Suzanne's Childminding Policies

Sickness

I cannot take care of a child who is ill. I have to think of my own health as well as that of the other children in my care. This doesn’t include light coughs and colds as long as the child is happy. I will contact you and expect you to collect your child as soon as you possibly can.

Please do not bring your child if they are suffering from any of the following symptoms/ illnesses:

High temperature/ Fever

Sickness and/or Diarrhoea – Please leave at least 24 hours from the last bout of sickness or Diarrhoea before bringing your child.

Very heavy cold or Continuous chesty cough

Conjunctivitis

Tonsillitis

Ear infection

Head lice

Or other infectious illnesses (Children with chicken pox are welcome once the blisters have scabbed over).

Policy for Fire Safety

In the case of a fire in the home, everyone in the house will be evacuated via the nearest available exit. This will either be the front door or the patio door out of the dining room into the back garden. We will stand away from the house where it may be considered safe. No one will return to the property at anytime for any reason. This will be practiced once a month so the children become familiar with the procedure. I also include from time to time a fire safety activity session, which heightens the children’s awareness for safety.

Policy for safeguarding children and confidentiality

My responsibility as a childminder is to ensure the safety and welfare of all the children in my care in line with the procedures laid out by my local Safeguarding Children’s Board.

I have received training on Safeguarding Children (Child Protection) and am aware of the signs and symptoms of child abuse, physical, emotional and sexual, and those of neglect.

Information about children and their families will not be shared without the permission of the family. Exception to this would be if I have reason to believe that any child in my care is being abused in any way. I will report the matter to the Duty Social Worker for Macclesfield Social Services, Child protection Team. Under these circumstances I will not be able to keep information relating to your child confidential, but will need to share it with Ofsted, Social Services and the Police if requested.

Policy on behaviour management

I practice behaviour management without the use of physical punishment (as per NCMA guidelines). I do not slap, smack, shake, bite, frighten or humiliate any child whether permission is granted or not. I give clear and consistent boundaries for all children giving praise and encouragement for good behaviour and distracting them or explaining the reason why something is not allowed. If they persist then they are given “time out” with an activity in close proximity to myself. Negative (Swearing and discriminating remarks) language in my home or outside is not acceptable you can be assured that unnecessary words will not be learnt in my care. I also involve children in setting house rules so they understand what is considered expectable behaviour.

Policy on settling in period

The First month of your child/children starting with me is considered a trial period. I prefer if possible for the child/children to visit on at least two separate occasions, one with the parents for an hour or two and the second, to be left in my care again for an hour of two. This is less stressful to the child/ children in not feeling as if they are left with total strangers.

During the first month the parent or provider may terminate the agreement without the four- week notice, if during that time either party feel that the agreement is not fulfilling their needs. After the trial period is complete, four weeks written notice is required by either party to terminate the agreement.

Policy on equal opportunity

All children in my care are treated as an individual and are given equal chances to learn and develop, regardless of age, or stage of development or need, sex or race, religion or disability. This is done with consideration of their needs and the full cooperation of the parents.

I encourage the children to have respect for themselves and others and to appreciate people’s diversity. I also provide positive images of all different kinds of people, educating children that we are and live in a multifaceted society

I discourage negative comments or attitudes towards other children or adults who are different in any way in my home and outside

To promote respect and understanding of other cultures and the diversity of people, I serve food from other countries and plan activities on other celebrations, held by other religions around the world according to the age and understanding of the children in my care. This could include dressing up, making food, masks or items that are important to these cultures. I also have toys and books to provide positive and educational aspects to the children’s play.

Policy for non-collection of child

If a child is not collected within a reasonable amount of time from the arranged pick up time and I have not received contact from the parent or guardian informing me of the expected pick up time I shall use the following procedure. Firstly I shall contact the named person/people on the Childs emergency contact list to try to arrange collection. If I cannot arrange for the child to be collected I will contact social services and inform them of the situation. I will remain with and care for the child until the situation is resolved.

Policy for working in partnership with parents/ families

Being a professional registered childminder is a responsible role that involves sharing the responsibilities with parents and their families. The parents are most important people in their child’s life and although I will contribute to their care you can never take the place of a parent. I welcome and listen to parents and families, as they are the experts on their children

Respect will be shown for family’s traditions and childcare practice, and my childcare practice will be in harmony with the values, practices and wishes of the parents

I regularly observe, assess and record the children’s development and progress, and this will be shared with the parents to ensure continuity of care between the families and the childminding setting. It is an effective way of communicating as well, when there may not be enough time.

I positively encourage parents to get involved with the children’s learning and from time to time may ask you to:

Lend or bring objects or items to study

Help your child at home with concepts we are learning here

Help provide items as treats or to contribute to the festivals that we celebrate (National & others)

Policy for administration of medicines

If medication needs to be administered to a child in my care, I am required by the National Standards to have written consent to do so. The dosage and frequency must be included in this. I have a separate medication book with a page for each child, which will be filled in and signed by me and witnessed by the parent.

Policy for accidents, emergencies and injuries

In the event of an emergency involving a minded child, I will contact the parent/guardian to alert them of the situation. If I couldn’t contact the parent and the child needed to be taken to hospital/doctor I would take the child myself as well as any other children that are in my care at the time. I would ring all the parents/ guardians of all the children in my care ASAP to let them know what was happening and give them the option of collecting their children if they wished. In a very serious emergency the emergency services will always be contacted first and the parents/guardians will be contacted as soon as possible after that. If your child has been injured in my care I will record the accident and inform the parents. Also if the child has been injured outside my care I would also like to be informed so I can record the injury and be aware of what has happened in case there are any further problems.

Policy for lost or go missing children

I will safely supervise children when we go on outings or trips. I will teach the children about safety and stays were I could see them at all times. If a child goes missing. I will tell the police and search the area, plus inform the parents and Ofsted.

Policy for drugs and alcohol

As a Registered childminder I will never be under the influence of alcohol or any form of drugs (including some prescription medication) If I am prescribed medication, other than routine antibiotics I must inform Ofsted who will make a decision as to whether I can continue to mind whilst taking them. I also do not expect the parent/ guardian collecting any of my minded children to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Policy for healthy eating

I will ensure that children are always reminded to wash their hands after going to the toilet, touching animals, playing outside and before eating any meals or snacks

I will help the children in hand washing if required and always have fresh towel in the bathroom daily. If a child is poorly I will provide them with a separate towel until they are fully recovered.

I encourage children to wipe their noses when they have colds and will help if needed. I will also tell them about throwing away dirty tissues to prevent the spread of germs. I will also encourage them to put their hand over their mouths when they cough.

I will disinfect my changing mat between children.

I will follow strict hygiene routines in my kitchen, ensuring my fridge is at the correct temperature and that food is stored correctly in it.

No smoking policy

In accordance with the National Standards produced by the Department for Education and Skills I have a no smoking policy in my home.

No one is permitted to smoke in my home.

I will not take the children into smoky environments and will avoid places that permit smoking wherever possible.

Nappy and toilet training policy

I am happy to accept babies and children in nappies. I will need you to provide me with the following:

Nappies
Any cream that you use on your child
Baby wipes

I would prefer you to provide a fold away changing mat, which will be wiped over with disinfectant between each use and nappy sacks for the disposal of used nappies. I will always use plastic gloves when changing your child’s nappy to reduce risk. If your child is allergic to these please let me know.

I will change your child regularly and immediately if they have soiled a nappy. I believe that changing a nappy should provide lots of opportunity to communicate with your child and as their understanding grows provide time to discuss basic hygiene issues, preparing them for potty training.

I will arrange a convenient time to meet with you and discuss your plans on potty/toilet training your child when I feel they are showing signs of awarness in there body functions. It is unusual for a child to be ready to be potty trained much before their second birthday and for some children it can be a lot later. Please do not be concerned if your child shows no signs of being ready yet. It is very important that we work together to potty train your child and pick a suitable time to do it, when we can both dedicate time. If we start the training and your child is not ready then we can stop and start again when they are. Some children take to potty training overnight for some it is a longer process, the most important thing is that we work together to give your child the support and reassurance they need during this period. I will provide you with daily feedback on how we are progressing with the training.

In order to help your child become independent in going to the toilet I can provide the following equipment:

Potties

Toilet trainer seat

Steps for the toilet and the wash basin

Physical contact policy

As an Ofsted registered Childminder I am very aware that each child has differing needs. Some children like to be affectionate and show it through hugs, kisses etc others are not so tactile. I am happy to hug, hold hands, cuddle, tickle etc your child providing both you and your child is happy with this. I would never force a child to do any of the above if it made them feel uncomfortable.

I will restrain a child only if they are at risk of inflicting harm on themselves or others. I will separate children if they are fighting. I will restrain a child if they try and run into the road etc. If I do need to restrain your child I will document it in my incident book and asked you to sign the record. This is to protect all parties.

I will also need to have some physical contact with your child in order to ensure hygiene routines are carried out. For example the washing of hands, faces and teeth and the wiping of noses. I am happy to assist with toileting according to the age and stage of ability of the child and to change nappies if required. If necessary I will change a child’s clothes if they have had an accident.

If you have any concerns or wish to discuss the matter further please do not hesitate to let me know.

E - Safety Policy

Computers/Internet/Social Networking

The internet is an incredible resource for children to access, support for their homework, chatting to friends etc, but it can also be a very dangerous place for them. They can be exposed to inappropriate material, harassment and bullying, viruses and hackers and be conned into giving away financial information. They can also be vulnerable to on-line grooming by paedophiles.

As a Childminder I offer children the opportunity to use the computer and the internet; however I have introduced a range of procedures to ensure their safety.

The computer is password protected and only I have the password. The computer may be used only when I am supervising the children.

I do not permit the children to go onto chat rooms
I check the children’s emails to ensure that they are not being bullied or sending anything inappropriate
I talk to the children about the websites they are using
I am always nearby so can keep an eye out on what websites they are visiting
I check the history on the computer regularly

I discuss with the children about the importance of keeping safe on line, not forwarding on chain letters, not talking to people they don’t know, not giving out personal information that could enable people to identify them, to tell me if they are worried about anything and to never arrange to meet anyone they have spoken to online.

There is a laptop which is password protected and only I has access to documents, records and photographs saved on this computer. Once photographs have been downloaded and printed using the computer’s printer, they are deleted from this laptop.

While it is understood that any assistant has a right to a personal life, they must ensure that anything done outside work does not break confidentiality or damage the childminder’s reputation. This includes making any reference to work on the internet including social networking sites. Any assistant should not name the setting as their place of work or comment about any childminder or assistant, parents, children or anyone else that is involved with the setting. All of these could be classed as misconduct and any assistant could face disciplinary action. As part of our aim to ensure confidentiality is maintained, any assistant will not make or accept invitations to become online friends with parents or other family carers on any social networking site.

Cameras
My camera is for use in the setting and on outings and is only used by me or an assistant duringworking hours. I will only ever take photographs of children on my camera and only where permission has been sought from parents/carers. These photographs will not be published outside of the setting. No assistant or parents’ personal cameras are permitted on site.

In addition, mobile phones belonging to any assistant are not to be used to take photographs of children and must remain in the childminder home.

Special needs policy

Ofsted require me under Standard 10, to be aware that some children may have special needs and to be proactive in ensuring that appropriate action is taken when a child is identified as having special needs or starts in my care. I must promote the welfare and development of the child in partnership with parents and other relevant agencies.

I have therefore put the following procedures in place:

If I think a child in my care has a special need I will:

Keep observational notes
Share these with the child’s parents
Discuss what support is available
Keep all matters confidential

If I am caring for a child with special needs I will include them by:

Valuing and acknowledging children’s individuality and help them to feel good about themselves
Seek information from parents about the child’s routines, likes and dislikes
Adapting activities to enable children with special needs to take part
Arrange access to specialist equipment if needed
Consider any risk factors
Encourage children’s confidence and independence

I will work in partnership with parents and discuss:

Agencies that are also involved in the child’s support and care
Equipment that the child may need
Advice or support that will help me to provide the best care possible for their child

I will consider how I can ensure the privacy of a child with special needs whilst continuing to supervise other children in my care.

Pet policy

I believe that children can learn a lot from having contact with animals, however certain procedures must be followed to ensure the safety of the children;

Children must be encouraged to treat all animals with respect, learning how to handle them correctly.

Children must wash their hands after any contact with animals and understand the reasoning behind this.

Children must be taught that not all animals are child friendly and that they should always check with the animal’s owner before attempting to stroke or handle them.

Food for the pet must be stored safely away from the children’s reach

A high standard of hygiene must be followed, with careful thought given to the placing of the feeding and drink bowls of dogs and cats.

The garden must be checked every morning, before the children are permitted outside to play, to ensure that no animal has fouled it.

Head lice policy

Head Lice can affect people from any socio-economic background and ethnicity and do not imply a lack of hygiene or cleanliness of the infested person.

In order to try and prevent other children becoming infected I have put together the following procedure. I hope that as Parents you too will work with me to prevent and treat the spread of head lice.

No child will be excluded from my care because they have head lice and I ask that all children and parents are sensitive and understanding towards the child. It is not their fault they have head lice.

Request that all children with long hair wear their hair up to prevent the spread of Head Lice

Request that parents check their children’s hair once a week with a special head lice comb to aid early detection.

Request that parents inform me immediately if they have discovered that their child has head lice.

I will provide information on the effective treatment and detection of Head Lice, via my portfolio.

I will inform all parents using my service if a child has head lice but I will not say who to respect confidentiality.

I am happy to support parents with the manual removal of head lice using a special comb, please discuss this with me.

I will assist in the prevention of Head Lice by ensuring the children only use their own hairbrushes and combs and that the play dressing up hats are regularly cleaned.

Bullying policy

Bullying can be:

Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, biting etc
Verbal: Name-calling, sarcasm, rumour spreading and teasing
Emotional: Excluding, ridicule, humiliation, tormenting
Racist: taunts, graffiti and gestures

Being bullied can result in the victim having depression, low self-esteem, shyness, poor academic achievement, isolation and in extreme cases threatened or attempted suicide.

If a bully is left unchecked they will learn they can get away with violence and aggression. A bully has a higher chance of acquiring a criminal record and not being able to have good relationships when they become an adult.

If I have any concerns that a child in my care is being bullied at (pre-) school or is bullying, I will discuss the matter with you immediately. I will work with you to support your child to resolve the problem.

If your child is being bullied:

I will reassure them that the bullying is not their fault
Tell them that I care about them and am 100% on their side
I will give them lots of praise, encouragement and responsibilities to help them feel valued
I will work with you to help the child to develop techniques to deal with the bully- assertiveness, walking away etc.

If your child is the bully:

I will reassure your child that I still care about them but it is their behaviour I don’t like and I will work with them to help change this
I will work with your child to find ways to make amends for their actions
I will develop a reward structure for good behaviour
I will discuss the matter with you, not in front of your child, to see if there are any problems that may have triggered the bullying.

If you have any concerns regarding your child please discuss them with me as soon as possible. It is much better to deal with these problems before they become major issues.

Complaints procedure

I hope that you are happy with the service that I provide, but I appreciate there may be times when I am not offering you and your child(ren) the service that you require. I hope that you will feel able to discuss any concerns or issues that you may have with me directly. If you would rather not talk in front of your child(ren) then we can arrange a more convenient time, for example in the evening or at the weekend.

It is a requirement by Ofsted that all complaints are logged along with the outcome and any action taken. These records must be available to show an Ofsted Childcare Inspector if required.

If you feel that you are unable to talk to me or that after talking the matter remains unresolved then you can talk in confidence to:

The National Childminding Association on 0208 464 6164

The Early Years Childminding Team on 0208 464 9037

If you wish to make a formal complaint then you can contact the Ofsted Complaints and Investigation Unit on 0845 640 40 40

Care, learning and play policy

I will provide your child with a warm and caring environment that will be, fun and stimulating. I will implement the Early Years Foundation Stage in full.

‘Babies and young children are individuals first, each with a unique profile of abilities. Schedules and routines should follow the child’s needs. All planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning’.

I will provide activities that support the main learning areas:

Physical Development

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Communication, Language and Literacy
Personal, Social and Emotional DevelopmentKnowledge and Understanding of the World.
Writing.

These activities will include:

Dressing up clothe

Dolls and soft toys

Small world toys
Construction toys (lego, duplo etc)
Pretend play (toy kitchen etc)
Sand and Water play
Arts and Crafts
Outings
Cooking
Gardening
Outdoor play and equipment
Singing and making music
Treasure Baskets
Jigsaw, road & rail sets
Blackboard/ Magnetic letters
Painting, sticking and gluing
Park – feeding ducks
Books and Videos

I will gradually build up a folder called learning story, to evidence the learning and development of the child. This evidence will be in the form of:

Written observations, linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage
Photographs of the child participating in different activities
Examples of their ‘work’ for example a picture they have drawn
Notes that I have made and any other relevant information

This will enable me to make very simple plans on how I can help your child move onto the next stage of their development. These records are available for you to look at anytime.

If there is a particular activity that you would like me to do with your child, please let me know. I am very happy to support activities that your are doing at home or events that have happened.

Suzanne's Childcare