Childminder Assistant(Staff) Behaviour Policy/Code of Conduct

Childminders can adapt and add to this policy to reflect the processes and arrangements within their own setting. This policy relates to safeguarding.

This policy explains the expectations I (the childminder) have of assistants’ conduct when working in my childminding setting -I expect all assistants to behave in an exemplary way at all times.

  • Children should be treated with courtesy, sensitivity and respect and never humiliated. Assistants should avoid using inappropriate language or gestures when speaking with parents or children. The topic and manner of conversations should be appropriate to a childcare environment.
  • Assistants are expected to provide an appropriately warm, and nurturing response to children’s needs:touch and physical contact is essential in order to provide sensitive, high quality care for young children; such as cuddling a child who has hurt themselves, sitting together on the sofa reading a book, kissing a child who has requested it or holding a baby when feeding.
  • Assistants must attend safeguarding training provided by the safeguarding lead (the childminder in this case) so that the assistant understands the signs and symptoms of abuse and is aware of the setting’s child protection policy, which explains safeguarding processes and responsibilities within the setting. If a child makes a disclosure or says something that gives us cause for concern we should take that disclosure seriously. When responding to a disclosure we can comfort and reassure children, but we cannot evergive guarantees of confidentiality or secrecy to children or adults.
  • As part of safeguarding assistants should know about the procedure within the setting to report allegations. Assistants should know about the whistleblowing process.
  • Assistants are expected to have a positive attitude to supervision and to professional development.
  • Assistants will be trained in nappy changing and how to support children with toileting and toilet training, having consideration for a child’s privacy and respecting personal boundaries and encouraging independent self-care skills.
  • Photographs of the children may only be taken on the provision camera and printed through the provision computer/printer. Photographs must not be uploaded onto the internet (such as emailing a parent or uploading to Facebook orWhat’s App) without permission from the safeguarding lead practitioner.
  • Assistants should not comment or talk about the children, their families or anything that takes place in this childcare setting outside of the work environment -this includes posting any comments on social media sites.See confidentiality agreement
  • Assistants must maintain the highest possible standards of confidentiality and ensure that documentation, records and discussions remain confidential. See confidentiality agreement.
  • Assistants must not use mobile phones during working hours, apart from, if they are on a break and in a different area of the provision from the children.
  • If an assistant uses physical restraint to protect a child from hurting themselves or others it must be immediately reported to the safeguarding lead practitioner and recorded.
  • Assistants are expected to dress suitably for working with children and to be neat and professional in appearance.
  • Smoking is not permitted during working hours and staff must not smell of smoke when working.
  • Use of alcohol and illegal drugs or legal drugs that impact on ability to care for children is not permitted during working hours and staff must not arrive at the setting under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
  • If a staff member is ill or is prescribed a new medication which might affect their suitability to work by their doctor or other medical practitioner, they must inform the safeguarding lead practitioner as soon as possible.
  • If a staff member knows that they are or might be disqualified from working with children or disqualified by association** with another person who is disqualified from working with children, they must inform the safeguarding lead practitioner as soon as possible.
  • Assistants are expected to arrive on time and to complete their daily duties before departure.

Policy created by the Childminding Support Team 3/10/16

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