Safeguarding Policy

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Safeguarding statement

At Child’s Play 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 and our Promoting British Values Policy for further information). Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the nursery’s other policies and procedures.
Contents of this policy

Safeguarding statement	Page 1
Policy intention	Page 2
Legal framework & definition of safety	Page 3
Aim of the nursery	Page 3
Types & signs of abuse & particular procedures followed;
Indicators of child abuse
Recording suspicions of abuse and disclosures
· Physical abuse	Page 4
· Female genital mutilation	Page 5
· Fabricated illness & procedure to follow	Page 5
· Sexual abuse & procedure to follow	Page 6
· Emotional abuse & procedure to follow	Page 7
· Neglect & procedure to follow	Page 8
Safe recruitment policy outlines	Page 9
Accusations of abuse against nursery staff, students, or volunteers, or any other person living or working on the nursery premises.	Page 9
Monitoring attendance of children	Page 11
Informing parents	Page 11
Confidentiality	Page 11
Support to families	Page 11
Extremism – the Prevent Duty	Page 12
Private fostering	Page 12
Internet Safety	Page 12
No smoking policy	Page 13
Mobile phones policy	Page 13
Use of photographic equipment policy	Page 13
Staff use of social networking policy	Page 13
Babysitting policy	Page 14
Staff attending children’s parties & socialising with families/parents policy	Page 15
Staff fitness for work	Page 15
Whistle-blower’s policy	Page15
Key Contacts	Page 16

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
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
Be vigilant to the signs of abuse
Share information with other agencies as appropriate.

The Nursery has a duty to be 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. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. 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. This statement lays out the procedures that will be taken if we have reason to believe that a child in our care is subject to any type of abuse, or neglect, as detailed below.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well being of all the children in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents/main carers and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention

The Nursery has a duty to report any suspicions around abuse to the Local Authority. The Children Act 1989 (section 47 [1]) places a duty on the Local Authority to investigate such matters. The Nursery will follow the procedures set out in the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures and Welfare Requirements and as such will seek their advice on all steps taken subsequently. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, this includes being part of a multi-agency team, where needed.
Below is a list of the legal framework to which we work and definition of safeguarding

Children Act 1989 and 2004
Childcare Act 2006
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2014
Working together to safeguard children 2015
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015
Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 as amended by the Serious Crime Act 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 2015)

The nursery aims to:

Keep the child at the centre of all we do.
We will devise activities according to individual circumstances, to enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem within their peer group, giving them a strong sense of self as an individual and as part a wider community.
We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions.
Ensure staff are trained to understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, are alert to identify possible signs of abuse, understand what is meant by safeguarding and are aware of the different ways in which children can be harmed, including by other children through bullying, or discriminatory behaviour.
Ensure staff understand how to identify early indicators of potential radicalisation and terrorism threats and act on them appropriately in line with national and local procedures.
Ensure that all staff feel confident and supported to act in the best interest of the child, share information appropriately and seek the help that the child may need
Ensure that all staff are familiar and updated regularly with safeguarding training and procedures and kept informed of changes to local/national procedures.
Make any safeguarding referrals in a timely way, sharing relevant information as necessary in line with procedures set out by the Kingston Safeguarding Children Board – KSCB.
Make any referrals relating to extremism, or radicalisation to SPA – Single Point of Access team 020 8547 5008, who will where appropriate signpost us to the police Prevent Team in a timely manner, sharing relevant information as appropriate.
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, in line with the information sharing guidance in the ‘working together to safeguard children’ document.

All records will be stored securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Ensure that children are never placed at risk while in the charge of nursery staff.
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.
Ensure parents are fully aware of safeguarding policies and procedures; a copy will be included as part of their induction pack before their child starts attending the setting. Further copies will be e-mailed out to all nursery families on each occasion that the policy is updated, or altered.
Regularly review and update this policy with staff and parents where appropriate and make sure it complies with any legal requirements, guidance, or procedures issued by the Kingston Local Safeguarding Children Board – KLSCB.
Ensure that all members of staff co-operate with the Single Point of Access – SPA, Kingston Local Safeguarding Children Board – KLSCB, police, police Prevent Team and OfSTED in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
Ensure staff do not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent or member of staff.
Support the individual needs of children through the initiation of a Common Assessment Framework (CAF), where it is felt to be beneficial to bring together a variety of services to support the child and the family. Or, to add to a live CAF and participate with the family and linked professionals to bring together services to meet their needs. To take this action parents must give consent and participate in the process.

The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused, but will help to alert us that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree. In all instances staff will listen to what children say, they will observe behaviours, vocabulary and interactions and note these down. If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse, they will not be promised complete confidentiality, as it will be necessary to share this information to ensure their continued safety. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure is not forced, or words put into the child’s mouth. Staff will be careful not to ask leading questions and to record exactly what is said, or observed objectively, being factual, without allowing preconceptions to influence what is observed. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately.

Physical Abuse

Action will be taken under this heading if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning, where there is a definite knowledge, or reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted, or knowingly not prevented. This may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child

Signs and symptoms

Bruising or injuries in an area that is not usual for a child, e.g. fleshy parts of the arms and legs, back, wrists, ankles and face.
Bite marks
Physical injury with inconsistent explanation
Physical injury and delay in seeking appropriate medical advice.

Female genital mutilation – FGM

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) female genital mutilation (FGM) is defined as: “all procedures (not operations) which involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons” (WHO, 1996).

This type of physical abuse is practised as a cultural ritual by certain ethnic groups and there is now more awareness of its prevalence in some communities in the UK, including its effect on the child and any other siblings involved.

FGM is classified under four major types: Type 1 – Clitoridectomy:

“Partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).”

Type 2 – Excision:

“Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are “the lips” that surround the vagina).”

Type 3 – Infibulation:

“Narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris.” Type 4 – Other:

“All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.”

(Quoted from: http://www.wscb.org.uk/wscb/info/88/local_multi-agency_strategies/99/local_multi-agency_strategies/6)

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms may include;

Bleeding
Painful areas
Acute urinary retention and/or Urinary infections
wound infection
Septicemia
Incontinence
vaginal and pelvic infections
depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physiological concerns.

Fabricated illness

This is also a type of physical abuse. This is where a child is presented with an illness that is fabricated by the adult carer. The carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation.

Signs and symptoms;

The signs may include;

A carer exaggerating a real illness or symptoms
Complete fabrication of symptoms
Inducing physical illness, e.g. through poisoning, starvation or inappropriate diet.
This may also be presented through false allegations of abuse, or encouraging the child to appear disabled, or ill to obtain unnecessary treatment or specialist support

Procedure

Any sign of a mark/injury to a child when they come into nursery will be recorded, on the pre-existing injuries form held in the back of the accident file, whether this is disclosed by a parent/carer or observed by a member of staff.
If a concern is raised through observed behaviour or disclosure from the child, a record of concern form will be used to document this.
A chronology log may also be used to help build a picture of repeated occurrences of reported illness and visits to doctors or hospitals.
If signs of FGM are apparent and observed by a member of staff during routine care proceedings such as nappy changing, the member of staff will notify one of the settings safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb who will contact the police as this is evidence of ‘actual bodily harm’.
However, if a concern is raised through observed behavior, disclosure from the child or from any other source a record of concern form will be used to document this, as this is ‘suspected abuse’ and we would follow the procedure for ‘Physical abuse’ listed below.
All recorded injuries, felt to be of serious concern, or those being monitored will be removed from this file by the manager (lead setting safeguarding officer) and stored securely.
The notifying member of staff will inform and discuss concerns with one of the setting’s safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb
The incident will be discussed with the parent/main carer except where the guidance of the LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this .
Such discussion will be record and details stored securely. The parent/main carer will have access to these records, where appropriate.
If there appears to be any queries regarding the injury SPA – Single Point of Access team will be notified – 020 8547 5008
The setting’s linked Early Years Advisor may also be contacted for advice and support where necessary, but identifying details of the child and family will not be shared unless advised to do so by the SPA team.

Sexual Abuse

Action will be taken under this heading if any of the staff have witnessed occasions where a child indicates sexual activity through words, play, drawing, or has an excessive pre-occupation with sexual matters, or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour. 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 (e.g. rape, buggery or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of sexual online images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Signs and symptoms

Inappropriate sexual knowledge observed either through play or speech
Regressive behaviour in the absence of other reasonable explanation.

Procedure

The notifying member of staff will inform and discuss concerns with one of the setting’s safeguarding officers; Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb
The observed instances will be reported as they occur and documented either on the pre-existing injuries form; in the case of observed marks on a child, or on the nursery’s record of concern form, blank copies of this form are held in the safeguarding file. All completed records will then be stored securely.
The concern will be discussed with the parent/main carer except where the guidance of the LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this.
The matter will be referred to the SPA – Single Point of Access team 020 8547 5008 and the nursery’s safeguarding officers will follow their guidance.
The setting’s linked Early Years Advisor may also be contacted for advice and support where necessary, but identifying details of the child and family will not be shared unless advised to do so by the SPA team.

Emotional Abuse

Action will be taken under this heading if the staff team have reason to believe that there is severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent, or severe ill treatment or rejection.

Signs and symptoms;

It may involve;

Conveying to a child/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 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 i.e. domestic abuse.
It may involve serious bullying, or causing children to frequently 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.

Procedure

If a concern is raised through observed behavior, or disclosure from the child, a record of concern form will be used to document this.
The notifying member of staff will inform and discuss concerns with one of the setting’s safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb
The concern will be discussed with the parent/main carer except where the guidance of the LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this.
Such discussion will be recorded and the parent/main carer will have access to such records, where appropriate.
If there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances, the matter will be referred to the SPA – Single Point of Access team 020 8547 5008.
The setting’s linked Early Years Advisor may also be contacted for advice and support where necessary, but identifying details of the child and family will not be shared unless advised to do so by the SPA team.
Neglect

Action will be taken under this heading if the staff team have reason to believe that there has been persistent, or severe neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including extreme cold and starvation) which results in serious impairment of the child’s health, or development, including non-organic failure to thrive. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.

Signs and symptoms;

Neglect can take many forms including:

Inadequate or erratic physical care, feeding, hygiene, clothing.
Emotional neglect-failure to respond to a child’s needs
Abandonment-leaving a child alone, unsupervised.
Failure to ensure a child attends school
Lack of stimulation resulting in developmental delay
Lack of boundaries and guidance
Failure to protect a child from physical harm, or danger
Denial of necessary medical care, or treatment
The child looking dirty and unkempt, loss of weight, slow development.

Procedure

If a concern is raised through observed behavior, or disclosure from the child, a record of concern form will be used to document this.
The notifying member of staff will inform and discuss concerns with one of the setting’s safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb
The concern will be discussed with parent/main carer except where the guidance of the LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this.
These discussions will be recorded and the parent/main carer will have access to such records, where appropriate.
If there appear to be any queries regarding the circumstances, the SPA – Single Point of Access team 020 8547 5008 will be notified.
The setting’s linked Early Years Advisor may also be contacted for advice and support where necessary, but identifying details of the child and family will not be shared unless advised to do so by the SPA team.

Safe staff recruitment

At Child’s Play Nursery the welfare and safety of our children is paramount. As such we recognize that it is of fundamental importance to attract, recruit and retain staff who share this commitment. In order to do this, throughout the recruitment and induction process we ensure that we follow the recommendations of the DfES in “safeguarding children: safer recruitment and selection in education settings”.

This includes:

Ensuring adverts contain the safer recruitment statement, that “all successful candidates will be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure”, which enables candidates to make informed decisions about whether they wish to apply.
Candidates receive a person specification and job description, which includes details of their safeguarding responsibilities and details of line management.
Application forms must be completed by each candidate. These include personal details, education and employment history. These forms are scrutinised by the Manager and Deputy (who have both completed safer recruitment training and who conduct the interviews), for any missing information. Any gaps or anomalies are clarified with the candidate
During the interview we include specific scenarios and questions linked to safeguarding, to assess the candidates awareness of and responses to safeguarding issues.
Any conditional offer of employment is subject to satisfactory checks being undertaken before they commence employment.
We carry out the mandatory checks required a full DBS enhanced check.
We ask for two referees, whom we contact asking them to complete a reference request form. We follow this up with a verbal conversation to verify the reference. One of these must be the person’s most recent employer or teacher /tutor from school/college (if they have just left college and have not had a previous job). If the most recent employer does not relate to child care, we will also ask for any referees relating to child care.
Referees will be asked if the applicant has been the subject of disciplinary procedures, or any allegation or concerns have been raised, including any relating to the safety and welfare of children.
We ask to see copies of original certificates and when a candidate applies from oversees we ensure that they have a legal right to work in the UK and check their qualifications through NARIC.
We ask for at least two different types of identification in order to carry out the DBS check and to verify the candidate’s identity. If a candidate has changed their name we ask them to provide evidence of the change.
All candidates must attend a trial morning, carrying out an activity with the children under supervision and are required to evaluate this themselves, to evaluate their practical skills.
All new staff (and current staff on an annual basis) have to complete a form stating that no one living, or working in their household has any conviction which would disqualify them from working with children.

For further details on safer recruitment, staff induction and our supervision process please see – The safe recruitment policy, Staff induction procedure, supervision policy and staff appraisal & 1:1 policy and procedure.

Accusations of abuse against nursery staff, students or volunteers, or any other person living or working on the nursery premises

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 incidents on the nursery premises, or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below.

The allegation should be reported to one of the setting’s safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb. If one of these people is the subject of the allegation then this should be reported to the other safeguarding officer or in their absence the person in charge.

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), SPA, Ofsted and the LSCB will then be informed immediately in order for this to be investigated by the appropriate bodies promptly:

The LADO will be informed immediately for advice and guidance
A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals (LADO, Ofsted, LSCB) to determine how this will be handled
The nursery will follow all instructions from the LADO, Ofsted, LSCB and ask all members of staff to do the same and co-operate where required
The setting’s linked Early Years Advisor may also be contacted for advice and support where necessary, but identifying details of the child and family will not be shared unless advised to do so by the SPA team.
Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation, in line with the LADO’s support and advice
The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation. It will then take steps to ensure that the alleged abuser has no contact with the children.
The investigation will probably involve speaking to staff, parents/carers and children and seeing records.
All enquiries/external investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file for access by the relevant authorities
Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated
Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organizations as directed by the Local Authority Designated Officer – LADO and where an offence is believed to have been committed, the police. This will result in the termination of employment. Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision. The nursery will also notify the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their records are updated
All 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
The nursery retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry
Counselling will be available for any member of the nursery who is affected by an allegation, their colleagues in the nursery and the parents.

Every effort will be made to avoid unnecessary disruption to staff, parents/carers and children, but the priority will be the children’s safety and welfare.

Attendance monitoring

Although it is not compulsory for children to attend nursery, as part of our duty to safeguard children we are required to monitor and record children’s attendance and patterns of absence. This helps us to monitor illnesses that might occur across the setting, to ensure that children receive a beneficial level of early education to assist them in progressing towards the ‘Early Learning Goals’ and prepare children for school. As we are now required to monitor all absences in order to safeguard children, and demonstrate this during inspections, families are asked to assist us by letting us know of any planned or unplanned absences as soon as possible and to share the length and reason for the absence.

The nursery recognises its duty to protect children in our care from indoctrination into any form of extreme ideology which may lead them to harm themselves, or others. Staff are aware of the Prevent Strategy and are able to protect children who are vulnerable, or at risk of being radicalised.

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 LSCB/ local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this. 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 LSCB.

Support to families

The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relationships with families, staff, students and volunteers within the nursery.

The nursery 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.

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 in line with guidance of the LSCB 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.

Extremism – the Prevent Duty

Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to refer any concerns of extremism to the Prevent lead (contacted through SPA) who can also provide support.

This may be a cause for concern relating to a change in behaviour of a child, or family member, comments causing concern made to a member of the team (or other persons in the setting) or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care.

Private Fostering

Private fostering is where children under the age of 16 (under 18 if the child is disabled) are given into the care of trusted members of the family/extended family/friends to be cared for, for 28 days or longer. To ensure children’s safety, the local authority must be made aware of these private arrangements so that the carers suitability can be assessed and appropriate support provided.

To enable us to identify situations of private fostering we ask to see the long copy of a child’s birth certificate which states the name of their parents. Where we identify that a child is not being cared for by its parents, we will offer support and ensure that the local authorities have been informed.

E-Safety

Child’s Play Nursery is aware of the growth of internet use and the advantages this can bring. We are also aware of the dangers and strive to support children, staff and families in using the internet safely

Within the nursery we do this by:

Ensuring we have appropriate antivirus and anti-spyware software on all devices and update them regularly
Using approved devices to record/photograph in the setting
Reporting emails with inappropriate content to the internet watch foundation (IWF www.iwf.org.uk/)
Ensuring content blockers and filters are on our computers, laptops and any mobile devices
Ensuring children are supervised using internet devices
Integrating e-safety into nursery daily practice by discussing computer usage ‘rules’ deciding together what is safe and what is not safe to do online
When using Skype and FaceTime (only under staff supervision for planned activities). Talking to children about ‘stranger danger’ and deciding who is a stranger and who is not, comparing people in real life situations to online ‘friends’. Discussing with the children what they would do if someone they did not know tried to contact them.
We encourage staff and families to complete a free online e-safety briefing which can be found at http://moodle.ndna.org.uk/

No Smoking Policy.

No smoking is permitted at any time by any member of the public, student, or staff, inside the nursery, or on the nursery premises.

Mobile phones policy.

Nursery parents and visitors are not permitted to use their mobile phone, tablets etc. in the nursery. Where it is essential to take a call, they will have to step outside the nursery and return when the call is completed
Staff and students’ mobile phones, tablets etc. are not permitted in the nursery/children’s play areas during work hours, unless by express permission of the nursery manager, or deputy.
Staff and students’ phones tablets etc. will be kept in their bags in the staff room.
All phones will be turned to silent, except through the staff break period when staff are free to use their phones in the staff room, or in the hall (only during their lunch break, while the children are all together eating lunch).
Staff are not permitted to use their phones to send, or check messages outside their break times.

Photographic equipment policy.

Staff are not permitted to take photographs of the children with photographic equipment other than the nursery’s cameras. This equipment will remain at the nursery and images will not be released to staff, families, or other parties without prior consent by the children and their families.

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 the setting’s safeguarding officers, Melanie Fynn, or Jamie Grubb or in their absence, the person in charge at the earliest opportunity.

Social Networking

It is important that staff ensure safe practice when using the internet, including social networking sites. This is to protect the children, families and staff in the nursery. It is also to guard their personal professional reputation and that of the nursery, whilst maintaining friendly professional boundaries.

In the interest of safeguarding and in developing appropriate friendly professional boundaries in staff/parent relationships whilst ensuring confidentiality of nursery/children/families’ information, staff adhere to the following safeguards when using social networking sites (SNS); such as Facebook, MSN, Twitter.

It is Child’s Play Nursery’s policy that staff or students are allowed to use social networking sites as long as they follow the guidelines listed below. Failure to comply with these will be considered an infringement of our Confidentiality Policy and may lead to disciplinary actions being taken.

The guidelines include, but are not limited to;

Not to accept members of nursery children’s families/carers as ‘friends’. Where friendships exist prior to the family joining the nursery, the nursery manager must be notified as soon as possible, however no further action should be necessary where staff follow the remaining steps.
Having a ‘closed’ profile, so that only people personally known to them can access their pages.
Not posting photographs of nursery children, or pictures of themselves in nursery uniform.
Not mentioning any of the children, or their families on their profiles.
Not writing indirectly suggestive comments about the nursery publicly on their sites i.e. ‘I’ve had a really bad day at work’
Not publishing derogative statements about other staff, linked professionals/professional agencies, or nursery practice on social network sites
Not listing the name of the nursery as their workplace, or making comments naming the nursery, colleagues, families, or children from the nursery.
Social networks should be personal to the staff member, with staff taking responsibility for what appears on their profile and pages.

Babysitting

Parents are advised that babysitting arrangements made with nursery staff are private arrangements.
Families are made aware that the nursery’s vetting/interviewing process is specific for staff’s suitability for their post and cannot be relied upon as a suitable alternative for checking suitability as a sole charge babysitter.
The nursery will not be responsible for any private arrangements or agreements which are made.
Out of hours work arrangements must not interfere with a staff’s employment at the nursery.
Parents should be aware that adults allowed to accompany a babysitter are unlikely to have the relevant Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and may not be appropriate to care for children.
The nursery has a duty to safeguard all children whilst on our premises and in the care of our staff, but this duty does not extend to private arrangements between staff and parents/carers outside of nursery hours, for which it accepts no responsibility. However, staff have been advised that they should as individuals, maintain the same high standards of safeguarding practice outside work. They are specifically reminded that where parents/carers come home from an evening out and are not in a fit state to take safe responsibility for their children, that they should take steps to ensure the safety of the children.
Staff must adhered to and respect the settings confidentiality policy.

Children’s parties and socialising with families/parents

In line with our community ethos, we are happy for our staff to link with nursery families outside nursery hours only when participating in important events in the children’s lives, i.e. birthday parties.

Staff are expected to maintain the same high standards with regards to confidentiality (around all issues to do with children, families, staff, setting and finances), their childcare practice and safeguarding, as would be expected of them within the workplace

Fitness for work – Drugs and Alcohol

Staff will not consume, or be under the influence of drink/drugs during their hours of work.

Except for medical reasons, employees must not take, or come to work under the influence of any substances that might affect their performance at work. Where staff have concerns that prescribed medication may affect their working performance, they should refer to their medical practitioner to assess their fitness for work.

Whistle blowing

We expect all of our staff to provide high levels of care and to behave in a professional manner at all times. Staff will be expected, by following agreed procedures and without fear of recrimination, to bring to the attention of the Nursery Manager any deficiency in the standards. If it is the Nursery Manager who is causing the concern, then our Whistle blowing Policy will provide detailed guidance that should be followed.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are carried out daily, with checks of the nursery play rooms and equipment accessible before the nursery opens and the nursery gardens before use.

Monthly risk assessments are carried out in each nursery room and both gardens. These are carried out by two members of staff and checked by the manager who also ensures that any actions are dealt with. All outings are risk assessed separately. For more information on risk assessments and health and safety please refer to the health and safety section of the policy file.

Key Contacts
Role	Name & email address	Contact number
Child’s Play’s Named Safeguarding Officer	Melanie Fynn	0208-399-7347
Child’s Play’s Named Safeguarding Officer	Jamie Grubb	0208-399-7347
SPA – Single Point of Access Mon-Thurs 8.45 a.m- 5.00 p.m. Friday 8.45 a.m.-4.45 p.m.	SPA@rbk.kingston.gov.uk	020 8547 5008
Out of Hours Children’s Emergency Duty Social Work Service –CEDT To be contacted when SPA is shut. Opening hours – Outside office hours, at weekends and public holidays.		020 8770 5000
OfSTED whistleblower hotline	whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk	0300 123 3155
OfSTED	enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk	0300 123 1231
Safeguarding Services – office hours	safeguarding@rbk.kingston.gov.uk	020 8547 5004
LADO – Local authority Designated Officer		0208 547 5262
LSCB – Local Safeguarding Children Board		0208 547 4655
Non-emergency police		101
Government helpline -extremism concerns		020 7340 7264
Police – if a child is in immediate danger		999
Child Abuse Investigation Team – CAIT -Kingston and Richmond		0208 785 8529

WBHL whistleblower hotline Ofsted Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

0300 123 3155 (Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.00pm).

whistleblowing@ofsted.gov.uk

Written by Child’s Play Nursery with reference to NDNA guidance.

Child's Play Nursery

Learning through play

Safeguarding Policy