will do all in our power to support and work with the child's family.

Brightstas keeps appropriate records to support the early identification of children and families that would benefit from support. Factual records are maintained in a chronological order with parental discussions. Records are rviewed regularly by the DSL to look holistically at identifying children’s needs.  

Allegations against adults working or volunteering with children 

If an allegation is made against a member of staff, student or volunteer or any other person who lives or works on the nursery premises regardless of whether the allegation relates to any of our premises or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below. 

An allegation against a member of staff/student/volunteer/supply staff or any other person may relate to a person who has:

behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;

possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;

behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children; or

behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

The allegation should be reported to the senior manager on duty. If this person is the subject of the allegation, then this should be reported to Sandra or Amanda instead. 

We will follow our own local safeguarding partner’s website information about how to report an allegation and we would also inform Ofsted immediately in order for this to be investigated by the appropriate bodies promptly. This includes: 

• If as an individual, you feel this will not be taken seriously or are worried about the allegation getting back to the person in question then it is your duty to inform the local authority children’s social care team yourself directly
• The local authority children’s social care team will be informed immediately for advice and guidance
• A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals (local authority children’s social care team, Ofsted) to determine how this will be handled 
• The nursery will follow all instructions from the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted and ask all staff members to do the same and co-operate where required
• Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation in line with local authority children’s social care team support and advice
• The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation, Legal advice will be sought to ensure compliance with the law.  
• All enquiries/external investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file for access by the relevant authorities
• Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisations including the local authority children’s social care team and where an offence is believed to have been committed, the police will also be informed. 
• Founded allegations will be dealt with as gross misconduct in accordance with our disciplinary procedures and may result in the termination of employment, Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision along with notifying the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their records are updated.
• All safeguarding records will be kept until the person reaches normal retirement age or for 21 years and 3 months if that is longer. This will ensure accurate information is available for references and future DBS checks and avoids any unnecessary reinvestigation 
• Brightstars retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry
• Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated
• A return-to-work plan will be put in place for any member of staff returning to work after an allegation has been deemed unfounded. Individual support will be offered to meet the needs of the individual staff member and the nature of the incident; this may include more frequent supervisions, coaching and mentoring and external support. 

Monitoring children’s attendance

As part of our requirements under the statutory framework and guidance documents we are required to monitor children’s attendance patterns to ensure they are consistent and no cause for concern. 

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

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

If a child has not arrived at setting within one hour of their normal start time the parents will be called to ensure the child is safe and healthy. If the parents are not contactable then the emergency contacts numbers listed will be used to ensure all parties are safe. Staff will work their way down the emergency contact list until contact is established and we are made aware that all is well with the child and family. It is a parent’s responsibility to keep their emergency contact details updated. If contact cannot be established, then we would assess if a home visit is required to establish all parties are safe.  If contact is still not established, we would assess if it would be appropriate to contact relevant authorities in order to them to investigate further.

Where a child is part of a child protection plan, or during a referral process, any absences will immediately be reported to the local authority children’s social care team to ensure the child remains safe and well. 

Looked after children 

As part of our safeguarding practice, we will ensure our staff are aware of how to keep looked after children safe. In order to do this, we ask that we are informed of: 

• The legal status of the child (e.g., whether the child is being looked after under voluntary arrangements with consent of parents or on an interim or full care order)
• Contact arrangements for the biological parents (or those with parental responsibility)
• The child’s care arrangements and the levels of authority delegated to the carer by the authority looking after him/her
• The details of the child’s social worker and any other support agencies involved
• Any child protection plan or care plan in place for the child in question.

Please refer to the Looked After Children policy for further details. 

Staffing and volunteering

Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. We follow safer recruitment practices including obtaining references and all staff employed to work with children will have enhanced criminal record checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before being able to carry out intimate care routines or have unsupervised contact with children. 

We will obtain enhanced criminal records checks (DBS) for volunteers in the setting. Volunteers and visitors will never have unsupervised access to children.  

All staff will attend child protection training and receive initial basic child protection training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for spotting signs and behaviours of abuse and abusers/potential abusers, recording and reporting concerns and creating a safe and secure environment for the children in the nursery. During induction staff will be given contact details for the local authority children’s social care team’s, the local safeguarding children partnership and Ofsted to enable them to report any safeguarding concerns, independently, if they feel it necessary to do so. 

Ongoing suitability of staff is monitored through: 

• regular supervisions
• peer observations
• annual declaration of staff suitability
• safeguarding competencies
• regular review of DBS using the online update service.

Designated Safeguarding Lead 

We have named persons within the nursery who take lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinate child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL), there is always at least one designated person on duty during the opening hours of the setting. The designated persons will receive comprehensive training at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis, but at least once a year. 

Brightstars DSLs liaise with the local authority children’s social care team, undertakes specific training, including a child protection training course, and receives regular updates to developments within this field. They in turn support the ongoing development and knowledge of the staff team with regular safeguarding updates. 

The Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) at the nursery are Amanda/Sandra 

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead:

• Ensure that the settings safeguarding policy and procedures are reviewed and developed in line with current guidance; and develop staff understanding of the settings safeguarding policies
• Take the lead on responding to information from the staff team relating to child protection concerns
• Provide advice, support and guidance on an on-going basis to staff, students and volunteers.
• To identify children who may need early help or who are at risk of abuse
• To help staff to ensure the right support is provided to families  
• To liaise with the local authority and other agencies with regard to child protection concerns
• Ensure the setting is meeting the requirements of the EYFS Safeguarding and welfare requirements
• To ensure policies are in line with the local safeguarding procedures and details
• Disseminate updates to legislation to ensure all staff are kept up to date with safeguarding practices
• To manage and monitor accidents, incidents and existing injuries; ensuring accurate and appropriate records are kept 
• Attend meetings with the child’s key person 
• Attend case conferences and external safeguarding meetings, as requested, by external agencies. 

The Nursery safeguards children and staff by;

• Providing adequate and appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of all children.
• Informing applicants for posts within the nursery that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out checks before posts can be confirmed. Where applications are rejected because of information that has been disclosed, applicants have the right to know and to challenge incorrect information.
• Giving staff members, volunteers and students regular opportunities during supervisions and having an open-door policy to declare changes that may affect their suitability to care for the children. This includes information about their health, medication or about changes in their home life such as child protection plans for their own children.
• Requesting DBS checks on an annual basis/or we use the DBS update service (with staff consent) to re-check staff’s criminal history and suitability to work with children at regular intervals.
• Abiding by the requirements of the EYFS and any Ofsted guidance in respect to obtaining references and suitability checks for staff, students and volunteers, to ensure that all staff, students and volunteers working in the setting are suitable to do so.
• Ensuring we receive at least two written references BEFORE a new member of staff commences employment with us.
• Ensuring all students will have enhanced DBS checks completed before their placement starts.
• Volunteers, including students, do not carry out any intimate care routines and are never left to work unsupervised with children.
• Abiding by the requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Childcare Act 2006 (amended 2018) in respect of any person who is dismissed from our employment or resigns in circumstances that would otherwise have led to dismissal for reasons of child protection concern will be reported to the Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS).
• Having procedures for recording the details of visitors to the nursery and take security steps to ensure that that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children.
• Ensuring all visitors/contractors are supervised whilst on the premises, especially when in the areas the children use.
• Staying vigilant to safeguard the whole nursery environment and be aware of potential dangers on the nursery boundaries such as drones or strangers lingering. We will ensure the children remain safe at all times.
• Having a Staff Behaviour Policy that sits alongside this policy to enable us to monitor changes in behaviours that may cause concern. All staff sign up to this policy too to ensure any changes are reported to management, so we are able to support the individual staff member and ensure the safety and care of the children is not compromised.
• Ensuring that staff are aware not to contact parents/carers and children through social media on their own personal social media accounts and they will report any such incidents to the management team to deal with.
• Ensuring that all staff have access to, and comply with, the whistleblowing policy, which provides information on how they can share any concerns that may arise about their colleagues in an appropriate manner.  We encourage a culture of openness and transparency, and all concerns are taken seriously.
• Ensuring all staff are aware of the signs to look for of inappropriate staff behaviour, this may include inappropriate sexual comments; excessive one-to-one attention beyond the requirements of their usual role and responsibilities; or inappropriate sharing of images. This is not an exhaustive list, any changes in behaviour must be reported and acted upon immediately.
• Ensuring all staff will receive regular supervision meetings where opportunities will be made available to discuss any issues relating to individual children, child protection training, safeguarding concerns and any needs for further support or training.
• Having peer on peer and manager observations in the setting to ensure that the care we provide for children is at the highest level and any areas for staff development are quickly identified. Peer observations allow us to share constructive feedback, develop practice and build trust so that staff are able to share any concerns they may have.  Concerns are raised with the designated lead and dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Ensuring the deployment of staff within the nursery allows for constant supervision and support. Where children need to spend time away from the rest of the group, the door will be left ajar or other safeguards will be put into action to ensure the safety of the child and the adult.

We also operate a Phones and Other Electronic Devices and Social Media policy, which states how we will keep children safe from these devices whilst at any of our sites. This also links to our Online Safety policy. 

Our nursery has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of Sandra or Amanda at the earliest opportunity. 

Early help services

When a child and/or family would benefit from support but do not meet the threshold for Local Authority Social Care Team, a discussion will take place with the family around early help services. 

Early help provides support as soon as a concern/area of need emerges, helping to improve outcomes and prevent escalation onto local authority services. Sometimes concerns about a child may not be of a safeguarding nature and relate more to their individual family circumstances. The nursery will work in partnership with parents/carers to identify any early help services that would benefit your child or your individual circumstances, with your consent, this may include family support, foodbank support, counselling or parenting services. 

Legislation

The Modern Slavery Act received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015. The act consolidates slavery and trafficking offenses and introduces tougher penalties and sentencing rules. 

Background

Child trafficking and modern slavery is becoming a more frequent form of child abuse. Children are recruited, moved, transported and then exploited, forced to work or are sold on. 

Modern slavery is a term that covers:

• Slavery
• Servitude and forced or compulsory labour
• Human trafficking.

Victims of modern slavery are also likely to be subjected to other types of abuse such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This policy should be used alongside the following policies to ensure all children, staff, parents and visitors are fully safeguarded: 

• Safeguarding and child protection
• Whistleblowing 
• Equality and inclusion 

For an adult or child to have been a victim of human trafficking there must have been:

Action (e.g., recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation)

Means (threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, abuse of power or vulnerability) There does not need to be “means” for children as they are not able to give informed consent

Purpose (e.g., sexual exploitation, forced labour or domestic servitude, slavery, financial exploitation, illegal adoption, removal of organs).

Signs of abuse

Action should be taken if they appear to have some of these possible signs including under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others, the victim has few personal belongings and wear the same clothes every day or wear unsuitable clothes for work. The victim is not able to move around freely and is reluctant to talk to strangers or the authorities including appearing frightened, withdrawn, or show signs of physical or psychological abuse.

Procedure 

When a concern is raised about slavery or trafficking then we will follow our safeguarding procedure. If the child (or adult) is at risk of immediate harm then the police will be called, otherwise the local authority will be contacted, and the referral process will be followed as per the safeguarding procedure.

If we suspected and it wasn’t possible to have a confidential conversation, we wouldn’t confront them or cause a scene, as this will likely lead to increased harm for them. Instead we would inform the relevant authorities, or organisations, working in the field.

If you are in the UK and suspect someone might be in slavery, you have several options:

Call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or fill out an online form.

Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Contact the Police or local children social care teams. 

At Bright Stars Childcare we take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children on the premises, we only release children into the care of individuals who have been notified us by the parent and have safety systems in place to ensure that children do not leave the premises unsupervised – We have mechanical locking doors, gates before every locked door, barriers within the playground and a locked main gate.

In the unlikely event of a child going missing within/from the nursery, we have the following procedure which will be implemented immediately:

• All staff will be aware of the procedure when a child goes missing and supply information to support the search, e.g., a recent photograph and a detailed description of clothing
• The manager will be informed immediately and all staff present will be informed. Some staff will be deployed to start an immediate thorough search of the nursery, followed by a search of the surrounding area, whilst ensuring that some staff remain with the other children, so they remain supervised, calm and supported throughout
• The manager will call the police as soon as they believe the child is missing and follow police guidance. The parents of the missing child will also be contacted
• A second search of the area will be carried out
• During this period, available staff will be continually searching for the missing child, whilst other staff maintain as near to normal routine as possible for the rest of the children in the setting
• The manager will meet the police and parents
• The manager will then await instructions from the police
• In the unlikely event that the child is not found the nursery will follow the local authority and police procedure
• Any incidents must be recorded in writing as soon as practicably possible including the outcome, who was lost, time identified, notification to police and findings
• Ofsted will be contacted and informed of the 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

At Brightstars Childcare we believe that all children need to feel safe, secure and happy. This involves nursery staff being responsive to children’s needs, whilst maintaining professionalism. This includes giving children cuddles and changing children’s nappies or clothes. 

To promote good practice and to minimise the risk of allegations we have the following guidelines: 

• Although we recognise it is appropriate to cuddle children, we give cuddles only when sought by children needing comfort to support their emotional development. Staff are advised to do this in view of other children and practitioners, whenever possible. We recognise that there may be occasions where it is appropriate for this to happen away from others, such as when a child is ill. In these circumstances, staff are advised to leave the door open. It is the duty of all staff and the manager to ensure that children are appropriately comforted and to monitor practice  
• When changing children’s nappies or soiled/wet clothing, we leave the doors open, where appropriate
• We discourage inappropriate behaviour such as over tickling, over boisterous play or inappropriate questions such as asking children to tell them they love them, and we advise staff to report any such observed practice 
• Staff are respectful of each other and the children and families in the nursery and do not use inappropriate language or behaviour, including during breaks
• All staff are aware of the whistleblowing procedures and the manager visits the rooms throughout the day to ensure safe practices.

If a parent or member of staff has concerns or questions about safe care and practice procedures or behaviour they consider as inappropriate, including between staff members, they are urged to see the manager at the earliest opportunity. Management will challenge inappropriate behaviour in line with the supervision/disciplinary or whistleblowing procedures. If the concern relates to the manager and/or nursery owner then parents should contact Ofsted 0300 123 1213  or the local safeguarding partner (LSP) 

At Bright Stars Childcare we have morning, afternoon and all-day sessions. Parents are able   to collect their child from the nursery flexibly within this time period asking them to be no later than the session end time, for example if they attend the morning session, we expect children to be collected no later than 1pm, and afternoon/all-day session no later than 5.30pm (unless prior arrangements have been made). We understand that some parents may arrive earlier to collect their child, this is acceptable. However, the full fees still remain in place for the allocated session times.  

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

• Calling the nursery as soon as possible to advise of their situation and expected time of arrival 
• Agreeing a safety password with the nursery in advance to be used by anyone collecting a child who is not the parent (designated adult)
• Asking a designated adult to collect their child wherever possible
• Informing the setting of this person’s identity so the nursery can talk to the child if appropriate. This will help to reduce or eliminate any distress caused by this situation
• If the designated person is not known to the nursery staff, the parent must provide a detailed description of this person, including their date of birth where known. This designated person must know the individual child’s safety password in order for the nursery to release the child into their care. This is the responsibility of the parent.

If a child has not been collected from the nursery after a reasonable amount of time (20 minutes) has been allowed for lateness, we initiate the following procedure:

The manager/person in charge will be informed that a child has not been collected

The manager will check for any information regarding changes to normal routines, parents’ work patterns or general information. If there is no information recorded, the manager will try to contact the parents on the telephone numbers provided for their mobile, home or work. If this fails, the manager will try the emergency contacts shown on the child’s records

The manager/staff member in charge and one other member of staff must stay behind with the child (if outside normal operating hours). During normal operating times, the nursery will plan to meet required staff ratios. If the parents have still not collected the child, the manager will telephone all contact numbers available every 10 minutes until contact is made. These calls will be logged on a full incident record

In the event of no contact being made after one hour has lapsed, the person in charge will ring the local authority children’s social services emergency duty team 

The nursery will inform Ofsted as soon as convenient

The two members of staff will remain in the building until suitable arrangements have been made for the collection of the child

The child’s welfare and needs will be met at all times and to minimise distress staff will distract, comfort and reassure the child during the process

In order to provide this additional care a late fee of [£1 per minute] will be charged to parents. This will pay for any additional operational costs that caring for a child outside their normal service hours may incur. 

At Bright Stars Childcare we promote the learning and development of all children in our care. We recognise that each child is an individual and our high qualified staff consider their needs, interests and development to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience across the seven areas of learning and development. Our staff 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 our settings 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. 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 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. 

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/

This policy refers to all electronic devices able to take pictures, record videos, send or receive calls and messages. This includes cameras, mobile telephones, tablets and any recording devices including smartwatches. More and more devices are technically, capable of connecting us to the outside world. We will adapt the policy to include all devices we deem necessary to safeguard children. 

Mobile phones and other devices that accept calls, messages and video calling

At Brightstars Childcare 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 our settings 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, smartwatches and/or Fitbits during working hours. 

We use mobile phones supplied by the Brightstars only to provide a means of contact in certain circumstances, such as outings.

This policy should be used in conjunction with our online safety and acceptable IT use policies, to ensure children are kept safe when using the settings devices online.

Staff must adhere to the following: 

• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits are either turned off or on silent and not accessed during your working hours
• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits can only be used on a designated break and then this must be away from the children
• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits should be stored safely in staff lockers or in your bag/coat in the staffroom at all times during the hours of your working day
• No personal device is allowed to be connected to the nursery Wi-Fi at any time 
• The use of nursery devices, such as tablets, must only be used for nursery purposes 
• The nursery devices will not have any social media or messaging apps on them
• Any apps downloaded onto nursery devices must be done only by management. This will ensure only age and content appropriate apps are accessible to staff, or children using them
• Passwords/passcodes for nursery devices must not be shared or written down, and will be changed regularly
• During outings, staff only use mobile phones belonging to Brightstars. 
• Only the settings owned devices will be used to take photographs or film videos
• Brightstars devices will not be taken home with staff and will remain secure at the setting when not in use.  

Parents’ use of mobile phones and smartwatches 

Parents are kindly asked to refrain from using their mobile telephones whilst in the nursery or when collecting or dropping off their children.  We will ask any parents using their phone inside the nursery premises to finish the call or take the call outside. We do this to ensure all children are safeguarded and the time for dropping off and picking up is a quality handover opportunity where we can share details about your child

Parents are requested not to allow their child to wear or bring in devices that may take photographs or record videos or voices. This includes smart watches with these capabilities, such as Vtech. This ensures all children are safeguarded and also protects their property as it may get damaged or misplaced at any of our sites. 

Visitors’ use of mobile phones and smartwatches 

Visitors are not permitted to use their mobile phones or smart watches whilst at nursery and are asked to leave them in a safe secure place/ office for the duration of their visit.

Photographs and videos 

At Brightstars Childcare we recognise that photographs and video recordings play a part in the life of the nursery. We ensure that any photographs or recordings (including CCTV) taken of children in our nursery are only done with prior written permission from each child’s parent and only share photos with parents in a secure manner. We will obtain this permission when each child is registered and update it on a regular basis to ensure that this permission is still valid.  

We ask for individual permissions for photographs and video recordings for a range of purposes including use in 

• the child’s learning journey; 
• for display purposes; 
• for promotion materials including Brightstars website,
• brochures 
• and the local press; 

and for security in relation to CCTV and the different social media platforms we use. We ensure that parents understand that where their child is also on another child’s photograph, but not as the primary person, that may be used in another child’s learning journey. Photographs and videos will not be taken in areas where intimate care routines are carried out. 

If a parent is not happy about one or more of these uses, we will respect their wishes and find alternative ways of recording their child’s play or learning.  

Staff are not permitted to take any photographs or recordings of a child on their own information storage devices e.g., cameras, mobiles, tablets or smartwatches and may only use those provided by the nursery. The manager will monitor all photographs and recordings to ensure that the parents’ wishes are met, and children are safeguarded. 

Photographs or videos recorded on the settings mobile devices will be transferred to the correct storage device to ensure no images are left on these mobile devices.

Parents, and children, are not permitted to use any recording device or camera (including those on mobile phones or smartwatches) on any of our premises without the prior consent of the manager. 

During special events, e.g., Christmas or leaving parties, staff may produce group photographs to distribute to parents on request. In this case we will gain individual permission for each child before the event. This will ensure all photographs taken are in line with parental choice. We ask that photos of events such as Christmas parties are not posted on any social media websites/areas without permission from parents of all the children included in the picture.

Applicable for settings using Online Learning Journals only

At Bright Stars Childcare we use tablets in the rooms to take photos of the children and record these directly on to their electronic learning journeys. We ensure that these devices are used for this purpose only and do not install applications such as social media or messaging sites on to these devices. 

We also do routine checks to ensure that emails and text messages (where applicable) have not been sent from these devices and remind staff of the whistleblowing policy if they observe staff not following these safeguarding procedures. 

At Brightstars Childcare we believe that all children need to feel safe, secure and happy. This involves nursery staff being responsive to children’s needs, whilst maintaining professionalism. This includes giving children cuddles and changing children’s nappies or clothes. 

To promote good practice and to minimise the risk of allegations we have the following guidelines: 

• Although we recognise it is appropriate to cuddle children, we give cuddles only when sought by children needing comfort to support their emotional development. Staff are advised to do this in view of other children and practitioners, whenever possible. We recognise that there may be occasions where it is appropriate for this to happen away from others, such as when a child is ill. In these circumstances, staff are advised to leave the door open. It is the duty of all staff and the manager to ensure that children are appropriately comforted and to monitor practice  
• When changing children’s nappies or soiled/wet clothing, we leave the doors open, where appropriate
• We discourage inappropriate behaviour such as over tickling, over boisterous play or inappropriate questions such as asking children to tell them they love them, and we advise staff to report any such observed practice 
• Staff are respectful of each other and the children and families in the nursery and do not use inappropriate language or behaviour, including during breaks
• All staff are aware of the whistleblowing procedures and the manager visits the rooms throughout the day to ensure safe practices.

If a parent or member of staff has concerns or questions about safe care and practice procedures or behaviour they consider as inappropriate, including between staff members, they are urged to see the manager at the earliest opportunity. Management will challenge inappropriate behaviour in line with the supervision/disciplinary or whistleblowing procedures. If the concern relates to the manager and/or nursery owner then parents should contact Ofsted 0300 123 1213  or the local safeguarding partner (LSP) 

At Bright Stars Childcare 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.  

Parents are welcome to view the policies and procedures of the nursery, holiday clubs and after school clubs, which govern the way in which our settings operate. These may be viewed at any time when the settings are open, simply by asking a member of staff or by accessing  or on the nursery website. 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 in line with the nursery’s communications policy.

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 at our entrance notice board at nursery or a named file at our other settings.. 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.

Records and documentation that are required to be kept and stored by current legislation are performed in accordance with minimum legal archiving requirements. We currently archive these records for at least 24 years to ensure we are covered for any child protection concerns. 

Records and documentation that are not required to be kept are deleted or destroyed in line with the current data protection laws and our Privacy Notice which can be found in the main entrance at our nursery or in a named file at our other settings.

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/legislation.

Bright Stars 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 (“Employees”), children attending the Nursery (“Child” or “Children”) and the parents of the Children (“Parents”) (known collectively as “You” or “Your”), in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

 The Nursery owner Sandra Ozdemir 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.
• Gender.
• 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 our 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 and our out of school services 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 and our out of school services  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 rights 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 or our out of school services 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 or out of school 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.

At Bright Stars Childcare we believe that we have a strong partnership with our parents and an open-door policy to discuss any matters arising. 

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/staffroom/corridor   
• 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. 

This policy should be read alongside our:

Safeguarding Children/Child Protection Policy

Data Protection and Confidentiality

GDPR Privacy Notice.

The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is: 

‘Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass but is not limited to: psychological; physical; sexual; financial; and emotional’.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of gender, age, social background, religion, sexuality or ethnicity, and domestic abuse can happen at any stage in a relationship.

We aim to develop staff knowledge of recognising the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse. These signs may include:

• Changes in behaviour: for example, becoming very quiet, anxious, frightened, tearful, aggressive, distracted, depressed etc.
• Visible bruising or single, or repeated, injury with unlikely explanations
• Change in the manner of dress: for example, clothes that do not suit the climate which may be used to hide injuries
• Partner or ex-partner stalking employee/parent in or around the workplace; this may include excessive phone calls or messages
• Partner or ex-partner exerting an unusual amount of control or demands over work schedule
• Frequent lateness or absence from work.

All children can witness and be adversely affected by domestic abuse in the context of their home life where domestic abuse occurs between family members.  Exposure to domestic abuse and/or violence can have a serious, long lasting emotional and psychological impact on children. 

Signs that children may have witnessed domestic abuse include:

• Anxiety
• Regressive behaviours
• Constant or regular sickness, such as colds or headaches
• Difficulties with concentration
• Emotional and behavioural difficulties
• Withdrawal
• Low self-esteem.

We will raise awareness of domestic abuse within our setting by:

• Ensuring all staff can identify the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse and know how to report concerns
• Sharing information with external organisations that can offer support with incidents of domestic abuse. The information will be displayed in visible spaces within the setting
• Providing all stakeholders with the telephone number for the free 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247)
• Sharing our domestic abuse policy and Child Protection and Safeguarding policies with all stakeholders.

If we are concerned that domestic abuse is happening within a home and a child is at risk, we will follow our safeguarding policies’ reporting procedures (see Safeguarding Children/Child Protection policy).

Where incidents of domestic abuse are shared by an employee or parent/carer, we will respect confidentiality at all times and not share information without their permission. However, we will share this information, without permission, in cases of child protection or where we believe there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the person involved.

Honour based abuse 

Honour based abuse (HBA) can be described as ‘a collection of practices, which are used to control behaviour within families or other social groups to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or honour’; such as being held against their will, sexual or psychological abuse, threats of violence, assault or forced marriage.

Such abuse can occur when perpetrators perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code. It is a violation of human rights and may be a form of domestic and/or sexual abuse. There is no honour or justification for abusing the human rights of others.

We aim to develop staff knowledge of recognising the signs and symptoms of HBA. These signs may include:

• Changes in how they dress or act, they may stop wearing ‘western’ clothing or make-up
• Visible injuries, or repeated injury, with unlikely explanations.
• Signs of depression, anxiety or self-harm
• Frequent absences
• Restrictions on friends or attending events.

We will raise awareness of domestic abuse within our setting by:

• Sharing information with external organisations that can offer support with incidents of HBA. The information will be displayed in visible spaces within the setting
• Sharing our HBA, child protection and safeguarding policies with all stakeholders.

Where incidents of HBA are shared by an employee or parent/carer, we will respect confidentiality at all times and not share information without their permission. However, we will share this information without permission in cases of child protection, or where we believe there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the person involved.

Forced Marriage

A forced marriage is defined as ‘a marriage in which one, or both spouses, do not consent to the marriage but are coerced into it. Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure. In the cases of some vulnerable adults who lack the capacity to consent, coercion is not required for a marriage to be forced’.

If we suspect or receive information about a forced marriage being planned, then we will follow our safeguarding reporting procedures. If the person concerned is under the age of 18 years then we will report the incident to the children’s social care team. 

If we believe a person is in imminent danger of being forced into a marriage, we may contact the Police and the Governments Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) on 020 7008 0151.