Emergency Closure Policy and Procedure
This policy applies to both Bus Stop Pre-School and Bus Stop Forest School Holiday Play Scheme.
The emergency closure policy will be put into practice in the event of adverse weather conditions, flu pandemic or staff team sickness. Adverse/Bad weather conditions is snow and flooding and staff team sickness is where the staff to child ratio is unsafe. A pandemic is a worldwide flu outbreak.
The owner and manager of Bus Stop Pre - School, have coordinated this plan. The manager is responsible for ensuring that information regarding the weather and world health is up to date by checking government websites on a monthly basis.
This plan is communicated to others by the following:
· Staff, Students, Volunteers – apart of reviewing the policy and familiarising themselves with the policy as part of the employment/induction process.
· Parents / carers – Parents are asked for their input and able to freely access this policy in reception area or at www.busstoppreschool.co.uk
· Outside agencies – able to access the policy freely when visiting /upon request.
Please also read ‘Forest School Emergency Procedure’ and Forest School Poor Weather Conditions’ policy.
Procedure for Closing, Remaining Open and Re – Opening
It is the decision of the owner and the manager to close the setting unless otherwise advised to by the government. The setting would close immediately if advised to by the government.
We would decide to close the setting as a result of the following circumstances:
· Staff ratios became unsafe.
· 50% of the children on the register were absent.
· Local schools and pre – schools have closed.
· Limited or no access to the building.
· Insufficient heating in the building.
· Children’s immediate family is affected by a pandemic.
In the event that we decided or were advised to close during or before a session parents / carers would be informed by:
· Telephone.
· Answer phone message.
· Email.
· Notice on the front door.
· Message on our Blog at www.busstoppreschool.co.uk
When informing parents / carers that we are remaining open or able to
re – open the methods above of communication will remain the same. It is the role of the owner and manager to inform all parents / carers and to ensure they receive the same message.
In the event that we decide to close the setting it would be the role of the manager to inform Ofsted, Surrey’s Early Years and Childcare service and notify our insurance company immediately. This would also apply if we were to re – open.
If we have to cancel staff training because a staff member is unable to get to the training workshop or is required to be at the setting, we will contact the Early Year Training Team the day before or on the day of the training.
Contractual Arrangements -
Parent/Carers contract:
Each parent / carer is asked to read and sign a copy of our contract as part of our admission process.
If we decide to close or are advised to close our setting children who receive the Early Years free entitlement funding and FEET funding will not be affected. However funding may be stopped if the government feels the setting is closed unnecessarily.
2 year olds and children not yet eligible for the Early Years free entitlement funding and FFET funding will not be expected to pay pre – school fees in the event of a long-term closure. A long-term closure is any closure over 5 working days.
If parents / carers choose to keep their child at home even if our setting remains open in adverse/bad weather conditions, staff team sickness or during a pandemic they will be expected to pay pre – school fees as normal.
Children who are thought to be of high risk for example asthmatic are advised not to attend pre – school during a pandemic and therefore will not be expected to pay pre – school fees.
Please refer to our Parent/Carer Childcare Contract.
Staff Contracts:
Members of staff are asked to read and sign a contract as part of our employment process.
Our setting is a small family business and employs four family members and five part time staff. We would decide to close without the advisement of the government if:
· Two or three member of staff were unable to attend work during their regular session and we were unable to arrange cover staff.
· Two or three member of staff has a dependant at home.
Our ratios would be unsafe for us to operate. The ratios for our setting is one adult to eight children aged between 3 and 5 years and one adult to four children aged between 2 and 3 years, one adult to 3 children under 2 years.
There will be no changes to a member of staff pay entitlements in the event of our closure. Members of staff who are in good health, however have a dependent at home will only be entitled to half pay.
Staffing, Students and Volunteers
As stated above in the ‘staff contract’ section of this policy we will close if two or three members of staff are unable to attend work or has a dependant at home.
Staff contracts will be reviewed to reflect changes to government policy and procedures.
During a pandemic, members of staff still able to work, though the building has closed due to advisement or circumstances will be asked to clean as appropriate.
Staff members, students and volunteers will be informed by telephone in the event of our closure or re – opening.
Flu Pandemic Infection Control
In the setting we have designated ‘cleaning stations’ for children and adults to dispose of used tissues in a bin with a lid and for them to sanitise their hands if they have coughed or sneezed. Children are reminded on a daily basis to sanitise their hands. Please refer to ‘Health and Safety’ policy for more information on our hygiene practices.
On the parent / carers notice board a poster is displayed encouraging parents / carers to wash their children’s and their own hands after a cough or a sneeze to help prevent the spread of disease.
We have a designated ‘Flu Pandemic’ box containing anti – bacterial sprays, wipes, disposable gloves, aprons and face masks.
Please refer to our settings cleaning plan for information on daily and termly cleaning that takes place located in the kitchen.
During the Pandemic:
If a child becomes ill whilst in our care the said child will be isolated and kept away from other children to help prevent the spread of disease. Staff members would sit within one metre of the sick child unless they needed assistance in which case the member of staff would ensure they are wearing a pair of disposable gloves, an apron and a facemask taken from the flu pandemic box (DfES Infection Control Advice Guidance, June 2007).
Children who are observed by staff on arrival to pre – school to be clearly unwell and / or have been given an infant suspension for example calpol before arriving will be asked not to return for 48hrs or until they are no longer ill. If a child’s family members are infected the child should not return until the family is well. Please refer to our parent / carer contracts and to our ‘Health and Safety’ and ‘Administering of Medicine’ policy.
Parents/carers are asked to contact the manager/owner if their child is absent prior to/before/during their expected session/s.
Staff will ensure that children and themselves continue to carry out good hygiene practice throughout the pandemic.
Dealing with Illness and Bereavement
If a bereavement occurs for members of staff, children, parents / carers we will ensure that support is given to those effected. We will take the lead from the bereaved family and ask them how they wish to proceed.
For Contact and Information
Department of Health - telephone: 0207 210 4850 or website address: www.dh.gov.uk
Department for Education – telephone: 0370 000 2288
Family Information Services: Minicom – telephone: 0208 5419698
Cabinet Office – telephone: 0207 276 1234 or website address: www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk
Early Years and Childcare Services – email: , telephone: 01372 833833.
Ofsted – email: , tel: 0300 123 123
Early Years and Childcare Services: , tel: 01372 833833.
Early Years Training – email:
This policy was adopted in October 2010 to be reviewed annually.
This policy was up dated September 2016 to be reviewed September 2017.
Signed by Owner ______Manager ______