Allsorts Preschools and Out of School Clubs

Policies

Policy / Pages
Equal opportunities / 2-3
Safeguarding children / 4-10
Special educational needs / 11-12
Confidentiality / 13
Behaviour management / 14-15
Complaints procedure / 16
Parent partnership / 17
Fees policy / 18-19
Settling in / 20
Admissions / 21
Attendance / 22
Under three’s / 23
Health and safety / 24-26
Smoking / 27
Emergency evacuation and fire safety / 28
Medical emergency and first aid / 29
Emergency plan / 30
Child collection / 31
Lost children / 31
Outings / 32
Selection and replacement / 33
Recruitment and selection / 34
Staffing and employment / 35
Maternity / 36
Absence / 37-39
Safe moving and handling / 40
Staff disciplinary and grievance / 41-42
Training / 43
Students and volunteers / 44
Supervision policy / 45-46
Restraint policy / 47
Time off/ Holiday / 48
Anti-bullying / 49-51
Complaints form / 52

Policies are usually reviewed annually in the summer term and take into account the views and opinions of staff, volunteers, parents, carers and committee as well as legislation and professional recommendation.

Policies reviewed in Sept 2015 and agreed on 23/9/2015

Committee

Chairperson – Tom Harvey

Treasurer – Lucy Smith

Secretary – Kim Newstead

Equal Opportunities

Allsorts is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all children, families, students, volunteers and staff. We work in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010.

Admissions

Allsorts is open to every family in the community. The waiting lists for preschool are operated on a date of birth basis according to the sessions available and those required by the family. The out of school waiting lists will be operated on an availability basis in conjunction with parents requirements. Families joining the group are made aware of its equal opportunities policy through the booklet. There will be no discrimination on any ground either race, culture, religion, sex, background or special educational needs. Admission to school is not guaranteed with attendance at Allsorts.

Employment

Allsorts will appoint the best person for each position and will treat each applicant fairly, whilst giving regard to suitability, references, DBS checks etc. The recruitment procedure ensures that each applicant is dealt with fairly and equally. Commitment to implementing the setting’s policies is part of the given job.

Families

We aim to show respectful awareness of major events in the lives of the children and families at the setting and in our society as a whole. Children will be encouraged to welcome a range of different festivals, together with stories, celebrations, special food and clothing they involve, as part of the diversity of life. All families will be made welcome and invited to take a larger part in the setting. families are encouraged to take part in a wide range of parent partnership activities to ensure they feel part of the setting.

The Curriculum

All children will be respected and their individual and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Activities and use of play equipment offer children opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. Appropriate opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others. Each child will be observed and assessed and have their interests taken into account in order to provide an individual curriculum that is best suited to that child and best meets their needs for further development and achievement.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Allsorts recognises the wide range of special educational needs and disabilities of children and their families and will consider what it needs to do to meet these needs. A child’s needs will be considered before admission and measures put into place to provide what is needed. Allsorts will work closely with parents/carers and outside agencies as required. When a need is recognised during the child’s time at Allsorts, we will pursue the appropriate course of action in conjunction with parents/carers and outside agencies as required.

A child with special educational needs and or disabilities attending out of school sessions will be provided for in the same way as a preschool child with advice also taken from the child’s teacher.

Discriminatory Behaviour and Remarks

These are unacceptable in the setting. We aim to be sensitive to the victims and to help those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices. Staff and adults in the setting will show positive role modelling. Any adult in the setting making discriminatory remarks or showing discriminatory behaviour will be dealt with appropriately, possibly going down the route of disciplinary proceedings.

Extremism and radicalisation

We will show awareness of the issues of extremism and radicalisation and the need for appropriate intervention when necessary. Any signs of extremism seen or heard from the children, parents or visitors will be noted. Generally discussion with the children about equality, diversity and fairness can tackle their preconceptions. Depending on the relationships with parents and visitors the same response can be given to highlight the expectations of the setting to show fairness, equality and diversity to all.

Any further issues that the setting feel unable to just record or tackle internally may be passed on to the relevant authority with the agreement of the manager.

Languages

Information written and spoken will be clearly communicated in as many languages as is necessary. Children will be made aware through theme work of other languages and forms of communication. When we have a child or family attend with language barriers we will endeavour to break down these barriers with translation of documents and further aids within the setting to ensure the family and the child feel included.

Food and Medical Requirements

Medical, dietary and cultural needs will be met as required in an obtrusive way.

Meetings

The time, place and conduct of the meetings will ensure that all staff or families (dependant on the meeting) have an equal opportunity to attend. Parent opinions will be sought to plan the timings of the committee meetings.

Training

All staff members will be expected to continue training. Training will be offered on a fair and equal basis giving regard to a staff member’s job role, previous training, commitments, needs, budget constraints and staff member’s personal requirements as well as the settings requirements. Training may be seen to be unnecessary by the manager and funding for the training may need to be met by the individual. Committee members and parents may also access training, the payment of which may be met by the setting if appropriate. The committee may need to agree the payment of the training at a full parents meeting.

Links to UNCRC

Articles 3,12,28,29,30,31

Links to EYFS

A unique child / Positive relationship / Enabling environments / Learning and development

Reviewed Sept 2015

Allsorts Safeguarding Children Policy

Allsorts believes that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind and recognises its responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of all children and young children, by a commitment to practice which protects them.

We recognise that:

·  The welfare of the child is paramount

·  All children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity have the right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse

·  Working in partnership with children, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

The purpose of the policy:

·  To provide protection for the children who receive Allsorts services

·  To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt in the event that they suspect a child may be experiencing, or be at risk of, harm.

This policy applies to all staff, including managers and committee members, paid staff, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of Allsorts.

We will endeavour to safeguard children by:

·  Valuing them, listening to them and respecting them

·  Adopting child protection guidelines through procedures and a code of conduct for staff and volunteers

·  Recruiting staff and volunteers safely , ensuring all necessary checks are made

·  Sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers

·  Sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately

·  Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training

We also are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually

Safeguarding Procedures

At Allsorts we have a designated person for dealing with these issues at each setting. Types of abuse

1.  Physical abuse

Physical abuse 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.

Physical abuse, as well as being a result of an act of commission, can also be caused through omission or the failure to act to protect.

2.  Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capabilities, 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 causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploration or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

3.  Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non- penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Boys and girls can be sexually abused by males and/ or females, adults and by other young people. This includes people from all different walks of life.

4.  Neglect

Neglect is 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 provide adequate food and clothing, shelter including exclusion from home or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of adequate care-takers, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Signs of Abuse

1.  Physical abuse

Most children will collect cuts and bruises in their daily life. These are likely to be in places where there are bony parts of their body, like elbows, knees and shins. Some children however will have bruising which can almost only have been caused non- accidentally. An important indicator of physical abuse is where bruises or injuries are unexplained or the explanation does not fit the injury. A delay in seeking medical treatment for a child when it is obviously necessary is also a cause for concern. Bruising may be more or less noticeable on children with different skin tones or from different racial groups and specialist advice may need to be taken. Physical abuse 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 fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child.

Patterns of bruising that are suggestive of physical child abuse include:

·  Bruising in children who are not independently mobile

·  Bruising in babies

·  Bruises that are seen away from bony prominences

·  Bruises to the face, back, stomach, arms, buttocks, ears and hands

·  Multiple bruises in clusters

·  Multiple bruises of uniform shape

·  Bruises that carry the imprint of an implement used, hand marks or fingertips

·  Although bruising is the commonest injury in physical abuse, fatal non- accidental head injury and non- accidental fractures can occur without bruising. Any child who has unexplained signs of pain or illness should be seen promptly by a doctor

Other physical signs of abuse may include

·  Cigarette burns

·  Adult bite marks

·  Broken bones

·  Scalds

Changes in behaviour which can also indicate physical abuse

·  Fear of parents being approached for an explanation

·  Aggressive behaviour or severe temper outbursts

·  Flinching when approached or touched

·  Reluctance to get changed, for example wearing long sleeves in hot weather

·  Running away from home

2.  Emotional Abuse

Is 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 children 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 upon the child. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s 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 the children.